A Meditation on the Living Word: Hebrews 4:12
A double-edged Sword—By Photo by Rhii Photography on Unsplash
Well-written novels transport readers to far-off places, immersing them in incredible worlds. Readers can easily become young Jim Hawkins, hiding in an apple barrel, as Long John Silver lays out his mutinous plan in R.L. Stevenson’s Treasure Island.
For disciples of Jesus, God’s word does the same, with several life-altering differences. While novels tell of fictional tales, God’s word, the Bible, speaks of events that were, are, and will be!
Hebrews 4:12 tells us, “...the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Unlike a worldly novel, God’s word isn’t passive prose lying on the page; it is alive, actively speaking to the circumstances you are living in as you read God Breathed text. (2 Timothy 3:16) Reading God’s word should be an interactive experience that speaks to, convicts, and motivates us to grow in our walks with God.
We need to both read and study God’s word. That doesn’t mean we need to be theologians or Greek and Hebrew scholars to understand scripture.
The Holy Spirit dwells within us, guiding, teaching, and convicting us as we read the living word. We’ve only to be willing vessels ready to receive what the Father pours into us as we read His word.
In truth, it’s more accurate to say that the disciple should let God’s Word study them. Let’s unpack that statement by taking a closer look at Hebrews 4:12.
The Word of God is Alive and Unchanging
The word of God is alive and active.
We know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb, 13:8) What that tells us is that the word given to Joshua three times before he marched on Jericho, “Be strong and courageous. See, I have given Jericho into your hands,” still speaks to us, encouraging us to be strong and courageous today when we face a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Why? Because our eternal, unchanging God is with us today as He was with Joshua.
Sure, you may not be leading your people to war against a superior, hostile Army, but hasn’t your life felt like it at times?
God exists outside of time, and His word is unchanging. Yes, our circumstances are different, but our God isn’t different; there is no shadow of turning in Him. (James 1:17)
…Sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
A double-edged sword is a deadly weapon, cutting any way it’s swung. This beautiful analogy illustrates how God’s word can speak to you in different ways.
On a given day, a Scripture may not speak to you personally. But on another day, that same passage may cut you to the bone, revealing some secret sin or wrong attitude in your life. On yet another day, that same passage may bring solace and comfort.
That’s the life-giving power of God’s word; it is truly alive to interact with, teach, guide, correct, and comfort you. It can speak to you in new and endless ways when you dwell on His word and listen for the Holy Spirit's still small voice.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us,
“All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The Holy Spirit dwells in God’s word. The term for God-breathed in 2 Timothy 3:16 is equivalent to the term “God breathed into man's nostrils...” in Genesis 2:7. Both uses connect "breath" with God as our source of life in Him.
In Genesis 2:7, as God breathes into Adam’s nostrils, it’s the literal breath of life, while in 2 Timothy 3:16, it is the ability to live righteously through Christ.
God’s Word Reveals our Hearts and Attitudes
“It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Life's circumstances may obscure the reasons behind our feelings or actions, despite our best efforts to understand them. But God’s word reveals our hearts' and minds' true intent. Jeremiah 17:9-10 tells,
The heart is deceitful above all things.
And beyond cure.
Who can understand it?“I, the Lord, search the heart.
And examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
According to what their deeds deserve.”
Jeremiah’s word clearly reveals that the core motivations of our hearts and minds are too convoluted for us to understand without God’s intervention.
In Psalm 139:23-24, we see King David calling out to God to teach and lead him in the correct path so that he may become the man God has called him to be,
“Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”
In Luke 18:18-23, Jesus encounters a young man who asks him,
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus tells him, You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.”
The man replied, “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.
Trusting that he’d always kept all the commandments flawlessly, the young man believed his entrance to the kingdom of heaven was certain. Sadly, Jesus' statement revealed the true master of his heart. He loved his things more than God–breaking the first commandment.
All Will Be revealed.
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Heb. 4:13
Try as we may, there are no secrets from God.
Once again, this verse tells us that while we do not know the true nature of our hearts, God does, and there are no secrets God will not reveal; in fact, what we believe to be secret will be shouted from the rooftops. (Luke 12:3).
The Trap of Familiarity.
With all the above in mind, let me say that while it’s good to be familiar with God’s word, there is a trap lying in wait for unwary students of scripture. That trap is Pride, hidden in Familiarity.
Knowing what the word says helps us recognize when God’s word is being misquoted or misused. Consider Satan’s temptation of Christ,
“The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
And they will lift you in their hands,
So that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Matthew 4:3-11
In every attempt to mislead Jesus, the devil did two things. First, he tried to plant doubt in Jesus by saying, “If you are the Son of God. Second, Satan twisted and slightly misquoted God’s word.
Each time Jesus responded by correctly quoting God’s word, and the Devil withdrew, knowing Jesus had correctly quoted God’s word.
So where is the trap?
The trap is so innocent that it’s truly sinister. Never forget that the devil, who came to steal and destroy your soul, set the trap; how could it be anything less than sinister?
The trap lies in forgetting that God’s word is alive, eternal, and still able to speak to us in fresh ways today.
Often hidden in simple thoughts like, “I’ve read this a million times,” or “I’m tired of hearing such and such teaching.” Beware of feeling you know a verse so well that there is nothing more for God to reveal to you when reading it.
The trap also awaits preachers and teachers of God’s word. It can happen something like this.
You’re preparing to teach on a passage you’ve shared countless times before. As a result, you’ve lost the passion the verse once inspired in you and feel little need to prepare.
When this happens, you miss the chance to discover new nuances in the passage that God might have revealed if you had studied the word anew.
In closing, disciples of Jesus will do well to remember these 3 points:
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
This means His word is unchanging and still can speak to us in our current circumstances, if we take time to listen.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
God works through the ministry of the Holy Spirit to teach us to understand and apply God’s word to our lives.
Knowing God’s word thoroughly is beneficial, as it helps us recognize deception. However, believing you know it too well and not studying regularly is a trap.
I leave you with the following verse as assurance that you are on the right and that you are its ultimate end,
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6