When we hold a Bible in our hands, we have in hand the inspired and effectual word of God. This week we go a step further by recognizing that Holy Scripture is also an enduring Word. In His major discourse to His disciples while on the Mount of Olives, Jesus declared, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matt. 24:35).
The work of God’s enduring Word was part of the Apostle Peter’s message in his first epistle, in which he referred to God’s word as that which lives and abides forever. He based that assertion on the witness of Isaiah the prophet, whom he quotes as having declared, “All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Pet. 1:24–25).
Multiple languages
The Bible is an amazing story of crossing language barriers, from its origin in the Hebrew and Greek languages to the availability in a multiplicity of languages and dialects that dot the world.
This Word has withstood multiple attempts of human rulers to ban or burn it. Its enemies of the past lie silent in their graves, but God’s enduring word continues to speak loudly and clearly to His people on every continent.
As Psalm 100:5 puts it, “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”
This imperishable book has endured throughout the centuries as it has been laboriously copied by the hands of scribes. Since the emergence of the printing press, it has endured in countless copies scattered throughout the world. Now the electronic age has added yet another layer to the expanding availability of the Bible — the countless printed editions have been joined by electronic copies, making God’s word enduring in its availability.
Availability
Isn’t it amazing that an instrument we can hold in the palm of one hand can almost instantly bring before us any portion of God’s word, even in multiple translations?
The breadth of its availability is remarkable, assuring once again that it will continue, leaving us without excuse for reading it and hiding it in our hearts. However, the significance of its enduring quality lies not just in its pervasive presence but even more in its eternal message.
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