Hebrews 4 :12 shows us that the Word of God is living and operative and sharper than a two edged sword.
Why is the Word referred to in such a way.I am particularly interested in the " two" edged part of it.
Ty for all the verses to support your answer and for taking the time to post
In Christ
sandy
2007-12-11 05:07:17 · 9 answers · asked by Broken Alabaster Flask 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Good question, sister Sandy. I can't say I know much about why the Word is compared to a "two-edged sword", but I will share what I've learnt...
The first mention of "sword" in the Bible is in the garden of Eden.
"So He (God) drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:24)
The flaming sword that guarded the way to the tree of life is able to turn every way. It therefore is able to cut in every direction, compared to a two-edged sword which can only cut both ways. The "sword" symbolises God's judicial holiness and righteousness.
The last mention of "sword" in the Old Testament is in Zechariah 13:7 - "'Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion,' says the Lord of hosts. 'Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; ... ... and each one will say, "The Lord is my God."'"
God prophesised through Zechariah that He would send His Son Jesus to bear the sins of the world upon Himself at the cross. At the cross, Jesus bore the full punishment on our behalf when He carried all our sins on His own body. God's fiery judgment and wrath fell upon Jesus, stroke after stroke, until every single sin was paid for, and God's divine justice and righteousness was satisfied.
When Jesus finally cried out, "It is finished!" God tore the veil in the Jerusalem temple from top to bottom, signifying the way into the Holy of Holies is open. Jesus' blood has made a new and living way for us - who are washed in His blood - to enter into God's presence. Hallelujah! Jesus has made a way for us to partake of the tree of life, for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. :)
Hebrews 4:12 says "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Can we say Jesus is the living Word, who is sharper than any two-edged sword? Because when Jesus came to earth 2000 years ago as a Man, He was baptised with the Holy Spirit who enabled Him to discern thoughts and intents of people's hearts. Isaiah had prophesised this in the Old Testament.
"The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
His delight is in the fear of the Lord,
and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
but with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth...
(Isaiah 11:2-4)
Like a flaming sword of God's judicious righteousness, the Holy Spirit helped Jesus to judge the poor with righteousness, to lift up the downtrodden, to set free those who are oppressed... Jesus said of His own ministry by reading from the book of Isaiah:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
to preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed;
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
(Luke 4:18-19)
Since Jesus knows the heart of man, He is also able to be "wise as a serpent, harmless as a dove", as He Himself had taught His disciples. John 2:24-25 says: "But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man."
Yet Jesus did not come into the world to judge or condemn, but to save. Therefore, Jesus had said to the unbelieving Jews, "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him - the word I have spoken will judge him in the last day." (John 12:46-48)
Indeed, Hebrews 4:13 continues from verse 12 to say "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." What a terrifying thought to stand before God in heaven in the last day, and give account, if we have not received Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.
For those of us who have believed in Jesus and accepted His words, we can take comfort in the words written in Hebrews 4, because verse 14 says: "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." Sheew! What a sigh of relief when we realise this - that we know we have Jesus as our High Priest who is making intercessions for us, we need not be afraid in the day of judgment.
John wrote that we can have boldness in the day of judgement when we have known and believed the love that God has for us, for God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:16)
"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." (1 John 4:17-18, NKJV)
Even right now on earth, we can take comfort in the truth that although we cannot hide our weaknesses, we know Jesus can sympathise with our weaknesses.
"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathise with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16)
Jesus has gone through all kinds of temptations and testings in His life on earth, so He understands whatever each of us is going through. He did not come to expose our sins; rather He came to heal, to forgive, to make us whole again. Praise God for our wonderful Healer, Saviour, Restorer of life!
Finally, in the day of judgment, the "sword" will judge those who rejected Jesus, for one day, He will come back as a Judge.
"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.
And He sat on him was called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness He judges and makes war...
...Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword,
that with it He should strike the nations..."
(Revelations 19:11-16)
The "sword" is the same flaming sword that turns every way, cuts in every direction, sharper than any two-edged sword, that symbolises God's judicial holiness and righteousness - the word of God that discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Let us continue to pray for those who have yet to receive Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. May the Lord soften their hearts and open their eyes to see their need for the Saviour, even now, so that they too can come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and grace to help in time of need in this life, and one day, join us all in heaven to stand before Jesus, arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright.
2007-12-11 18:02:03 · answer #1 · answered by Music and dancing 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Double Edged Sword Bible
2016-12-15 06:16:22 · answer #2 · answered by golub 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Two edged is more effective.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It hurts and cuts to the bone spiritually speaking. Many are offended at it.
A single edge sword is dull on one side and does not have the same effect when it strikes an enemy.
2 Corinthians 10:4
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
2007-12-11 15:29:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well that's funny... I was just taught about this last week. The person who was teaching me said that it was because some of the armies used to use a short stabbing sword for battles but there was a double edged swords that some armies used and it was sharp on both edges and long and it could literally cut people in half. I can't remember the armies names though. sorry.
2007-12-11 05:15:04 · answer #4 · answered by The Teflon Starfish 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The difference between a one-edged and a two-edged sword is the ability to pierce. To "stab".
Try stabbing a chuck roast with a sharp knife of one edge and a sharp knife of two edges. The two edged knife can easily go all the way in. The Word of God PIERCES to our very innermost beings. It is not like man made laws or religious rules that can be "technically satisfied" while still breaking the spirit of the law.
God's Word will convict you not only of your actions - but of your very intentions and to your thoughts. THAT is piercing!
2014-07-18 15:30:07 · answer #5 · answered by teran_realtor 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just like the tongue can be a blessing, be kind, soothing and loving, it also can spew hateful, mean words which cut to the heart of another.
God's word is the same way. It shows so much love and how to find salvation through Jesus but it also shows how many were punished for not obeying God's will and when Judgment Day comes, it will divide the saved from the lost.
That's my take :)
2007-12-11 05:51:02 · answer #6 · answered by KittyKat 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The Greek reads "distomos machaira" which is actually a two edged dagger. It is a weapon that is used in hand to had battle. As opposed to a sward, with a machaira your opponent is much closer to you and more dangerous.
The significance of the two edges is that pierces easier and stays sharp longer.
2007-12-11 09:53:11 · answer #7 · answered by Caveman 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's for the Just and the Unjust
A We are warned becareful of what comes out of our mouths,
because the tongue is like a two edge sword:
It could be a Blessing to us or a Curse, to us and others:
Which the Lord God in Heaven said should I send Timothy my servant as a Blessing or as a Curse to you.
2007-12-11 11:09:45 · answer #8 · answered by masterdk888p 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
sister Sandy it is my belief that the two edged sword is meant to divide the true believers and the non-believers...the same can be said as when He is speaking of the tongue being sharper than a two edged sword..your words can be life or death to you..once said your words arent easily taken back if at all
2007-12-11 05:19:18 · answer #9 · answered by loveChrist 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well, Jesus is the Word (Jn. 1:1, 14) and since Jesus is God, He is omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent. Bottom line you can't hide from justice.
"Two edges" means it can cut and divide. Kind of like the wheat and tares, five wise and foolish virgins. It's a seperator or a filter if you like.
2007-12-11 08:12:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
LIke "Double edged sword", meaning it cuts both ways...in and out and that it can cut you at the same time you're using it to cut another.
2007-12-11 05:10:52 · answer #11 · answered by Top Alpha Wolf 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋