As we continue in our examination of the New Covenant “sabbatismos”, we now move, in verse 12, from an examination of the nature of this rest to the means through which we enter into it. Verse 12 reads as follows in the NIV: “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”. We will begin with an examination of the beginning clause of this verse: “For the Word of God is living and active”. We begin with the term “for” (gar in the Greek), serving to connect this to what precedes, continuing on in its examination of the New Covenant sabbath. Next we find the definite article followed by the noun logos, translated as “word” here. Logos is the noun form of the verb lego, which refers to speech of a very particular kind, speech which serves as an explanation of something, a logos is ultimately an explanation of or about something. We next find the genitive of theos with the definite article, identifying this word being “of God”. God is the source of the word, the subject of the word, the word is an explanation from Him, an explanation of ultimate reality. This also expounds on a theme found regularly here in the epistle to the Hebrews, the theme of the Word of God being not only something (the Bible as the written Word of God) but also as someone (Jesus as the living Word of God). It is through an ongoing encounter with the written Word of God that we grow to more fully “know” the person of the living Word of God, more fully know (a relational, experiential knowledge) the person of Jesus, who is the ultimate explanation underlying all of reality. It is also through this ongoing encounter with the Word of God that we find our individual purpose in life and, through the finding and fulfilling of this God-given purpose, that we find meaning in life, that we enter into the sabbatismos rest described in the preceding verses. So it is no accident that this verse appears here, and we are not moving on to a new topic in it. It is placed here to set before us the means through which we enter the New Covenant rest which the preceding verses set forth.