GOD, THE WORD by S. N. Haskell

Pacific Press Publishing Company · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · Sep 6, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 36.

GOD, THE WORD.

By S. N. Haskell

“IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” The Word and God are the same. God is the Word, and the Word is God. The Word is a revelation of God to man. The written Word would not have been necessary if man had not sinned. Sinless Adam and Eve could hear “the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” But sin erected a barrier, darkened the mind and deafened the ear to the audible voice of Jehovah. Because of the condition that sin brought, God saw fit to bring Himself within the reach of all by the written Word. So God is within our reach by His written Word. This was God’s arrangement so that man might be without excuse.

“And 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.” This is another revelation of God. “For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” Christ was the Word in human flesh. It was God dressed in human flesh. Not a divine body brought from heaven, but a sinful body, born of humanity, subject to temptations like every other human being. His sinless life sanctified sinful flesh, so that sinful humanity might take hold upon the divine life and represent the Word, Christ, in this life. These facts are self-evident to every one who stops to consider the teachings of the Word. It is written on everything in nature and in every line of God’s Word.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us).” God and Christ are, therefore, Life, Eternal Life, and that Life is in the Word. It is health, it is the healing or restoring of the mind and the body. It was visible in Christ’s life. He lived in sinful flesh the character of the Father, which was the Word itself. In other words, Christ was the Living Word. Let no one, therefore, neglect the Old Testament as out of date, or one chapter or even one verse in the Bible: “For man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable.” “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.” “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The Spirit of Christ was in them, and it testified: “Not unto themselves, but unto us” they did minister the things preached by the apostles. “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” “Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me; for he wrote of Me. But ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?” There is, therefore, no neglecting, or rejecting, any one portion of the Inspired Volume without neglecting or rejecting God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Who believes this? Our Bible lies upon the shelf scarcely read at all. If read, oftentimes it is so hurriedly read it furnishes no food for meditation. Is this the way you treat a friend? But it is the way you treat the Father and the Son. For as your attitude is towards that Word, so it is towards God and Christ. If Christ were on earth, as eighteen hundred years ago, when He walked the hilly country of Judea, could you entertain Him? Could you find time to sit at His feet as did Mary? Or would you give Him some corner of the room where He would be out of your immediate presence, without talking to Him or listening to His voice?

Remember, as you treat the Word of God, so you are treating the God of the Universe, and His Son, whom He sent into the world to die for us, that we might be saved. When you pray, you are talking with God; and when you read His Word, He is talking to you. If you read it carefully, critically, and meditate upon it, you are listening to the voice of One who spake as man never spake. When you refuse to do this, you choose the company to “went back and walked no more with Him.”

Many place themselves in the position of the Jews, the scribes, and the Pharisees. They see Him walking about, they hear of His wondrous works, perchance have listened to His gracious words, and have heard tell of His miracles in healing, lifting the fallen, saying to the sin-sick soul, “Go and sin no more,” and for all of this, place themselves in the position of those whom the Saviour pronounced the woes upon in Matthew 23.

Let us stop and consider how we treat God and Christ. Our profession will not help us in the day of judgment. Eternal life is in your house in the Word of God; do you have it in your heart? Is your interest in your worldly affairs such that you can not stop to talk with God and let Him talk with you? Not a single day should pass without at least one hour spent with Christ, in reading and closely meditating upon the words of God. He should be the Magnet of the soul. As the magnet drawn through the dust and dirt will attract to itself the steel, so Christ should draw our thoughts while amidst the cares of this life, and even while we sleep. It is even then God openeth the ears and sealeth instruction. Our last thoughts at night, our first thoughts in the morning, should go out after Him who is our nearest and dearest of all friends. Our dreams would then be of Him.

“The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary; He wakeneth morning by morning, He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” It is Christ, when the mind is quiet in sleep, that will awaken you in the morning to suggest to the soul precious thoughts that will encourage, warn, strengthen you for the day’s duty.

Is this your experience? If not, are you striving for it? If not, your soul is in danger. It is worth your while to wrestle like Jacob for it until your character, like his, is changed; then peace and joy will enter the soul, and Christ and the Father will come in, not to stop for a night, but to abide. S. N. HASKELL.