The Living Word (His Mysteries #1)

 

We know Jesus Himself is the Living Word, and our Father is the Living God. Doesn't it make perfect sense, then, that His inspired recorded word, the Bible, is also living? This surprises us sometimes, and it's good to never lose the wonder of it. But what should surprise us more is that we could ever think His word isn't living. However could it not be? 

But what does this mean, that the Bible is living?

To me, as to many, it means we will always find new things in it, no matter how many times we've read it. The other day, I was in Isaiah 54. At verse 11, the chapter begins prophesying the New Jerusalem, speaking of foundations, battlements, and gates made of precious stones (I love gemstones and can't wait to see this!). God goes on to say that terror and attacks will not succeed against the Israelites, and that their enemies will fall because of them. Verses 16-17 say, "Listen carefully, I have created the smith who blows on the fire of coals and who produces a weapon for its purpose; and I have created the destroyer to inflict ruin. No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; and every tongue that arises against you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me says the Lord" (Amplified 2015).

The first phrase of verse 17, usually heard as "No weapon formed against you shall prosper," is familiar and often quoted, claimed, and prayed. But what I cannot remember ever seeing before is the part about the smith. There, God is saying, "Hear me; weapons have their purposes and I've created, anointed, and appointed the people who make them. I have even brought about times and situations where destruction has happened by My will." What this context does, I believe, is make the well-known statement "No weapon formed against you shall prosper" even stronger and dearer. Some weapons, some wars, and some of the people who produce both, do so according to God's plan and within His will. Our world being as it is, war and destruction aren't always outside of God. Yet, even though weapons sometimes prosper by his permission, still no weapon formed against His people shall prosper. 

Words and phrases in the Bible--the living word--that we "haven't seen" before are illuminated for us when we need them, are ready for them, or when God chooses. They speak to us in our current situation. Or give new insight into another part of the passage, as in our Isaiah example. Or reveal more to us about the character of God. When we experience this enough times, we truly grasp that we could never read the word, listen to it, or hear it preached so often that we could ever plumb its depths, much less exhaust it. All other books, even great ones, sooner or later give up the whole of their content. But the Bible never does. Printed on paper though it be, it is living. And that is one of His mysteries.