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Matthew 7:24-27

As we continue, Jesus concludes His teaching of the Jews on the

hillside.

[Matthew 7:24-27]

Jesus is using one final illustration to show the Jews the choice
that lies before them. Notice that once again, the appeal is to
each Jew individually; his choice shows him to be a wise man,
or a foolish man.

Now, all of them have just heard these sayings of Jesus, in one
sitting. On the other hand, we have been looking at these sayings
over several weeks, so I’d like to sum up some of the things that
we’ve learned about what Jesus has said.

Jesus began by telling the Jews how to enter into the kingdom of
God - through a recognition that they are poor in spirit; they
cannot save themselves, but must repent and submit themselves
to the One the Father has sent, to save them; their Messiah, Jesus
(5:3-5).

Then Jesus told them that He came in order to fulfill the Law
and the Prophets - as the Righteous One, Israel’s Messiah (5:17-
18).

Jesus showed them that, if instead they were determined to be

accepted based on their own righteousness, they would need to
perfectly keep the Law, right down to the motives and intents of
their heart.
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This includes relations with their fellow Jews, as well as with

the Gentiles, whom they are to love and not to judge (7:1-6).
They must be perfect, as their heavenly Father is perfect (5:20-
48).

And Jesus has shown them the difference between religious

piety and a genuine relationship, with the Lord; as sons of their
heavenly Father (6:1-18).

He has encouraged them to devote all their efforts to seeking

God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, for this is their critical
need; and to simply trust God with their other needs (6:19-34).

And as they ask, their heavenly Father will direct them to the
entrance into His kingdom - through their Messiah; and as they
seek, the Jews will find their Messiah, their Savior, in Jesus (7:7-
11).

Jesus is the narrow gate, by which the Jews must enter the
Kingdom; the difficult way, which permits a man to enter, by
faith alone - difficult, because the Jews cannot work their way
in. But this is the one and only way that God provided to lead to
eternal life (7:13-14).

The Jews’ religious leaders would not lead them to that narrow
gate. Their only interest in the people was their hunger to have a
following out of them. Jesus warned the complacent Jews, don’t
follow them. They’re on the broad way, leading to destruction
(7:15-20).
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And finally, Jesus spoke to the Jews about Judgment Day - and
presented Himself to them as their Judge. Even miraculous
works done in the name of the Lord will not save a Jew, if he has
not done the will of the Father - the one good work he must do,
in order to be saved - and what is that? Believing into the One
the Father sent, Jesus.

On that Day, Jesus will not recognize them, if they are not His
own. They will be forced to depart from Him - the One who had
come to save them (7:21-23).

So these were the sayings of Jesus; what He declared to the

Jews. They had all heard what He had to say. The teaching
itself demanded a response; the Jews could not be neutral about
it.

Their teachers had told them to practice the righteousness found

in the Law, as best they could, and hope that God would accept
them, into His kingdom. But Jesus was telling them they had to
keep the Law perfectly if they wanted to be accepted by God
based on their own righteousness.

Instead, they must admit that they cannot keep the Law perfectly
- that they are sinners. They had to trust in the One who would
perfectly keep the Law for them - fulfilling both the Law and the
Prophets, through His righteous life and sacrificial death - Jesus.

This would be what it was to hear and to do the sayings of Jesus

- to practice what He has said - simply put, it’s to trust in Him as
their Savior.
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Jesus used an illustration to show this, to the Jews. The one who
hears and practices the sayings of Jesus is like a wise man.
Where did he build his house? On the rock. The word for rock
in the Greek refers to an immovable mass of rock; bedrock.

The Jews would be well-acquainted with the kind of storm that

Jesus described next. Heavy storms would often bring flooding
because of the hilly terrain. But a house built on bedrock draws
stability from the immovableness of that mass of rock. The
house is secured by the rock; so it is unaffected by the storm.

Then Jesus describes those who hear what He said, but they
don’t put it into practice; they willfully ignore what He has said.
And what does Jesus liken them to? A foolish man, who has
built his house on the sand.

Sand is known for its instability! The individual particles have

no power, to withstand pressure. Sand shifts, with pressure. So
what happens to a house, built on it? It goes down. And Jesus
added “great was its fall”.

Even on the most superficial level, the illustration hits the mark.
The building that the men are doing conveys the idea of what
men build their life upon; what they put their trust in. The wise
man trusts in the rock - what do you think that must represent?
Jesus.

And then there’s the foolish man, building his house on the
shifting sand - that would readily represent the changeable world
system - specifically with the religious aspect in mind, here.
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What would the catastrophic storm represent? God’s judgment.

That storm has no effect on the wise man’s house; why not?
Because of what it is standing on - immovable bedrock.

Jesus secures the salvation, of the one who puts his trust in Him;
of the one who builds on Him, by faith. That one will be saved
from the judgment to come (Rom 5:9).

But woe to the foolish man, who builds on the sand! No

religious way of thinking; no acts of piety; not even wonder-
working, in the Lord’s name - none of it gives a man any
standing, before God. The man has not secured his salvation,
through the rock; through Jesus. And so in the storm, that house
collapses; in the judgment, the foolish man’s life will end in
ruin; total destruction.

But let me ask you this: How did you know that the rock
represented Jesus? Maybe it’s because Paul writes about that, to
the assembly at Corinth: “that Rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:4);
or maybe its from other NT references. Maybe you’re familiar
with Christ as the Rock from certain classic hymns. But all of
these were drawn from illustrations given in the OT.

In fact, there are numerous pictures in the OT of Israel’s

Messiah being likened to a rock - so many, that no Jew listening
to Jesus would fail to make that connection, to what He was
saying. We’re going to go back and look a few of these, just to
get a sense of what the Jews knew of their Messiah as their
Rock.
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But this begins with the story of Jacob - when the rock was just
a stone - a stone that Jacob was using as his pillow. Now, we
just reviewed this story when we looked at Messiah as the gate
of heaven, so we’ll be continuing where we left off.

Turn to Genesis chapter 28. You’ll recall that Jacob was on the
run from his brother Esau, after having deceived him about the
birthright and the blessing, which the LORD had promised to
Jacob, but Jacob sought to obtain through his own doing.

On that first night away from home, Jacob took a stone to use as
a head-rest, and as he fell asleep, Jacob had that dream of the
ladder, that connected earth to heaven, with the angels of God
ascending and descending on it.

What did we learn that ladder represented? Christ as the one

Mediator, between God and man. And from the top of that
ladder, the LORD confirmed His eternal covenant with Jacob -
laying down below on that stone, on the earth.

When Jacob awoke, he recognized the LORD’s presence in that

place. This was the house of God - Christ was the place where
man could come and meet God - as Jacob had just done, in his
dream. And this was the gate of heaven - Christ was the means
by which a man gained entrance into God’s kingdom, as a son of
God - as Jacob had just done, by faith.

We continue with the account in verse 18.

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[Genesis 28:18-22] So Jacob took the stone that he had used as

a head-rest - the stone upon which he had received that
revelation from the LORD - and he set the stone up on its end,
then poured oil on the top of the stone, or literally in the
Hebrew, on the head of it; he anointed the head of the stone.

What was the significance of this? Jacob was creating a

memorial to what the LORD had revealed to him personally
about the eternal covenant. Jacob called the stone, which he had
set as a pillar, God’s house.

This memorial then was to the Coming Christ - God, in an

earthen house; a body of flesh. The pouring of oil symbolized
that He would be the LORD’s Anointed One, through whom all
of God’s purposes would be realized, on the earth - including
His purposes, for Jacob.

The vow that Jacob made reflects his new-found faith in the
LORD and His Coming One.

Now turn to Genesis chapter 35. This takes place about thirty
years later. Jacob has returned to the land of Canaan with his
two wives, two concubines, and eleven sons. He has endured
much hardship and affliction, often the result of his own
willfulness - instead of following the LORD’s leading.

But a recent grievous trial has caused Jacob to turn his face to
the LORD, and as he does, the LORD encourages him to go
back to Bethel (Gen 35:1) - the place where Jacob had first
believed in the LORD. There the LORD again confirms His
covenant with Jacob.
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[Genesis 35:9-15]

v. 9 Jacob had just obeyed the LORD, separating himself and

his family to Him, and the LORD responded by blessing Jacob.

v. 10 The LORD had given Jacob the name Israel some time
back. This was when Jacob had wrestled with the LORD. The
LORD had to dislocate Jacob’s hip in order to get him to stop
wrestling and to just cling to the LORD - a powerful metaphor
for the submission that was needed in Jacob’s life (Gen 32:24-
30).

Jacob was now at the point when he was ready to begin to

submit to the LORD - so the name change was now applied to
Jacob to reflect this. Israel means “God contends; God rules;
prince with God”.

v. 11-13 God Almighty is El Shaddai, the all-sufficient God.

He would now work through Jacob’s body to bring forth the
twelfth son; from those twelve sons would come the nation of
Israel, who will one day be the heirs to the land that the LORD
promised to their fathers.

v. 14-15 Once again Jacob set up a stone on end as a memorial

at Bethel, the house of God. What did Jacob pour on the stone
before? Oil, on the “head” of the stone. What does he pour on
the head of this stone, now? A drink offering – that is, wine.
And then what? Oil, as before.
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So what does this new memorial stone represent? Well, we can

see that the stone must once again represent Christ, as it did
before - He is the basis of the eternal covenant that the LORD
has made and now reconfirmed, with Jacob.

The first anointing at Bethel showed the beginning of Jacob’s

understanding of the Christ - as the mediator between God and
man - and personally, His Savior. He would be the Anointed
One of the Father – Christ, in His first coming to the earth.

In the offerings that would be given later to the nation of Israel,

the pouring out of the wine as a drink offering symbolizes the
pouring out of the life – the shedding of the blood (Is 53:12, Phil
2:17).

Jacob’s drink offering on the head of the stone shows that he

now had a deeper understanding of Christ. Jacob recognized
that the One who would be the Mediator between God and man,
the Savior, must shed His blood in death, to become so.

The second anointing with oil is a witness to Jacob’s

understanding that Christ will return to the earth as God’s
Anointed King – His Second Coming. All of this could be
known by Jacob through the gospel in the stars, which the
LORD shared with his grandfather Abraham (Gen 15:1-6, Gal
3:8) – but only now had it become the focus of Jacob’s life.

Why did Jacob create this as a memorial to what God revealed

to him this second time at Bethel? Because by now, Abraham
had died without receiving the promises, and Isaac was close to
death.
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Jacob recognized that the LORD’s promises in His covenant

would be fulfilled to them – and to him – in the resurrection of
Life, at the end of days (Dan 12:13) – when Christ returns to rule
and reign as King.

Now turn to Genesis chapter 49. Through continued affliction,

Jacob did eventually learn to trust the LORD in his life, and to
let God contend for him. Close to the end of his life, the LORD
revealed to Jacob prophecies for each one of his twelve sons -
prophecies which would extend to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jacob told these prophecies to his sons. He came to the

prophecy for the son who had saved the family - Joseph, who
was perfect type of Christ in His first coming to the earth. In the
midst of this prophecy, Jacob breaks from it in order to proclaim
a doxology to his Mighty God. We find this as a parenthetical
praise at the end of verse 24.

[Genesis 49:24c] “(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of

Israel)”. From where is He? Looking at the preceding clause
we see it is from the Mighty God of Jacob.

Jacob recognized the LORD to be his Shepherd, who had cared

for him all his life long to this day (Gen 48:15). The LORD
gave Jacob eyes to see the good Shepherd, who would lay down
His life for the nation Israel (Jn 10:14-15) - and for the whole
world (Jn 10:16). And as He lay down His life, He would
become the Stone of Israel; the foundation stone for God’s
kingdom - the sons of God - in heaven, and on earth.
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Now turn to Exodus chapter 17. In Egypt, the family of Jacob

had grown into a nation, which the LORD had birthed through
the waters of the Red Sea, and brought to Himself in the
wilderness.

Here was the nation that the LORD made to serve His purposes,
but they were just a nation of flesh men; unregenerate. This first
generation of Israel had not believed into the LORD for His
Coming One.

So the LORD revealed His Christ to the nation in the wilderness

through types and symbols. Already they had been shown the
Lamb - whose blood would be shed to free men from sin and
death; and then they were given the manna - bread from heaven,
of which men could eat, and live. Now the Christ would be
introduced to the nation as their Rock - the Stone of Jacob, who
was sufficient for the entire nation.
[Exodus 17:1-7]

v. 1-4 This had already become a pattern, of the people. They

had a physical need, and instead of trusting the LORD to meet
that need, they turned against His representative, Moses,
expressing their unbelief to him - which was in fact unbelief in
the LORD - testing Him, which invites His judgment.

But the LORD is longsuffering; He gave His people opportunity

after opportunity, to trust Him. Once again, the LORD made
provision for the people - and as He did so, showed them
through Moses how He would meet their far, far greater spiritual
need.
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v. 5-7 The author to the Hebrews wrote that the gospel was
preached to that first generation of Israel, in the wilderness (Heb
4:2). This was how the LORD preached the gospel to them; in
signs and symbols - such as seen here.

As instructed, Moses struck a certain rock that the LORD stood

upon - striking it with the rod used in the judgments of Egypt (v.
5).

The rod represents the LORD’s authority. And what does the
rock represent? Christ. Isaiah will declare that Messiah would
be “stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Is 53:4); and, “it
pleased the LORD to bruise Him” (Is 53:10) - that is, it was the
will of God.

Why? Because in no other way could God put away the sins of
mankind. “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was
upon Him; and by His stripes we are healed” (Is 53:5); healed of
our sin-sickness. So it was Moses, representing the LORD, who
struck the rock.

And when he did, water miraculously gushed out of the rock, so

that the people might drink - and not perish of thirst. In His first
coming, Jesus would declare to the Jews, “If anyone thirsts, let
him come to Me and drink, he who believes in Me. As the
Scripture has said, out of His heart will flow rivers of living
water” (Jn 7:37-38).
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Out of the heart of Christ, pierced on the cross, would flow the
waters of salvation - so that men might not perish, but have
eternal life (1 Jn 5:6, Jn 3:16).

But there was one more thing needed, for this salvation; what
was it? The people had to bow down, and take in the water.

That day, Israel knelt down to be delivered of their thirst; but

they never bowed down to the Rock of their salvation, to be
delivered from sin and death. The gospel was preached to them,
but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being
mixed with faith in those who heard it (Heb 4:2).

One of the psalmists was a man named Asaph. The LORD gave
him a testimony against the children of Israel. Asaph wrote that
when the LORD miraculously delivered that first generation in
the wilderness - like with the water from the rock - they did not
consider what He had done, but just asked for more - the food of
their fancy (Ps 78:17-20).

Asaph indicates that this is why Israel came into the LORD’s
judgment; because they did not believe in Him, and trust in His
salvation (Ps 78:21-22). In the heat of the judgments, Israel
“remembered” - fleetingly - that God was their rock; the Most
High God was their Redeemer; but their heart was never
steadfast towards Him (Ps 78:35-37). Their response to the
faithfulness of God had always been an evil heart of unbelief.
They never built on their Rock, by faith.
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Later generations of Israel did the same - even when the LORD
prospered them, as a kingdom.

Turn to Isaiah chapter 8. After the LORD established the throne

of David over all Israel, the kingdom became divided because of
his son Solomon’s involvement in the idolatry of his many wives
(1 Ki 11:1-13).

Ten tribes were united as a kingdom in the north; they are called
Ephraim, here in Isaiah’s prophecy. To the south were the tribes
of Judah and Benjamin, which remained loyal to David’s throne.
They were known as the kingdom of Judah.

Both Ephraim and Judah were not faithful to the LORD, making
alliances with the surrounding nations, and pursuing their idol-
worship. Despite countless warnings by their prophets, both
Ephraim and Judah eventually came into judgment, by the
LORD.

At this time, Ahaz is on the throne of Judah. Ephraim and Syria

have entered into an alliance to protect themselves from the
Assyrian armies, and they were trying to coerce Ahaz to join
forces with them. The LORD was warning the prophet Isaiah
not to get caught up in this “conspiracy”, but to trust in His
protection, instead.

[Isaiah 8:11-15]
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v. 11-12 The LORD was cautioning Isaiah not to walk in the

way of Ahaz and Judah, for they were heading into judgment.
Isaiah must remain faithful to prophesy as the LORD showed
him, despite the threats and the trouble that the message would
bring to him.

v. 13-15 Now the Rock, which was to be Israel’s salvation,

appears as a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense - for both
Ephraim and Judah. Because they would not build on the Rock
by faith, the Rock could not save them; the Rock became their
judgment.

Now turn to Isaiah chapter 28. Ahaz did not enter into an
alliance with Ephraim and Syria - but he didn’t trust the LORD,
either; far from it. Instead, he made an alliance with the king of
Assyria, who promptly made Judah a vassal state, paying tribute
to keep Assyria at bay.

Shortly after this time, the Assyrians completely overtook

Ephraim, and took the northern tribes into captivity. Judah paid
tribute to the Assyrians under Ahaz, but when his son Hezekiah
came to the throne, he eventually refused to pay - which brought
the Assyrians back to Judah.

This prophecy was given to Isaiah at that time - about 35 years

after the last one we looked at.

[Isaiah 28:14-19]
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v. 14-15 The “scornful men” that Isaiah was referring to are the
counselors of Hezekiah in Jerusalem, who have formed yet
another alliance for protection - this time, with Egypt. The
LORD refers to this as their “covenant with death”. The
“’overflowing scourge” are the armies of the Assyrians. The
counselors were fools, to believe they had the protection they
needed.

v. 16 Whoever believes will not act hastily - that is, will not
panic.

v. 17 The one who trusts in the Cornerstone - Israel’s Rock of

salvation - will be secured by Him. They will not be swept
away by the stormy judgment that is coming to Judah. But those
who are trusting in princes for their protection will be swept
away, with their refuge of lies.

v. 18-19 This is a graphic illustration of the invading armies of

the Assyrians - wave upon wave of them. They conquered many
of the cities of Judah, until only Jerusalem was left.

Isaiah gave this prophecy to the leadership in Jerusalem. And

you know what happened? Hezekiah decided to act against his
counselors, and to trust in the LORD instead. This king
believed the LORD, and in so doing, he secured his nation upon
the Rock.
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The LORD sent an angel into the Assyrian camp that night, who
slew 185,000 soldiers. The Assyrian king left Jerusalem
unconquered, withdrew from Judah and returned home with his
decimated army; and thereafter, he remained in Nineveh until he
was slain by his sons (2 Ki 19:35-36).

Because Jerusalem followed Hezekiah’s lead in trusting all to

the LORD, judgment was stayed on them. The LORD smote
their enemies, and the Assyrians retreated. Jerusalem had a
reprieve, because their righteous king put his trust in the Rock.

[Return to Matthew 7]

You can see how much the Jews would have understood of what
Jesus was saying to them here. Their nation Israel had never
built their house on the Rock; they had never trusted the LORD,
to save them. And because of that, generation after generation
had come into judgment, perishing in their unbelief.

Jesus had revealed Himself to the Jews as their Messiah - the

One, and only One, who could secure their salvation. And He
shows the choice of the individual Jew to be no different than
that of the nation.

The Jew could be wise, and build on the Rock, trusting in

Messiah. Or the Jew could put his trust in that shifty world
system - with its political alliances, it changeable fortunes, and
in particular for the Jew, its religious assurances. The house of
Israel had fallen before; and it would fall yet again. Only a
foolish Jew would choose to go down with it.
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Reading: Gal 2:11-21, 5:16-26; Rom 6:15-23, 8:1-4.