the 'stumbling stone' prophecy comes from Isaiah chapter 28.
Ah, the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim,
and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,
which is on the head of the rich valley of those overcome with wine!
(Isaiah 28:1)
the house of Ephraim stumbles:
These also reel with wine
and stagger with strong drink;
the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink,
they are swallowed by wine,
they stagger with strong drink,
they reel in vision,
they stumble in giving judgment.
For all tables are full of filthy vomit,
with no space left.
(Isaiah 28:7-8)
as drunk, and proud, stumbling specifically in judgement.
next mention of stumbling here:
For by people of strange lips
and with a foreign tongue
the LORD will speak to this people,
to whom he has said,
“This is rest;
give rest to the weary;
and this is repose”;
yet they would not hear.
And the word of the LORD will be to them
precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little,
that they may go, and fall backward,
and be broken, and snared, and taken.
(Isaiah 28:11-13)
because He showed them His rest, and they would not, and they would not give it to the weary, the word to them is precept upon precept, in order that they stumble and fall backward. line upon line is to Ephraim's destruction.
Ephraim makes a lie their refuge ((what lie?)):
You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,
with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,
it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie our refuge
and falsehood our hiding place."
(Isaiah 28:15)
therefore God lays the foundation stone, and makes righteousness and justice the measure:
So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
and water will overflow your hiding place.
(Isaiah 28:16-17)
causing them to stumble, day after day, being beaten down:
Your covenant with death will be annulled;
your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,
you will be beaten down by it.
As often as it comes it will carry you away;
morning after morning, by day and by night,
it will sweep through.
(Isaiah 28:18-19)
i am thinking, wow, is it good to be called Ephraim, in light of this?
what is this refuge Ephraim makes for itself?
"the lie" ?
a covenant with death, a treaty with the grave?