Hebrews 4:12 – Part ii
The Word and Its Power
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
The Eternal Word
In our last article we dealt with the word working in us. Now, let’s look at the power of the word working without. We begin where God begins: with Moses.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3)
  The absolute power of God’s Word is visibly seen in the creation of all things, and this creation came by the Eternal Word which is settled in heaven in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
The same was in the beginning with God. (John 1:2)
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)
  We see through the testimony of Scripture that all the things which are around us, which are seen, are not made with things that do appear. The first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) were given by God to Moses as a collective writing for the children of Israel whom God had declared to be His people called out of the world. The diversity and complexity of these five different books in the collection of Moses is evidence alone that one man, being Moses, could not have written five distinctively different books; these books had to come from above by the mind, and the knowledge, and the wisdom of God. The word that God speaks is the word of His power, whether it be the living Word (Hebrews 1:3) or the written word (Psalm 119:89) LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.　Not only is His word given to man, but the very word that is given to man is established and settled in heaven above. In the creation we have the immediate creation of God by the Word of His power. Then in the progress of history God upholds all aspects of that creation by the Word of His power.
The Fragile Balance
  Man would credit gravity for the consistency of the solar system, well, who initiated that gravity, and who decides the balance of that gravity? We have the pull of the sun and the moon, we have the pull of planets upon planets. Who maintains this balance? the Almighty through the Word of His power. Just as our life is fragile in so many ways, the world and it’s surroundings are fragile as well. If the sun changes it’s orbit through the galaxy in any way we would get cooler or hotter weather in the world in which we dwell. If the planet tilts on it’s axis ever so slightly the poles would move and the ice flow would change. If the moon moves out of it’s orbit ever so slightly, tides would change, and even the seeds that man plants in the ground would feel less of the tug of the moon upon them, and will not produce abundantly. Of course, this would depend on which way the moon shifts. So we see the fragile state that every thing is in. If you take away the Word of God’s power everything would turn to chaos and destruction, for He upholds all things by the Word of His power.
Time — the Decree of God
  Time is another phenomena of God’s control. For there is a time set by God, this is in all time. It begins and ends with God’s decree. There is a time to every purpose under the heaven. This takes in the very creation in which we dwell. There is a time to be born, this takes in the history of man, every man from his birth to his death; for there is also a time to die. There is a time to plant, this is the labor of man; and there is time to pluck up that which is planted, that is his reward for his labor whether in the natural world or in the spiritual world. For he that sows the seed of the word of God will see it bring forth abundantly as the answer to his faith.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; (Ecclesiastes 3:2)
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; (Ecclesiastes 3:3)
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;(Ecclesiastes 3:4)
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; (Ecclesiastes 3:5)
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; (Ecclesiastes 3:6)
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;(Ecclesiastes 3:7)
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:8)
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? (Ecclesiastes 3:9)
I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. (Ecclesiastes 3:10)
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life. (Ecclesiastes 3:12)
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. (Ecclesiastes 3:13)
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.(Ecclesiastes 3:14)
The Word — The Wisdom of God
  The Word that we have today has been given of God so that man would seek after the wisdom of God. The wisdom of God comes from above from God Himself, and that wisdom is deposited through the Word to the depository that God has chosen. Moses was chosen as a vessel to bring forth divine wisdom for the children of Israel in the writing of the first five books of the Bible. Solomon was the depository of God’s wisdom; and yet, Solomon cried out, All is vanity and vexation of spirit. He understood that man was a vain creature under sin, and the Almighty must restrain this beast of man. We call man a beast because of his actions. The general population of man on earth, throughout time, has exercised the heart and mind of Cain who was a two legged beast who killed his brother Abel. Only through the power of God’s Word, both the living Word of God in heaven, and the written word of God on earth, has God revealed His way, His plan, and His purpose of salvation. For man is like a blade of grass; he can be blown by a whisper of God’s breathe. And those who think that they are a mighty tree in the sight of God will be swayed and broken by God’s mighty wind. All things are under God’s sway. He is the great Creator, the great Provider, the great Savior, the great High Priest, the great King and Sovereign of all creation. The smallest dust particle, the smallest of mankind are under the King’s power and purpose. Whether it be man, or the beasts of this world God upholds all things by the Word of His power. What about the kingdoms of man and governments? Are they free to rule as they please? No, they are under the divine rule of God. It matters not what type of government reigns, for God will give the type of government that the people deserve. He can give a tyrant like Ahab, or a just king like Josiah, but in both, it is God’s power that moves the kingdoms of men.
Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. (Daniel 2:37)
That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. (Daniel 4:25)
  I only use this example from the Book of Daniel concerning the king Nebuchadnezzar; yet, all kingdoms and rules are under the sovereign hand of God. He can take a shepherd from the flock and set him on the throne of His choosing to lead man to blessing, or to slaughter depending upon their heart. He can send plenty or blessing to a kingdom, or He can send famine as a judgment for their evil. He can send draught or cold, He can give or take, He can exalt the poor and humble them, He can humble the rich, but all, yes all, is under the Word of His power. For thousands of years in the history of man God has been relating to man, man’s fallen state in the Word of God; and yet, man chooses not to listen, but turns his back on the Almighty, and stops his ears so that he cannot listen to the words of God. God has given His Word, which is full of His declarations concerning the salvation of man. In many cases God through His mighty Word and will has brought man screaming and kicking like a wild ass to realize that there is a God in heaven who rules in the kingdoms of men. So we have Nebuchadnezzar. He was the example of the wild ass or beast, he baulked, and he barked at the Word of God and the command of God. God humbled him so that he would eat the grass as a beast, and be driven out away from mankind into the wilderness. It was there, after the dew had settled upon him for many days, that he realized that it was the most high God who ruled in the kingdoms of man.
The Word — The Power of God — The Word of His Power
  God has commanded that every man, every where, repent of their sin, for it was in the fullness of time that God sent forth and revealed to man the Son of His love, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was rejected of man, and still is rejected; yet, God in His infinite love continually draws man to His saving grace in Jesus Christ. This is a created people, free from sin, and free from this world. We live and breath the same air while we are here in this flesh; yet, our life and breathe are of the Lord. As we breath, we breath by Him, as we live, we live in Christ for both our life and breath are His. He breathes His life into our spirit by His divine Spirit which is the Spirit of Christ. This make His life our life, for now, and for all eternity. And He upholds our very salvation and redemption by His finished work upon the cross, His glorious resurrection, and yes, by the Word of His power. The written word of God is just an extension of the living Word of God in heaven. He is the Lord of glory, this is why man, whether willing or unwilling, is under the power of God’s Word.
All Mankind Accountable to the Word of God
  One man finds justification in the word of God by the grace of God in Jesus Christ. Another man finds his condemnation, and his judgment because he has rejected God’s dear Son, the Son of His love. Every man who has ever been born from Adam to this Church age, and beyond to the future millennial kingdom, has been accountable to the Word of God. Under the law of man we have the simplicity of a posted sign on a highway, it determines the speed that a man may drive his car. When he goes over that posted limit and is stopped by some form of law, he is told the posted speed. And he is told how much he has broken that law, the man refused to read and obey the posted sign; therefore, he is issued a ticket or judgment against him. This was for not obeying what was posted. Of course, this is a trivial matter when compared to eternity and God’s judgment against man. God has given us in writing His wonderful Word. This book can be the most complex, or the simplest book in the world. Man has been studying this book for thousands of years, and no one has exhausted the truth found within its pages. The difference of understanding comes in the presence of the Spirit of God. A man without the Spirit of God cannot comprehend the divine truths within its pages. Anyone who is enlightened by the Spirit of God finds that it is the Spirit of God who has not only given the book, but also its interpretation. Peter tells us that there is no private interpretation of this holy book. The fact that the Word is holy tells us that there can only be one interpretation, and that is divine interpretation from heaven above. In the divine pages of the Word of God we see all the ways of man in his fallen state. Man is identified and is completely revealed by God, from man’s soul, spirit, heart, and mind. These all relate to the fallen state of man. We also see the ways of God in calling, and securing His redeemed. He takes man from the fallen state of Adam and surrounds him with the free gift of grace through His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, because the Bible is given completely by divine authority by a holy and righteous God, and the redeemer of man, the very words that are written become the power of God in a written form. I say this because of the gift of faith, for man without faith cannot believe, but because God gives this gift of faith, a man called out of Ur of Chaldees can follow God into a foreign land by faith. We have this example with Abraham, and many more examples down through the history of man. Have you ever asked yourself why a particular man, and his faith, or lack of faith is recorded in the Bible? The only logical explanation is that we should learn the lessons and pitfalls of life through their examples. Why in 1st Chronicles, while reading the genealogy, does God introduce us to a man named Jabez?
And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. (1 Chronicles 4:9)
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. (1 Chronicles 4:10)
  This brief statement of Jabez is one the mysteries of the word of God. God in His divine wisdom introduced him, after many names were mentioned, as this man was more honorable than his brethren. God presents honor in the genealogy, why? because God knows the heart of every man. We need to be reminded of the power of the Word of God, and by reading it, we see God’s faithfulness to all generations, even in a complex history and genealogy of men God points out one of His own, and the power of His redemption. It is through the Word of God that we receive life, and we need to be reminded of the power of God’s almighty Word. When we read Peter, 1st Peter 1:18-23 . . . . . .
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (1 Peter 1:18)
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:19)
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, (1 Peter 1:20)
Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:21)
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (1 Peter 1:22)
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (1 Peter 1:23)
. . . . . God reveals to us the very power that has redeemed us. These verses spell out in detail our very salvation that it is of God, and God alone. Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; Verse 18 nullifies anything of man on this earth. For all are corrupt whether it be material things, or the traditions of men. Even those of the past in one’s own family, or the traditions of the fathers cannot redeem, or have a part in the redemption of a precious soul.
  Then in verse 19, But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: the Spirit of God enables Peter to show us that which is incorruptible, who is the Lord of glory and the precious blood that He shed for us. God showing us that in both life and death, the Lord Jesus saw no corruption. He was without spot or blemish. There was nothing of Adam in Him to respond to sin. He was the pureness of heaven sent down to redeem man. He was the second man from glory, He was the divine seed of grace, He was the holy and righteous Son of God.
  In verse 20, Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Peter, through the Spirit of God, takes us back before the world was to the determinate counsels of God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Peter unveils, like Paul, the mystery of God’s plan of redemption that God would provide Himself a sacrifice, a willing sacrifice, in the Son of His love. And the Son of God would fulfill the will and desires of God the Father in all divine righteousness. And the Son would be manifested, or brought forth in these last times, or the fullness of time, for you.
  In verse 21, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Peter goes on to tell us of the power of Christ’s resurrection, and that not only have we received salvation from God, but in the glory that Christ received is in relation to all the redeemed that He has received. It is in and by the glory of the Son of God that God the Father sent forth to deliver unto us His faith, and grace by that faith. We have received hope by the promised Holy Spirit to ensure in our heart and soul that we have been purified by obeying the truth through the Spirit and connection to the love of Christ. This love will translate in our life as love for all the brethren, or the sons of God. This is done with a pure heart in the blood of the Lamb.
  In verse 23, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. the Spirit of God takes us back to our verse in Hebrews 4:12. And we have the purity of the Word that it in itself, that is the Word of God, is not corruptible in any way. For the Spirit of God broods over the very words. The Bible is an extension of the Living Word on earth. The Spirit of Christ fills it’s pages, so that the heart and soul of man can find redemption. And after his new birth, this new creation, can find in the pages of holy writ from heaven, rest and comfort in the hope sent down from heaven in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.
  Now, Peter draws everything in a united finality of the Holy Spirit. We have love in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are born again, not of corruptible seed, but we are born of the seed of Christ, and the eternal word. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) He is the living Word, and the Lord Jesus liveth and abideth forever. In Hebrews 4:12, we see the Spirit of Christ using the Eternal Word, searching the heart, trying the very thoughts of man; this is not man’s speech, but the thoughts that are never spoken. It is the Word of God looking into the rooms of the heart, sweeping the floor of the soul, taking the soul of Adam and removing it completely for the soul of Christ. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11)
  In the new birth we tend to forget that behold all things become new that the Spirit of God removes Adam from us, and it is the Spirit of Christ now dwelling in us. He is the heavenly surgeon who uses the divine Word, or scalpel, to completely cut out the leprosy of sin. He has given us new life in Himself. We are part of the divine Son of God which liveth and abideth forever. Amen.
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power,
when he had by himself purged our sins,
sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)
© Copyright 2017, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)