the Stone the builders rejected

The cornerstone, the foundation of faith, for both Jews and Christians, is the Word of God.

Prophets foretold Gentiles being drawn to God at the time of Messiah, embodiment of Torah, living water flowing from Rock.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה הִנְנִי יִסַּד בְּצִיּוֹן אָבֶן אֶבֶן בֹּחַן

פִּנַּת יִקְרַת

מוּסָד מוּסָּד הַמַּאֲמִין לֹא יָחִישׁ

ישעיה כח:טז

"Therefore thus said the Lord HaShem,

'Behold, I lay in Zion a stone,

a tested stone, 

​a precious cornerstone,

a sure foundation;

​he who believes will not make haste.'"

Isaiah 28:16

כִּי אָמוּר בַּכָּתוּב:

הִנְנִי

שָׂם בְּצִיּוֹן אֶבֶן בְּחוּנָה וִיקָרָה

בָרֹאשׁ הַפִּנָּה

וּמִי שֶׁמַּאֲמִין בָּהּ

לֹא יֵבוֹשׁ.

אגרת כיפא הראשונה ב:ו

"For it is said in the Scripture:

'Behold,

in Zion I lay a tested and precious stone

for the head of the corner;

and whoever believes in it

will not be ashamed.'"

1 Peter 2:6

אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים

הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה

מֵאֵת יְהוָה הָיְתָה זֹּאת

הִיא נִפְלָאת בְּעֵינֵינוּ

תהילים קיח:כב-כג

"The stone which the builders rejected;

has become the chief corner stone.

This is from HaShem;

it is wonderful in our eyes."

Psalms 118:22-23

אָמַר לָהֶם יֵשׁוּעַ:

הַאִם מֵעוֹלָם לֹא קְרָאתֶם בַּכְּתוּבִים

אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים

הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה

מֵאֵת יְהוָֹה הָיְתָה זֹאת

הִיא נִפְלָאת בְּעֵינֵינוּ?

הכרזת מתי כא:מב

"Yeshua said to them:

'Did you never read in the Scriptures: 

"The stone which the builders rejected, 

this became the chief corner stone;

this came about from HaShem, 

and it is wonderful in our eyes"?'"

Matthew 21:42

Midrash Tanna Debei Eliyahu (Teachings from Eliyahu) describes the prophet Eliyahu (Elijah) appearing to Rabbi Anan in the third century C.E. and teaching him of:

• the present world - 6,000 years corresponding to 6 days of creation

• the coming Messianic millenium of peace - 1,000 years corresponding to Shabbat

• the future world - eternity

According to this Midrash, the 6,000 year phase of our present world is divided into:

• 2,000 years of tohu - Adam to Moses

• 2,000 years of Torah - Moses to Yeshua

• 2,000 years of Messiah - Yeshua to Messianic millennium of peace

כִּ֤י אֶ֪לֶף שָׁנִ֡ים בְּֽעֵינֶ֗יךָ

כְּי֣וֹם אֶ֭תְמוֹל כִּ֣י יַעֲבֹ֑ר

וְאַשְׁמוּרָ֥ה בַלָּֽיְלָה

תהילים צ:ד

"For in Your eyes a thousand years

are like yesterday that passes,

and a watch in the night."

Psalms 90:4

כִּ֣י הִנֵּ֣ה

הָאֶ֗בֶן אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָתַ֙תִּי֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ

עַל־אֶ֥בֶן אַחַ֖ת שִׁבְעָ֣ה עֵינָ֑יִם

הִנְנִ֧י מְפַתֵּ֣חַ פִּתֻּחָ֗הּ

נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת

וּמַשְׁתִּ֛י אֶת־עֲוֺ֥ן הָאָֽרֶץ־הַהִ֖יא

בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד

זכריה ג:ט

"For behold

the stone that I have placed before Joshua,

upon one stone are seven eyes;

behold, I will engrave its engraving"

declares HaShem of Hosts

"and I will remove the iniquity of that land

in one day."

Zechariah 3:9

אֲבָל הוּא הִבִּיט בָּהֶם וְאָמַר:

וּמַהוּ זֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב

אֶבֶן מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים

הָיְתָה לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה?

הכרזת לוקא כ:יז

"But he stared at them and said:

'And what is that which is written,

"The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone"?'"

Luke 20:17

וְנִבְנֵיתֶם עַל

יְסוֹד הַשְּׁלִיחִים וְהַנְּבִיאִים

וְהוּא הָיָה רֹאשׁ הַפִּנָּה שֶׁל הַבִּנְיָן

יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ.

וּבוֹ מֻרְכָּב כָּל הַבִּנְיָן

וְגָדֵל לְהֵיכָל קָדוֹשׁ בַּיהוָֹה,

בִּהְיוֹתְכֶם גַּם אַתֶּם נִבְנִים בּוֹ

לְמִשְׁכַּן אֱלֹהִים בָּרוּחַ.

אגרת שאול אל האפסים ב:כ-כב

"and you were built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

and he has been the corner stone of the building,

Yeshua the Messiah.

And in him the whole building is assembled,

and grows into a holy temple in HaShem, 

in whom you also are being built together

into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."

Ephesians 2:20-22

It was God's plan for Moshe to strike the Rock at first encounter.

הִנְנִ֣י עֹמֵד֩ לְפָנֶ֨יךָ שָּׁ֥ם

עַֽל־הַצּוּר֮ בְּחֹרֵב֒

וְהִכִּ֣יתָ בַצּ֗וּר

וְיָצְא֥וּ מִמֶּ֛נּוּ מַ֖יִם

וְשָׁתָ֣ה הָעָ֑ם

וַיַּ֤עַשׂ כֵּן֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה

לְעֵינֵ֖י זִקְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

שמות יז:ו

"'I stand there before you

on the Rock at Horeb,

and you will strike the Rock

and water will come out from it,

and the people will drink;'

and Moses did so

in the sight of the elders of Israel."

Exodus 17:6

At second manifestation of the Rock,

the Jews need to speak to this Source of living water.

קַ֣ח אֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֗ה

וְהַקְהֵ֤ל אֶת־הָעֵדָה֙

אַתָּה֙ וְאַהֲרֹ֣ן אָחִ֔יךָ

וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֧ם אֶל־הַסֶּ֛לַע לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם

וְנָתַ֣ן מֵימָ֑יו

וְהוֹצֵאתָ֨ לָהֶ֥ם מַ֙יִם֙ מִן־הַסֶּ֔לַע

וְהִשְׁקִיתָ֥

אֶת־הָעֵדָ֖ה

וְאֶת־בְּעִירָֽם

במדבר כ:ח

“Take the rod

and assemble the community,

you and your brother Aaron

and speak to the Rock before their eyes

and the Rock will yield its water;

thus you make water come out for them from the Rock

and you will provide water

for the community

and for their beasts.”

Numbers 20:8

יִֽהְי֥וּ לְרָצ֨וֹן אִמְרֵי־פִ֡י

וְהֶגְי֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ

יְ֝הוָ֗ה צוּרִ֥י וְגֹאֲלִֽי

תהילים יט:טו

"May the words of my mouth

and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable to You;

HaShem, my Rock and my redeemer."

Psalms 19:15