Mike Davis

According to my concordance, the phrase, “And God said …” appears some thirty times in the Scriptures, each within the Old Testament. Not surprisingly, twenty-one of those expressions we find in the book of Genesis, with the majority of those statements found in chapter one as God created the heaven and the earth.

Several valid points of study exist, but let’s focus on only a few. First, notice GOD SPOKE … AND IT WAS! The Hebrew writer says, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Heb. 11:3)  Peter speaks of this saying, “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3: 5 – 7; emp. mjd) Note the emboldened type and accept the fact GOD SPOKE. Before He spoke these things into existence, there was nothing. God literally SPOKE things into existence! He did this BY HIS WORD.

That brings us to point two: HIS WORD IS POWERFUL. Five verses (all within the New Testament) use the phrase “by the word of God.” Examine them: Romans 10:17; 1 Timothy 4:5; Hebrews 11:3; 1 Peter 1:23 and 2 Peter 3:5. Each of these verses speak of the EFFECTIVE RESULT of God’s Word, by which even a casual observer notes the immense POWER of God’s Word. Romans 1:16 – 17 readily comes to mind in thinking of the POWER of God’s Word – even to the saving of our souls!

Point three: ALL THINGS OBEYED HIS WORD. Read that sentence again: all THINGS (not all MANKIND) obeyed His Word. “Nature” if you will, never argued with its Creator. Even “nothingness” obeyed and became “something.” (See Genesis 1) The point is these THINGS were and are in absolute complete subjection to the Word of God. You must notice as well, these THINGS refuse any reaction toward the word of MANKIND. We can shout at a tree all day long and it will ignore every word! Likewise, God has permitted MANKIND the ability to train animals (and at times other humans) to recognize the commands of ONLY ONE VOICE – just as Jesus illustrated in John 10 regarding “My sheep hear my voice.” Yet with MANKIND in general, we seem so easily swayed by whoever speaks – as if MAN’S word held the same directive powers as God’s.

Third, examine the AUTHORITY of God’s Word. Fourteen times in Scripture the phrase “my word” appears and each time, either God or Christ is using the phrase! There is one exception: Elijah uses it, but is referring to God’s Word and His power. “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” As well, we learn Jesus said, “All power (i.e. authority) in heaven and in earth is given unto Me.” (Matt. 28:18) This authority came from Jehovah (Eph. 1:15 – 23) and in giving it to Jesus, Jehovah lost none of His own (1 Cor. 15:27). For this reason, the Hebrew writer cautions us to “Give the more earnest heed” to these things. (2:1-4) Paul warns us to “prove all things” (1 Thess. 5:21) as well as make sure we do ALL things by His (Christ’s) authority (Col. 3:17).

Much more is the fact we are ACCOUNTABLE to God for how we obey this AUTHORITY. In fact, God’s Word (His voice, His Power, the necessity of OUR OBEDIENCE and His AUTHORITY is encapsulated in the reality of HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON! Read John 1: 1 – 5 as well as verses 10; 14 – 18. This is JESUS THE CHRIST! By Jehovah’s Word (i.e. God the Father speaking through Jesus Christ – Heb. 1:1 – 3), we find our obligation to OBEY HIM. Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.  And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” (John 12: 44 – 50)

This being so, once JUDGMENT’S SENTENCES are passed (Matt. 25:31 – 46; 2 Thess. 1: 7 – 8; et al), the WORD OF GOD will stand as “the LAST Word.” There will be no argument: all THINGS and all SOULS will obey. Will you have heeded “And God said…?”