Scripture Reading: Heb. 1:1-2a
Ⅰ
"God, having spoken of old in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets, has at the last of these days spoken to us in the Son"—Heb. 1:1-2a:
A
Christ is the Messenger of God and the living message from God; as the Messenger of God, Christ not only brings a word or message from God to God's people; He Himself is the living message—Mal. 3:1a; cf. 1 John 1:5; John 8:12.
B
Our God is revealed because He has revealed Himself in His speaking—1:1, 14.
C
The living God imparts and infuses Himself into us by speaking—2 Tim. 3:16-17; Ezek. 37:4-6:
１
When God speaks, the light shines, bringing us understanding, vision, knowledge, wisdom, and utterance; when God's word is opened or unfolded to us, it gives us light, shining inwardly over our heart and our spirit to impart wisdom and revelation to us—Psa. 119:105, 130.
２
When God speaks, life is imparted, and this life includes all the divine attributes and human virtues of Christ—John 6:63; 1:1, 4.
３
When God speaks, power is transmitted, and this is the growing and producing power of life—He is "upholding and bearing all things by the word of His power"— Heb. 1:3; Mark 4:14, 26; cf. 2 Tim. 2:1; Acts 20:32; Psa. 119:133.
D
The whole universe came into being by God's speaking:
１
The universe has been framed by the word of God—Heb. 11:3.
２
"He spoke, and it was; / He commanded, and it stood"—Psa. 33:9.
３
He "calls the things not being as being"—Rom. 4:17:
ａ
This is God's mighty power of creation.
ｂ
As the creating God, He needs no material to work with; He can create something out of nothing simply by speaking.
４
In creation all things came into being through Him as the Word (John 1:1-3); thus, "the invisible things of Him, both His eternal power and divine characteristics, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being perceived by the things made, so that they would be without excuse" (Rom. 1:20).
５
The universe, framed by the word of God, is the manifestation of God's glory, speaking forth Christ as the true God—Psa. 19:1-2; cf. Acts 14:15-17; 17:23-31:
ａ
The greatness of the universe manifests the greatness of God.
ｂ
The wonder of the universe manifests how wonderful God is.
ｃ
The brightness of the universe declares that God is a God of light.
ｄ
The beauty of the universe and its beautiful details are manifestations of God's beauty.
ｅ
The lovingkindness of God is seen by His arrangement and preparation of the universe for mankind and by His provision for man's every need.
ｆ
The greatness, wonder, brightness, and beauty of the universe manifest that God is a God of wisdom.
E
In salvation we are saved through His word—John 5:24; Rom. 10:8, 17.
F
It is through His word that His authority with power is exercised—Matt. 8:8-9.
G
It is by His word that His healing power is realized—John 4:50-51.
H
God is speaking day after day and meeting after meeting—Lev. 1:1.
I
God's speaking to us proves that we are under His blessing—cf. 1 Sam. 3:1, 10, 21.
J
In the Old Testament, God spoke in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets—men spoke from God while being borne, moved and impelled, by the Holy Spirit—2 Pet. 1:21.
K
In the New Testament, God speaks in the Son, in the person of the Son:
１
This person was first individual and then became corporate.
２
God today speaks in a person, and this person has been increased to be a corporate person, including all the apostles and all the members of this person's Body—1 Cor. 14:4b, 31.
L
The essence of the Epistle to the Hebrews is God's speaking in the Son:
１
God speaks in the Son, the Son speaks as the Spirit to the churches, and ultimately, the Spirit speaks with the church—Rev. 2:7a; 22:17a.
２
It is altogether by this speaking story that God is brought into man and man is brought into God; God and man, man and God, become one.
Ⅱ
The life of the believers hinges totally upon the Lord's speaking—Heb. 1:3; Matt. 17:5; Rev. 2:7a; S. S. 8:13-14; Heb. 5:13-14:
A
The Christ, whom we follow, is the living Word of God—Rev. 19:13.
B
The word of God is the breathing out of God; we need to be men of God with the breath of God, inhaling the word by prayer and exhaling the word by prophesying— 2 Tim. 3:16; Acts 6:4; 1 Cor. 14:4b.
C
The word of God is a laver of washing water—Eph. 5:26.
D
The word of God is a mirror—v. 26; Exo. 38:8; 2 Cor. 3:18; James 1:25.
E
The word of God is our bread on which we live—Matt. 4:4.
F
The word of God is milk—1 Pet. 2:2.
G
The word of God is honey—Psa. 19:10; 119:103.
H
The word of God is solid food—Heb. 5:11-14.
I
The word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; the opening of God's words gives light, imparting understanding to the simple—Psa. 119:105, 130.
J
The word of God is our abode and takes us as its abode—John 8:31; 15:7.
K
The word of God is rain and snow—Isa. 55:10-11.
L
The word of God is the sword of the Spirit when it is taken by means of all prayer— Eph. 6:17-18; 1 John 5:14-15.
M
The word of God is the incorruptible seed, containing God's life—Luke 8:11; 1 Pet. 1:23.
N
The word of God is a grain of wheat, dispensing God as life into us to nourish us— Jer. 23:28.
O
The word of God as a fire burns us and many of the things in which we have confidence, and the word of God as a hammer breaks down our self, our natural life, our flesh, our lusts, and our concepts—v. 29.
P
The word of God is healing (medicine) to our flesh—Prov. 4:20-22.
Q
The word of God is spirit and life—John 6:63.
R
The word of God gives life to the dead—Rom. 4:17; John 4:49-53; 11:43-44.
S
The word of God that we eat is the joy and gladness of our heart—Jer. 15:16.
T
The word of God is gold and silver to enrich us—Psa. 19:10; 119:72.
U
"The word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart"—Heb. 4:12.
V
The word of God is like a "lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts"; if we give heed to the word in the Bible, which shines as a lamp in a dark place, we will have His rising in our hearts to shine in the darkness of apostasy where we are today, before His actual appearing as the morning star—2 Pet. 1:19.
Ⅲ
Psalm 119 expresses the attitude of the God-seekers toward God's word:
A
They choose God's word—vv. 30, 173.
B
They believe God's word—v. 66.
C
They lift up their hand to God's word—v. 48a.
D
They love God's word—vv. 47-48, 97, 113, 119, 127, 140, 159, 163, 165, 167.
E
They delight in God's word—vv. 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 174.
F
They taste God's word—v. 103.
G
They rejoice in God's word—vv. 14, 111, 162.
H
They sing God's word—v. 54.
I
They regard God's word—v. 6.
J
They have a perfect heart in God's word—v. 80.
K
They incline their heart to God's word—v. 36.
L
They seek God's word (vv. 45, 94), long for it (vv. 20, 40, 131), and hope in it with prayer (vv. 43, 74, 114, 147).
M
They trust in God's word—v. 42.
N
They muse on God's word—vv. 15, 23, 48, 78, 99, 148.
O
They consider God's word—v. 95b.
P
They esteem God's word to be right in all things—v. 128a.
Q
They learn God's word—vv. 73, 71.
R
They treasure God's word—vv. 14, 162, 72, 127, 111.
S
They treasure up God's word in their heart—v. 11.
T
They remember God's word and do not forget it—vv. 52, 93.
U
They stand in awe of God's word—vv. 161b, 120.
V
They cling to God's word—v. 31.
W
They do not forsake God's word, do not swerve from it, do not turn aside from it, and do not stray from it—vv. 87, 51, 157, 102, 110.
Ⅹ
They turn their feet toward God's word—v. 59.
Y
They keep, observe, and do God's word—vv. 33, 69.
Z
They walk in God's word and run the way of God's word—vv. 1, 32a.