It was said by the prophet many hundred years ago, “All thy children shall be taught of the Lord.” Isa. 54:13. In quoting these words, the Saviour adds: “Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me.” John 6:45. Nearly all nations, however benighted spiritually, have some conception of an unseen God,—some first Great Cause,—but without the Bible in hand, all ideas of a deity are necessarily crude. To such, God is austere in the extreme, and maliciously disposed toward all, unless being constantly appeased by offerings. But of God as a loving Father, they know nothing. This is one of Satan’s lessons, which has been so completely stamped upon human minds that many, even, who bear the name of Christian have failed to see its falsity.
“When the fulness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem them which were under the law.” “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” “And this is the name whereby He shall be called, Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US.”
It is impossible for sinful man to look upon God, or even to exist in His immediate presence. When Moses asked to see the glory of Jehovah, the answer returned was, “Thou canst not see My face; for there shall no man see Me, and live.” Ex. 23:20. The glory of God’s holiness is a consuming fire which is destructive of whatever comes into its presence, if contaminated with sin. Heb. 12:29. Therefore the infinite love of God for the fallen race prevents Him from appearing in person to men; but He has provided a way by which His love and mercy may be known. “No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” John 1:18. Whoever, then, will learn of the Father must come to Christ, since it is He who has ever revealed God as He is, to men.
From all time God has manifested Himself to men through audible and visible methods which were adapted to the condition and needs of ignorant, erring mortals. Thus we are told: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1. The divine Word ever was, and constantly waited on Him whom it personated, as “one brought up with him.” Prov. 8:22–30. And inasmuch as that Word faithfully voiced the will of the Eternal, it revealed His character, hence was God.
This Word was brought to men by clothing itself in a body like that inhabited by man. “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.” John 1:14. Through this means alone could God freely reveal Himself to fallen man, and come in saving contact with him. But by veiling the glory of God within human flesh, and thus adapting it to man’s nature, He could be brought in touch with the power of its glory and not be overborne by it.
And so “God was manifest in the flesh.” I Tim. 3:16. The design of Christ’s appearance among men was to make known to them the true character of the knowledge of Jehovah, which had been lost through the degrading
influence of sin. His life of self-sacrifice in behalf of the sinner and the physically afflicted, revealed the pitying love of a Father as nothing else could. Through this means God spoke to man in tender tones, making His only-begotten Son, in very fact, the Word of God.
The sayings and doings of Christ were therefore made a comprehensive communication to man of God’s power to restore that which sin had taken from him. “The wages of sin is death.” Rom. 6:23. Man having fallen under the weight of sin, he has the sentence of death upon him. He therefore needs to be quickened, that is, have the sentence of death removed, that he may live forever, as originally
designed. The power of God alone can do this, through the voice of Him who is the divine Word. “It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63. These words of Christ are the whole story simply stated. The breathing of God’s Spirit by which His Word was given, remains in that Word, endowing it with life and energy; hence the Word becomes spirit and life to all who receive it. Christ Himself being the One who breathed God’s Word through the Bible writers (I Peter 1:9–11), it is therefore His life which the Word carries to the heart of every believer.
The reception of the Word in the heart not only removes the sentence of death, but changes the whole man for the better. “It is
in truth the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” I Thess. 2:13. To work “effectually” is to work out the proper effect in every one according to God’s will. The Word has power, therefore, to meet the necessity of every believer, however much the case of one may differ from that of another. But in the unbeliever, no beneficial result is wrought. All this reveals that the work done by the Word in each individual is according to some intelligent system.
That the Word of God does exert intelligent action in its operations, is clearly shown by the following: “The Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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.” Heb. 4:12. The word “quick” in this text means living. Not only does the Spirit in the Word make it a living thing, but it also endows it with power, or energy to act as an intelligent searcher of men’s hearts. In this search it is represented as dividing apart the joints and marrow, evident reference being made to the ancient custom of dissecting for examination a creature intended for table use by a Hebrew family. It is said that the priest was not satisfied in his search for disease by simply opening the body of the animal, but that he also cut into, and critically examined, the joints and marrow, so careful was he to give his people no diseased flesh to eat. But the apostle carries the searching power of God’s Word far beyond this, so much so as to open, and to look into, the very soul and spirit of men, in order to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. To discern a matter is to see and understand it. So the Word of God sees and understands every thought and motive of those who profess to be guided by it. Thus we find it an intelligent power, able to meet the peculiar needs of every individual.
This must of necessity be so, since no two have exactly the same needs. One requires one sort of an operation, and another calls for altogether another kind of work, in order to find relief. On one occasion, a woman with an infirmity of thirty-eight years’ standing, and who was
bowed helplessly together, applied to the Saviour for help. “When Jesus saw her, He called her to Him, and said to her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity; . . . and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” Luke 13:11–13. In this case the spoken Word operated intelligently to release the rigidity of the muscles, and to restore their lost functions.
On another occasion the work done was far different. Lazarus had died, and been four days in the grave. Jesus was sent for, and, standing before the tomb, called upon God to hear Him in behalf of the unfortunate. “And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes; and his face was bound4
about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, Loose him, and let him go.” John 11:43, 44. These two references are sufficient to illustrate the point in hand. In one, the body of a poor cripple was made instantly straight; in the other, life was given to the dead. These truly show that the Word of God has intelligent power to perform that whereunto He sends it. Isa. 55:11.
True, on both of these occasions, Jesus was personally present at the restorations. Another reference, however, reveals that the Word of God has ability to go a long distance from the point where it is spoken, and there perform its allotted work. A nobleman, whose son lay sick at Capernaum, went to Cana of Galilee, twenty miles distant, pleading with the Saviour to return with him, to heal his son. After parleying awhile with the man, “Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth.” John 4:50. Further record reveals that on the nobleman’s return to his home, he found his son restored to life and returning health. This shows that distance is no impediment to the operations of God’s Word.
It is therefore plain that a mandate or promise issued in heaven is just as effective on the earth as tho the Lord were personally present to enforce it. His word is His power, which He has given to represent Himself among men, and which is therefore freighted with His life,—the Holy Spirit. Speaking of those who have, by misuse of their bodies, brought deadly disease upon themselves, the psalmist exclaims: “Fools, because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw nigh unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saveth them out of their distresses. He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” Ps. 107:17–20.
After thus contemplating the flight of God’s Word to the rescue of those in need, the sacred writer pleadingly says, “O that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” And let all the people say, Amen.
