As I was looking over chapter 4 trying to decide what to focus on, one thing jumped out at me that I had placed a star beside in the margin. The Hebrew writer gives us a description of God’s word.
For God’s word [is]
living,
and energetic,
and sharper than any two-edged long knife,
and piercing until a parting of self and spirit,
of both joints and marrow,
and judge of a heart’s musings and notions;
and there isn’t a creation unapparent before him [God],
but everything is naked and bare-necked to his eyes,
to whom, for us, the word [is given].-Hebrews 4:12-13, The Second Testament
We always talk about the word of God here being scripture. And that is true - we use the scriptures to discern, to teach, and to “win souls”. Allow me to introduce another perspective.
In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
And the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.-John 1:1-2, NLT
We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, who we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.
-1 John 1:1, NLT
God’s Word is Christ.
Note the “him” in verse 13. All of creation is apparent before Him. Nothing hidden from Him. Everything exposed. Living. Powerful. Exposing our innermost thoughts and desires. He is the one to whom we are accountable. Our High Priest and Advocate. Our Illuminator. God Himself.
The first two chapters of Hebrews were spent introducing us to Jesus and reminding us who He is. Chapter 3 and the beginning of 4 are comparing Jesus to the great leaders of the Hebrew nation from years past, Moses and Joshua. The end of chapter 4 talks about how He is our High Priest, and the means by which we can come boldly before the throne of God to receive compassion and grace. So how can we not believe that the Word of God talked about in the middle of all of those passages is also describing to us Jesus?
Look at this selection from Revelation 19:11-16.
Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God…From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations….On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
That sound a little bit like what we are reading in Hebrews?
Then back to John 1:14.
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
Doesn’t it sound like all of these passages are talking about the same Word of God? I think so. The Word, who is also called Truth, who put on flesh, lived among us with love and faith and grace and mercy. Who is able to pierce our souls cleanly and judge our hearts fairly. Living and powerful, King and Lord of all. Before whom all is exposed and laid bare. The Word of God, His only Son - Jesus.