FRIDAY, APRIL 13
Daniel 2:29-45
Isaiah 28:14

“… hear the word
of the LORD …”

THE CRUSHING STONE

With great skill and with few words, Daniel described the prophetic dream. The king in his dream had seen a great and terrifying image of a man standing upright. It was a mighty statue of dazzling metallic construction.

Daniel first described the parts of the mighty statue: a head of fine gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay.

The figure stood motionless. Suddenly there was dramatic movement. A stone, supernaturally cut “without hands” (Dan 2:34) catapulted through the air, smote the colossus and pulverized it so that the wind blew it all away. Then “the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth” (Dan 2:35). What is the significance of this crushing stone? This is none other than the Christ, the “one like the Son of man” (Dan 7:13). The fact that the stone was “cut out without hands” (Dan 2:34) indicates its divine character and origin, as confirmed by the explanation in Daniel 2:45 that it was “cut out of the mountain” (= God’s heavenly kingdom; cf. Isa 2:2) and that “the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and … shall stand for ever” (Dan 2:44).

Yes, this Stone is the Christ of the New Testament who declared Himself to be “a stone of stumbling” and “a rock of offence” (1 Pet 2:6-8). This spells doom for empires and individuals who take no account of Him.

He came into our midst in flesh and blood to cleanse us and to prepare us to live with Him in His kingdom. And He is coming again, not to crush us or to cast us away, but to gather us to Himself to dwell with Him forever (John 14:1-3), if we know Him as our Saviour.

THOUGHT: Jesus is the Cornerstone, He for sinners did atone.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, crush the sinful rebellion of my heart so that I may not be ashamed before Thee at Thy coming.