“For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any towedged 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.” Hebrews 4:12
How is it that Isaiah could write his book around two thousand seven hundred years ago, and yet, when reading about his vision of God in chapter six, it is gripping, and life-changing? It is because, as the Apostle Paul put it, “…All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” (2 Timothy 3:16) The Apostle Peter would put it like this: “No prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old times by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Timothy 1:20,21) Not only was the word of God, “God breathed,” but it specifically had its origin, expression, and enduring worth and value in Christ. Peter would even quote Isaiah by writing, “…The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” (1 Peter 1:24,25) The fulfillment of the prophecies declared by the prophets hundreds of years before the coming of Christ, were proclaimed by the Lord Jesus, often as being fulfilled at His coming, during His ministry, and proven by His death and resurrection. So, there is no doubt that the word of God is true, for God cannot tell a lie. Nor can it be denied, that God does not fulfill His word, that He accomplishes what He has promised, and will always send His word forth with the certainty of realizing His purposes. But there is another aspect of the enduring word of God that needs to be proclaimed and declared in our day, with respect to this everlasting Gospel that is to be preached. It is the issue of its inherent power, the power to convict of sin, lead a soul to repent of sins, and bring the seeking soul to a knowledge of Christ, to be saved eternally. How is the power of God associated with the word of God? And how does it apply to the Christian’s life?
We have only to look at the prophets of old, as they communicated the word of God to Israel, or to individuals, to see how its power is associated with the spoken, and written word. From the beginning of Scripture to the end, we see that the written word of God is the very expression of the will of God, and the knowledge of His will by which He will work. To those who chosed to obey the words of God, the power of God was revealed. A very simple example of this concerns a widow during the ministry Elisha. To this woman, the word of the Lord by the prophet was given to her to amass as many empty jars as possible, pouring oil out of a small cruz, or pitcher, into these empty jars until they were filled. Then the word comes: “Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.” (2 Kings 4:7) God, in His quiet power, would provide for this obedient woman by instructing her to sell her oil. Power was revealed in words.
To Naaman, the Syrian general who had leprosy, the Lord would say through Elisha, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.” (2 Kings 5:10) There was power in those words, but it would only reveal its healing properties when there was fatih that obediently responded to them.
Again, in Isaiah, we read the Lord’s words, and begin to understand how there is power in Christ’s words: “…but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.” (Is. 66:2) With every word of Christ, there is His accompanying power.
Dear Father, Show forth Thy power. In Jesus’ name, Amen.