Psalm 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
The inspiration of scripture is a very important doctrine. Another important doctrine that must be discussed concerning the Bible we have today is the preservation of scripture. Not only did God breathe the very Word of God into existence using human penmen, but God insured and promised to keep those words preserved and perfect for every generation.
That is what the passage found in Psalms 12 discusses. Here we find a promise from God to protect and keep His scripture pure. David is the human penman and as he looked at his current time, he saw the wicked seemed to be winning and people’s tongues were uncontrolled. The only thing that is trustworthy is God’s precious word. In the midst of that turmoil we find this promise of God.
The word picture the Bible uses is a powerful one. The Bible says God’s word is pure words. How pure: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. In the ancient times, they would melt down silver until it liquefied. What would occur is the impurities would float towards the top. Then they would scrap off the top, which was called the dross. After doing this seven times, people believed they had a pure product. This kind of picture set in the minds of the readers the purity contained in the word of God. It is free from any kind of human tampering. After all if God created the Heavens and the Earth, could He not protect His own word from imperfections?
The next verse is the promise God made to keep His word pure for all generation. This Bible has endured through the centuries unchanged and untempered. God promised to preserve a perfect copy of His word for every generation to have.
Even today, we can have a preserved perfect pure Word of God. We have it preserved in our own English language in the King James Version. Many people misunderstand the King James Bible issue. It is not a translation issue, it is a textual issue. God originally preserved His word in Hebrew and Greek. We called the pure texts the Masoritic text for the Hebrew and the Majority Text, which includes the Textus Receptus, in the Greek. For any Bible translation to be accomplished it must go back to these texts. These are the pure preserved texts. The King James is a perfect translation from these texts.
At this time there are well over 200 versions of the English Bible. Most of them, however, come from a Westcott-Hort Text which they put together using faulty texts. Some people have claimed that the older texts are the best, but that is not true. Follow this logic: The scriptures in the old days were not written in books, but instead, they were written in scrolls. When someone wanted to study the Bible, they had to unroll the scroll. After unrolling and rerolling a scroll over and over, it would begin to wear out. They would have to get another copy of the scroll to continue to read it. Though there were set in place safeguards to help keep the Bibles accurate in copying, sometimes mistakes were made, either by accident or by design. These scrolls would not be used because they were not perfect. These scrolls would be left over in time, as the good copies were used and studied. That is why we use what is called the Majority Texts. We use the ancient texts that agree with each other, instead of using one or two that disagree or have something missing.
That is why in the modern translations there is so parts of scripture missing and so many things changed. For example look in a NIV version of Romans 8:28. The entire verse is missing. Infact in the New Testament alone there are over 2000 omissions in the NIV version. Remember it is textual issue not a translation issue. The Bible student should desire to have a perfectly preserved Word of God. After all, God promised to make one available for our use.
The Power of God’s Word
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Not only is God’s preserved for us, God’s word is currently powerful. The book of Hebrews was written to encourage the people that God has a better way then the Old Testament law. That better way is Jesus. The only way someone knows Jesus is through God’s Word. In Hebrews 4:12 we see several important traits about the word of God
It is Quick
The word quick here means alive. The Bible is alive, after all it is God breathed with the same breath that was put into man. That is why the Bible can be read a hundred times and still things that were never noticed before pop out and speak to man. You can never out read, out study, nor out preach the Bible. It is timeless and universal. It works for all time for it is alive.
It is Powerful
The word powerful comes from the same root word that dynamite comes from. The Bible has explosive power. This book has the power to break down barriers and change lives. No matter how hard a sinner’s heart is, the Bible can blow it open. The Word of God only needs to be let loose. It is the powerful Word of God.
It is Sharper then Any Two-Edged Sword
Again the Bible uses another word picture to allow our minds to grasp the power of God’s Word. The illustration is a sword. In Feudal Japan, the sword smiths would make some of the best swords in the world. They would test the sharpness of the sword by a silk test. What they would do is hold the sword blade up and drop a single piece of silk. As the silk fell unto the blade it would cut in two. Upon inspection if the silk had any frayed edges instead of smooth cut, they sword would not be sharp enough and be sent back to do once again. Even that is not as sharp as the Word of God. The word of God is able to divide between soul and spirit. The Bible is able to cut out the sin entrenched deep in our life’s and bring it to the surface. It is that sharp.
It is a Discerner of the Thought and Intents of the Heart
The Bible is alive and powerful. The Bible is sharp. God’s Word is also able to discern what someone thinks and why it was thought. The scriptures are able to bring to light the true motives of the heart. It is able to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. If we wanted to know how pure our motives are and how we think compared to the mind of Christ all that needs to be done is read God’s Word.
God’s word is preserved for us, and because of its preservation, the Bible is alive and powerful. It is important to know and have a copy of God’s Word that is perfectly preserved so God can do a mighty and powerful work in our lives and hearts.
