In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise. Psalm 56:10 (ESV)
Great words have been spoken down through the ages. We are familiar with the famous words of John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Years later Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon and spoke these memorable words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” And could we ever forget Ronald Reagan standing at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany exhorting, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
As great as these words have become to our culture, they will one day fade. However, the greatest words ever spoken will last forever; those are the words spoken by the God of the universe. In fact, those words are so great that King David proclaimed in Psalm 56 that he praised the word of God.
The Hebrew word David used for praise is halal. Halal means to be clear; to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; to celebrate. Basically David was saying, “I will boast and rave about what God has spoken. I will be clamorously foolish and celebrate the words of God.”
God is so connected to his word that he has exalted it along with his name (Psalm 138:2). You have heard it said that a man is as good as his word. If God’s word was no good his name would be no good. God is true to his word and all his words are true; it is impossible for him to lie (Hebrews 6:18). Furthermore, God is powerful enough to back up what he says.
You might say that you can study God’s words and not know God. You would be right. Jesus said as much to the religious leaders of his day. He said, You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (John 5:39-40 ESV) However, you cannot know God and neglect his words.
Why is it not blasphemous to praise the word of God? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) God was the Word and the Word was God and the Word came to dwell among men in the form of the Son (John 1:14). And the Son declared that the words he spoke were not his but his Father’s (John 14:24).
The Greek word for “word” in John 1:1 is logos. Logos means “something said.” God had something to say and he said it by and through his Son, Jesus, who was God and the very Word of God. The Word is still speaking today. The writer of Hebrews wrote, . . . but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:2-3 ESV) To worship Jesus is to worship God’s word.
Have the words of God become a treasure to you? Have you boasted and raved about what God has said?
Scriptures for meditation:
Proverbs 30:5
John 17:8
Hebrews 4:12