The following article was taken in part from another article posted in Son of His Love. CLICK HERE to read the complete article.
A Great Stone
We are opening the DOOR by the key to faith. And faith sees the invisible, and the invisible reveals the tangibles of faith. In 1st Samuel, the Almighty God wants us to see A GREAT STONE. . . . . even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite. (1ST Samuel 6:18)
And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where [there was] a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. (1st Samuel 6:14)
And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that [was] with it, wherein the jewels of gold [were], and put [them] on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. (1st Samuel 6:15)
And the golden mice, [according to] the number of all the cities of the Philistines [belonging] to the five lords, [both] of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great [stone of] Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: [which stone remaineth] unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.(1st Samuel 6:18)
Understanding the course of history might help us here. During the days of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness, they trespassed against God many times. In one of their trespasses, God sent venomous snakes among them, and if anyone was bitten, they died. Therefore, Moses (as the great mediator that he was and through God’s instruction) took a pole and placed a brazen serpent upon that pole so that the individual who was bitten IF they looked to the brazen serpent they lived. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Numbers 21:9) In John Chapter 3, the Lord Jesus referred to this serpent as a type or shadow of Himself being lifted up before men in His redemption for sin. If men looked to Him, they would live. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (John 3:14) That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:15)
A little-known fact about this brazen serpent is that in days of Hezekiah, the children of Israel had preserved THIS VERY SAME SERPENT that Moses had made, and they were worshiping this relic serpent. What makes this so amazing is that it was approximately 725 years since Moses had made this serpent. The Holy Spirit is exact by telling us that this is the very serpent made by Moses in 2nd Kings 18:4. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. {Nehushtan: that is, A piece of brass}
We also have the twelve stones that the children of Israel placed ON the banks of the Jordan and IN the Jordan when they crossed over into the land of promise. Which John the Baptist referred to in Matthew, And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. (Joshua 4:3)
Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: (Joshua 4:4)
And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: (Joshua 4:5)
That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? (Joshua 4:6)
Now, I admit that this discourse on the great stone of Abel is truly a leap of faith, for only the eyes of faith can see the impossible.
And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where [there was] a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD. (1st Samuel 6:14)
And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that [was] with it, wherein the jewels of gold [were], and put [them] on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD. (1st Samuel 6:15)
And the golden mice, [according to] the number of all the cities of the Philistines [belonging] to the five lords, [both] of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great [stone of] Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: [which stone remaineth] unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite. (1st Samuel 6:18)
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4)
First, this great stone is mentioned only three (3) times. Nowhere else in Scripture is this particular stone mentioned. And ONLY in the last mention do we see the name of Abel. Secondly, the great stone of Abel is in combination with the name Joshua which means Savior; thirdly, the great stone of Abel is in the presence of the ark of the LORD which is truly a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also, Joshua (Savior) was a Bethshemite (which means ‘the house of the sun’), and this field was in Judah (‘he shall be praised’).
But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. (Malachi 4:2)
The men of Bethshemesh took the sacrifices of their enemies and offered the kine upon the great stone of Abel. They recognized this stone as the great stone of Abel through common knowledge. God the Holy Spirit mentions this exact stone and ONLY here in all of Scripture do we find this great stone of Abel. God was able to keep this stone through the flood, through the turmoil of the fountains of the deep being broken up, and as the ark preserved Noah and his family, this Ark of the Lord preserved this stone and placed it in the field of Joshua (Savior) the Bethshemite for THIS particular time and incident. The Holy Spirit through the words [which stone remaineth] unto this day, reinforces the thought that the Israelites understood that this stone of Abel had existed from the days of the flood. This was a great stone of antiquity as understood by the men of Bethshemesh, and included in this narrative by the Holy Spirit. There were many stones, but only ONE GREAT STONE, this again points to the tried and polished STONE: the Lord Jesus Christ.
To whom coming, [as unto] a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious, (1st Peter 2:4)
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. (1st Peter 2:5)
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. (1st Peter 2:6)
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, (1st Peter 2:7)
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. (1st Peter 2:8)
(I am including this verse to show the possibilities and power of God.) And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. (1st Corinthians 10:4)
Now, in conclusion of the stone, the great stone, it has been more than two thousand years since the Lord was crucified. Tell me, is there a witness today to the Living stone, to the tried stone, to the stone disallowed by men. You have the witness before you in 1st Peter Chapter 2. So, it is no great thing for the God of impossibilities to preserve the very stone that Abel, the first man of faith, offered his sacrifice IN faith on the great stone which later would bear his name. . . .even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.
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© Copyright – Michael Haigh
Published on August 9th, 2024 @ 2:00 PM (EST)
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the King James Bible. (KJB)