Isaiah 8:14
“He will be a holy place;
for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
a trap and a snare.” (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Isaiah 8
Isaiah chapter 8 continues the prophecy that Isaiah gave to Ahaz in chapter 7. The Lord told Isaiah to write on a large scroll “with an ordinary pen” the name of his next son. This would indicate that this prophecy was meant for the masses. The prophecy that Isaiah gave in chapter 7 was given directly to King Ahaz. The prophecy that Isaiah gives in chapter 8 was given to all the people so that even the ordinary people could understand it.
And it’s the same prophetic message that the armies of Assyria would defeat Israel and Syria but not Judah. Judah would get quite the battle but the enemy would only “reach up to the neck” of Judah. It wouldn’t get over their heads. They were to watch Isaiah’s son because Assyria would overtake Israel and Syria before he was old enough to say “My father or My mother” (vs. 4).
But we are going to skip to the second half of Isaiah’s prophecy in this chapter. The Lord spoke to Isaiah “with his strong hand upon me” and said:
“The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy,
he is the one you are to fear,
he is the one you are to dread.
He will be a holy place;
for both Israel and Judah he will be
a stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.
And for the people of Jerusalem he will be
a trap and a snare.
Many of them will stumble;
they will fall and be broken,
they will be snared and captured” (vs 13-15).
The imagery here is like a person fleeing the impending judgement. If the person runs to God then they will find sanctuary and security in God. However, if the person looks for safety and security apart from God, they will surely stumble, fall and be broken.
Jesus is the stone of Isaiah 8:14. This same language is used in Psalm 118 and Jesus cites this reference in speaking to the Pharisees about himself:
“Jesus looked directly at them and asked, ‘Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
‘”The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”?
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed’” (Luke 20:17-18).
The New Testament authors also wrote extensively about this “stumbling block” concept. Peter wrote:
“Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,’
and,
‘A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.’
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for” (1 Peter 2:7-8).
Notice that Peter’s first quotation is from Psalm 118 – the exact same reference that Jesus made to himself. Peter’s second quotation is from Isaiah 8. Peter is making the connection between the two Scriptures that Jesus is the stone that will either be your precious solid rock or your stumbling block. If you choose to believe in Jesus, he becomes your rock of salvation. If you refuse to believe, Jesus is your stumbling block that causes you to fall.
Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Corinthians:
“Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Cor 1:22-25).
The cross was a stumbling block to the Jews because they were looking for a Messiah who would reign as a military king just like King David. They were right in that they were looking for a Messiah. But Jesus came as the King of Kings to usher in his spiritual kingdom. This literally tripped up the Jews and they couldn’t accept it.
The Jews wanted the Law to make them righteous but God never designed the Law to be our Savior. Jesus is righteousness and our faith in him makes us righteous. The Jews simply refused to abandon their trust in the Law and come to faith in Jesus. Thus, Jesus became their spiritual downfall.
Jesus is the Stone. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord’ (1 Cor 1:30-31).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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