… when you received the word of God which you heard from us,
you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth the word of God,
which also effectively works in you who believe.
Concerning Himself, Jesus quotes from Psalm 40:7 in Hebrews 10:7—
“Behold I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—to do Your will, O God.”
The Word of God and the Living Word—Jesus are closely bound… actually inseparable. Both are Truth (John 14:6 & 17:17)… Light (John 8:12 & Psalm 119:105) and Bread (John 6:35 & Matthew 4:4).
Truly He would and could say: “In the volume of the book it is written of Me.”
Therefore, it is crucial that as a church we study the Bible specifically. Choosing to avoid trends of studying books about the Word, film clips or other activities of current interest even though they be good and even moral. It is the study, and time in the Bible itself coupled with seeing Jesus in the Bible which has the value. Even if the time in study itself seems to be over-one’s-head, seemingly not relative, or forgotten. You might even think “What’s the use? I can’t even recall the last Bible Study subject or verses.” This might shock you, but even if such thoughts describes you, the Word still has its incomparable benefit.
Isaiah 55:11 reveals that the Word “shall not return to Me void (empty), it shall accomplish what I please…” The “I” is not me, rather God! I can’t recall the last Jem 100 Tillamook Cheeseburger I ate, but I do know the nutrients it contained all had their effect. I departed full and ready for the rest of the afternoon.
When my lovely wife, makes a wonderful meatloaf dinner and apple pie dessert, I don’t say “I’ve had this before, I already know how this taste so tonight I’ll pass.” Quite the contrary, I am very contented to enjoy it again… anticipating the taste I am wonderfully familiar with, and it indeed delights me again…and again!
Peter, in his second epistle, states our need to be reminded often of the truths of the Word. He makes no apology. Instead he instructs us that such repetition is even needful, that we be firmly established. When will such establishing finally occur? Heaven! Peter quotes earlier from Psalm 40— “All flesh is as grass. And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers. And its flower falls away. But the word of the LORD endures forever.”
William Barclay wrote “The only way to get our values right is to see, not the beginning, but the end of the way, to see things, not in the light of time, but in the light of eternity.” It is God’s word which is crucial to our preparation for eternity.
“Your word, O LORD is eternal; it stands firm in heaven.” Psalm 119:89
May we be students of Jesus in the Word, growing in grace and knowledge of our Savior, Jesus.
Maranatha!