Theme
The Precious Word of God
Introduction
In the passage before us we are going to be looking at the precious Word of God under three main headings:
Sermon Outline
- The Purity of God’s Word
- The Preservation of God’s Word
- The Prospecting of God’s Word
Many people simply don’t take the Bible seriously, and that goes for many Christians too.
Of course, we say that the Bible is immeasurably valuable, but we don’t read it in that way.
This morning I want to encourage you to have an enthusiastic and teachable approach to your Bible reading.
The Purity of God’s Word
(Psalm 12:6)
The Word of God Is Pure
The Words of the LORD
Notice that it says, “the words of the LORD.”
This is not just stating that the Bible is pure, but that every word that God speaks is of this same pure character.
For now, we will focus on the written Word of God, the Bible.
The word “LORD” is in all capitals, which means the name Jehovah was used here, referring to God as the eternal, self-existent One.
God, who is eternal in existence and self-existent by nature, speaks words that are pure and that will never pass away.
It is because God Himself is eternal and unchanging that His Word is eternally true and unchanging.
The Purified Word of God
The word “pure” indicates a straining process.
When metal is purified, the waste material separated from the molten metal is called dross.
The metal is placed into a crucible and heated in a furnace until the impurities rise to the surface and are removed.
While the Word of God does not contain impurities that need to be removed, the verse likens God’s Word to metal that has already undergone this process and is therefore completely free from corruption.
The Word of God Reflects Our Condition
In earlier times people used polished brass mirrors.
The purer the metal, the clearer the reflection.
It is because the Word of God is pure that it accurately reveals our own spiritual condition before God.
James 1:23-25
“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass…”
The Word of God Is Tried
The Refined Word of God
The word “tried” indicates the process of refining.
Extreme heat removes impurities from metal.
The Word of God is described as silver purified seven times in a furnace.
This emphasises complete purity.
The Tested Word of God
The word “tried” also carries the idea of being tested and proven.
The Word of God has withstood:
- Persecution
- Criticism
- Opposition
- Attempts to corrupt it
- Centuries of attack
Yet it remains pure.
The Preservation of God’s Word
(Psalm 12:7)
The Word of God Is Kept
The Guarded Word
The word “keep” refers to guarding something for protection.
God Himself protects His Word.
No matter how many attacks have been made against the Bible over the centuries, men have never been able to destroy it.
God has preserved His Word.
The Preserved Word
God has not only protected His Word, but preserved it in purity.
We believe that the King James Bible we hold in our hands today is not merely a rough copy of God’s Word.
We believe the King James Bible is the Word of God in the English language.
Many modern translations create confusion regarding the exact wording of Scripture, but we are confident that God has preserved His pure Word.
The Prospecting in God’s Word
The Word of God as Silver
(Psalm 12:6-7)
The Purity of Silver
Silver is a precious metal and, when purified and polished, has a bright reflective beauty.
Naturally, people admire things that are pure and beautiful.
Even the purest silver still contains tiny imperfections somewhere within it, but the Bible has no imperfections.
It is pure and perfect from Genesis to Revelation.
When Psalm 12:6 describes God’s words as:
“as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times”
the emphasis is not merely that God’s Word is very pure by human standards, but that it possesses divine perfection.
The Preciousness of Silver
Silver is valuable.
Today, silver is worth thousands of dollars per kilogram, yet the Word of God is worth far more than silver.
The Word of God as Gold
(Psalm 19:9-10)
The Judgements of the Lord Are True
The Word of God is always right.
Human beings often make wrong decisions, but the Word of God is always true and trustworthy.
You can trust God’s Word in every situation.
The Value of Gold
Gold is considered one of the most valuable metals in the world.
Yet the Word of God is more valuable than gold because it contains riches greater than any earthly treasure.
Our Attitude Toward God’s Word
Our attitude toward the Bible reflects the value we place upon it.
If we spend very little time reading God’s Word, then we do not truly value it as being:
- Pure as silver purified seven times
- More desirable than fine gold
When we begin to value God’s Word properly, we will devote time and effort to searching its riches.
Conclusion
Imagine discovering a great treasure buried beneath the ground. How eager would you be to dig it up?
Most people would become very excited at the thought of discovering hidden gold.
Yet when handed a Bible and told that it contains greater riches than any gold mine on earth, many remain uninterested.
Many Christians do not truly see the Bible as a treasure house of immeasurable wealth. Instead, they see it merely as an old book with a few helpful stories.
But the Word of God is far more than that. You have the Bible in your hands.
Now the question is:
What are you going to do with it?