Psalms 118:22-23 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
These verses capture one of the most profound Messianic truths in all of Scripture. What man cast aside, God exalted. What the builders saw as flawed and unfit, God chose as the foundation of His eternal plan. Yeshua (Jesus), the rejected One, is the very cornerstone upon which salvation, identity, and destiny are built. This is more than a theological concept — it’s a divine reversal that reveals the heart of redemption. Rejection by man does not disqualify–it often qualifies you for God’s greatest purposes.
Throughout history, humanity has consistently misjudged what matters most. The religious leaders of Yeshua’s day, the “builders,” were entrusted with God’s house, yet failed to recognize the cornerstone when He stood before them. But the plans of men never override the purposes of God. The same Yeshua who was crucified outside the city became the foundation stone of a heavenly kingdom that will never be shaken. And this wasn’t a last-minute adjustment — it was “the LORD’s doing”, and it is still marvelous in our eyes.
The Hebrew word for “stone” is אֶבֶן (evan) — a compound of אב (av) meaning father and בן (ben) meaning son. Hidden within this one word is the mystery of the Gospel: the Father and the Son, united in purpose and identity. The cross was not an accident; it was the place where the Father gave the Son to become the foundation of our faith, our lives, and the coming Kingdom. The cornerstone is not just about structural strength — it’s about divine relationship.
This truth demands a response. If Yeshua is the cornerstone, then every part of our lives must align with Him. He is not an add-on or a side pillar — He is the first stone laid, the standard by which all other stones are set. Your identity, your calling, your future — everything must be built on Him. If you’ve experienced rejection, know this: your value is not determined by the builders of this world, but by the One who makes all things marvelous in His time.
It’s time to rebuild — on the Rock. Stop trying to fit into structures God never called you to belong to. You may have been rejected, overlooked, or cast aside — but that doesn’t disqualify you. In fact, it places you in perfect alignment with the One who was rejected before you. Let Yeshua be your cornerstone — not just in word, but in foundation. Tear down what was built on sand. Lay Him down as the first and final authority in your life. Align your identity to the Father through the Son. What man rejected, God is ready to use. What the enemy tried to discard, God is setting in place. The cornerstone is secure — now build.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The Apostle Paul continues his warning to the Corinthians against idolatry by referring to Israel’s celebration/worship of the golden calf. Aaron’s proclamation, “These are your gods (plural) O Israel” could be one of the earliest declarations mixing the worship of the true and living God, YHVH, with idols. This is called “syncretism”. Dictionary.com defines it: ” the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion.”
The Apostle Paul’s admonition in 1 Corinthians 10:6 against desiring evil as they did, would seem to point to the obvious sins – lying, stealing, adultery, fornication, etc. – and following their deliverance from slavery, many of the children of Israel were certainly guilty of some of these. But this passage in Numbers describes a type of sin we don’t normally consider: it was simply their desire for the foods they ate in Egypt.
When I was in school, it seemed they ran a “fire drill” at least once a year. A long, loud, kind of scary bell would sound and we knew it was either a real fire, or, more likely, just another drill. We were formed into lines, ushered down the halls, and out the doors we went. Of course, the point was practice….so we would be prepared for a real fire.
The children of Israel are facing yet another test, this one, even more severe than hunger– dehydration – which, unabated, quickly leads to a miserable death. Yet, now, every day they are also seeing the miracles of God, who is feeding them regularly with manna, and surrounding them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Once again, they fail the test, even in the midst of their daily witness of miracles. So even though the test is more severe, the evidence for trust is that much greater.
Is there something about miracles that makes them forgettable? Or is the problem with us? After journeying for a season the children of Israel were faced with hunger — another test. This time, naturally faced with starvation, they murmured against the Lord, AGAIN! You’d think they might begin to put it together that God truly wanted them to trust Him. Apparently not yet. The dire circumstances attacked their mass cerebral cortex (memory) and once again they went into attack mode, bitterly complaining in unbelief. The Ten Plagues, the pillar of fire, the Red Sea walk, the Egyptian chariot soup, none of these connected to the present hunger pangs. Nature trumped super-nature, and sadly, God Himself.
The Apostle Paul’s discourse in 1 Corinthians 10 recalls the great miracles God performed for the children of Israel during the time of the Exodus. Delivered from Egypt and Pharaoh’s slavery, they were dismayed to discover his maniacal rage pursuing them anew, driving them into a deadly corner and imminent destruction. Humanly speaking, their terror and panic was understandable. With their eyes they could only see the wrath of Egypt succeeding at last to utterly destroy them. In that state of mind, how might they have remembered the consecutive miracles God had wrought against Egypt which had brought them to this very place?
When Ruth pledged her alligence to Naomi and to the God of Israel, it wasn’t based on, “What ifs?” or circumstances. It was a faith rooted in her devotion to Naomi and God even to the point of death!