Pastor’s Notes Hebrews 4:12

Hebrews 4:12.

For each of us who claim Jesus as Savior there surely has been a time when it felt like the Word of God penetrated our soul and laid bare our deepest thoughts. So is the scalpel in the hand of the surgeon which cuts quickly and deeply, so is God’s word in the hand of the Holy Spirit.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword.” (Hebrews 4:12a). The word ‘sword’ from the Greek ‘machaira’ here gives the idea of a knife used for cutting up meat, or in times past, conceivably for surgery. It is the sharpness of the blade that is of importance is not the length, so sharp that it can penetrate beyond the bounds of human thought. 

 In its natural state our body is quite visible, but beyond the visible flesh there are our vital organs, layers of muscle, sinew and the bones of our skeleton, deeper still is the marrow which produces the blood cells vital for our life. The writer of Hebrews tells us that God’s word directed by the Holy Spirit penetrates deeply to our soul and beyond to our very spirit. Verse thirteen says: “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and open to him with whom we have to do.”

 The writer of Hebrews presumes the trichotomy of our existence; body, soul and spirt and advises that God not only knows our body, its needs and desires and length of life, He knows every internal detail including our thoughts. The Word of God has the ability to cut to the very heart of our existence and there affect our life for Christ.