A Meditation from Hebrews 4:12

Another meditation from my study in Hebrews.  May it both challenge and comfort you.

Heb. 4:12 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. 

I like the wording of the Complete Jewish Bible for this verse:  “See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit  and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart.”

I like the wording of the New Living Translation for the last phrase:  “It exposes us for what we really are.”  

I think of the soul as that part of me that identifies who I really am; it is my self consciousness.  It is the part of me that is expressed through my character and relationship toward others.  I think of the spirit as my spiritual life force.  It is the part of me that relates to God—my God consciousness.  When man chose to sin in rebellion against God, it was spiritual death that he first experienced.  That spiritual death resulted in man also experiencing physical death. Had we not sinned, we would have lived forever in fellowship with our Creator.

The word of God is the scripture as revealed to men of faith through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and as revealed in the person of His Son Jesus Christ.  You can’t really separate the word from the person.  

The point of this verse is that God’s word gives us a true picture of who we are by how we measure up to its truth.  When we read it with an open heart, God will convict us of our sin and give us the words of eternal life.  When we read it with the heart of a servant, He will show us how to overcome temptation and be obedient.  When we read it with the heart of a child, He will minister comfort to our soul and joy to our spirit.  All this is done through the person of the Holy Spirit as He works to grow us in faith.  When we look to Jesus, we have a living example of the truth and power of God’s word in the life of the person of faith.  In Jesus, we have a hope for the future as evidenced by His resurrection.    

In the light of God’s word, our thoughts and intents are revealed as to what we treasure or value and the motives for our actions.

The mirror of God’s word gives a true reflection of the person we are if we are willing to look.  Our flaws and imperfections will be made very clear.  But unlike earthly mirrors, the mirror of God’s word also shows us how to get rid of those flaws and imperfections by choosing to follow the example of Jesus, the Word made flesh, in faith and obedience to the Father.