God's Word Is Quick

Hebrews 4:12

            “for the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even of 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”. What is the author of Hebrews having reference to here? Verse one states, “let us therefore, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it”. Writer is telling them in this verse to exercise caution and care lest they come short of the promised rest. To illustrate this that it is possible to miss out on rest, he make reference to the Israelites who came out of Egypt who had the same good tidings preach to them. In verse 2, “for unto us was the gospel preached, as well and unto them (good tiding of rest. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed (mingle or united) with faith in them that heard it.

So, verse ten is spoken for us today as well or those before us, living under the Christian dispensation. We are told in this verse why we should labor to enter God Rest. It will take as earnest effort to do so because of the nature of God’s word, “quick and powerful” means active, energetic. The reason it is living and powerful, it is the “word of a living God”. (3:12. God’s word is God’s voice, therefore, it is just as living and as power as is God.

What God’s says shall come to pass because all the might of the living God is back of his word. No one should view the word (as the Israelites did) as unable to accomplish what has been spoken.  The Jews bodies that fell in the wilderness shows the truthfulness of the fact that God’s word is quick and powerful. In Numbers 14, God’s order was that they could not cross Jordan in Canaan because of their unbelief. And they didn’t. The living and powerful word of God would not allow them to cross.

By using figurative language in Vs.12, the word of God is describe and being, “sharper than any two edged sword”. This phrase shows the ability of the word of God to cut and penetrate. Its penetrating power is described, “piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, joints and marrow”. In these terms, we see the most innermost part of man. “Pierce”, to cut through, lays bare, exposes soul and spirit, much as a physical sword can cut deeply and expose the joints and marrow of the bones. Soul and spirit are the seats of thoughts, emotions, desires, will. The word exposes the nature of these things and reveals the true condition of the spirit     God’s word is “discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”. It examines and passes judgment on man’s thoughts and intentions. Its verdict will come to pass. Make sure the gospel that has been preached to us is mixed or united with faith.

- CL Bruner