"The Word of the Lord"

"The Word of the Lord"

"Thanks be to God"

This call and response is so common. We say it every Sunday in Worship. We repeat it after the head of the house reads during Devotions. We so easily fall into the trap of repetition and forget what we say. This morning I stumbled across this Credenda/Agenda article from Pastor Liethart (C/A Vol 14. Issue 3) and re-awoke to what my own mouth was saying.

"Every seven years, Israel was to gather at the central sanctuary for the reading of the law, "that they may hear and learn and fear Yahweh your God." In this way, the children who did not hear Moses preach Deuteronomy will "hear and learn to fear" (Deut. 31:9_13). At the rededication of the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah assembled "men, women, and all who could listen with understanding" (Neh. 8:2), so that the law could be read in their presence (8:3_8). At the original assembly at Sinai, Yahweh was heard but not seen, a point that Moses emphasized when he reminded Israel of the event: "you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—only a voice" (Deut. 4:12)."

I have often fallen into the mistake of feeling sorry for us modern Christians who have never seen God. We have our Bibles, sure, but we have never seen God. How lucky were the Apostles and Disciples who walked and talked with Christ! But, then after reading these passages that Dr. Liethart quotes I was reminded that the Israelites themselves never saw the Lord either. "you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form-only a voice." Deut. 4:12

What is it that is happening when we sit in church and listen to our pastor (or elder or deacon) or when we sit in our living room and hear the HOH read to us from scripture? It's the Word of the Lord. It's the "sound of words" without seeing the form of God; "only a voice." As we worship each Sunday we are lifted up into the Heavens and we worship with our people; faithful Israelites, faithful Gentiles, saints both quick and dead. Thus even as the Israelites did not see God, but were commanded to follow His law through the hearing of the Word so are we the new Jerusalem not able to see God, but we have been given His law and are likewise commanded to obey our Lord. We are blessed to be able to hear Law and read it through Grace. Our response is a thanksgiving and rightly so.

So, on Sunday close your Bibles and hear the Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God!