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The stones, the iron, the mountains, and the copper are for the building and for the battle—Deut. 8:7, 9; Neh. 4:17:
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The building and the battle always go together; if we would have the building, we must be prepared to fight—Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:21-22; 4:16; 6:10-20.
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For the building we need the materials, and for the battle we need the weapons; these depend upon the stones, the iron, the mountains, and the copper.
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We need to experience Christ as a land whose stones are iron—Deut. 8:9c; 33:25; 1 Pet. 2:4-5; Jer. 15:12; Psa. 2:9; Rev. 12:5:
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Christ is a stone for God’s building; this means that Christ is the material for God’s building and that God’s building is entirely of Christ—Acts 4:10-12; 1 Pet. 2:4-5:
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In the Bible stone is a major item—Gen. 28:18; Zech. 3:9; 1 Pet. 2:4-5:
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God created a man of clay; hence, the first man was a clay-man—Gen. 2:7.
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In Christ, God Himself came to be a man, and this man was a stone-man—Acts 4:10-12.
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At the end of the Bible we have a stone-city—Rev. 21:10-11, 18a, 19-20.
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The Bible begins with a clay-man, continues with a stone-man, and consummates in a stone-city; this is God’s economy.
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Christ as a stone for God’s building is the One in whom we are saved; He is the Stone-Savior—solid, strong, and reliable—Acts 4:10-12.
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Both Christ and His believers are stones for God’s building—Matt. 21:42; John 1:42; 1 Pet. 2:4-5:
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In Christ and through Christ we are becoming living stones to be built up as a spiritual house—v. 5.
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We are undergoing the process of transformation so that Christ, the living stone, may be constituted into us to make us living stones for God’s house—Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:18.
Morning Nourishment
Deut. 8:9 …A land whose stones are iron, and from whose mountains you can mine copper.Neh. 4:17 Those who built the wall and those who carried burdens took the loads with one hand doing the work and with the other holding a weapon.
Rom. 12:2 And do not be fashioned according to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind…
We come to the place where we have something to do with the stones, the mountains, the iron, and the copper….These…are for the building, for the kingdom, for the battle, and for the security. Whenever there is a matured life in Christians, the building of God’s house will take place, and the battles of the spiritual warfare will be fought….Whenever we enjoy Christ to a certain extent, there is always an issue—the building and the battle. These two always go together. If you would have the building of God, you must prepare to fight. For the building of God we need the materials, and for the fighting of the battle we need the weapons. All of these depend on the stones, the mountains, the iron, and the copper. (CWWL, 1961-1962, vol. 4, “The All-inclusive Christ,” pp. 253-254)
Today’s Reading
Upon the land, the city and the temple are built, and they are built with these very materials—stones, iron, and copper. These minerals signify that there is something in the life of Christ as materials for the building of God and as weapons for the fighting of the battle.Whether or not we have arrived at this stage depends upon the measure of our experience of Christ. If we just enjoy Christ as the living water day by day, we can never reach the point where the building of God will be realized among us….We must enjoy Christ as the living water, as the wheat, as the barley….We must enjoy Christ to a certain extent; then there will be a building for the Lord and the battle with the enemy.
The Lord is the living stone, and we too must be the living stones so that we may be material for His building. The Lord’s building is built with stones, but we are made of clay. How could we as a piece of clay be material for the Lord’s building? It is impossible. We must be transformed from clay to stone. We must be transformed by the Holy Spirit through the practical experience and enjoyment of Christ.
The mentality of so many brothers and sisters is still not renewed, not transformed. Their mentality is just that of the natural man, full of natural concepts and natural thoughts. It is a head of clay. By the renewing of the mind we are transformed from a piece of clay to a stone. After becoming a stone, we are burned and pressed so that we may be transformed even further—from an ordinary stone to a precious stone. In the New Jerusalem you cannot find one bit of clay. Neither can you find any ordinary stones. Every stone is a precious stone. (CWWL, 1961-1962, vol. 4, “The All-inclusive Christ,” pp. 254-256)
Jesus Christ is a stone for God’s building….According to Acts 4:12, this stone is the One in whom we can be saved. Hence, He is the Stone-Savior. As the Stone-Savior, He is solid, strong, and reliable. We can rely on Him and stand on Him. This stone is the rock, the foundation stone, and the cornerstone. In Zechariah 4:7 we see that He is even the top-stone. Christ is the material for God’s building. God’s building is entirely of Christ.
In the Bible stone is a major item. In Genesis God created a man of clay (Gen. 2:7). Hence, the first man was a clay-man. Then God Himself came to be a man, and this man was a stone-man. At the end of the Bible, in the book of Revelation, we have a stone-city, a city built of stone. Therefore, the Bible begins with a clay-man, continues with a stone-man, and consummates in a stone-city. This is God’s economy. (Life-study of Acts, pp. 129, 131)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1961-1962, vol. 4, “The All-inclusive Christ,” ch. 7; Life-study of 1 Peter, msgs. 16-18; Life-study of Acts, msgs. 15-16