Digging Deeper – The Word of the Lord Remains Forever

The student of history knows these words to be demonstrably true. Throughout the ages, there have been many attempts to extinguish the Word of God—all of them in vain. In 1776, the French philosopher Voltaire said, “One hundred years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity-seeker.” Yet, less than sixty years after his death, the philosopher’s former residence in Geneva was being used as a repository for Bibles and religious tracts. In 1829, a minister who visited the residence exclaimed, “I know that Voltaire said he was living ‘in the twilight of Christianity,’ but blessed be God! It was the twilight of the morning, which will bring on the day of universal illumination.” Even during the Age of Enlightenment (c. 1685–1815)—a period marked by self-exploration and resistance to established institutions—the Word of God remained fixed as a historical reality. As one author put it, “No skeptic’s scoffing hammer has ever made a dent in the Eternal Anvil of God’s Word.”

Countless other stories could be given to make the case. One might call it an ironic twist of fate, but in reality, it is the simple testimony of Scripture—that God’s Word is true and accomplishes His purpose. The very fact that Peter is quoting from Isaiah 40:8, a text written around 800 years before him, should not be overlooked either. It only adds to the evidence of the veracity of the statement that the Word of God endures forever. Invest in your relationship with God today by placing this verse in the repository of your heart and committing it to memory.