"According to the word of the Lord"

"According to the word of the Lord which He spoke to Elijah."

2 Kings 10:17c | NASB

Throughout this chapter as the prophecy of Elijah against Ahab the king of Israel is fulfilled, this is proclaimed, such and such happened according to the word of the Lord. The Lord told Elijah of the judgment that would come to Ahab's house and years after Elijah was taken up in the chariot of fire, the events that Elijah prophesied, the word of the Lord that was spoken to him took place. Everything occurred just as the Lord had spoken, everything occurred according to His word. When the Lord speaks you can be sure that everything He speaks has and will indeed come to pass.  Job knew this.  Job knew that whatever happened only came about because the Lord had declared it to be so.  He performs what He decrees for us, there are no doubts here.

Job 23:13-14 | NASB

“But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does. “For He performs what is appointed for me, And many such decrees are with Him."

In the Old Testament, God spoke to His people through His prophets.  He gave them His words and declared them to speak it to whomever He wanted it spoken to.  From the very beginning He declared that this is how He would speak to His people especially.  He was, and is, very particular about those who claim to speak His word and knowing that many would make this claim He made sure that His people would always know if the prophet speaking was truly from the Lord.  In Deuteronomy 18:19-22 God declares to us that when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord it will come true.  Any man who says they speak the words of the Lord and it does not come true, is false, presumptuous, and was to be put to death.   

"I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him.  But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ You may say in your heart, ‘How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him."

The words of the Lord that Elijah spoke came to pass, and when they did they proved to be the word of the Lord.  And proved Elijah to be a true prophet.  By these criteria and through these means, God spoke to man.  But then something changed.

Hebrews 1:1-2a | NASB

"God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son"

God spoke a final word to us through His Son, who is Prophet, Priest, Savior and King.  In these last days It is His Son who has spoken the word of the Lord to us.  We know that He is a true prophet for His own prophecies have come to pass (i.e. the destruction of the temple).  And because He is the True Prophet, and speaks the True Word, we can know that God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, will ensure that everything spoken by Him, through His Son will come to pass.  Jesus Christ is even given the title in John "the WORD."  Jesus is the Word of God made flesh, the final word spoken to men.  

John 1:14 | NASB

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

And as He is the Word of God made flesh all that He spoke will be accomplished. Everything will still occur according to the WORD of the Lord!  

And what then should our response be.  We know that by God's own criteria that Jesus is the authentic and last Word of God to man.  We also know that according to our passage in Deuteronomy that God will require it of every man who does not listen to the Word of the Lord.  We must listen to the Word.  We must know the Word.  We must obey the Word.  All the time being fully confident that the Word of the Lord will indeed come to pass.  That everything in this world will transpire according to every word o the Lord!!