Disobedience transforms the Word of God into a millstone.
Romans 9:33
As it is written,
"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
As with any interpretation of anything in we see in the Scriptures, we must always first look closely into the context. The writer of the letter to the Romans [Paul I believe], is quoting the prophet Isaiah who was warning Israel that the Assyrians were going to invade. And God wants the prophet to trust his word over the words of the people and especially the lying false prophets. And to be more concerned about what he's doing than what the enemy is doing.
Isaiah 8:13
"But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear and let him be your dread."
And God promises that this stone will become a sanctuary for some and a stumbling stone for others. Some will find refuge in him and others will fall into bondage to sin and false teachings because of him.
Many persistently rejected the Savior, and by doing so they were courting judgment so severe that the only thing left of them will be dust. The prophet Isaiah saw what the prophet Daniel saw...
Daniel 2:34
"As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay and broke them in pieces."
And they all saw what Jesus fulfilled.
The stone which "the builders rejected" (Matthew 21:42).
"And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."
— Jesus, Matthew 21:44
And what Jesus fulfilled and professed the apostles proclaimed and witnessed to all the people. This prophecy is a continuous revelation. The prophecy continues until the Day of the Lord when every knee shall bow to the Word of God.
1 Peter 2:8
And,
"A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
Jesus is the stone rejected by men, a living stone. He is the small stone that tripped up the false priests and prophets. He is the small throwing stone that defeated the giant and God's enemies. He is the grinding stone that turns the great nations of the earth into dust and weighs down those who falsely used his words against the children of God. He is the cornerstone that completes the covenant and is the headstone of that faith. God chose him to build up a spiritual temple in those who believe in him. God made him the cornerstone of their faith so that they will become priests, a holy priesthood of all believers. And Jesus is the precious stone that gives honor to those who believe in him, making them into a foundation built upon precious stones.
The apostle Peter uses the metaphor of stones in building Christ's church, not to suggest that he is the foundation rock as some would suggest, but that all who believe in its headstone, the cornerstone that is Jesus Christ, are together the foundation of that precious stone foundation. A foundation of precious stones, a congregation of precious stones. That rock Jesus proclaimed is the teachings of Jesus the Messiah, the Word of God.
Ephesians 2:20
"Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,"
Foundational words:
John 14:15
"If you love Me, keep my commandments".
Psalm 11:3
"If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
The believers need to understand these foundations so that they can build on them and build up themselves in them. And so that they can avoid the trips and traps where some fall.
When Christians want to build revival, what do they want to revive?
What do they want to build it on?
Do they want to build a house of cards?
I don't think any Christian sets out to build foundations on a false premise. I just think that many are wandering sheep, and they have difficulty believing and submitting to the authority of the cornerstone. They don't typically take any serious time to ask themselves "what am I building on?" And what they inevitably end up coming around to is they say of themselves "Of course, I am building my life on Christ. I have a strong foundation. Here’s how I know_____." What follows is a list of all their fruitful works and spiritual activities. But participation in the spiritual programming is not the evidence of an authentic faith. Imitation of Christ is not about an academic exercise. Obedience to his Word, "If you love Me, keep my commandments", is the evidence of a heart recreated for God.
The true test of whether your faith is really founded upon Jesus Christ, is your obedience to his teachings, or your lack of it. Your sincere faith that yields authentic justification is built upon the foundation of his teachings for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
To live by any other creed is to live a life of spirituality while living as if there is no God. It's a life that sees God as a hypothetical possibility. And that hypothesis leads some to take religious measures in order to ward off any possible negative risks or consequences that might crop up. It has no root.
That is how a lawless person lives, they obey the speed limit to the best of their ability and ignore it when it's inconvenient. There is no real fear of God in them. And even if they were to get pulled over, they aren't overly concerned about the fines. They can attend driving school to reduce the fine. They do their court ordered penance. And then they get back on the highways again absolved of all their purposeful sins.
Jesus is the small stone in the road that gets kicked up in traffic and cracks your windshield. He's the stumbling stone that they took no notice of until they stumbled upon him. He's the very common speed limit sign that no one pays attention to until they stumble upon a speed trap. He's the Word of God; he's Moses and the prophets. He's the Holy Spirit speaking to them in a small still voice. He is the precious stone of our soul.
You either love Jesus Christ, you either have affection for him, marking him out as your most precious Lord and God, or you're appointed to doom. Those who stumble on this foundational truth do so because they find offense in his words. This stumbling stone divides the church into believers and unbelievers, the obedient and the disobedient. And it's not a stone that is a stone of laws and works. It is just the stumbling stone of unbelief. And that unbelief in God’s word is the root of all other sin. If they have already rejected his gospel, why should they respect the law?
Unbelief in the words of Jesus Christ and his gospel becomes disobedience, and often disobedience leads them into false declarations, and maybe even violent opposition.
Notice the stone is not damaged by this disobedience. In fact, the stumbling stone becomes a grinding stone. Disobedience transforms the Word of God into a millstone. The pride of the Jews is crushed by it. The Roman Empire was turned to dust by it. Wherever the Word went it was either received and triumphed or it became a stumbling stone and ultimately a millstone around their necks.
Now the stumbling stone faces philosophers, and cultivated minds, Stoics and progressive pulpits. Now they worship saints, relics and images. They worship the institutions of religion. And they stumble over the reformation. They stumble over awakenings and revolutions. And many stumble over beliefs in anything, they appear to fear belief itself. These are those who follow after anything the devil puts before them rather than believing in the Word of God.
Some stumble at the person of Jesus Christ the man. They cannot accept him as co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. Some stumble at his work of salvation, becoming the propitiation for sin. Some stumble at His teachings. He's either too puritanical or not enough. He multiplies joy and that's a problem for both. His word is too humbling and yet his propitiation is not enough humility for them, they need to add more sacrifices. And finally, the gospel is far too mysterious for some. They cannot or will not understand it. Being saved by simply believing in Christ is too plain, not difficult enough to approach defeating their sins. And at the same time others find this mere Christianity is too just difficult to endure.
What does all this stumbling over Christ's Word cost the ungodly?
Simple one word answer: Futility
Ineffective, useless striving after the things of this world.
Ecclesiastes 12:8
"Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity."
All that is not Christ is vanity.
Revelation 22:15
"Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."
Stumbling around in the dark.