Before I started this study, I prayed about it, and asked God to reveal a few things. There are so many different references to God's Word, that one might be a bit boggled about what it truly is. Most folks go with the knee-jerk answer -- the Bible. But that's not the end of the story. John 1:1 and John 1:14 clearly state that the Word was with God, the Word was God, and the Word became flesh. Therefore, the second answer one might give to the question "What is God's Word?" is Christ Himself. And they would be correct.
The answer to "What is God's Word?" is, quite simply, YESHUA the Messiah. Now that we've gotten the answer out of the way, let me go in depth and show you what God revealed to me as to WHY Yeshua is the Word of God.
Late one night, with prayer (and Bible Gateway) as my only mode of communication, He gave me a list of attributes for the Word. I studied the list, amazed at what I'd found, and I determined to find Scripture to bear witness to this list the very next day. It wasn't hard. The Spirit was moving. So here we go.
COMMANDMENT
"You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you." ~Deuteronomy 4:2
God's commandments are less about oppression and following a set of arbitrary rules and more about living a life that mirrors HIM. Therefore, the commanding Word of God reflects the likeness of Yeshua, the ultimate perfection we should strive to become.
SCRIPTURE
"And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them" ~Deuteronomy 17:18-19
Scripture is nothing more than the written Word of God. The Word was written down to pass on to the next generation, so they will "learn to fear the Lord and keep His commandments". Ever play a game of "telephone"? By the time you get to the last person, the original message has been twisted to something completely different. God didn't wish for this to happen to His commands through word-of-mouth, which is why He had scribes and prophets write down His Word. This is why the Bible is called the Word of God. It's God's promises written down. It's where we go to encounter and learn of Yeshua every single day. Without God's written Word, we wouldn't know Him. Therefore, the written Scriptures reveal the True Word of God, Yeshua.
PROMISE
"Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant." ~1 Kings 8:56
In 1 Kings, we see that God's Word is also a promise, of which God keeps, not even one of His words fail. God has many, many promises spoken throughout the Bible, promises never to abandon His inheritance (Psalm 94:14) and to hear the prayers of His children (Proverbs 15:29), among countless others, one of the most important being the promise of Messiah. Therefore, Yeshua is the physical embodiment of the promise of the Word of God.
PROPHECY
"Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah:" ~Isaiah 38:4
"The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:" ~Jeremiah 7:1
"The word of the Lord came to me:" ~Ezekiel 25:1
All throughout the prophets, both minor and major, they have one central theme -- the word of the LORD came to them. God chose these men to speak to, not only to tell them of the future, but also God's plan for mankind through His Son Yeshua. God gives prophecy so that when it happens, we'll believe (John 13:19). Therefore, prophecy fits nicely with the promise above, as God knows in advance what He will do. Prophecy is nothing more than God's future promises that have yet to come to pass. But all prophecy ultimately culminates in Yeshua's reign over the heavens and the earth and how we eventually end up, as sheep or goats (Matthew 25:32). There are prophecies proclaiming both His First and Second Coming. Therefore, the future promises of the prophetic Word of God are about Yeshua and His Kingdom.
TRUTH
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." ~2 Timothy 2:15
God is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). Therefore, His Word is truth. Everything He says is true. It's true He keeps His promises. And if each of His promises have come true, then His prophecy (future promises) comes true as well. God has proven Himself countless times to His people. He brought the Israelites out of Egypt and gave them the land promised to Abraham. He even brought the Jews back to their promised land in 1948, fulfilling Isaiah 66:7-8. We know the truth of the Word of God relates to Yeshua, because He even called Himself the Truth in John 14:6.
CREATION
"And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light." ~Genesis 1:3
God's Word speaks creation into being. This is in perfect parallel with verses such as John 1:1-3, Isaiah 48:13, & Colossians 1:16. We know that John calls Christ the "Word" and the Creator, through Isaiah, God Himself says He created the heavens, and Paul says Christ created everything in Colossians. We can therefore extrapolate that CHRIST is the one releasing the power of God all throughout Scripture. If God speaks, it is therefore CHRIST speaking. Anywhere in the Bible when the audible voice of God is heard, it is Yeshua.
UNTIL Christ came to live a human life on earth.
Remember, Yeshua did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped (Philippians 2:6) and left His Throne of Glory to save us all. Therefore, there are two times when the voice of God was heard and it was the FATHER, not the Son. When Christ was baptized (Matthew 3:17) and when Christ prayed with the Greeks (John 12:28). This was because when He was upon the earth, He was submissive to the Father. However, His rightful spot is one of authority at the right hand of God. Now that He has died for His children, was buried, then raised into glory, the Father has given all authority back to Yeshua, the Creator, through the Word of God.
AUTHORITY
"And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." ~Matthew 28:18
The Word of God has always been the authority of God, especially if His authority is wrapped up in His Command, His Promise, and His Truth. Now that Yeshua has returned to His Throne, He is the final authority of God. The Father has stepped aside and given all authority to His right hand, which is Christ. Now and forevermore, when God speaks, it is Yeshua, not the Father, because all authority has been given to Him. Therefore, Yeshua is the one and only authority behind the Word of God.
ALIVE
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." ~Hebrews 4:12
In the book of Hebrews, we learn the Word of God is ALIVE. This verse actually has a double meaning, in my opinion. Here, the author is likely speaking of Scripture as the Spirit-breathed Word, alive because every word in it has been anointed and inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, the other meaning of the verse is the True Word of God, Yeshua, is ALIVE as well, resurrected from the grave, and sitting bodily glorified on the Throne of God. Right this very moment. And He is OFFENSIVE to this perishing world! Nothing gets under an unbeliever's skin more than the mere mention of Jesus Christ. Sing about God all day long, but say "Jesus", and prepare for war. "The Word is Alive and sharper than a two-edged sword" indeed. If He was dead, if His written Word was dead, there'd be no need to get so hot under the collar.
SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
"and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" ~Ephesians 6:17
Ephesians pretty much says the same thing as Hebrews above. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. The Word of God is Yeshua. The cool thing about Scripture is that it confirms itself. We see in Revelation how the "sword of the Spirit" comes from the mouth of Yeshua at His Second Coming -- which is where God speaks His WORD: "Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the
nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the
winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty." ~Revelation 19:15
GOSPEL
"And the
word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples
multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith." ~Acts 6:7
The Word is the very Gospel itself. The story of God, coming to earth to live a perfect life in Yeshua, dying upon the cross, and taking our sin to His grave so that we can have His righteousness is the very Word of God. It was the culmination of all God's promises in the Old Testament. Therefore, the Gospel itself is the WORD of God -- it's the work of Christ, spoken by God in ages past, yet not fully understood until His plan was revealed at the First Advent. Therefore, the "Word of God" increased as disciples multiplied -- more people believed, the Spirit indwelt more and more believers, and God's plan began to unfold, saving men from the power of the grave! The Gospel itself, therefore, is God's promise of His own Word fulfilled -- as the Word Himself fulfilled His own Commandments to give us His Grace.
WORDS OF CHRIST
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." ~Colossians 3:16
In Colossians, we see an amazing switch in the verbage -- I even checked multiple translations and they all say the same. Paul clearly says "the word of Christ" instead of the word of God. It's not a big deal to us now, because we know Christ IS God. However, this verse proves Christ's words are God's words. Because Paul declares the Word of Christ is the same as the Word of God, then we can go back through the Gospels and take every word of Christ as a promise, a command, a truth, with the power of creation, spoken in authority, and a living Sword able to cut through both soul and spirit. Too cool! Therefore, even when Yeshua was on earth, when the Father had authority, Christ still had His divine privilege as the Word of God.
CHRIST HIMSELF
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." ~John 1:1
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." ~John 1:14
"He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God." ~Revelation 19:13
Finally, we come to Christ Himself. Most folks think Christ as the "Word" is only referenced in the book of John. However, it's also mentioned in Revelation, giving two witnesses in Scripture (Deut. 19:15) of the same truth. Yeshua Messiah is the living Word of God, who speaks for God, who has all the authority of God, the One who creates, and the One who makes all things new. If nothing else, I hope this study has given you a new perspective on the Word of God, and an eagerness to now read the Old Testament with "new glasses". The Word of God speaks -- and He's JESUS CHRIST.
Amen, now and forever more. To God be the glory! \O/
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