Hebrews 4:12-13

Journal of Experimental Psychology: “The physical burdens of secrecy”

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology:
Average person is keeping 13 secrets, 5 of which never been told

Truth: Nothing is ever truly a secret in a world governed by a God who sees all things.

Hebrews 4:12-13 – “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

What is the Word of God?

1. The Divine Speech (Gen. 1)
2. The Divine Son (Jn. 1:1, 14; Heb. 1:1-2)
3. The Divine Scripture (Jn. 16:12-14; 2 Tim. 3:16)

I. JESUS IS THE LIVING WORD

a. The Word is Divine
“Living,” Gk. ζάω (zaō)
Heb. 3:12; 9:14; 10:31

b. The Word is Actively Engaging Us
“active,” Gk. ἐνεργής (energēs), “the opposite of passivity”

II. JESUS IS THE CONFRONTATIONAL WORD

Hebrews 4:12 – “…sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

“Two-edged sword,” Gk. μάχαιρα (machaira), “dagger, short sword”

Numbers 14:1-4 – “Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, ‘Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?’ 4 And they said to one another, ‘Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.’”

Numbers 14:42-43 – “Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. 43 For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword.”

Numbers 14:44-45 – “But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp. 45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.”

III. JESUS IS THE INESCAPABLE WORD

Hebrews 4:13 – “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Prov. 15:3

Job 28:24

Ps. 139:7-8

“Exposed,” Gk. τραχηλίζω (trachēlizō), “to expose the throat”

“Nothing is ever truly a secret in a world governed by a God who sees all things.”