Cornerstone: Cause⇒Effect (Part 1)

                See the series here

According to conventional wisdom, in any endeavor that’s worthwhile, it is the first step that serves as a fulcrum or a cornerstone -- the most important step that will guide all others to follow. One of God’s most worthwhile endeavors toward humanity is His Word, His message regarding how human life ‘works’, His plan for our salvation from the ravages of sin and for a glorious, eternal future for those of us who would ‘get it! In Jesus Christ, God's Word became human.

So pray tell, what is The Cornerstone of His Word, The Bible?? In response to this question, some friends answered: Love, Jesus, The Gospel, God, the Sovereignty of God and faith. The literal definition of cornerstone is: the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. ¹ Conceptually, a cornerstone is the initial, fundamental, indispensable idea or premise of prime importance to any conceptual framework. In light of this, the cornerstone of The Bible (not The Church) is most likely (ta daaa…): The Book of Job, widely estimated to be the oldest, and thus first book of The Bible to be written. ² As such, this book sets the stage for God’s message to humanity, and thus includes core concepts and truths around which every other book of The Bible turns or is set. The capstone or last written book of The Bible is The Book of Revelation. (Circa 94-96 AD) ¹  Accordingly, God’s message to humanity effectively includes, and is sandwiched between these two books.

The first chapter in any book is critical in setting the tone and inferring what’s represented in the rest of the book. The first chapter of a book is absolutely vital to any would-be best seller! Similarly, the rest of any book should elaborate, elucidate and build on the pivotal concepts established the first chapter, and especially in the first lines of the first chapter. God’s Book, The Bible, does exactly this! If The Book of Job is indeed the first chapter of God’s message to humanity, then the first chapter of Job must be critically important in establishing the conceptual framework for His overall Book, The Bible.

Right out of the gate, Job chapter 1 reveals:

  1. The importance of man having a relationship with God

  2. Potential physical blessings of a God-fearing, righteous life ³

  3. The existence of evil, and the importance of shunning it

  4. The possibility that even a righteous person can iteratively speak and act in fear ⁴

  5. The existence of holy angels, of satan and his designated function in human life ⁵

  6. The Sovereignty of God

  7. The cause-and-effect nature between the unseen spiritual and the physical worlds

wOw!!!!!!!

The entire rest of The Bible’s 65 books essentially regurgitates, demonstrates, elucidates, elaborates and accentuates these 7 core points. Incredibly, despite mankind’s progressive strides in many areas of life, much of our world today flat out denies, dis-believes, rejects or is blind to these cornerstone concepts, yet they remain real and active. In fact, the more they are denied/dis-believed, the more potent these concepts appear to be (especially #7), catching people by surprise and leaving them in shock-and-awe!

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¹ Wikipedia

² See: When Was Each Book of the Bible Written?

³ Imagine the seed of the so-called Prosperity Gospel showing up in the first lines of God’s message to humanity. No wonder devils fight so viciously this fundamental concept that is both iterated and demonstrated across the pages of The Bible.

⁴ More on this in subsequent parts of this series. Meanwhile please ponder this question: Is it sin for a righteous person to live/walk in fear?

⁵ ‘…going to and fro on the earth, and walking back and forth on it.’ (Job 1:7) Thousands of years later, The Holy Spirit elaborated this function through The Apostle Peter who wrote: ‘Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.’ (1 Peter 5:8)