Hebrews 4:12a
"For…"
Is that word there just to fill space? No! It’s an important word because you see, for the last several verses all the way back up, in fact to chapter 3, we have been dealing with a subject that the Bible probably refers to more often than any other one thing that we can put our finger on. That was when Israel refused to go in and take the Promised Land at Kadesh-Barnea. That was just unbelievable wasn’t it? God had promised they wouldn’t have to lift a sword, there wouldn’t be a drop of Jewish blood lost, and that everything was ready for them. God had given the Canaanites 400 years to get the land ready and to come to the end of God’s patience with them.
That’s what He told Abraham, that when the cup of iniquity of the Canaanites was full then the children of Israel would be able to come in and enjoy the land. But, after God had told them to go in and take it, it’s waiting for you, then Israel with only a few exceptions (Moses and Aaron and Joshua and Caleb and maybe a few others), the vast majority of the nation wept and cried. And said, "We can’t do it, there’s no way we can beat those Canaanites." The spies came back and said "There’s giants in the land, and the cities are walled and so forth." Well, so what! But the fact of the matter was, they just couldn’t believe what God said.
And when we can’t believe what God says, what does the Book call it? Unbelief! That is the most horrible sin that a man commits. Unbelief is far worse than any act of immorality. Unbelief is worse than anything you can think of, because it is in so many words, simply put, calling the Holy, Righteous, Almighty God a liar. When you don’t believe somebody, you simply tell them ‘you’re a liar.’
Consequently this is something that God just cannot get off His mind. And the Scripture is reminding us they did not go in because of unbelief. The Word of God had told them, it’s there, so go in and take it. Alright, so what does the word ‘f-o-r’ refer to? The very same thing. This unbelief we’ve been looking at was a turning against the Word of God. And why is that such a disaster? Because. We suppose that’s another word for ‘for.’ ‘Because’ the Word of God.
Now don’t lose that! It doesn’t say, because God is quick, because that’s a given. But what most people don’t realize is that the Word of God, this Book, is alive! Now, we're going to digress for just a second here. There are two ways we could look at the Word of God. Number one, we could look at all the times that God spoke and something happened. For example, at Creation. Let’s just go ahead to Hebrews chapter 11. This is one aspect of the Word of God.
Hebrews 11:3a
"Through faith (in other words again, by taking God at His Word) we understand that the worlds (that is the universe and all that’s in it) were framed (brought together) by (what?) the Word of God,…."
See? God didn’t have to commission legions of angels to go out and mix mortar and light fuses and put together energy. No! God spoke the Word and the universe came into being! Now that’s one aspect of the Word of God and it is powerful.
Now let’s come back to Hebrews chapter 4 again. We think a simpler illustration would be when they were on the Sea of Galilee and the storm was raging and the disciples were about scared to death and what did the Lord do? He stepped out on the deck of that little boat and said "Peace be still." And the disciples were amazed, and they said, "What kind of a man is this that all He has to do is speak and the wind obeys His voice?" He didn’t have to do anything, but rather He just spoke it. He being the LORD of all, means that even the evil spirits in control of the storms and weather systems have to obey Him. This was also part of the authority which Adam lost.
Well, the same way back in the Garden. He didn’t have to bring out a pile of dirt and funnel it all up and pat it in place and do all this. No, He spoke the Word, and Adam appeared. Over and over throughout Scripture we have instances where God spoke and things happened, and, He’s not through speaking. The day is coming where once again He will speak and things are going to happen. That’s what we call the ‘other’ aspect of the Word of God. The one we think we should be looking at here in regard to our study of this Epistle of Hebrews is this Book. Always remember that this Book, from cover to cover, is the inspired Word of God, it is Spiritual. Every principle in the Old Testament which is Genesis through Acts chapter 11, is for our learning and the New Covenant is for us this day, Paul's letters primarily. Paul tells us by way of revelation that this Book is spiritually discerned and the the natural man does not understand or discern the things it reveals.
1Corinthians2:14
“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
He used men to write it, but every writer of Scripture, as Peter puts it in his little epistle, "Were holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Spirit to write what they wrote." So, this part of the Word of God, which most people will cast aside, and let it collect dust, they’ll scorn it, and they’ll ridicule it, but we’ve got news for them. This Book is one day going to stand in total judgment of their unbelief. Why, you may ask is this true. Because it reveals that we are identified in Christ during His passion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension, and then He becomes part of us when we receive this Gospel. Now reading on in verse 12.
Hebrews 4:12a
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful,…"
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