Narrative on God's Wonder Book (background to the message)

God’s Wonder Book, The Bible - Hebrews 4:12-13

On this earth, and at the judgment, how will God examine our lives? How will the genuineness of our faith be measured? The Lord will our judge, but we will be judged according to His Word. This is true because God’s Word is consistent with His character, and it is the only guide that we have in our possession to determine the leading of the Holy Spirit and the will of God.

His Word is able to discriminate and discover our deepest needs, motives and failures. The Word of God reveals the whole man, nothing is or will be hidden.

The context of Hebrews 4:12-13 deals with the statement that made in Hebrews 4:11, “Let us labour therefore...” WHY? Why should we labor and not fall into unbelief? The answer is found in 4:12.

God’s Word will judge us and reveals the true motive, legitimate and real faith our hearts. Heb. 4:12 is a warning to appropriate the rest which God provides, and to have faith, believing the testimony of God.

4:12 For the Word of God is quick - zwn / Pres Act Ptc / from zaw meaning to be possessed with vitality, to exercise the functions of life, living, full and unfailing (as God is living), eternal in nature, self-existing. The Word of God was eternal before it was placed upon the printed page.

I Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

“And powerful”/ energhV / Active, energetic, effective to bring results.

Psalm 29:4 “The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.”

I Thess. 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

“And sharper”/ tomwteroV / cutting, keen, razor sharp, eager and earnest, diligent and unfaltering.

“Than any two edged sword”/ hper tasan macairan distomon / Lit. “Above all two-edged swords.” The word sword describes a large knife or sword used by an executioner (Acts 12:2; Rom. 8:35). Thus God has the power of life and death in the true judgment of His Word.

Eph. 6:17 “...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

It is two-edged because it lays open His viewing and close scrutiny and perusal, like a scalpel. Incisive and penetrating qualities, coupled with its power! The Word of God cuts through all false professions, stripping away that which is natural and leaving that which is spiritual & eternal.

Rev. 1:16 “out of His mouth went a two-edged sword”

Rev. 2:16 “sword of My mouth”

Rev. 19:15-16 “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Rev. 19:21 “And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth:”

It is the Lord who is described in a similar manner in Rev. 1:16, where John writes, “and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.”

The Word of God must be heard: John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

The Word of God must be searched: John 5:29 “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

The Word of God must be lived: Phil. 2:16 “Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.”

The Word of God Provides Faith: Rom. 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

“Piercing”/ diiknoumenoV / Pres Ptc / to pass through or penetrate. It permeates and pervades our being, leaving nothing to our imagination. Will we allow this work and ministry of the Scripture to reveal God’s call? Will we listen to God’s deepest call upon our lives? Let the Word pierce deep into the inner recesses of our heart and reveal truth to us.

“even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow”/ merismou / The Word separates, divides, partitions and soul and spirit. The Word of God knows the difference between the soul and the spirit, and cuts through to each, reaching the real you.

“and is a discerner”/ kritikoV / Sifts out and analyzes evidence, judges, and is discriminating, passing judgment on the thoughts and feelings of the heart. We feel with our heart, but we are not able to think critically with our heart. We often act on impulse. The Word sifts through the Word of God’s wisdom, so that we can balance the sense of the heart with the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

“of the thoughts and intents of the heart”/ enqumhswn / to ponder in one’s mind, meditate, reflect upon. Those areas that we consider important God discerns and brings correction or encouragement in our mind.

Notice the shift from the “Word” to the pronouns His and Him. The Word of God is Christ, exhibits personality and looks deep into our lives.

4:13 “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight.”

Psalm 147:4-5 “He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his under-standing is infinite.”

Isaiah 40:28 “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the ever-lasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.”

“but all things are naked and opened unto Him”/ tetrachlismena / Perf Pass Ptc / to lay one’s neck under the ax of the executioner, to bend the neck back with the throat open. The idea is that we are to be vulnerable! It is the Lord to whom we must answer, the total exposure of the human heart to the wisdom of God and His Word.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”