The Nature of God's Word

In the original Greek of the New Testament there are two different words both of which are normally translated "word" - one is logos; the other is rhema. At times the two words are used interchangeably. Yet each has a distinct, special significance of its own.

Logos and Rhema

The full meaning of logos extends beyond a word that is spoken or written. It denotes those functions which are the expression of a mind. A Greek lexicon defines logos as " The power of the mind which is menifested in speech and reson." In this sense, logos is the unchanging, self-existent "Word of God." it is God's counsel, settled in eternity before time began, due to continue on into eternity long after time has run its course.

David said, "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven" (Ps. 119:89, NKJV, emphasis added).

On the other hand, rhema is derived from a verb meaning to "speak," and denotes specifically a word that is spoken - something that occurs in time and space.

Paul said, "So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17, NKJV, emphasis added).

The word, "word" used by Paul is rhema and not logos. This agrees with the fact that he relates "word" with hearing. Logically, in order to be heard, a word must be spoken. God's rhema Word is both specific and personal.

Application of rhema

Solomon said: "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh" (Proverbs 4:20 - 22, NKJV, emphasis added).

Here are som statements of truth:

1. "God's Words" followed by "God's Sayings" indicate than Solomon refers to the rhema Word.

2. Rhema Word gives life and physical health (health to all their flesh).

3. "Give attention" and "incline your ear" indicate the act of focused "hearing." As a result of hearing God's Word faith comes (Romans 10:17).

The hearing of God's Word

Proverbs 4:20 -22 (the above verses) indicate that the hearing of God's Word consists of four elements:

1. We give close, undivided attention to what God is saying to us by His Holy Spirit. By a firm decision of our will we exclude all extraneous, distracting influences.

2. We incline our ears. We adopt a humble, teachable attitude toward God. We renounce our own prejudices and preconceptions and we accept what God says in its most plain and practical meaning.

3. We focus our eyes on the Word to which God has directed us. We do not allow our eyes to wander to statements from other sources that may conflict with what God is saying.

4. Even when the Words are no longer before our eyes, we continue to meditate on them in our hearts. In this way we retain them continually at the center of our being and their influence permeates every area of our lives.

The nature of God's rhema Word

God's rhema Word comes to each of us directly and individually from God. It is appropriate to a specific time and place. It presupposes an ongoing personal relationship with God. By each successive rhema. God guides us in the individual walk of faith to which He has called us. A rhema that is given to one believer may not be appropriate for another. Or again, it may not be appropriate even for the same believer in another stage of his experience.

The life of contnuing dependence upon God's rhema is clearly set forth in the words of Jesus when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness:

Jesus answered Satan and said: "It is written, 'Man shall not live by read alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'" (Matthew 4:4, emphasis added).

The word "proceeds" is in the continuous present tense. Jesus here speaks of a specific word proceeding directly from God's mouth, a word energized by "the breath of His mouth," which is the Holy Spirit - This is the nature of God's rhema Word. As we live in continuing dependence upon it, it imparts to us, day by day, the faith by which "the righteous (the just) man will live."


The relationship between logos and rhema


Rhema takes the eternal - logos - and injects it into time.


Rhema takes the heavenly - logos - and brings it down to earth.


Rhema takes the potential - logos - and makes it actual.


Rhema takes the general - logos - and makes it specific.


Rhema takes a portion of the total - logos - and presents it in a form that a man can assimilate.


Rhema is like each of the broken pieces of bread with which Jesus fed the multitude; it is suited to each individual's need and capacity; often it comes to us through another's hands.


From the eyes of the Lord through prophet Isaiah


Prophet Isaiah presents the relationship between logos and rhema in a beautiful graphical vivid way:


"'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord, 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways highter than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I set it'" (Isaiah 55:8 - 11, NKJV, emphasis added).


Here are some statements of truth:


1. Isaiah presents two different planes - the heavenly and the earthly. On the heavenly plane is the divine logos - God's ways and thoughts, the total counsel of God, settled forever in heaven. On the earthly level are man's ways and thoughts, far below those of God.


2. There is no way by which man can rise from his level to that of God, but there is a way by which God's ways and thoughts can be brought down to man. Like the rain and the snow that bring heaven's life-giving moisture down to earth, God says, "So shall my word ...." This is the same "word" that Jesus replied Satan in Matthew 4:4 - the Word (rhema word) by which man lives. It is a portion of the heavenly logos coming down to earth as rhema. It imparts to us that portion of God's ways and thoughts which applies to our situation and meets our need at that moment.


Isaiah continues to tell us the benefits of rhema when received and obeyed:


"For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off" (Isaiah 55:12, 13, cmphasis added).


Here are some statements of truth:


1. The rhema of God, when received and obeyed, brings forth in our lives the activity and fruit that glorify God. All the above high-lighted phrases are the outworking benefits of God's rhema in our lives.


2. "Thorn" and"brier" typify our ways and our thoughts. As we receive the rhema from God's mouth, these are replaced by the "cypress" and the "myrtle," which typify God's ways and thoughts.


Biblical examples of the rhema of God received and obeyed


To further illustrate the way that rhema being received and obeyed, and the result it produces, we are going to take two beautiful incidents from Scripture - one from the Old Testament, concerning David, and the other from the New Testament, concerning the virgin Mary.


David (1 Chronicles 17)


In 1 Chronicles 17 we see David established as king over Israel. He shared his desire with Nathan to build the Lord a house (temple) for Him to dwell. At first Nathan gave David warm encouragement (V. 2). But the following night Nathan received a different message from the Lord: "God and tell My servant David, 'Thus says the Lord: 'You shall not build Me a house to dwell in. Furthermore I tell you that the Lord will build you a house" (Vs. 4, 10).


Here is an example of the difference between the ways and thoughts of God and of men. Whatever conceived in David's mind - to build a house for the Lord, was on the earthly plane. The Lord's mind was on the heavenly plane when He told Nathan that He would build David a house. Notice that David use the word "house" in the material sense, merely as a dwelling place. But God in His promise, used the word in its wider meaning of an enduring posterity - a royal line that would continue forever!


Nathan had brought to David a rhema - a direct, personal Word from God. Read the rest of the Chapter (V. 16 onward) you will notice that David set aside his own plans, preconceptions and gradually began to meditate with focused attention on God's message (rhema). He came to a place of hearing with faith, God's promise (rhema).


Then David replied the Lord: "And Now, O lord, the word which You have spoken concerning Your servant and concerning his house, let it be established forever, and do as You have said" (V. 23, emphasis added).


David received the rhema - "The word which You have spoken" - from God. It come down from heaven, bringing God's way and thought down to David. Having "heard" this rhema and allowed it to produce faith within him, David appropriated its promise by a short prayer - "Do as You have said." These 5 words represent the most effective prayer that anyone can pray. Once we are truly convinced that God has said something to us, and we in turn ask Him to do what He has said, no power in heaven or earth can prevent ist fulfillment!


Mary (Luke 1:26 - 38)


There was, in the city of Nazareth, a peasant maiden named Mary who was a humble descendant of David's royal line. To her appeared an angel with a message direct from the Throne of God:


"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:31 - 33).


When Mary questioned how this could come about, the angel explained that it would be by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, concluding with the words, "For with God nothing will be impossible" (V. 37, emphasis added). In the original Greek, the word "nothing" in the context means, "No Word (No rhema)." And so Verse 37 means literally, "No Word (rhema) from God shall be void of power." And Mary knew that the angel had brought her a rhema (a direct, personal Word) from God.


She then responded: "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! let it be to me according to your word" (V. 38, emphasis added).


By these words Mary unlocked the supernatural power of God in the rhema and opened herself to its fulfillment in her physical body and demonstrated the greatest miracle of human history - the birth of God's eternal Son from the womb of a virgin.


The parallel responses of David and Mary


In its simplicity, Mary's response was parallel to that of David. David said, "Do as You have said." Mary said, "Let it be to me according to your Word." Each of these simple replies unlocked the miracle-working power of God to fulfill the promise that had been given. In each case, the rhema, received by faith, contained in it the power to its own fulfillment. Faith expressed in this way made room for the power of God, within the rhema, to bring about the fulfillment of what was promised.


Conclusion


I believe God still works the same way today with His believing people. By the Holy Spirit, He takes out from His eternal counsel (logos) a rhema - a specific word that fits our particular situation in time and space. As we "hear" this rhema, faith comes. Then as we use the faith we have thus received to appropriate the rhema, we discover that it contains in itself the power need to work out its own fulfillment.