The Stumblingstone

King James Daily Bible Study Devotional

Message Title: The Stumblingstone
Date: Sunday July 17, 2011
Chapters: Isaiah 17-18, Proverb 17, Psalm 37
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-17
Details of Today's Chapters: The burden of Damascus, the foretelling destruction of the cities of Syria and Israel, the woe of the land beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, in the day of Israel’s regathering.

Hello My Friend/Guest,

“And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth...But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” - Romans 9:26-28,31-33.

A stumblingstone is an obstacle or hindrance to progress, God has placed a stumblingstone between Himself and man, which means He places an obstacle before all mankind that keeps them from being His children. That obstacle is Jesus Christ, if you get to Jesus then you get to God. Whether Jew or Gentile, the only way to get to Jesus is by believing in Him, then and only then will a person go from being a mere creation of God to a child of the only living God.

Through God, Isaiah foretold the ruin of the rest of the tribes of Israel along with Syria, also known as Damascus. The destruction of Damascus, which is the metropolis of Syria, and of other cities, will be destroyed, just like Jerusalem and yet a remnant would be preserved.

“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. The cities of Aroer are forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid. The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts... Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel. At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.” - Isaiah 17:1-3,6,7.

Just as the gathering of grapes or olives will leave a few that are inaccessible at the very top of the branches, only a few of the billions of people on the earth will look to their Maker and be saved from destruction. Mercy is reserved in the midst of His judgment, but only for the remnant, the one who put their faith and trust in His Son. This remnant shall be made holy, acknowledging God's hand in all things, giving Him the respect and glory due to His name. “For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:11-13.

Every nation will fall, therefore, every nation is called to observe the judgment that is about to be inflicted upon them. Through Isaiah God tells of the desolation coming of a land or country, but also assures His children that He will protect them and give them rest and a dwelling place away from the desolation.

“For so the LORD said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches. They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion.” - Isaiah 18:4-7.

While a child of God will have to go through some suffering from time to time, God is always with them and will give them rest through that suffering. God’s people are trampled on as a nation, scattered and abused, no nation, will escape. Though they are cast down, they are not utterly forgotten of God. “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” - Hebrews 13:5,6.

When Christ returns we will have Zion to look forward to, but until then God's children have heaven to look forward to. If you are not one of God's children you will not be saved from any of the destruction, but you can become a child of God before it is too late. The only way to avoid the destruction and hell itself is to get to the stumblingstone, which is Jesus Christ. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” - I John 5:11-13. Praise God!

P.S. I apologize for this being sent out a day late, I have been ill, all will resume to normal tomorrow. Thanks for your patience, I apologize for any inconvenience.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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