A Word

In 2 Kings 18, Israel is deep into her tumultuous history of wandering away from the Lord and occasionally, sorta-kinda coming back every now and then. Some of her kings have undertaken reforms, but many have not and none so completely as to turn her from her sin. And as we enter this scene, another enemy is pressing in. 

This enemy comes taunting the people of God, as many of them do, but this one's taunt cuts right to the heart of the Judeo-Christian faith. This enemy mocks Israel and Judah for continuing to cling to her Lord when "all" she has is "merely" "a word." 

In other words, your God, you fools, has done a lot of talking, but so what? What good is merely a word? 

Let's, as Paul so eloquently does in his letter to Philemon, not point out the obvious right now. I mean, we could easily talk about how anyone who speaks poorly of the power of a word must use words to do it and therefore refutes his own argument. What does the enemy think makes his words any more powerful than the "mere" words that he mocks Israel for clinging to? If words are just words, then the enemy's words are also just words and...what's his point? He can't possibly have one. 

But like Paul, we won't even bring that up. It's hardly worth mentioning. (I hope you understand the tongue-in-cheek here. If not, read Philemon, where Paul says he won't even mention that the man owes him his life.) 

Anyway, the enemy taunts Israel/Judah for so firmly holding onto what seems like merely a word, but let's be honest about what this word of the Lord is: 

It is everything.

Maybe God's people "only" have a word, but God's people have always had a Word. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. In the beginning, God spoke a Word and the entire universe came into existence. 

Into Abraham's ear, God whispered a word. From the mountains outside of Egypt, He declared a word. To the prophets, He gave a word, pronouncing both blessing and curse upon His people, Israel. By a word, He foretold the coming of the Word into the world, the redemption of all mankind, and He's even given a word for what is yet to come, the re-creation of all things. 

And every single word that God has given His people has come true. Every. Single. One. 

So when the enemy of God's people comes against them and laughs and points fingers and mocks and jeers and says, "You foolish people! All you've got is a word! Your God, He just does a lot of talking!" then God's people should rejoice, dance, and celebrate, for we have always had a Word and we thank the good Lord that He talks so much with us!