Words of Reflection
One of my favorite Old Testament stories is the story of Samuel, who began hearing from God at a very young age (1 Samuel 3). Scholars often refer to him as the “last judge and first prophet” of Israel, a significant shift that would pave the way for many other prophets, including the ones whose words we are so familiar with this time of year.
The beginning of Samuel’s story contains a line that has always hit me in a powerful way:
“In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.”—1 Samuel 3:1 (NIV)
The prophetic ministry in Israel begins in a time of near silence from God, which is something that a later prophet, Amos, predicted would one day happen again:
“‘The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, ‘when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.
People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.’”—Amos 8:11-12 (NIV)
It’s a frightening thought to live at a time when people are unable to hear a word from the Lord. The words of Amos would find fulfillment during the 400 years between the ministry of the prophet Malachi and the ministry of John the baptizer, which are often referred to as the “Years of Silence.”
It’s difficult to imagine God being silent for so long. Some scholars point out that the prophecy from Amos refers to a “famine of hearing,” which means that God may have been speaking…the people just couldn’t hear. Even then, however, the famine is understood as God’s judgment on a people who had grown to trust their own wisdom instead of the words of God delivered through the prophets. For all intents and purposes, God is silent.
In that context, the opening of John’s gospel becomes especially poignant and powerful:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”—John 1:1 (NIV)
and then a few verses later:
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”—John 1:14 (NIV)
When God ends the famine, it begins with a new prophet, John. But John is not the true end of the “famine of the word of the Lord”—that comes with the birth of Jesus, the Living Word. It’s as if God says, “My Word will come to you now, not as a message, but as a man. He is the living embodiment of everything I want to say to you. Listen to him.”
Today’s song is a thoughtful and poetic reflection on what it means to call Jesus the Word of God. I encourage you to linger with the lyrics that Michael Card penned for this song, “The Final Word.” For copyright reasons we can’t post the complete words here in the devotional, but we were fortunate to find a video with the words embedded in it. Before you watch it, I’d suggest clicking on the lyric link below and spend some time reading them slowly and prayerfully—they are dense with meaning and are worth your time.
“He spoke the Incarnation and then so was born the Son.
His final word was Jesus, He needed no other one.”—Michael Card
Scripture for Meditation:
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”—Hebrews 1:1-3 (NIV)
Song: The Final Word (lyrics here)
Questions for Contemplation:
Are there any words or phrases from the song that caught your attention? If so, what about them stood out for you? What invitation from God might exist for you in those words?
What does it mean for you to think of Jesus as the Word of God? Does it resonate with you, or maybe cause some confusion? Spend some time in prayer asking God for a deeper revelation of Jesus as his Word, perhaps praying through the reading from Hebrews 1.
Spend some time reflecting on these lyrics from Michael Card’s song. How do they resonate with your soul right now? What do they speak to you of what God was doing in the incarnation?
And so the Father's fondest thought took on flesh and bone.
He spoke the living luminous Word, at once His will was done.
And so the transformation that in man had been unheard
Took place in God the Father as He spoke that final Word.