God's Piercing Word (LD 37; Heb 4:11-13)

The ancient church condemned Marcion as a heretic for viewing the Old Testament God as harsh and distinct from the New Testament God. His assumption is that the New Testament is not the same promise as we find in the Old Testament.  There is a different purpose, and a different goal, and it is worked out through two different gods.

Hebrews is communicating the exact opposite about the Lord’s gospel promise.  The Lord swore an oath by himself in the Old Testament.  The reason the Lord swore an oath in his name is that there is no one greater for him to swear.  So when the Lord speaks, the Lord binds himself to a promise. His word is that powerful and certain.

We consider the word of God in light of oath-taking.  We see examples of the saints taking oaths in the Old and New Testaments, including examples from Abraham, David, Paul, and Jesus. We consider the tension that, on the one hand, it seems that Jesus is commanding us to never take an oath.  However, we see Jesus take an oath.  When we consider the full context of the Scripture, we see that we can take an oath in the Lord’s name, in certain circumstances, but ultimately we should not be a people who need to take an oath to speak truth.

When we swear an oath in God’s name, he can peer straight into the heart.  The word is the living and abiding power that cuts us to the heart.

God’s word, not creatures, convicts us to live out our faith. We represent Christ’s name, living in His priestly work and seeking to embody His truth.   He is the true God, the God of truth, and HIs word stands.  He is consistent in his promise and fulfills His word.