Holy Speech

October 07, 2021

When the Lord speaks

Holy Speech

By Rich Lambert

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 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. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” - Hebrews 1:1-4

Scripture bears consistent testimony that when God speaks, things happen. BIG things. EPIC things. COSMIC things. World tilting, order shifting, stone-written-law-altering things. God spoke all the realms of creation into being, and all the residents who reside in them, too (See Genesis 1). God spoke and righteousness was established in the law (See Exodus 20). God spoke and hope became the beating rhythm of the hearts of his people through the prophets (v. 1). He spoke again and his final word of salvation came through the Son (v. 2). As Hebrews tells it, the Son is the first word (“through whom he created the world,” v. 2) and the Son is the final word (“but in these last days,” also v. 2). Hebrews also says that the Son sounds just like the Father—his words resound with power and glory. When he speaks the universe holds steady, gravity pulls constant, the planets run their track and roll the tides like they have always done. When the Son speaks, the dead are raised. Because his voice echoes in the broken tomb, he has the voice for it. When he speaks, sinners are washed clean. As the one who cried from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46), he has the language that can break sin by its utterance. When he speaks, lost things are found, and rejected things are reconciled. He doesn’t waste words. Which makes you think... Maybe, by faith, and in humility and praise, we should rethink the way we use them, too?

Faith and Practice:
Years ago, I realized that I had fallen into a pattern of speaking sarcastically in nearly every occasion. In repentance, I set out to change that. It took a while, but eventually I wasn’t sarcastic anymore. A friend came to me and said, “Something is different about you.” I took a guess at what it might be. “That’s it!” he said. How does your speech need to change in order to echo the word of Jesus more closely? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Related Resource:

Let's face it, the Christian life is hard. Relationships take work. Christians forget. Sometimes it is tempting to go back to the days when God was not the center of our lives - to backslide. We are all faced with tremendous pressures to drift away from intimacy with Jesus and the community of the Church. However, the Lord invites us to pay attention, to move forward, to draw near, and to live lives of worship. Draw Near: Hebrews on Christian Worship is a small group Bible study on the Book of Hebrews intended to lead participants into a deeper intimacy with the living God in the context of New Testament worship. Draw nearer to God in authentic worship today!