WORDS MEAN THINGS
"But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son," Gal. 4:4.
From that verse, most of us understand that Jesus came at just the exact point in time, and place in history that God had fore-ordained before He created the world.
But beyond just the details of His birth, I think that phrase also implies significant geopolitical conditions one of which is language.
When we communicate with each other, we use words because words mean things. And when God communicates with us, He uses spoken words. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has, in these last days, spoken to us by His Son…”
God didn't wait to communicate with us in today’s English language; that would have been chaotic and confusing because our language is so malleable; words are constantly being re-defined to mean so many different things. In some cases, the same word can have opposite meanings. We are like Humpty Dumpty, in the story by Lewis Caroll, who said, “When I use a word, it means whatever I choose it to mean.”
Often, in Bible study groups or discussions, someone will say, “Well this is what I think that verse means to me...” To which someone else might say, “No, I like to think that God is telling us…”.
Well frankly, it doesn’t matter what you or I think the Scripture is saying; the important question is, what did God mean when He said it? With a language like ours, precise communication is impossible.
But that was not so when God’s written Word was conveyed. “In the fullness of time,” the dominating world power was the Roman Empire and the predominant language, Greek, was very precise. All words meant precisely what they meant.
The Holy Spirit directed the writing of His words through human beings so that their letters were exactly what God wanted to communicate. The Bible is the trustworthy Word of the Living God.
In his Gospel, John opens with this amazing revelation:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....”
God’s communication also came in the form of the man, Christ Jesus, God’s perfect Word became flesh.
In this hymn, “THANKS TO GOD WHOSE WORD WAS SPOKEN", the author points our attention to both the written Word of God AND the Living Word of God. There is an inseverable relationship between the two. Scripture is the Word of God AND Jesus is the Word of God.
Do you want to hear God speak? Read His Word and, when you read it, you will see Jesus. And when you look at Jesus, you will see who God is. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
1. Thanks to God whose Word was spoken
In the deed that made the earth.
His the voice that called a nation;
His the fires that tried her worth.
God has spoken: God has spoken
Praise Him for His open Word.
2. Thanks to God whose Word Incarnate
Glorified the flesh of man.
Deeds and words and death and rising,
Tell the grace in Heaven's plan.
God has spoken: God has spoken
Praise Him for His open Word.
3. Thanks to God whose Word was written
In the Bible's sacred page,
Record of the revelation
Showing God to every age.
God has spoken: God has spoken
Praise Him for His open Word.
4. Thanks to God whose Word is answered
By the Spirit's voice within.
Here we drink of joy unmeasured,
Life redeemed from death and sin.
God is speaking: God is speaking
Praise Him for His living Word.
(NOTE) This is a great Hymn for Sunday Worship. It is set to the tune of the Christmas carol, "Angels From The Realms Of Glory" so it is familiar enough for easy congregational singing.
Or even better.... "This is what I FEEL this verse means to me."
ReplyDelete