The First Epistle of Peter

by Richard St.James

The King Of The Hill

Bible 1611.Com / Old Paths Baptist Mission © 2011

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1 Peter 2:7 “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

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1. The Stone Disallowed
2. The Rock Offends
3. Jesus Christ Is Precious

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1. The Stone Disallowed

Verse seven: “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,”

In spite of man’s most determined effort, the thing that man didn’t want to have happen … has happened. Now, this is what man really wanted. Man has always wanted to be in charge of everything there is under the sun. History proves this thing out. This is the story. Human history seems to always be a story of who is going to be the “king of the hill”.

Now what do I mean by that statement? I mean by that statement, that one does not have to look too far or long in the history books before he realizes that man thinks … it is all about man. Consider this. The pharaohs of Egypt, the kings of Assyria and of Babylon, and the Persian-Medes all wanted to be the “king of the hill.” Alexander the Great and all the Roman emperors all had this same taste for power. They wanted to be the “king of the hill.” Napoleon, Otto Von Bismarck and Adolf Hitler all wanted to be the king over the earth. It is all about kings and kingdoms! And when you get right down to it, all of us want “to be in charge”. We all want to be the “king of the hill.”

Now, this desire is in both you and me. It has now been embedded in the human nature [the sin nature] for these last six thousand years … ever since Adam chose to disobey God. Man has this ever insatiable desire to be the man “in charge” and to run things himself … without God. This is what we can learn from history if we are willing to learn from history. This is what we can learn from the Bible if we are willing to believe the Bible. We learn that the builders of this world [men] have “disallowed” God [the Son of God] to be “the head of the corner”. They rather have put themselves into being “the head of the corner”.

Now this is all … as plain to see … as the end of your nose ... if you are honest about it. The true CORNER STONE is the stone that all men desire to deny [or to usurp] from being in its rightful place. Man wants it all for himself. Man wants to be the “the king of the hill” and to do his own thing … without having to answer to God.

Bottom-line men are just rebels! Men are going their own way! It is, as it says it is, in Isaiah: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” [Isaiah 53:6]

Now doesn’t this identify the problem? Here is the problem! The problem for all men is that God … is going to be KING OF THE HILL … in spite of men’s wishes. This is located in Psalm 2. “Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” [Psalm 2:6] Now I have a question for you. Do you have a problem with that? Does this thing offend you?

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2. The Rock Offends

Verse eight: “And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.”

Jesus Christ OFFENDS the nations of this earth. He is a stumbling block to them. They do not want the Son God ruling them. Proof text? Well, go back to Psalm 2: “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” [Psalm 2:2-3]

Now look at this:

• Jesus Christ offended the nation of Israel.
The proof is in the BOOK. Look at the book of Isaiah in chapter eight, verse fourteen: “And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” [Isaiah 8:14]

• Jesus Christ offends us all.
He offended me [before I got saved by the faith through grace]. And if you are not saved, Jesus Christ is offensive to you: “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 9:33] Let me tell you something. If you tighten up inside yourself every time you hear the very NAME of Jesus Christ … then you bear witness to the very truth of Romans nine, verse thirty-three [of being offended]. I fear for you, my friend.

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3. Jesus Christ Is Precious

Verse ten: “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

The Gentiles have always been [with very few exceptions, for example Ruth] outside “the commonwealth of Israel.” They were strangers to the promises of God … “having no hope”. The book of Ephesians tells us this very plainly. This is in chapter two, verse twelve: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” [Ephesians 2:12].

Before Jesus Christ went to the Cross of Calvary, we Gentiles were not the people of God. We were as dogs at the table of Israel. We were all like [as the Syrophenician woman said in the book of Mark chapter seven, verse twenty-eight] dogs that feed from the children’s crumbs that fall from the children’s table. “And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.” [Mark 7:28]

Now bare with me a little, my friend. I will tell you what has happened. It was by the precious blood of Jesus Christ that God opened up the Gentiles to the mercies of God … even to the GRACE of God. Let’s go back to Ephesians chapter two starting with verse thirteen to see that this is true. Ready! “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” [Ephesians 2:13]

Before this time we were OUT, but now, we are IN. The mercy of God … towards us … made us part of the family of God. Amen! God brought us into the sure mercies and promises of God … along with Israel … so that we would be made one body. Look at this in verse fourteen and fifteen with me: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;” [Ephesians 2:14-15].

The WALL was taken down! We Gentiles have become the people of God … along with the Jews. The Jews and the Gentiles have been made into one body for the last two thousand years. We see this truly amplified in verse sixteen through nineteen in Ephesians 2. “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” [Ephesians 2:16-19]

There you have it, my friend.

If you have been saved, you have already obtained the mercy of God. You now belong to God. God is the King of the Hill … in your life. You are no longer offended by Jesus Christ. Instead, the work of grace is in you and makes Jesus Christ precious to you. Amen! Amen! Amen!

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Marching Orders For Strangers and Pilgrims

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The First Epistle of Peter

1 Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

1 Peter 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

1 Peter 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

1 Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

1 Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

1 Peter 2:12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

1 Peter 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

1 Peter 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

1 Peter 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

1 Peter 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

1 Peter 2:18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

1 Peter 2:19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

1 Peter 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

1 Peter 2:22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

1 Peter 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.