Day 22: David and Mary, Our Examples

We need faith to receive all God has prepared for us. In Romans 10:17, Paul said that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (KJV). In the original Greek of the New Testament, there are two different words that are normally translated “word.” One is logos; the the unchanging Word of God. It is God’s counsel, settled in eternity before time began. The other word is rhema, meaning “to speak,” and denotes specifically “a word that is spoken”.

In the Bible, the logos—the total counsel of God—is made available to me. But logos is too vast and too complex for me to comprehend or assimilate in its totality. Rhema is the way that the Holy Spirit brings a portion of logos down out of eternity and makes it specific and personal in my experience.

In 1 Chronicles 17 the prophet Nathan received a message from God to king David. The message began, “You shall not build a house for Me” (verse 4), but it closed, “The LORD will build a house for you” (verse 10). Nathan had brought to David a rhema—a direct, personal word from God. In response, David replied, “O LORD, let the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant and concerning his house, be established forever, and do as Thou hast spoken” (verse 23). Having heard God’s rhema and having allowed it to produce faith within him, David appropriated its promise by a prayer that included these five short words: “Do as Thou hast spoken.” These five words represent the most effective prayer that anyone can pray—so simple, so logical, and yet so powerful.

The virgin Mary spoke the same words. An angel appeared to her with a message from the throne of God that she would bear a son, and name Him Jesus. (Luke 1:31–33) When Mary questioned how this could come about, the angel explained that “nothing will be impossible with God” (verse 37). “Nothing” in the original Greek is literally “no rhema.” The angel’s reply could equally well be translated, “Every word (rhema) from God contains the power for its own fulfillment.” The outcome depended on Mary’s response, but also showed her faith. “Be it done to me according to your word” she replied (verse 38). By these words, Mary unlocked the supernatural power of God in the rhema and opened herself to its fulfillment in her physical body. As a result, there occurred the greatest miracle of human history: the birth of God’s eternal Son from the womb of a virgin.