“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and morrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
~ Hebrews 4:12
Hi James and Ellen,
There is one book in the New Testament which no one knows for sure who is the author. Do you know which book that is? The book is Hebrews. Some guys think that Paul wrote Hebrews. Why do you think that Hebrews is called Hebrews? Do you know who received this book – or letter, called Hebrews? The author of Hebrews wanted his letter read by Jews who had become Christ-followers. Jews at one time were called Hebrews. The Jews were also at one time called Israelites. Do you remember who the Israelites are? God chose the Israelite people group to be His specially chosen guys, gals and kids. Hebrew is also a language. Most of the Old Testament books were written in Hebrew. Hebrew is possibly a language that a lot of Jew guys and gals understood when the Hebrews Book was scribed. Your grandpaa thinks that Hebrews is a fascinating book to study. Every chapter in Hebrews is focused on Jesus Christ and what Jesus Christ has done for you. The author of Hebrews encourages his readers to hear what the Word of God says. In the chapter you are going to look at today – which is Hebrews 4, the author of Hebrews uses what David wrote to explain what he believes that God would have you do for Him. The author of Hebrews refers to the Bible in verse 12 in this way “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and morrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Do you know what a double-edged sword looks like? Why do you think that a guy would want a double-edged sword? A double-edged sword was used by a guy when the guy went to do battle with an enemy nation or a people group. No guy, gal or kid likes to think about a guy wanting to kill another guy but that is what guys have been doing on planet Earth ever since Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. A double-edged sword is like a knife that has a sharp edge on both sides of the knife. Does your ma have a knife in the house which has both sides of the knife sharpened? Your grandpaa thinks that it would be difficult or even dangerous to use a knife that has both sides sharpened. A guy who has a double-edged sword could kill another man with either edge of his sword. Guys do not go into a battle wanting to die; guys go into a battle wanting to stay alive. Guys will kill other guys in a battle any way that they can in order to stay alive.
Guys, gals and kids who do not listen to and who do not accept God’s word will end up losing their lives. These are the guys, gals and kids who God before He created planet Earth did not choose as His specially elected guys, gals and kids. Guys, gals and kids who listen to and who accept God’s word will never lose their lives. These guys, gals and kids were chosen by God to be His specially elected guys, gals and kids before the beginning of time. Do you know what a nugget is? A nugget is a piece of gold. Your grandmaa and grandpaa have never seen a gold nugget but they have seen small gold particles. There is a place in Bolivia – between Santa Cruz and Concepción, where gold was discovered. Your grandmaa and grandpaa on their way to and from Concepción would sometimes stop to get something to eat at a place that was in the area where gold was discovered. A couple of times while your grandmaa and grandpaa were eating in this restaurant, your grandmaa and grandpaa saw guys come into the place to have the gold grains or gold flakes weighed that they had in small vials. Your grandpaa wishes that he had bought a vial that had a gram or so of gold particles or gold flakes in it. A Bible verse which has a special promise in it for a guy, gal or kid has been called a nugget. A gold nugget is sometimes found by accident. Most of the time though it takes a lot of hard work to find gold particles and/or gold flakes let alone a gold nugget. Psalms and Proverbs are a couple of books that can be found in the Old Testament which have a lot of nuggets in them. Hebrews is a book in the New Testament which has a lot of nuggets in it. Another verse in the chapter talks about how Jesus understands your weaknesses as He was tempted in every way just as you are being tempted in different ways today. Jesus did not sin when He was tempted. By God’s mercy and through God’s grace, God will help you when you are tempted.
Your grandpaa likes to tell guys, gals and kids – when your grandpaa is invited to speak, that he finds it a real blessing to talk about God’s word. Your grandpaa likes to tell the guys, gals and kids who your grandpaa is speaking to that he is going to use something which is alive. Your grandpaa will show the guys, gals and kids his Bible. Your grandpaa will tell the guys, gals and kids the words in the Bible are alive. Because the words in the Bible are alive, the Bible is different from any other book which has ever been written and from any other book which will ever be written. Today’s verse tells you that the word of God is active and alive. The words that are written in the Bible are words that you are to claim as being undeniably true and absolutely useful for your lives. You are to use the words in the Bible as a double-edged sword to defend yourselves against whatever your enemy Satan is doing to try to get you to do to be disobedient to God. God’s words in the Bible have the answers that you need to obey Him. Do you ever have bad thoughts and/or bad attitudes? Every guy, gal and kid at times will have bad thoughts and/or bad attitudes. The words in the Bible will help you to get rid of any bad thoughts and/or any bad attitudes that you will have. God tells you in this chapter that He wants you to rest in Him by believing in Him through Jesus Christ. God wants you to take Sabbath rests by giving your bodies a rest day a week and a day to think about what He has done for you. God promises you that if you use His words as a double-edged sword that you will have hope filled lives.
Hebrews 4 (70)