Don’t you just love those tests you can take online that will tell you what your name means or what personality traits you can derive from your name? I always love to take my birth date, name or some other set of facts about myself and plug them into a totally erroneous formula to see the accuracy of the results. They always say things like loving, energetic, creative and planning for the future. These can all be true some of the time. They never say things like hormonal, Type-A, hates housework and requires a minimum of 8 hours sleep to function with a smile. These can all be true most of the time. But, who wants to put that on a coffee cup or in their resume’ bio?
Some people do the same with horoscopes or tarot cards; and let’s not forget the latest t.v. sensation, Long Island medium who claims to channel the dead. My take on that: if you pay attention to what people say, ask the right questions and read their reactions then you could “channel the dead” too! The truth is, if you make descriptions broad enough you’ll get it right some of the time. The sad thing is, often, people base their lives around readings from the stars, the fortune cookie proverbs or messages from their loved ones who have passed away.
It isn’t often, however, that we encounter people who base their lives around the truth of scripture. Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is LIVING and ACTIVE and SHARPER than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Let’s examine that verse for a minute. First the word of God is ALIVE. The word “living” represents an on-going present tense. The word of God is not alive one minute and then dead the next as we sometimes have a tendency to believe. Scripture makes claims about itself. In fact, the entire chapter of Psalm 119 is only about the word of God. One claim that is found over and over is the eternality of scripture. The word of God is everlasting and will endure forever. So, we may think that the word of God is not applicable to us today but that’s not what it says. As the living, breathing word of God, it is dynamic not static.
Second, the word of God is ACTIVE. Have you ever encountered anything that you thought might be dead because it doesn’t move? In July, I had a reception that was set up outside. A few hours before the ceremony, a turtle made its way onto the dance floor under the tent and then closed up shop. Once he got there, he never moved; at one point, we thought he might be dead. However, when we encounter something that is moving, working and active we never question if it is alive. It’s alive, because it is active. Dead things don’t move but things that are alive are active. Hence, the word of God is alive, active, effective and it always completes the task that it sets out to do. Isaiah 55:11 states it plainly, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”
Thirdly, the word of God is SHARP. In fact, it is sharper than a two-edged sword. The double edged sword is a powerful weapon because it cuts both ways. It cuts on the top and the bottom and it cuts going in and coming out. Imagine the precision of the cut produced by a two-edged sword! Totally clean, totally precise and totally effective. I don’t suppose there are many tasks that are not thoroughly complete after encounter with a double edged sword! However, the idea here is not just in the precision of the word but also in the purpose of the word. Scripture serves to convict in its proclamation yet comfort in its exhortation. Therefore, scripture can be used to comfort or convict by the power of the Holy Spirit who acts as the applying agent in our hearts.
The verse goes on to expound on the imagery of the sword’s sharpness. It says that it can pierce through the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. The analogy is two- fold here. The terms soul and spirit representing the intangible, immaterial part of us; joints and marrow representing the material or fleshly part of us. This does not mean that the word of God pierces us physically but it represents completeness in its ability to do its job. Scripture is so precise in its job that it can get to the very heart of who we are; the inner most parts that even we cannot see. Likewise, it can address those things externally that don’t line up with the truth of scripture as well. Like a good surgeon’s scalpel, the word of God convicts completely and precisely.
The verse wraps up by leaving nothing to spare in its description. If we don’t get the picture through the two adjectives “living and active” or by the imagery of the two-edged sword then the author drives it home with the last line, “and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” No matter how we try as humans we will never be able to accurately discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Jeremiah says that, “the heart is deceitful above ALL things and desperately wicked; who can know it?” The word of God knows the heart, it discerns the heart, it lays claim to the hidden, secret thoughts of the heart.
This may be the very reason that we find ourselves either running from the truth of scripture, taking scripture out of context, shooting the messenger or adopting a buffet mentality when applying it to our lives. No one likes the feeling of conviction but the purpose of conviction is sweet. Conviction strives to heal what is broken, release what has been imprisoned and restore what has been lost. Conviction is a gift to the believer, a light to the unbeliever and streams of water in a dry, thirsty land. Conviction rights our thinking, brings us to repentance and restores fellowship with our Savior.
Beloved, if you are far from the living, active, sharp word of God, run to it! It is a strong tower, a refuge, a hope and a light for our darkened paths. All scripture is literally “breathed out by God”. It is the very sweet, hot, breath of our God who, in His grace, is teaching us, warning us and revealing Himself to us that we might not sin against Him. What goodness from the hand of a loving Father who desires to see His children grow, be safe and know Him. That’s what any good, earthly father wants for his own children. How much more our Abba Father, Savior and King!
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