God's Pure Word

The Bible has richness and depth as the living word of God that speaks to our hearts.  Psalm 12:6-7 says, "The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. ⁷ You shall keep them, O LORD, you shall preserve them from this generation forever."  When people slanderously claim the Bible has been corrupted, it is a direct attack upon God, His truth and His ability to do what all He promises.  Jesus said the heavens and earth will pass away, yet God's word will never pass away.  Even as God is holy and preserves His redeemed people forever, so he will preserve His word from those who try in vain to attack, dismiss or undermine it.

In Amos 3, the LORD through the prophet asked a series of rhetorical questions that generally all would be answered "no."  For instance, Amos 3:5 reads:  "Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it? Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all?"  How could a bird fall into a net if the trap was not prepared or there was no bait?  Hunters are confident snares do not trip themselves, and if the trap was sprung he would be confident either a person or animal was responsible.  After asking seven of these questions, Amos 3:7 provides the point God was making with complete confidence:  "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets."

God's faithful character to communicate with His people is seen throughout the Bible.  Genesis 18:17-18 provides an example:  "And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, ¹⁸ since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"  The problem is not that God has remained silent but people seldom believe or heed what He has said.  He told Adam before temptation came the day he ate of the tree in the midst of the Garden of Eden he would surely die, yet Adam chose to listen to his wife and the serpent who claimed eating the fruit imparted divine status.  Had Adam believed and listened to God, he would not have considered a single bite.  While God has not told us all things (for we are not able to receive all due to our limited understanding) God has communicated everything we need to know through the Bible, and in these last days God has spoken to us through His Son Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:2).

Before His crucifixion Jesus said to His disciples in John 15:15, "No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."  God's word has been carefully preserved from corruption by God, and He remains faithful to speak to His people who will hear and obey Him.  The angel wisely said to John in Revelation 19:10, "...worship God:  for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."  How blessed we are to have the pure word of God in our possession, and no lies, slander or scoffing can pollute it.  As God's people by faith in Jesus, let us be those who treasure God's word by keeping it.  He has preserved it pure, and may our lives reflect the purity of our Saviour Jesus.