The Word of God Accomplishes its Purpose

Every blacksmith who sets out to make a knife or a sword, must first determine what the blade will be used for. Down to the type of steel he will use, they way that he tempers the steel to be ridged or flexible, to the geometry and shape of the blade, the thickness of it, even the geometry of the edge, to the sharpness of it. All of these and more are factored into what the blade is intended to be used for. Is it meant to chop like an axe, is it meant to slice like a fine kitchen knife, is it meant to be used in war to kill.

The Word of God in this passage is compared to a sword that is extremely sharp and designed for the purpose of penetrating deep into the heart of man and discerning his thoughts.

2nd admonition

BURDEN: Strive diligently to fulfill your duty, because the Word of God will not fail to fulfill its duty.

Man’s obligation

What is man’s obligation? Vs. 11 To strive to enter the rest of God.

What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. The rest of God that is spoken of here is the synonymous with eternal life, salvation, being in the presence of God.

A Universal Obligation

no creature or man on earth is hidden. All must give an account.

Every one of us will one day stand before the Lord and give an account for our lives and the way that we lived. To those who lived by faith towards Jesus Christ… entrance into the eternal rest of God. To those who refused to listen and obey … eternal condemnation.

Hymn: I need no other argument, I need no other plea, it is enough that Jesus died and that He died for me.

Matthew 25:23 ESV

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

it was the duty of every Israelite to enter the promised land of Cannan. Reuben, Gad, 1/2 Manassah

The Word’s as an object

Living

The word of God is not a dead word, it is not a book written thousands of years ago but full of archaic and old words that have no meaning to modern readers. This is the way that the world sees that Bible, its outdated, its morals and not relevant in the postmodern world. That’s why you have have people even politicians that the are glad that they are on the right side of history, but history is always on the side of the Word, because the God of the word has written the past and is writing the future. History is after all His Story and every thing whether good or evil is working for God and for His glory. If you don’t believe me you need look no further than the cross the greatest evil ever contrived by man and yet brought about the greatest gift that man could ever receive.

So the word producing always having its effect, whether good of bad. The sun that dries the clay melts the wax. The word of God will harden the heart of those who refuse to obey but will soften the most hard heart that will believe and obey.

Active

It speeds along like an arrow until it accomplishes its purpose. The Word of God does not remain idle, it is not like sound waves that bounce around in the air an then dissipate, it is effective.

BUT DYK that sound can actually kill. A sound wave is like a little push. The smallest of sound presses against the ear drum and is converted to sound and information interpreted by the brain, but take that same sound and magnify it to 200db , it can be deadly. The sound waves from a blast can knock a person off their feet. Joints and parts can be destroyed and damaged.

Isaiah 55:11 ESV

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

PICTURE OF THE LORD: Bursting from His throne with sword in hand ready to bring aid and help and ready to destroy. Like King Solomon ready to cleave the child in half in order that he might discern the true identity of the mother.

Sharper double edged sword

notice here that the sword that the Lord wields is a double edged one, it has no blunt edges the same sword that has an edge that bring about life, salvation to his people through removing flesh and sinew and cutting away the old man, the cancer that is in him old and decayed, that residual sin that dares remain inorder that He might heal and bring life is also the same sword that has a edge of death, that cuts inorder to mortally wound to expose evil that he might display His wrath against His enemies.

In the series the Lord of the Rings there are many swords that take on almost a life of thier own, being given names and even displaying different abilites and traits. Take for instance Aragons sword “Anduril, flame of the west” forged from the shards of Narsil the broken sword that that cut the ring from the finger of Morgoth. It had the power to command the armies of the dead. There was “Glamdring” Gandalf’s sword the “Foe Hammer” that resists the decay of time, there is is Sting the short sword of Frodo that glows brighter than any other sword when orcs are approaching. There is the Orcrist or goblin cleaver that Thurin wielded. But no sword whether imaginary or real could ever be sharper or more famous than the Sword of the Lord.

This sword should be called the “soul cleaver” You may be able to conceal your inner thoughts from others, and hide your motives so as not to be discovered by men. Countless people have escaped justice from the law in this life, but there is no one that can escape justice in the life to come. There is no scalpel on earth that is sharper, there is no lie detector that can with 100% accuracy read the thoughts of man, but the Word of God will accomplish its purpose and will not fail.

Revelation 19:15 ESV

From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

The Word’s Objective

Pierces

In the epic of Beowulf the blades of men could not pierce nor do harm to the monster Grendel and his mother. They were monsters who descended from Cain who slew his own brother. Grendel was defeated not from a blow of a sharp sword but from having his arm ripped off causing a mortal wound. Later on Beowulf defeated Grendel’s mother by wielding a giant sword which no other man could wield.

So it is with the Word of God and Jesus hand on the hilt as a master bladesman able to penetrate where no iron or steel blade can touch, the soul.

Divides

Matthew 10:28 ESV

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

thoughts and intents - God is concerned with the heart the Law the commandment was never intended to be obeyed merely externally.

The little boy who refused to sit down in his seat.

Exposes - Good or bad exposure to heal and bring medicine the doctor may cut deeper, or to infect.

The morgul blade used by the Nasgul against Frodo the sword designed to shatter when stabbed by its shards would continue to travel deeper and deeper until it penetrated the heart.

Christ is not called or said to be a sword in the scriptures but rather the one who wields the sword.

What is very ironic in this whole passage that we have been discussing the past few weeks. That the Israelites failed to go an conquer the land, for God had promised to give the victory over the inhabitants of the land, that he should guide their swords to find their mark,and yet after they rebelled and refused but they later changed their minds they themselves fell by the swords of the ones God intended for them to conquer.

CONCLUSION:

For the believer obedience means yielding to the skilled hand of the master surgeon who cuts us in order to heal and bring life. But for the unbeliever his sword stikes deep as well exposing evil thoughs, do not think that the Lord will not bring into account every idle word and deed and though and bring with Him a sword meant to destroy.

A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (III. Christ Superior to Moses (3:1–4:13))

“O thou elect blade and sharpest sword, who art able powerfully to penetrate the hard shell of the human heart, transfix my heart with the shaft of thy love.… Pierce, O Lord, pierce, I beseech thee, this most hardhearted mind of mine with the holy and powerful sword of thy grace. Augustine