This is a name for an object that indicates the nature of that object. It obviously refers to an edged weapon: a sword that has two cutting edges. Instead of a single edged blade that cuts in the one direction in which it’s wielded, this sword can also cut in the opposite direction. You can flail with it, swiping it back and forth rather than having to reverse direction before wielding the cutting edge again. It’s also referred to as a double-edged sword. Both terms are used in the Bible to refer to the Word of God, and the selection of their use depends on which translation of Scripture is being read. In either case the term refers to the type of weapon and its use, but it might also refer to the consequences of its use. It’s a weapon that can accomplish something on behalf of its user, but it can also work against its user. It cuts both ways which can be an advantage for the swordsman, but it can also harm the one wielding it because it’s easier for him to cut himself as he draws the blade back and forth. You’ve got to be a little more careful when you use a “double” edged sword: you might cut off your own ear when you draw it back to take another swipe at your enemy; yet it can be most effective when it’s used properly. This aspect is more in keeping with a common understanding of the term: two-edged. The original intention by the author may have been to focus on the power of the Word of God, associating it with the power of a commonly used weapon of ancient warfare, but the term is also used to describe both the advantage of the weapon and its drawbacks. A double-edged sword can help you and harm you.

Yet having said this, it may be coming evident where I’m going with this. We’re not promoting good swordsmanship in this post…at least not literally. We are promoting good swordsmanship with regard to the ultimate weapon at our disposal, which is the Word of God. But this begs the question: how can we hurt someone with the Bible? And it prompts a further question: how can we hurt ourselves with the Bible? In the first place we need to understand Scripture as a weapon rather than just a resource. It is a resource to be sure, a resource that identifies and explains profound things as only it can. Who are we? What are we? Where are we? Why are things the way they are? Fundamental “concepts” of our existence and our circumstances are presented and explained in the Bible. Can they be believed? That’s a question. Can this archaic resource actually explain the nature of human life as we experience it here and now, in the environment in which we live today? How can that be? And how is it that this resource can act as something that can both protect us and harm us at the same time? These are the things that need to be considered as we explore the Bible and attempt to apply it to our own lives.

Even a brief scanning of the text reveals that the Bible is extremely complicated in some ways. It’s not consistent in the manner in which it presents ideas that pertain to our existence. Some parts are just stories that describe what happened to people as they made their way in life; and God is not always directly present in the narrative. At times He’s an actual participant in what takes place, at other times the Lord is only referred to. In some places the Bible reads like a roll call where generations of people are listed; in other places Scripture presents like an action adventure with amazing circumstances being offered. There’s poetry as well as narrative, correspondence along with such things as architectural descriptions, or lists of building materials. There are speeches, lists of laws, love letters, dirges and even “fantasies” of a sort. But taken together they constitute a resource that is recognized as a presentation of the existence of God Almighty. Scripture is often interesting, sometimes tedious, and can be quite baffling even for people who’ve spent quite a bit of time studying it. And it is described as a sword…a weapon…something that’s used for defense—or attack, and possibly something that can harm the one who’s wielding it. But those who are familiar with it and embrace its content recognize it as something that’s of great benefit…and something that must be handled carefully. Consider how the psalmist expresses his reading of God’s Word:

O how I love your law. It is my meditation all the day.

Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine.

I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the aged, because I have observed your precepts.

I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word.

I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me.

How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

(Psalm 119:97-104)

A wonderful presentation of the value of the Word of God; but in terms of It’s character we who embrace it must remember this as well:

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division between soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

Both excerpts present the positive impact of the Word of God on our lives: a wonderful presentation of truth, which can help us discover ourselves in Christ and enable us to know and serve our Lord according to His will and purpose. Amen

However, it’s also a dangerous instrument if we use it carelessly…dangerous to ourselves and, at times, dangerous to those who have it leveled at them. Sometimes it’s easy to detect a proper use of the Bible and avoid the consequences of misuse, but understanding it always requires a careful reading of the text. We can’t just open it up and read something and then attempt to apply it to our lives. We need to understand how the writings in the Bible fit together. That means that we have to familiarize ourselves with “all” of the Bible, rather than only focusing on one part. This doesn’t mean that we all have to be scholars, but it does mean that we all need to be students of the Bible. And there is something to be gained from all of it. Probably one of the most tedious “books” of Scripture is Leviticus. It’s the third book of the “Pentateuch,” which is a term referring to the first five books of the Bible primarily written by Moses. Leviticus presents “laws” that describe proper conduct regarding a variety of actions. It speaks against idolatry, presents proper conduct regarding such things as diet, sexual conduct, doing business, and proper engagement in actions within the sanctuary. In some ways it’s a rather tedious presentation of how to do life in a manner that’s consistent with the demeanor of God. And from that perspective it can be a difficult book to read. We, as Christians, don’t keep the law as it was stipulated in the Pentateuch so why read it? Thinking about this I’m reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul when he said:

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness: so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

But having said this it still may not be evident what is to be gained from reading a “listing” of the various laws that were required of those practicing their religion in the early days under the leadership of Moses. In response to this I would offer the assessment of a Pastor I know who presented a sermon focusing on Leviticus. Rather than studying the minutia of the laws presented in the book he pointed out, among other things, that Leviticus gives us a presentation of what Christ Jesus delivered us from when He rendered the practice of the law as obsolete. Instead, our holiness is derived from our relationship with the Lord that was made possible through the cross, rather than ritual conduct that can only signify in a limited fashion what it means to be holy. Reading Leviticus illustrates the extent of what Jesus has accomplished on our behalf. And in that sense we can appreciate more fully what we’ve received from the Lord through the cross. But if we don’t handle the text properly it becomes a burden that has no meaning for us and we’re faced with a choice of either attempting to glean a code of conduct from the book, or to ignore it altogether, diminishing our appreciation for what the whole Bible provides for us, and focusing primarily on sections of Scripture whose meaning appears more obvious. Such a posture may get us where we need to go, but the full richness of the Bible will be diminished.

However, as we make the attempt to study the Bible in all its forms it’s necessary to appreciate its nature as a weapon of sorts: a crucial aid to secure our wellbeing when it’s used properly, but an aid that needs to be handled carefully.  It tells us what human life is all about. Our origins, our circumstances, and our destiny are all addressed in Scripture. Why we are the way we are, what we’re about in the here-and-now, what life—and death—actually mean…all things of significance are addressed in the Bible. In that sense Scripture is a wonderful aid to doing life; preserving us and enabling us to navigate our strange existence. It protects us from the assaults of misinformation and deception, pointing us in the direction that we need to go. It’s a powerful aid as we seek to find our way through the morass of ideas that the world presents to us, protecting us and giving us direction. In that sense Scripture is a powerful weapon of protection, and a means of warding off the assaults of this world and the adversaries who animate it.

However, the Bible is a two-edged sword that needs to be handled carefully. It has the power to wage war against the enemies of our soul within us and within the world. It explains and clarifies what is right…and what is wrong. It brings light to those who study it, working to ward off the ideas of this world that deceive and mislead. But just as a gun or a bladed weapon can harm someone who uses them improperly, so to the Bible can harm those who read it if care is not taken in studying and applying it. That’s why we need to do more than just read the Bible, we need to study it and commiserate with other believers in our effort to apply it to our lives. Caution is necessary, but understanding the Bible is not out of reach for anyone who can read. Yet we have to commit ourselves to the effort, focus our attention on its importance and do the work involved in handling it effectively.

Go with God!

Seek the Lord! Halleluiah!