The Power of God’s Word – a sermon on Hebrews 4:12-13 by Rev. Colin Pretorius.

During the 1500’s, a great awakening took place in Europe, an awakening that would bring spiritual enlightenment and a movement back to the fundamental truths and teachings of God’s Word. We’ve come to know this period as “the Reformation” – or more correctly the Protestant Reformation. But this certainly wasn’t the first reformation that we know of. The Bible itself tells us of reformations that took place, great revivals that brought people back to God. Our first reading this morning tells us about one such revival.

Based on what the Bible tells us about Judah’s king Josiah, it would be fair to say that he was a godly man, a man motivated by sincere religious devotion. By the time he became king, the spiritual state of the nation had deteriorated terribly. That decline was plain in the way the temple had fallen into disrepair. Josiah saw this and being a godly man he ordered high priest Hilkiah to start repairing the temple. And while those repairs were going on, the high priest made a significant discovery, as verse 8 tells us – the Book of the Law was found in the house of the Lord. But make no mistake, this wasn’t just an accident. As one author puts it:

Josiah [] sought to bless God by fixing the temple, and God blessed [him] in return by placing in his hands the most powerful force in the world for reformation and revival, for hope and joy, for peace and salvation.

As Josiah read the Book of the Law he tore his clothes in sorrow, for he realised what was missing from the people of God’s life – it was God’s Word. But it didn’t stop with that realisation, for he gathered people to study God’s Word and put into practice what they read – and this led to a renewal of the covenant with God and the restoration of the blessings that come through faith in Him.

Just like Josiah’s heart was opened by and through the God’s Word, so too were those of the reformers of the 1500s. The Word of God is powerful. It is God-breathed. It is flawless. It gives light. It gives wisdom. It sets us free. It shows us the right way to live. It is the Word of salvation. It is the bread of life. And our text this morning spells out for us just how powerful God’s Word is. It tells us that God’s Word is dynamic – it is a living Word. It tells us that God’s Word is dissecting or penetrating. And it is also a delivering Word – it is life-imparting.

• God’s word is dynamic;
• God’s Word dissects; and
• God’s Word delivers.

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