The holy spirit as the hand of god

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE HAND OF GOD
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Hand Of God
Fritz Chery Nov9, 2018 Bible Verses About
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Bible verses about hand of God
Why should Christians fear when we’re in God’s hands, the creatorof the
universe? He will guide you through every tough situation and direct you on
the right path. When we’re going through trials we might not understand the
moving hand of God, but later you will understand why.
God is working when we’re asking questions. Allow Him to lead you. Follow
the Holy Spirit. Don’t turn awayfrom God’s will. Humble yourself before the
Lord and trust in Him. Trust that God will leadyou out of the fire, but you
must allow Him to guide you. Commit to Him in prayer.
Don’t think to yourself it’s not working don’t stop seeking His face until the
battle is won. Study God’s Word daily to better understand and recognize His
hand working in your life.
What does the Bible say?
1. Ecclesiastes2:24 So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and
drink and to find satisfactionin work. Then I realized that these pleasures are
from the hand of God.
2. Psalm118:16 The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The
strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things!

3. Ecclesiastes9:1 So I reflectedon all this and concluded that the righteous
and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether
love or hate awaits them.
4. 1 Peter5:6 And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves
under his mighty hand.
5. Psalm 89:13-15. Your arm is endowedwith power; your hand is strong,
your right hand exalted. Righteousnessandjustice are the foundation of your
throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Blessedare those who have
learned to acclaimyou, who walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
Creator
6. Isaiah48:13 It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth, my right
hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all
appear in order.”
7. John 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any
thing made that was made.
8. Jeremiah32:17 Ah, Lord GOD!It is you who have made the heavens and
the earth by your greatpower and by your outstretchedarm! Nothing is too
hard for you.
9. Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold
together
10. Job 12:9-10 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD
has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all
mankind.
Don’t be afraid

11. Isaiah41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your
God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my
righteous right hand.
12. Exodus 15:6 Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power, your right
hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.
13. Psalm136:12-13 with a mighty hand and outstretchedarm; His love
endures forever. to him who divided the RedSea asunder His love endures
forever.
14. Psalm110:1-2 A psalm of David. The LORD saidto my Lord, “Sit in the
place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a
footstoolunder your feet.” The LORD will extend your powerful kingdom
from Jerusalem;you will rule over your enemies.
15. Psalm10:12 Arise, LORD!Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the
helpless.
Jesus
16. Revelation1:17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he
laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fearnot, I am the first and the last,
17. Acts 2:32-33 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses ofit.
Exalted to the right hand of God, he has receivedfrom the Father the
promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
18. Mark 16:19 After the Lord Jesus had spokento them, he was takenup
into heavenand he satat the right hand of God.
Reminders
19. John 4:2 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit
and truth.”

20. Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things
that are above, where Christ is, seatedat the right hand of God.
Examples
21. 2 Chronicles 30:12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to
give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had
ordered, following the word of the LORD.
22. Deuteronomy 7:8 but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the
oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a
mighty hand and redeemedyou from the house of slavery, from the hand of
Pharaohking of Egypt.
23. Daniel 9:15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of
the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as
at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
24. Ezekiel20:34 I will bring you out from the peoples and gatheryou out of
the countries where you are scattered, witha mighty hand and an
outstretchedarm, and with wrath poured out.
25. Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses,“Now youwill see whatI will
do to Pharaoh:Becauseofmy mighty hand he will let them go; because ofmy
mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”
Bonus
Joshua 4:24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the
LORD is mighty, that you may fearthe LORD your God forever.”

What is the significance of the right hand of God?
In ancient times, a person with high or highest rank stoodto the king's right
side. Even today, a personmay be called someone's "righthand man" or
"wingman" when he or she serves as the closestpersonto another leader. An
example of this can be found in Genesis 48:13-14where Jacobblessedthe
child who would receive a greaterblessing with his right hand. The right hand
of God likewise relates to this conceptof someone being right next to God,
acknowledging both authority and closeness to Him.
While God the Fatherdoes not consistof a physical body like humans do, the
right hand of God is often used figuratively in Scripture. In the Old
Testament, the phrase is used to refer to the coming Messiah. Forexample,
Psalm110:1 predicts, "The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool'" (also quoted in Matthew 22:44).
Psalm118:16 adds, "the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the
LORD does valiantly!"
In the New Testament, we find additional expressions ofthis phrase in
reference to Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:20-21 notes, "…thathe workedin
Christ when he raisedhim from the dead and seatedhim at his right hand in
the heavenly places, farabove all rule and authority and powerand dominion,
and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to
come." Romans 8:34 teaches, "Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one
who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God,
who indeed is interceding for us."
In fact, many times the New Testamentwriters use "the right hand of God" to
express where Jesus is now. Mark 16:19 shares, "So then the Lord Jesus, after
he had spokento them, was takenup into heaven and satdown at the right

hand of God." Acts 2:33 shares a portion of Peter's sermonon Pentecostthat
includes, "Being therefore exaltedat the right hand of God, and having
receivedfrom the Fatherthe promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out
this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing." The first martyr Stephen
was said to have lookedinto the skyand saw Jesus standing at the right hand
of God (Acts 7:55). Colossians3:1 also notes that Jesus is seatedatthe right
hand of God.
Hebrews 10:12-13 describes this right hand of God as a place of honor and
exaltation for Jesus, sharing, "But when Christ had offered for all time a
single sacrifice for sins, he satdown at the right hand of God, waiting from
that time until his enemies should be made a footstoolfor his feet." This
locationgives Him reign over all powers:"Jesus Christ, who has gone into
heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers
having been subjectedto him" (1 Peter3:21-22).
The right hand of God, therefore, is a reference to both a place of proximity to
God the Father and a position of power above all other powers. Jesus the
Messiahexists atthis right hand of God today, perfectly reigning with God
the Fatherand God the Spirit in community and power.
https://www.compellingtruth.org/
Holy Spirit: The Hand of The Lord - Part 1
We review a few aspects ofthe work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.
While the Testaments have changed, the Spirit of God is still the same. He is
able to do what He has done and even more! Lets be expectant!

• Bangalore - Karnataka - India
BANGALORE, India - April 9, 2014 - PRLog -- Today and next Sunday, we
will explore the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. We must keep
in mind, that while the Testaments have changed, the Spirit of Godis still the
same. He is able to do what He has done and even more!
The same Holy Spirit who workedin the Old Testamentalso workedin the
time of Jesus, and in the Early Church and is at work today. The Holy Spirit
did not change across the Testaments. However, the way in which He worked
in the Old Testament, differs, from the way in which He works under the New
Covenant. In OT He came on few individuals for particular reasons. He
moved upon them guiding, directing and encouraging. He did not reside with
them permanently. He ministered through prophets, judges, kings & few
other individuals. In the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit lives inside every
believer, and empowers every believer.
In the Old Testament, "the hand of the Lord" is a term that is used to refer to
the moving of the Holy Spirit upon a servant (or prophet). Hence we have
titled this sermon "The hand of the Lord".
We will touch upon some aspects ofthe Holy Spirit's work in the Old
Testament
Genesis 1:2
The Spirit is present at creation(see also Job 26:13)
‘moved’ Hebrew 'rachaph' = to brood

was brooding over; for the word expresses that motion made by the hen while
either hatching her eggs orfostering her young. Hovered over Heb. rachaph =
brood over, a reproductive term
The Holy Spirit is involved. He is God’s birthing agent.
We caninvite the Holy Spirit to hover over people, cities and regions and
bring about the birthing of sons and daughters into the Kingdom of God.
Genesis 41:38
EmpoweredJosephto interpret dreams
People in the Old Testamentmanifested the Holy Spirit with the same "gifts
of the Spirit" that we know of in the New Testament. Other than tongues and
interpretation of tongues, we see all of the other 9 gifts of the Spirit also
manifested in the Old Testament.
Exodus 28:3, 31:2-5, 35:31
God through His Spirit gave special ability to specific people for the building
of the tabernacle, its furniture, and for the garments the priests had to wear.
The Holy Spirit is doing the same in our day. Empowering God's people with
specialcreative and artistic abilities.
Numbers 11: 17-29
The Lord took some of the Spirit from Moses andput it on the elders.

So we see that there can be different "levels ofempowering" brought into
individual's lives by the same Spirit. We callthis different "measures ofthe
Spirit". It was the same Holy Spirit on Moses andthe 70 leaders. But the level
of empowering was very different. Moses was empoweredto lead a nation.
Eachone of the 70 was empoweredto lead a smaller group of people.
Numbers 27:18
Joshua was prepared as a leader by the Spirit (see also Deuteronomy34:9)
Leadership also comes as an empowering of the Holy Spirit.
Similarly in the book of Judges, the Spirit of the Lord came upon various
leaders to enable them to deliver them from their enemies.
Othniel (Judges 3:9,10)
Gideon (Judges 6:34)
Jephthah (Judges 11:29)
Samson(Judges 13:25, 14:6,19 15:14)
David
We see severaldifferent aspects ofthe Holy Spirit's work in David.
1 Samuel 16:13
He was anointed by Samuel the prophet.
The Spirit of the Lord came on him “from that day forward”

Oil is a symbol of the anointing, the presence and powerof the Spirit.
2 Samuel 23:2
He wrote psalms by the Spirit
1 Chronicles 12:17,18
People connectedwith David because of the Spirit
1 Chronicles 28:12
David was given the Temple designby the Spirit
Nehemiah 9:20,30
He gave His goodSpirit to instruct them
Today, we have seena few highlights of the work of the Holy Spirit from the
Old Testament. We need to remind ourselves that the Holy Spirit can do the
same, and even more, as He desires in and through us today.
The Throne Of The Holy Spirit
by PastorJack Hyles
(Chapter 26 from Dr. Hyle's excellentbook, MeetThe Holy Spirit)

God the Father sits on His throne. Psalm11:4, "The Lord is in His holy
temple, the Lord's throne is in Heaven: His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the
children of men." Psalm 47:8, "God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth
upon the throne of His holiness." God's throne is in Heavenand there He sits
overseeing the universe and providing for His own people.
Jesus has a throne. Hebrews 1:3, "Who being the brightness of His glory, and
the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His
power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, satdown on the right hand
of the Majestyon high." Hebrews 8:1, "Now ofthe things which we have
spokenthis is the sum: We have such an high priest, Who is set on the right
hand of the throne of the Majestyin the heavens." Hebrews 10:12, "Butthis
man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, satdown on the right
hand of God." Notice especiallythe words, "satdown at the right hand of
God." Much of the book of Hebrews reveals to us the priestly work of Christ
as typified by the Old Testamentpriesthood. So as God the Father is sitting on
His throne, even so Jesus is sitting at the right hand of the Father.
The Holy Spirit has a throne. I Corinthians 3:16, "Know ye not that ye are the
temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" I Corinthians
6:19, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost
which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" The throne
of the Holy Spirit is in the body of the believer.
A Christian is rightly disturbed when someone tries to sit on the throne of the
Father. This is why we are admonished in Matthew 23:9, "And callno man
your father upon the earth." No man has a right to sit on Godthe Father's
throne. Hence, the believer who addresses a clergymanas "father" is placing
him upon a throne which he does not deserve and which is reservedonly for
God the Father. When such a clergyman uses such a title for himself or
admonishes others to use that title toward him, he is usurping a throne which
is not his. It is infinitely more sacrilegious whenwe choose one man in the
world and call him Pope (Papa or Father). When we callhim by these names,
we are placing him on a throne that is not his. When we bow down before
him, we are giving to him a throne that is reservedonly for God the Father.
When we address him as the Holy Father, we are giving him a place reserved

for no human being, but rather for our Fatherwhich is in Heaven. It is a
wickedthing for one to usurp the throne of our Heavenly Father!
Likewise some have tried to sit on Jesus'throne. His position in this age is at
the right hand of the Fatheras our priestly intercessor. Hebrews 7:25,
"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God
by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercessionforthem." I Timothy 2:5,
"Forthere is one God, and one mediator betweenGod and men, the man
Christ Jesus."This means that our accessto God is only through Jesus Christ.
When we claim accessto God through the virgin Mary, we are placing her on
a throne that belongs only to Jesus. How sad that some have tried to put in a
place reservedonly for the dear Son of God this goodwoman who mothered
the physical body of our Lord.
Likewise some attempt to find accessto God through a clergyman. How
foolish and how futile! Hebrews 10:11, "And every priest standeth daily
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,whichcan never take
awaysins."
A dear lady is dying. She was a wonderful Christian. She calledfor her pastor
to come and be with her at her Home-going. Since he was not available, a
friend called her pastor who was of a different theologicalpersuasion. This
pastor came to the bedside of the dying saint and askedher if he could absolve
any of her sins before she died. With a look of Christ on her face she replied,
"Yes, if you canqualify." "What must I do to qualify?" the clergyman asked.
The little lady faintly said, "Let me see your right hand." The clergyman
extended her right hand. Then she said, "Let me see your left hand." The
clergyman extended his left hand. Very sweetlythe dying saint said, "Sir, you
cannot absolve my sins. My Saviour has scars in His hands."
A true believer abhors such and intrusion into the priestly work reservedonly
for our Saviour as He sits at the right hand of God.
The spiritual Christian rightly abhors another's intrusion on the throne of
God the Father and another's intrusion to the position of our Saviour at the
right hand of the Father. There is, however, another throne which is often
usurped. This throne is that of the Holy Spirit. With righteous indignation we

show our disfavor when one takes the throne of God the Father. With
abhorrence we chaff when one takes the place reservedonly for our Saviour,
and yet multitudes of us commit a sin of equal significance when we usurp the
throne of the Holy Spirit. It is the hob of the blessedSpirit to lead us. Romans
8:14, "Foras many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."
When we are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." When we
lead ourselves, make our own decisions and go our own way, we are placing
self at the place reservedfor the Holy Spirit.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to teach us. When we study and learn without
His leading, we take a position reserved only for Him. When we sing in the
flesh, preachin the flesh, teachin the flesh, pray in the flesh or witness in the
flesh we are placing ourselves on His throne.
There are many other duties of the Holy Spirit. He convicts. John 16:8, "And
when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and
of judgment." He strives. Genesis 6:3, "And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not
always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an
hundred and twenty years." He regenerates.Titus 3:5, "Notby works of
righteousness whichwe have done, but according to His mercy He savedus,
by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." He
baptizes. I Corinthians 12:13, "Forby one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body, whether we be Jews orGentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into one Spirit."
He indwells. John 14:16, 17, "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give
you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit
of truth; whom the world cannot receive, becauseit seethHim not, neither
knowethHim: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in
you." He seals. II Corinthians 1:21, 22, "Now He which stablisheth us with
you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealedus and
given the earnestof the Spirit in our hearts." He assures.Romans 8:16, "The
Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."
He teaches. John16:12-14, "Ihave yet many things to sayunto you, but ye
cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE

WILL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH: for He shall not speak of Himself;
but whatsoeverHe shall hear, that shall He speak:and He will shew you
things to come. He shall glorify Me:for He shall receive of Mine, and shall
shew it unto you." He comforts. John 14:16, 17, "And I will pray the Father,
and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for
ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, but it seeth
Him not, neither knowethHim: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you,
and shall be in you." He gives gifts. I Corinthians 12:28, "And God hath set
some in the church, first apostles, secondarilyprophets, thirdly teachers, after
that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of
tongues." He bears fruit. Galatians 5:22, 23, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance..."
He fills. Ephesians 5:18, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;but
be filled with the Spirit."
Hence, when the believer enters into any of these ministries reservedfor the
Holy Spirit, he places himself on a throne reservedfor the dear Spirit of God.
The believer SHOULD be concernedwhenthe Pope or another sits on the
throne of the Father. A Christian SHOULD be concernedwhen a clergyman
sits on the throne of the Saviour. He should have EQUAL CONCERNwhen
he himself sits on the throne of the Holy Spirit!
Spiritual Gifts Are The Hands of God
Cindy SpearSpiritual Gifts5 Comments
Dr. Larry Gilbert
In the courtyard of a quaint little church in a French village stood a beautiful
marble statue of Jesus with outstretchedhands. One day during World War
II, a bomb struck near the statue and mutilated it. After the battle was over
and the enemy had passedthrough, the citizens of the village decided to find
the pieces oftheir beloved statue and reconstructit. Though the statue was no
work of art by Michelangelo orBernini, it was a part of their lives and they

cherishedit. Even the scars onthe body added to its beauty. But there was one
problem. They were unable to find the hands of the statue. “A Christ without
hands is not Christ at all,” someone expressedin sorrow. “Hands with scars,
yes. But what’s a Lord without hands? We need a new statue.”
Then someone else came along with another idea, and it prevailed. A brass
plaque was attachedat the base of the statue that read, “I have no hands but
your hands.”
Some years later someone saw that inscription and wrote the following lines:
I have no hands but your hands to do my work today.
I have no feet but your feetto lead men on the way.
I have no tongue but your tongue to tell men how I died.
I have no help but your help to bring men to God’s side.
A spiritual gift is the primary channel by which the Holy Spirit can minister
through the believer. Spiritual gifts are God’s provision for the Holy Spirit to
minister to people, and through people (1 Corinthians 12:25). Spiritual gifts
allow us to serve as “God’s hands.”
Stop and considerthe importance of this definition, for only through spiritual
gifts can Christians minister to others with the full power of the Holy Spirit:
The only hands God has are your hands.
One of the big obstacles in the church today is that we believe the church is
supernatural in its origin, but not in its operation. When we experience a loss
of power and effectiveness, itdrives us to rely on human resources in an effort
to correctthe problem.
Early 20th century theologianand Dallas TheologicalSeminaryfounder
Lewis Sperry Chafer writes, “The gift which is wrought by the Spirit is an
expressionof the Spirit’s own ability rather than the mere use of human
qualities in the one through whom He works.”Spiritual gifts are God’s
provision for the Holy Spirit to minister through the believer. The Holy Spirit
uses these gifts to minister to others through you as well as to minister to you

through other believers. The believer is not the source of ministry but only the
instrument the Holy Spirit uses.
Remember, “The only hands God has are your hands.”
Dr. Larry Gilbert is founder and chairman of Ephesians Four Ministries, and
founder of ChurchGrowth.org. Formore on spiritual gifts, see Dr. Gilbert’s
books:TeamMinistry: Gifted to Serve (for pastors and group leaders)and
Your Gifts: DiscoverGod’s Unique Designfor You (for individuals and
groups).
This article is from the chapter “What is a Spiritual Gift?” which appears in
these books…
Your Gifts: DiscoverGod’s Unique Designfor You
TeamMinistry: Gifted to Serve.
What about the Left Hand of God?
I have been studying about THE RIGHT HAND of God. Can you speak
about the left hand of God? Can you explain Is. 45:6,7 in more detail. Is the
darkness mentioned from the left hand? Was it the left hand of God that was
revealedin Job’s life? What about Ecc. 10:2,3?
The Answer:
As you have undoubtedly discovered, scripture contains little about God’s left
hand. More is said about his right hand. This, however, has nothing to do with
how badly history has treated“lefties.” The Latin word for “left handed”
means “sinister.” Scripture does not treat it so badly. It was an advantage in
battle (Judges 3:15-30, 20:16;1 Chron. 12:2). Although the left side was often
opposedto the right in such matters as goats on the left and sheepon the right
(Mt. 25:31-46), it is not necessarilyintended to denigrate the left hand. When

a division is made there must be a separationin some direction. Notice that to
move to the left side of the judge is a movement to the right by those facing
him. The lessonis the division, not the side on which eachgroup placed. Being
on God’s left hand is not always bad. The heavenly hosts are on both his right
hand and his left (2 Chron. 18:18; 1 Kings 22:19). God did not distinguish
betweenleft and right when he said through Isaiah, “This is the way, walk ye
in it; when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left (30:21). The
Old Testamentdescribes walking in God’s will as turning “neither to the right
hand or to the left” (Dt. 5:32, 17:11, 28:14;Josh. 1:7, 23:6; 2 Kings 22:2; 2
Chron. 34:2). Why, then, does the right hand always come in first and the left
hand come in second? Perhaps the simplest reasonis that most folks are right
handed as a result of which we live in a right-handed world. Thus, when the
scripture speaks in terms of a favored hand such as Christ sitting on the right
hand of God, it could signal no more than the fact that, as often, God is being
describedanthromorphically. This might also accountfor Eccl. 10:2. When
divisions are made for any reason, understandable descriptions must be used.
Remember that then as now we live in a “right handed” world. But also
remember that sitting on the left hand is not undesirable. The mother of
James and John askedthat Jesus seathertwo sons one on his right hand and
one on his left (Matt. 20:21). In the pseudepigraphicalbook of 1 Enoch the
archangelGabrielis seatedatthe left hand of God. In his apocryphal book
Hermas, in his ninth parable, writes of Christ and the Holy Spirit, “They
stand, one on His right band and the other on His left” (9:35). (Dictionary of
the Apostolic Church (2 Vols.). 1916-1918(J. Hastings, Ed.). New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons.)There is no Biblical reference that supports either
source.
To understand the meaning of Isa. 45, go to Classes:Isaiah; Lesson16, Chap.
45:1-7.
A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature has an informative
article on the subject:
LEFT HAND, RIGHT HAND Biblical phrases referring to the right hand
reflecta widespreadhuman cultural attitude, namely the recognitionthat for
most people the right hand is both strongerand more adept than the left, and

is the hand with which many tasks are instinctively undertaken. The corollary
has often been that left-handedness is regardedas odd, undesirable, and even
antisocial;hence the view embodied in the word sinister (Latin for “left
hand”). No such hostile attitude to left-handedness canbe found in Scripture;
there are stories ofleft-handed heroes, such as Ehud in Judg. 3:15–30 (cf. the
left-handed soldiers of Benjamin in Judg. 20:16 and David’s Benjamite
warriors in 1 Chron. 12:2; interestingly, “Benjamin” in Hebrew means “son
of my right hand”!).
A generaldisposition to prefer the right hand is nonetheless evident and
persists in subsequent tradition. Eccl. 10:2 links “a wise man’s heart” with his
right hand, and “a fool’s heart” with his left. When the Sonof Man separates
the sheepfrom the goats at the Last Judgment, it is to the damned “onthe left
hand” that he says, “Departfrom me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire” (Matt.
25:41). (A classicalparallelmay be found in Plato’s myth of Er [Republic, bk.
10], where at death the just souls take the righthand upward path while the
unjust must take the downward path on the left.) Rabbinic tradition also
establishes hellto the left of God, and heaven on his right side (Midr. Ps.
90:12).
The right hand is often mentioned as a symbol of strength, both for human
beings and anthropomorphically for God (e.g., Job40:14;Isa. 48:13). This
metaphor for God’s power is used chiefly in connectionwith creationor the
deliverance of God’s people. ForGeorge Herbert, in “Providence,” the right
and left hand of God signify two aspects ofthe divine will:
For either thy command or thy permission
Lay hands on all: they are thy right and left.
The first puts on with speedand expedition;
The other curbs sinnes stealing pace and theft.
Another symbolism concerns the place at the right hand of a person or God,
i.e., the place of preeminent dignity and favor (cf. 1 Kings 2:19; Ps. 110:1).
Christ being enthroned at the right hand of the Father signifies his being
God’s agent in salvation.

In patristic writings scriptural distinctions betweenright and left are often
ingeniously allegorized. Thus, in St. Augustine’s discussionofthe miraculous
draught of fishes (John 21), the multitude of fish caught when, as Jesus
directed, the disciples casttheir net “onthe right side of the ship” represent
“those who stand on the right hand, the goodalone.” Augustine contrasts this
incident with an earlier miracle recordedin Luke 5:3–7:
On that occasionthe nets are not let down on the right side, that the good
alone might not be signified, nor on the left, lest the application should be
limited to the bad; but without any reference to either side, He [Jesus]says,
“Let down your nets for a draught,” that we may understand the goodand
bad as mingled together. … He showedthereby in the former case thatthe
capture of fishes signified the goodand bad presently existing in the Church;
but in the latter, the goodonly, whom it will contain everlastingly, when the
resurrectionof the dead shall have been completed in the end of this world.
(In Joan. Ev. 122.6)
This broad tradition is evident in the conventions of visual and literary
iconoaphy. In medieval drama, such as the Jeu d’Adam, hellmouth is typically
locatedto the left of God (i.e., on the audience’s right). In medieval illustration
left / right symmetries are common: the Biblia Pauperum, e.g., following
patristic precedent, shows Eve createdfrom the left side of Adam, whereas
blood and waterissue from the pierced right side of Jesus, the Second
Adam—the first anticipates the Fall and signals human mortality, the second
bespeaks redemptionand the gift of eternal life. Milton in Paradise Lost
(2.755-58)has Sin born out of the left side of Satan’s head. Later, in Blake’s
Vision of the Last Judgement “the right hand of the Designis appropriated to
the Resurrectionofthe Just; the left hand … to the Resurrectionof the
Wicked.” The traditional bias is recalledalso by Vladimir Nabokovin
Laughter in the Dark (1938)when Margot’s two lovers, the one favored, the
other unwelcome, touch her on eachknee, “as though Paradise had been on
her right hand and Hell on her left” (chap. 17). Other literary allusions (e.g.,
Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, 1.8;3.3)derive from Jonah4:11, where God
explains to hard-hearted Jonahhis compassiontowardNineveh, in which live
“more than sixscore thousand persons that cannotdiscern betweentheir right
hand and their left” (i.e., young children), or from Jesus’injunctions

concerning secrecyin almsgiving: “Let not thy left hand know what thy right
hand doeth” (Matt. 6:3). The latter text is the subjectof frequent parodic
adaptation, as in P. G. Wodehouse, MeetMr. Mulliner (“He was a man who
never let his left hip know what his right hip was doing”). In Christopher
Isherwood’s Mr. Norris Changes Trains, Mr. Norris introduces Herr Schmidt
as “my secretaryand my right hand. Only in this case, Mr. Norris tittered
nervously, ‘I can assure you that the right hand knows perfectly wellwhat the
left hand doeth’“ (chap. 2). (Jeffrey, D. L. (1992). A Dictionary of biblical
tradition in English literature. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans.)
Finally, in the interest of full disclosure I must reveal that a southpaw wrote
this answer. It was surely a southpaw who concludedthat God must be left-
handed because Christis sitting on his right hand. Of course the truth is that,
other than anthropomorphically, God has no hands at all. He is a Spirit, and
those who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT by PastorTony
Esezobor
By hacministries July 16, 2014
DAY 16, ReadDeut. 7:12-26
Key Verses:“If you should say in your heart, ‘These nations are greaterthan
I how canI dispossessthem?’ – You shall not be afraid of them, but you shall
remember wellwhat the LORD your God did to Pharaohand to all Egypt:
the greattrials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty
hand and the outstretchedarm, by which the LORD your God brought you
out. So shall the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are
afraid” (Verses 17-19).
The mighty hand of God is evidencedby the works he does. To me, and to
most of us, the mighty hand of God must manifest in practical terms such as

in: raising godly, educatedand potentially successfulchildren. It is about
owning a successfullygrowing business. It is also about growing a successful
ministry for those of us who are Pastors here. And without sounding verbose,
it is about being as pastors, successfulpeople-practitioners.It is about owning
a reputation and protecting it and much more. The mighty hand of God is
only as mighty as the miracles in our lives.
The mighty hand of God is not about reading Bible stories of his mighty deeds
in Israel or about his miracle in other people’s lives. We must look at what he
can do in our lives, what indeed he does in our days, and definitely in our
nation.
God likes to deal with us as individuals because we must stand before him, all
of us, to accountfor what he has committed to our charge. However, he also
deals with us as a nation because we must accountfor the nations he has given
us, beginning with our families, our Church and then Nigeria. Now, that’s to
me and should be to us, the mighty hand of God. If you’ve read Hebrews
Chapter 11, like I know you’ve done, you’d know what mighty things God can
do through us.
Now, the mighty hand of God implies that God has hands. God’s hands are
for action. No wonder Jesus says in John 5: 17 “My Father workethhitherto
and I work” Oh yes, the hands of God work!
God isn’t mighty because times are good. God’s might and greatnessare not
demonstrated simply in good times and situations. Forexample, God’s love is
better appreciatedin a life packedfull with a multitude of sins. A man or
woman caughtin a family that’s saved and churched is going to grow up more
likely than not in an atmosphere of godliness and may not fully know the
depth of God’s love like his counterparts who’ve been perhaps, draggedout of
the vice and the deep pit called warmongering or harlotry for example.
The same thing happened at the pool of Bethesda (John5:1-13). The angel by
the command of God’s spirit moved at certainseasonupon the pool and the
first personto jump in was blessed.

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, revealto me the depths of the powerof the mighty
hand of God.
WEIRD Bible Trivia!
More Trivia! - Our Newsletter
Welcome to fun and sometimes WEIRD Bible trivia! This sectioncontains
informative facts revolving around the most popular book ever published.
Visit pages that contain unique truths related to subjects such as numbers
along with people such as the Apostle Paul, Jesus and King David. We also
have a top ten Bible trivia page!
Weird offering
One of the oddesttrivia facts in the Bible revolves around the Philistines. God,
after they captured Israel's Ark of the Covenant, plagued them with painful
hemorrhoids (1Samuel 5). Realizing their possessionand mistreatment of the
Ark brought the painful condition, they decided to give it back to Israel. The
Bible records that when they returned it they included a rather weird offering
of pure gold shaped in the form of both hemorrhoids and mice (1Samuel 6:5,
11)!
Lust of the dead
Here's anotherbit of Biblical trivia you probably did not hear about at
church. Moses, before he died, reminded ancient Israelof its history when he
stated, ". . . and at the Graves of Lust, you provoked the Lord to anger"
(Deuteronomy 9:22, HBFV). What were the graves ofLUST? The locationin
question is called Kibroth-hattaavah in the Bible. It is where a plague was sent
among the people for their sin of lusting after meat AFTER God miraculously
provided manna for them (Numbers 11:31 - 35).
What was Aaron's weird magic trick?

Does Godhave a sense ofhumor?
What exactly is hidden manna?
The oddesthill
The largestcollectionofmen, according to the Bible, that were circumcisedat
one time were all those destined to enter the Promised Land under Joshua (see
Joshua 5). Although those who left Egypt forty years prior were circumcised,
their children (who were the ones God allowedin Canaan)were not (Joshua
5:4 - 6). Although it may seema bit weird, all these circumcisions occurredat
the same time. They were also performed by anyone (not just priests or
elders) who wanted to do so.
Weird portrait using fruits and veggies
Giuseppe Arcimboldo, c. 1590
More than 600,000+ males leftEgyptian slavery under Moses(Numbers 1:46,
see also our trivia on Ancient Israel). At leastas many, and likely more of
them, were alive when the Israelites enteredinto their inheritance. The place
where the men were circumcisedor had their trimmed parts buried (or both)
was called"the hill of the foreskins" (Joshua 5:3).
Left-handed people
There are only two referencesin the Bible to people who were knownto be
left-handed. Ehud was a left-handed warrior used by God to save the

Israelites from being oppressed. He would ultimately serve as Israel's Judge
for eighty years, the longestof anyone who servedin such a capacity(Judges
3:14 - 30).
The Israelite tribe of Benjamin seems to have produced an unusually large
number of left-handed individuals. Some of them were so skilledat slinging
stones that the Bible reveals, "Everyone could sling stones at a hair’s breadth,
and not miss" (Judges 20:16).
Fasterthan a speeding chariot
Who is the fastestpersonin the Bible? Both King Ahab and Elijah were at the
foot of Mount Carmelafter the prophet had all the false priests of Baalslain
(1Kings 18:1 - 40). Elijah tells the king that he needs to get on his chariot and
rush to Jezreel(16+ miles or 25.7 kilometers away)before a drought-ending
downpour makes it impossible to travel. God, after Ahab left, empowered
Elijah with the superhuman ability to OUTRUN the monarch's speedy chariot
and arrive at Jezreelbefore him (verses 44 - 46)!
Just a little off the top . . .
Our last weird Bible trivia fact relates to the sometimes humorous topic of
circumcision. Scripture refers, by name, to ten individuals or groups of men
who were circumcised. In the Old Testament, they were Ishmael, Abraham,
Isaac, the men in the city of Shechem, Moses'son, and every uncircumcised
male to enter the PromisedLand. In the New Testament, they were John the
Baptist, Jesus, Timothy and the Apostle Paul.
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD
HACMinistries April 25, 2014 Leave a Comment

Convention 2014..Day4
Speaker:PastorTony Esezobor
The Mighty hand of God is only as mighty as the miracles in our lives.
– The Mighty hand of God isn’t us reading about Bible stories ofHis mighty
deeds in Israelor His “WoWs”in other people’s lives. We must look at what
He can do in our lives, what indeed He does in our lives and days, and
definitely in our Nations.
– God likes to deal with us as individuals because we must stand before Him,
all of us, to accountfor what he has committed to our charge. However. He
prefers to deal with us as a Nation because we must accountfor the Nations
He has given us, beginning with our families, our Church and then Nigeria.
Now that’s to me and should be to us, the mighty hand of God. If you’ve read
Hebrews Chapter 11, like I know you’ve done, you’d know what mighty
things God can do with His hands.
– Now, notice in our title that God’s got hands: the Mighty Hands of God
implies that Godhas hands. God’s hands are for action. No wonder Jesus says
in John 5: 17 “My Father workethhitherto and I work” Oh yes the hands of
God work!
– God isn’t mighty because times are good. God’s might and greatness are
not demonstratedsimply in goodtimes and situations. For example, God’s
love is better appreciatedin a life packedfull with a multitude of sins. A man
or woman caught in a family that’s savedand churched is going to grow up
more likely than not in an atmosphere of godliness and may not fully know
the depth of God’s love like his counterparts who’ve been perhaps, you know,
draggedout of the vice and the deep pit calledwarmongering or harlotry for
example.
Genesis 1:1-4:
God’s first directly spokenwords in the Bible were – “Let there be light…” or
“Light be” (Genesis 1). But this command had to wait. The command had to
wait until The Spirit of God moved. God didn’t move his hand until His Spirit

was moved. The voice of God is the hand of God and God’s hand is mighty. It
is funny to think that the mighty hand of God is Mighty because ofits size.
NO! It is not mighty because of its size but because ofthe size of what He does.
If you see the size of my hands you have seenthe size of God’s hand because I
am made in His image. The voice of God is the leg of God. Why do I say this?
BecauseGoddoesn’t ever leave His Throne. God canreplicate Himself
elsewhere but He will not leave His Throne. “And they heard the voice of the
Lord God walking in the garden in the coolof the day: and Adam and his wife
hid themselves from the presence ofthe Lord God amongstthe trees of the
garden” – Genesis 3:8. His hands and legs leave His Throne only by His voice
(Psalm 29:1-11). Forthe same reasonthe centurion told Jesus not to come to
heal his servant but to speak or send His word (Matthew 8:5-13). Now,
scripture says He sentforth his word and His Word healeth them (Psalm
107:20). Now I cannot imagine God leaving His Throne.
The same thing happened at the pool of Bethesda (John5:1-13). The angel by
the command of God’s spirit moved at certainseasonupon the pool and the
first personto jump in was blessed.
2 Kings 3:15:
“But now bring me a musician.”
Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came
upon him.“
Elijah could not create the wind of the Spirit, but he could set sail to receive it.
See 1 Samuel16:14-23, 2 Kings 18:7, Genesis 39:2-21, 1 Samuel 18:12-14:
2 Peter1:21: “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of
God[a] spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
Men moved by the Holy Ghostspoke from God.
In Matthew's account(12:27-28), we read (All quotes from NIV, all empahsis
mine):

And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them
out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I
drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
But Luke 11:19-20 renders it a bit differently:
Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive
them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the
finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Given that Luke's writings are so Spirit-focused, I would have expectedit the
other way around: that Matthew would use "finger of God" and Luke "Spirit
of God". Why would Luke be the one to adopt the phrase "finger of God"
here? What does it tell us?
The "finger of God" is mentioned in two passagesin the Hebrew Bible. Once
when the magicians of Pharaohconcededdefeatbefore Moses (Ex8:19) and
secondlywhen the two tablets were inscribed with the Ten Commandments
(Ex 31:18).
In the context at hand here in Matt 12:27-28 and Luke 11:19-20, where we see
Jesus casting out the demons, the confrontation hails back to the former
episode in Exodus, when magicians in the court of Pharaohwere stymied by
"the finger of God."
Thus, like Moses, Jesushad stymied the power of Satan, whom Jesus likens in
this contextto a strong man that is bound and plundered (Matt 12:29-30 and
Luke 11:21-23). The strong man is stymied by "the finger of God." Please
notice that Jesus makes the connectionin the immediate context at hand.
According to Isaiah, the "Holy Spirit" of Yahweh was this power of God,
which enabled Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. The words are ָ‫ְד‬ ‫ש‬ֹׁ‫ו‬
‫חּו‬ ַ, which literally are translatedas "his Holy Spirit" in Isaiah63:10 and
Isaiah63:11. It was therefore "the Spirit of Yahweh" (Isaiah 63:14) who
empoweredMoses according to these three respective passagesin Isaiah.

As we see in the Exodus account, the "mighty hand and outstretchedarm"
now come into focus in these passagesfrom Isaiah. It was not the finger of
God, but the "mighty hand and outstretchedarm" of Godthat delivered them
from Egypt. The progressionofpower starts with the finger, the hand, and
then the arm. The visible theocratic Kingdom of God was subsequently
establishedthrough the "mighty hand and outstretched arm" of God.
Jesus thus said to the Pharisees that"the Kingdom of Godwas nigh." He
implied therefore to his listeners who were familiar with the Hebrew Bible
that the "mighty hand and outstretched arm" of God was next, since the
"finger of God" was now presently evident to them. In other words, when
Jesus had mentioned that the Kingdom of God was at hand, he signaledthe
immanency of the return of the Kingdom of God to earth (just as the Exodus
in Egypt resulted in the visible theocratic Kingdom at the giving of the Ten
Commandments on Sinai). Please note that the TenCommandments (Old
Covenant) was given 50 days (Shavuot) after the Exodus from Egypt in the
same way that the New Covenant was given 50 days (Pentecost)afterthe
resurrectionof Jesus the Nazarene.
Further, in Ezekiel20:33-44, we see the predictive prophecy at the time that
Ezekielwrote, that the "mighty hand and outstretchedarm" will again save
the faithful remnant of Jews but through God's covenant, which was the New
Covenantthat was in view (cf. Ezek 20:37 with Ezek 11:19-20;Ezek 34:25;
and Ezek 36:24-28). Therefore Jesus was heralding to his listeners the
immanency of this New Covenant-basedKingdom.
The finger of God therefore prefigures "the mighty hand and outstretched
arm" of God, who delivers his people through "his Holy Spirit" ( ‫חּו‬ ַ ָ‫ְד‬ ‫ש‬ֹׁ‫ו‬ ).
The Holy Spirit therefore is the power that binds Satan.
Jesus is the Moses who heralds the New Covenant-basedKingdom of God,
which arrived at Pentecostby the Holy Spirit.
I thought the explanation of how the finger relates to the hand and arm was
very informative, but I don't see where the OP's question is actually
addressed:why do Matthew and Luke use different expressions? If anything,

you seemto have provided even more reasons for Matthew, rather than Luke,
to have used the expression. –
"In Matthew's account... But Luke ... Why would Luke be the one to adopt
the phrase 'finger of God' here?" I read the question as why Luke rather than
Matthew chose the expression"fingerof God". But you're right, there were
two questions. You answeredthe second, but not the first. it was a really good
answerthough. You might also check out Cyprian's commentary on the hand
of God. He lists a lot of additional references from Isaiah. – user33515Dec 5
'17 at 17:55
For me, I associateLuke with wolf. In Norse mythology, Tyr gave his Hand to
Fenrir the wolf when the wolf was being bound. The Hand will ultimately save
the wolf, the leastof us. Josephshows deference to Benjamin (wolf) because
the part of Josephthat resides in Benjamin. And Deut. 33:12. In the NT,
"Today" is capped and tells us that, one day, the Hand will be calledback to
Himself. To discoverHoly Spirit Within while His Hand is stretched out still,
or it will be too late. – tblue Feb25 '18 at 8:26
add a comment
The Spirit of God and the finger of God are used in Matthew 12:27 and Luke
11:20 interchangeably. The Lord God wrote down the 10 commandments on
the stone tablets with his finger. Ex. 34:1. In Jeremiah31:33 talking about the
new covenantGod says,”Iwill put my law in their minds and write it on their
hearts.” How can God write his law on our hearts? By his Spirit. Here the law
is not external rules written on stone, but an internal truth coming from the
Holy Spirit at work inside us. This is the Spirit of Christ, Roman8:9. “ You
howeverare not controlled by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit
of God lives in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ, does not
belong to him.” As a Christian, I need the finger of God writing his law on my
heart and the Spirit of Christ living in my heart. First his Spirit comes in
when I am born from above ( again) John 3:3 I think the finger of God in this

context is the physical, delicate and surgicallyaccurate working of the Holy
Spirit etching his truth in my innermost being. So in practice, I cannot
separate God’s Spirit who gives me new life, from His finger within me which
enables me to live for Jesus so I can work out my salvation. Phil 2:12
JocelynWilson
Beautiful job in connecting the Spirit of God with the Fingerof God, Jocelyn.
Welcome to the forum. Bestwishes, – Dieter Jun 14 '18 at 2:34
In addition to the previous answer, considera bit more simply, that Mt and
Lk are communicating the exactsame conceptwith "spirit" and "finger".
Point being that only the one true God has powerover the devil (immediate
context of both Mt and Lk) as the Gospelwriters (all 4) are evidencing that
Jesus is the Christ, the Saving Son of the Living God. Matthew's primary
Jewishaudience needed no connectionto the "fingerof God" in Ex 8:19 for
they were already acutelyaware that all the plagues (and in particular the
plague of gnats which was a unique plague in that it was sheerex nihilo, a
creationof a living thing out of nothing, a miracle which the magicians of
Egypt could not duplicate) evidencedthe powerof the Spirit of the living God.
Luke's audience would have been more looselyaware ofthe details of the
Exodus story. So Luke's Gospelcatcheshis audience with a reference that
would give them pause to consider:either to go back and look at the Exodus
story, or more likely, to tie the Holy Spirit's presence and power directly to
this Jesus, who, like God alone, had his own "finger" with Holy Spirit power
over the forces of darkness.
David M Groleau
Welcome to Stack Exchange,we are glad you are here. When you have a
chance, be sure to check out the site tour and read up on how this site is a little
different than other sites around the web... This is an OK answer, but would
be greatly improved by referencing reliably sources.In general, don't just tell
us what you know, show us how you know it. – ThaddeusB Nov 17 '15 at 18:37

Jesus traveledfrom town to town preaching the GoodNews, it is most likely
that on many occasionsHe repeated the same things but in a slightly different
manner, that is I believe the reasonfor the difference.
Ozzie Nicolas
Are you suggesting that Luke was only aware ofthe times that Jesus usedthe
"finger of God" version of this expressionand not aware of any times he used
"Spirit of God" instead? – Soldarnal♦ Feb20 '18 at 21:46
@Soldarnal:Luke was aware that Jesus used the term "Spirit of God",
because the Gospelof Matthew was completedby 41 of our Common Era and
the GospelofLuke was by 58 C.E. , so Luke must have been aware that
Matthew used that term , and perhaps knowingly choose to use the other term
"finger of God" used also by Jesus. – Ozzie Nicolas Feb21 '18 at 19:35
Yes, so my question is if he knowingly choose the other term, why? –
Soldarnal♦ Feb22 '18 at 1:23
@Soldarnal:From the narration of the four gospels we note differences, and
not simply that eachwriter copies the others ,just to give us different
testimonies of the same thing. The narration of Luke for example contains
about 60 % material that is not found in the other gospels and the rich
vocabulary used indicates that Luke was well educated. In mentioning the
"finger of God " Jesus was likelyalluding to Exodus 8:19, probably a well
known verse to the Jews, andthe factthat Luke used it, indicates that he
avoided copying others. – Ozzie Nicolas Feb22 '18 at 19:16
I believe that since a finger always used to points in a direction, I would say
that the Finger of God is the Spirit of God directed towards a specific
purpose.
Umanuwa Dick

Please addmore research. Whatdid finger of God mean to the Jews in the
first century? – Perry Webb Jul 9 '18 at 7:42
Could it be that Jesus was wiselyrebuking their lack of faith and ability by all
THEIR efforts of flesh?
And demonstrated How much Poweris even in His finger? Demons did not
take yelling and saying prayers etc, He was contrasting His limitless powerto
the finite Poweroflegions of demons.
A man a woman, boy or girl, living in Faith in the Name above all names, not
Their Faith, but like Peter, Faith in the Holy Name of Jesus..strong and
mighty Tower....
That’s why His Wisdoms reminds us Not to take HIS NAME in vain
When you and His Name are One With the adversary you will have fun Take
heart dear warrior
His Name moves mountains Melts hearts Binds wounds Cleanses souls Makes
whole The Soul!
Rick
Hi Rick! Welcome to Hermeneutics.SE. You might take the tour if you have
not alreadyto getan idea of what constitutes a thorough answer. – Jack Oct
20 '18 at 13:36
This is because Luke being a Physician is a bit more functionally accurate. He
is implying that another word for "spirit" is "finger".
The same practicality can be seenwith the word "soul".
Matthew 16:26
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?
Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
Luke 9:25

What goodis it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit
their very self?
Luke is being more specific by implying that the soulis anotherway of saying
"self".
Your soul is your self. Your spirit is your finger.
Hand of the Lord-The Holy Spirit
BOOKS THE OTHER HAND OF GOD
THE LEFT HAND OF GOD
Luke 11:20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom
of God has come upon you.
Ezekiel3:14 14The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in
bitterness and in the angerof my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD on
me.
Notice the last point above. Throughout Scripture, the arm of the Lord is a
direct reference to Jesus (Yeshua), while the hand of the Lord refers to the
Holy Spirit. "O sing unto the LORD [Jehovah, the existing One] a new song;
for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath
gottenhim the victory" (Psalm 98:1). "The LORD hath sworn by his right
hand [Spirit], and by the arm of his strength [Yeshua]"
Arm of the Lord: Jesus

The salvationof God is revealedthrough Jesus the Messiah, Who is the "arm
of the Lord." Isaiah52:10 says, "The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in
the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation
of our God." Isaiahlater said, "Who hath believed our report? And to whom
is the arm of the LORD revealed?" (Isaiah53:1). The verses which follow in
Isaiah53 are perhaps the most vivid prophecy ever written about the Messiah.
An arm represents strength, authority, and leadership. "Behold, the Lord
GOD will come with strong hand [Spirit], and his arm [Jesus]shall rule for
him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed
his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm [the Good
Shepherd], and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are
with young"
(Isaiah 40:10-11). JesusChristis the arm of God extended to mankind, by
Whom we may come to the Father. "To wit, that God was in Christ,
reconciling the world unto himself" (II Corinthians 5:19). Jesus is the
Redeemer:"Thouhast with thine arm redeemed thy people" (Psalm 77:15).
Jesus is also the Image of the invisible God (Colossians1:15), the only Doorto
God (John 10:9), and the exclusive MediatorbetweenGod and man (I
Timothy 2:5).
Amazingly, the same outstretchedarm Who reachedout to mankind also
createdthe universe! "Ah Lord GOD!Behold, thou hastmade the heaven and
the earth by thy greatpowerand stretchedout arm [Jesus], and there is
nothing too hard for thee" (Jeremiah 32:17;also see John 1:3; Colossians
1:16; and Revelation4:11 about God creating the world through His Son).
Jesus the Word became flesh (John 1:14), died on a cross as the perfect Lamb
of God, was raisedfrom the dead by the powerof God's Spirit (Romans 8:11),
and then ascendedto the right hand of God's throne (Hebrews 12:2).
Hand of the Lord: The Holy Spirit

Old Testamentprophets often associatedthe "hand of the Lord" with God's
Spirit. "So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness,
in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me"
(Ezekiel3:14). "The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in
the Spirit of the LORD, and setme down in the midst of the valley which was
full of bones" (Ezekiel37:1). Psalm 80:17 is a prophetic verse about Jesus, the
Man of God's right hand: "Let thy hand [Spirit] be upon the man of thy right
hand, upon the sonof man [Jesus]whom thou madest strong for thyself."
Some other verses linking the power of God with the hand of God are as
follows:"Thatall the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD,
that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever" (Joshua
4:24). "The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD
doeth valiantly" (Psalm118:16).
A hand suggests direction, instruction, help, and comfort. The Holy Spirit is
indeed the Helper, the TeacherofGod's children (I Corinthians 2:13; I John
2:27), and the divine Comforter(John 14:26). Also, a hand canrepresent skill,
power, restraint, and touch (see Job 32:18; Isaiah50:2; Luke 4:14, 11:20). All
of these words accuratelydescribe the work of God through the Holy Spirit.
Now that we have a better graspon the Bible's teaching about the Holy Spirit,
let's find out how the hand of God (Holy Spirit) was essentialto the earthly
life and ministry of Jesus.
Old Testamentprophets often associatedthe "hand of the Lord" with God's
Spirit. "So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness,
in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me"
(Ezekiel3:14). "The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in
the Spirit of the LORD, and setme down in the midst of the valley which was
full of bones" (Ezekiel37:1). Psalm 80:17 is a prophetic verse about Jesus, the

Man of God's right hand: "Let thy hand [Spirit] be upon the man of thy right
hand, upon the sonof man [Jesus]whom thou madest strong for thyself."
Some other verses linking the power of God with the hand of God are as
follows:"Thatall the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD,
that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever" (Joshua
4:24). "The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD
doeth valiantly" (Psalm118:16).
A hand suggests direction, instruction, help, and comfort. The Holy Spirit is
indeed the Helper, the TeacherofGod's children (I Corinthians 2:13; I John
2:27), and the divine Comforter(John 14:26). Also, a hand canrepresent skill,
power, restraint, and touch (see Job32:18; Isaiah50:2; Luke 4:14, 11:20). All
of these words accuratelydescribe the work of God through the Holy Spirit.
Now that we have a better graspon the Bible's teaching about the Holy Spirit,
let's find out how the hand of God (Holy Spirit) was essentialto the earthly
life and ministry of Jesus.
The Hand of the Lord
Updated: Mon, 08/13/2018 - 17:33 By admin
Dearreader, this page is a collectionof resourcesthat in some way relate to
the Hand of the Lord. They are not in any particular order. There are sermon
selections,devotionals, illustrations, quotes, etc. If you are preaching or
teaching on the Hand of God there may be something useful on this page.

Robert McCheyne - "Getyour texts from God—your thoughts, your words,
from God. In greatmeasure, according to the purity and perfection's of the
instrument, will be success.It is not greattalents God blessesso much as great
likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weaponin the hand of God. A
word spokenby you when your conscienceis clear, and your heart full of
God's Spirit, is worth ten thousands words spokenin unbelief and sin."
When we are engagedin God’s work and we encountersetbacks,we can
calmly carry on because, like the Israelites, “We are the servants of the God of
heaven and earth” (Ezra 5:11). Obstacles anddelays may discourage us, but
we can rest in Jesus’promise: “I will build my church, and all the powers of
hell will not conquer it” (Mt. 16:18NLT). It is God’s power that enables His
work, not our own.
Ps 37:23-24 The steps of a man are establishedby the LORD; And He delights
in his way. 24 When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong;Because the
LORD is the One who holds his hand. Psalm63:8 tells us: “My soul follows
close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.” ( My soul clings to Thee;
Thy right hand upholds me.) In tough times, we can become so preoccupied
with our role in “clinging to God” that we forgetabout His promised
protection. It’s not our fingernails that sustain us—it’s His loving, upholding
hand.
God’s hand that holds the ocean’s depths
Can hold my small affairs;
His hand that guides the universe,
Can carry all my cares. —Anon.
No one is more secure than the one who is held in God’s hand.
In creationwe see God's hand; in redemption we see His heart.

Sometimes we see a miracle,
And faith in God revives;
Yet eyes of faith cansee God's hand
At work throughout our lives. —Hess
To see God’s hand in everything makes life a greatadventure.
God’s hand of discipline is a hand of love.
In [God’s] hand is the life of every living thing. —Job 12:10
9 "Who among all these does not know That the hand of the LORD has done
this, 10 In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all
mankind? Job12:9-10
As we sense the strength of God’s everlasting arms beneath us (Dt. 33:27), we
can stroll through life with confidence, holding the hand of our unseen
Companion.
You can be confident about tomorrow if you cling to God's hand God today.
Do you see delays, changes ofplans, redirections as intrusions or do you see
God's hand in the delays, etc. God canuse inconveniences in our lives if we
look at them as divine appointments. When we can’t see God’s hand, we can
trust His heart.
“DIS-appointment—HIS-appointment,”
Change one letter, then I see
That the thwarting of my purpose
Is God’s better choice for me. —Young
God omnipotent hand can turn obstaclesinto opportunities.
I reachedfor God's hand full of blessings,
BecauseI was needy and sad;

And, oh, what a showerHe gave me
From all the rich treasure He had! —Simon
"All His saints are in Your hand". --Deuteronomy 33:3
On his deathbed, British preacherCharles Simeon smiled brightly and asked
the people gatheredin his room, "What do you think especiallygives me
comfort at this time?"
When they all remained silent, he exclaimed, "The creation!I ask myself, 'Did
Jehovahcreate the world or did I?' He did! Now if He made the world and all
the rolling spheres of the universe, He certainly can take care of me. Into
Jesus'hands I cansafely commit my spirit!"
Hudson Taylor, founder of China Inland Mission, in the closing months of his
life saidto a friend, "I am so weak. I can't read my Bible. I can't even pray. I
can only lie still in God's arms like a little child and trust."
Both Simeon and Taylorknew that the almighty God who createdthe
universe was holding them in His hands. Moses hadthe same assurance when
he blessedthe children of Israelbefore he died (Deut. 33). They could face the
future with confidence because the God who had delivered them would also
preserve them.
We certainly need not be fearful, then, as we enter a new year. God will never
forsake His redeemed children. We can rejoice that our great Creatorholds
us in His hands. And that's true for every child of God. --H G Bosch(Our
Daily Bread)
The God who made the firmament,
Who made the deepestsea,
The God who put the stars in place
Is the God who cares forme. --Berg (Is the God Who "holdeth" me")

The God who holds the universe is the God who is holding you. (Our Daily
Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
BeneathHis watchful eye
His saints securelydwell;
That hand which bears all nature up
Shall guard His children well.
—Doddridge
With God's arms (hands) beneathus, we need not fear what lies before us.
Sure it takes a lot of courage to put things in God’s hands,
To give ourselves completely, our lives, our hopes, our plans;
To follow where He leads us and make His will our own;
But all it takes is foolishness to go the way alone!
—Kline
When the future is dark and we can't see what's next,
Of the Lord we make childish demands;
We cannotknow all, our minds are too small,
" We must leave all our "whys" in His hands.
—Carbaugh
Often we forgetas we eatour daily bread,
From whom it all has come, to us who are well-fed;
But may we all remember, as we walk upon this sod,

That everything we have is from the hand of God.
-Fitzhugh
Deuteronomy 33:3 - H A Ironside - Here God’s saints are seenin three places.
They are in His heart: “He loves the people!” How precious to dwell in the
bosom of infinite love! What rest in the hour of strife and in the day of
distress!They are also in His hand—the place of security as our Lord tells us
in John 10:27–30, whencenone can pluck them. Last of all, they are at His
feet—the place of discipleship, learning His mind and will that they may walk
in His ways. How abundant the provision which He has made for the comfort,
security and instruction of all His redeemedones!
Low at Thy feet, Lord Jesus,
This is the place for me;
There I have learned sweetlessons,
Truth that has setme free.
Free from myself, Lord Jesus,
Free from the ways of men,
Chains of thought that once bound me
Nevershall bind again.
None but Thyself, Lord Jesus,
Conquered my wayward will;
But for Thy grace, my Saviour
I had been waywardstill.

Deuteronomy 33:27bALL YOU WILL EVER NEED!
"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms
(Deuteronomy 33:27).
As I read Deuteronomy 33, I recalledan old song written by Ada Habershon.
"When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast; when the tempter
would prevail, He can hold me fast."
A woman facing difficult trials and troubling circumstances came to W. B.
Hinson at the close ofa sermon and said, "I'm very much afraid I might fall."
Hinson replied, "Well, why don't you do it?" "But Preacher," she protested,
"where would I fall to?" "You would fall down into the everlasting arms of
God," he replied. Then he said, "I have read in the Bible that His everlasting
arms are underneath His children. And you know, I believe that if you fall
down upon those everlasting arms, it is sure and certain that you will never
fall through them." Without question, the believer can rest in the unfailing
strength and support of the omnipotent Father. God bolsters this assurance
with a progressionoftruth in Isaiah41:10 when He says through the prophet,
"I am with you." "I will strengthenyou." "I will help you." "I will uphold
you with My righteous right hand." And in John 17:11 we read this prayer of
our Lord: "Holy Father, keepthrough Your name those whom You have
given Me." His request will not be thwarted because our Saviorhas given
every believer into the keeping, safeguarding powerof the Father. So even
when we stumble, we fall into the everlasting arms of His grace. —P. R. Van
Gorder. (Our Daily Bread)
When we getto the place where there's nothing left but God,we find that God
is all we need. (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids,
MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
A LessonIn Worry
Lord, how they have increasedwho trouble me! — Psalm3:1

My friend handed me a tall glass ofwater and told me to hold it. The longer I
held it, the heavier it felt. Finally my hand grew tired, and I had to put the
glass down. “I’ve learned that worry can be like holding that glass,”she said.
“The longer I worry about something, the more my fears weighme down.”
King David knew about fear. His whole life had been turned upside down. His
son Absalom had stolenthe allegianceofthe nation of Israelfrom him and
was attempting to take the throne for himself. David didn’t know who was
loyal to him and who was againsthim. His only option seemedto be to run. He
said to his servants, “Makehaste to depart, lest[Absalom] overtake us
suddenly and bring disasterupon us” (2 Sam. 15:14).
In a psalm that David may have written while he was fleeing for his life, he
wrote: “I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy
hill” (Ps. 3:4). In the midst of his fear, David lookedto the Lord. God showed
him grace and restoredhim to the throne.
There are plenty of worries that can weighus down. But as we release them
into God’s strong hands, He will help us through our trials. — Anne Cetas
Thank You, Lord, that we do not have to be weigheddown by worry. Help us
to place our concerns in Your care so that we do not fear tomorrow.
Worry is a burden that God never meant for us to bear. (Our Daily Bread,
Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission.
All rights reserved)
Feeling Chained?
Read:Psalm16:1-11
I have learned in whateverstate I am, to be content. — Philippians 4:11
Boethius lived in sixth-century Italy and servedthe royal court as a highly
skilled politician. Unfortunately, he fell into disfavor with the king. He was
accusedoftreasonand imprisoned. While awaiting execution, he askedfor

writing materials so he could compose his reflections. Later, these became an
enduring spiritual classic onconsolation.
As Boethius satin prison, pondering his bleak prospects, his faith in Christ
infused his perspective:“Nothing is miserable but what is thought so, and
contrariwise, everyestate is happy if he that bears it be content.” He
understood that our view of changing circumstances andcontentment is a
personalchoice.
The apostle Paulreinforced the idea that the way we view our circumstances
is more important than the circumstances themselves. While he too was in
prison, he wrote:“I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Phil.
4:11). Both men could be content because they drew their ultimate satisfaction
from God, who never changes.
Do you feel chained to difficult circumstances?Godcan give you contentment.
Lasting satisfactioncanbe found only with Him, for in His “presence is
fullness of joy; at [His] right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11). —
Dennis Fisher
Lord, lead me today as You see best. Use the gifts You’ve given me to
encourage others ontheir journey. Help me not to compare myself with others
but to be content. When all you have is God, you have all you need. (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by
Ruth 1:13 would you therefore waituntil they were grown? Would you
therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me
than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth againstme." Ruth 2:20
And Naomi saidto her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessedof the LORD who
has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Again Naomi
said to her, “The man is our relative, he is one of our closestrelatives.” =
discouragedNaomisaw God’s hand in Ruth’s life. What we see of God’s
provisions teaches us to trust Him for what we cannot see ofHis purposes.

PURPOSE - Joshua 4:23 “Forthe LORD your God dried up the waters of the
Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had
done to the Red Sea, whichHe dried up before us until we had crossed;24
that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is
mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”
As followers of Christ, it’s goodfor us to have tangible evidence of God’s help
in the past. Those mementos remind us that His faithfulness continues today,
and we can follow Him confidently into the future. Our “stones”may also
help others know that God’s hand is mighty, as they encourage us to fear the
Lord our God forever(Joshua 4:24). The memories of what God has done for
us can become building blocks for today and tomorrow.
How has God shownHimself to be faithful to you and your family? What
would help you to remember?
Is there someone you can talk to about it today?
Precious memories of yesterdaycan strengthen our faith today and tomorrow.
Ps 139:9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotestpart of the
sea, 10 Even there Thy hand will leadme, And Thy right hand will lay hold of
me.
In His Hands - How big is the cosmos?Galaxiesupon galaxies stretchinto
space farther than we can comprehend.
Two Harvard astronomers have discovereda “greatwall” of galaxies that
they estimate to be 500 million light-years long, 200 million light-years wide,
and 15 million light-years thick. (One light-year is 5.88 trillion miles.) Those
numbers are mind-boggling.
Here’s something even more amazing. God createdall of those galaxies and
sustains everything that exists by His powerful hands. Yet that same mighty
God, the one and only God, uses those hands to gently touch the lives of
suffering men and women.

In Psalm 147:3-4 we read that the Lord not only knows all the stars by name,
but He also “heals the brokenheartedand binds up their wounds.” That truth
is echoedin Isaiah40:26-31, which states that the all-powerful Creatoris the
One who renews the strength of those who rely on Him. The God of the
galaxies is the GreatPhysicianwho lovingly ministers to our needs. What a
contrast—andwhat a comfort!
Regardlessofhow heavy your burdens, how tangled your problems, or how
serious your diseases, the God of the galaxies has powerenoughto meet all
your needs—andmeasureless powerto spare. Put your problems in His
hands. We are not expectedto enjoy trials or to celebrate suffering. But when
these unwelcome visitors arrive, we can look for God’s hand in them and trust
that He can use them to make us more like His Son.
The hand that holds the ocean's depths
The hand that guides the universe
We are spiritually blind if we cannotsee God's hand in nature. (Our Daily
Those who see God's hand in everything can leave everything in God's hand.
Are you in deep water? Reachup and grab God’s hand of mercy.
When you're passing through the waters
Of deep sorrow and despair
And you getno help from others,|

Just remember, Christ is there. —Elliott
When trouble overtakes you, let God take over.
Put Your Hand In The Hand - Donny Hathaway
Put your hand in the hand of the Man who stilled the water
Put your hand in the hand of the Man who calmedthe sea
Take a look at yourself, & you can look at others diff'rently
Put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee
He leadeth me! O blessedthought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught!"
Whate’erI do, where’er I be,
Still ’tis God's hand that leadeth me. —Gilmore
You don't need to know where you're going if you know God is leading.
Write your plans in pencil but give God the eraser.
I’ve found that when life’s brush obscures my view
With gloomy strokes thatseem to mar the scene,
God’s hand appears and gives to sunless hue
And dreary skies a more majestic sheen. —Gustafson
When it is dark enough, men see the stars. —Emerson
The circumstances in our lives

Seemrandom and unplanned;
But somedaywe will surely see
The order of God's hand. —Sper
We must be careful to avoid
All self-sufficiency;
If sinful pride gets in the way,
God’s hand we will not see. —Sper
Psalm31:14 But as for me, I trust in Thee, O LORD, I say, “Thou art my
God.” 15 My times are in Thy hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
During times of hardship, I often feel like whining, “Who needs this pain? I
certainly don’t!” But Isaiah28 and my own experience tell me this is a
shortsightedreaction. Not that we need hardship just for its own sake, but we
do need to be changedand to mature. In God’s hand, hardship can be an
effective tool to bring about our much-needed growth.
DearLord, I marvel at the wonders of Your creation. You are such a great
and awesome Godwho does not change. As I place my life in Your hands, I
will trust You to be faithful. Amen.
The wonders of creationreveal Godat work.
SovereignRuler of the skies,
Ever gracious, everwise,
All my times are in Your hand,

All events at Your command. — Ryland
Our times are in God’s hands; our souls are in His keeping.
SLIPPERYPLACES - My steps had nearly slipped. ForI was envious of the
boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. —Psalm73:2-3
The 19th-century hymnwriter Ira D. Sankeywas walking with his young son
on a cold winter day. As they came to an icy spot, Mr. Sankeysaid, “My boy,
you’d better let me take your hand.”
The youngsterdidn’t want to take his hand from his warm pocket, so he
disregardedhis father’s suggestion. Justthen he lost his footing and took a
nasty fall. “All right, Daddy,” he said, “letme hold on to your coat.”
But the boy’s weak grip was not enough to hold him up when his feet went out
from under him again. Getting up, he said, “Daddy, you’d better hold my
hand!” He didn’t fall again.
The psalmist Asaph nearly took a spiritual fall (Ps. 73:2). He saw wicked
people enjoying prosperity, getting their desires, and dying without pain (vv.3-
12), yet he was “chastenedeverymorning” despite his upright life (vv.13-14).
Envious, he almost concludedthat it was futile to live a godly life.
But when he focusedon God, he realized that the wickedare in slippery
places, headedfor judgment (vv.17-20). Confessing his foolishness, he
recognizedthat God upholds and will reward those who trust in Him (vv.21-
24).
Put your hand in God’s hand. It’s your best guarantee againstfalling in life’s
slippery places.
When you are in a slippery place,
Stay close to Jesus’side;
Make sure your hand is held in His,
He’ll be your faithful guide.

—Hess (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. —
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Everlasting Arms - After a pre-concertrehearsalin New York City’s
Carnegie Hall, Randall Atchesonsat on stage alone. He had successfully
navigatedthe intricate piano compositions of Beethoven, Chopin, and Liszt
for the evening program, and with only minutes remaining before the doors
opened, he wanted to play one more piece for himself. What came from his
heart and his hands was an old hymn by Elisha Hoffman:
What have I to dread,
what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessedpeace
with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Those words echo the truth in the final blessing of Moses:“There is no one
like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to help you, and in His
excellencyon the clouds. The eternalGod is your refuge, and underneath are
the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:26-27).
What a gift we have in our own arms and hands—they can swing a hammer,
hold a child, or help a friend. But while our strength is limited, God’s
boundless poweron our behalf is expressedin might and gentle care. “Behold,
the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save” (Isaiah59:1). “He will
gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom” (Isaiah40:11).
Whateverchallenge or opportunity we face, there is security and peace in His
everlasting arms.

The heavenly Father’s arms never tire of holding His children. (Our Daily
MY FINGERNAILS OR HIS HAND?-Psalm37:23-26 | Bible in a Year:
Isaiah59-61;2 Thessalonians 3
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, The Lord upholds (SUSTAINS
- used of laying on of hands on offering to show identification with it) him with
His hand. —Psalm 37:24 The Israelites were to learn not to trust in man or
nation (II Kgs 18:21;Ezk 30:6), but in God who by his power (Ps 37:24) and
word (Ps 119:116)upholds the righteous (Ps 37:17). So will the believer dwell
in safety and surety (Ps 3:5 [H 6]) all his life (Ps 71:6) despite those times
when he may fall (Ps 145:14).
Tough times cancause us to get our perspective turned around. I was
reminded of this recently as I talkedto a fellow-griever—anotherparentwho,
like Sue and me, lost a teenage daughterto death suddenly and without
warning.
She told me she had been missing her daughter terribly, and she told God she
felt as if she were hanging on by her fingernails. Then she felt as if God
reminded her that His hand of protection was there to hold her up—that she
could let go, and He would catch her.
That’s a better perspective, isn’t it? This picture reminds us that when
troubles come and we feel leastable to hold on to our faith, it’s not up to us.
It’s up to God to support us with His mighty hand.
Psalm37:23-24 says:“The steps of a goodman are ordered by the Lord …
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly castdown; for the Lord upholds him
with His hand.” And Psalm63:8 tells us: “My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.”

In tough times, we can become so preoccupiedwith our role in “clinging to
God” that we forgetabout His promised protection. It’s not our fingernails
that sustain us—it’s His loving, upholding hand.
God’s hand that holds the ocean’s depths
His hand that guides the universe,
No one is more secure than the one who is held in God’s hand. By Dave
Branon (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. —
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
The Hand of God - My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand
upholds me. —Psalm63:8
When NASA beganusing a new kind of space telescopeto capture different
spectrums of light, researchers were surprisedat one of the photos. It shows
what looks like fingers, a thumb, and an open palm showeredwith spectacular
colors of blue, purple, green, and gold. Some have calledit “The Hand of
God.”
The idea of God reaching out His hand to help us in our time of need is a
central theme of Scripture. In Psalm63 we read: “Because Youhave been my
help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows
close behind You; Your right hand upholds me” (vv.7-8). The psalmist felt
God’s divine help like a hand of support. Some Bible teachers believe that
King David wrote this psalm in the wilderness of Judah during the terrible
time of his sonAbsalom’s rebellion. Absalom had conspiredto dethrone his
father, and David fled to the wilderness (2 Sam. 15–16). Evenduring this
difficult time, Godwas present and David trusted in Him. He said, “Because
Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You” (Ps. 63:3).

Life can be painful at times, yet God offers His comforting hand in the midst
of it. We are not beyond His reach. “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened,
that it cannot save” (Isaiah59:1)
BeneathHis watchful eye
His saints securelydwell;
That hand which bears all nature up
Shall guard His children well.
—Doddridge
God bears the world’s weighton His shoulder, yet holds His children in the
palm of His hand. (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand
Rapids, MI. — Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Ezra 7:1-10,27-28Seeing God’s Hand
September 6, 2010
He came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. —
Ezra 7:9
On Jack Borden’s 101stbirthday, he awoke at5 a.m., ate a hearty breakfast,
and was at his law office by 6:30 ready to begin his day. When askedthe
secretof his long life, the practicing attorney smiled and quipped, “Not
dying.”
But there’s more to it than that. Mr. Borden, who was baptized at age 11 in
the ClearFork of the Trinity River, told Fort Worth (Texas)Star-Telegram
reporter David Casstevens,“I’m a firm believer that God has His hand in
everything that happens. He is letting me live for some reason. I try to do the
things that I believe He wants me to.”
Ezra the priest experiencedthe “goodhand of his God upon him” when he led
a delegationto Jerusalemto provide spiritual leadershipfor the former
captives who were rebuilding the temple and the city (Ezra 7:9-10). Ezra

found strength and courage in knowing that the Lord was with them eachstep
of the way. “So I was encouraged, as the hand of the Lord my God was upon
me; and I gathered leading men of Israelto go up with me” (Ezra 7:28).
When we see the Lord’s hand in our lives, it brings forth a deep “Thank You”
and a growing desire to do what He wants us to do.
If we would view through eyes of faith
The course of eachnew day,
We’d quickly see God’s gracious hand
In all that comes our way. —D. De Haan
If you know that God’s hand is in everything,
you canleave everything in God’s hands.
When we know that God’s hand is in everything,
we can leave everything in God’s hand.
God's hand is in everything,
you canleave everything in God's hands.
Why do we need to remember the nine things God's hand accomplishes?
Becausemany times we have been in a terrible predicament we forgetthat
only his hand candeliver us. We also oftenforget that - because ofour lack of
trust in Christ - his hands were piercedand nailed to a Cross so that we could
be saved.
1) We are createdby the hand of God
"Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroyme?"
Job 10:8

"Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your
commands." Psalm119:73
2) We are sustained by the hand of the Lord.
"Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In
his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." Job 12:9-
10
"But Moses said, "Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and
you say, 'I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!' Would they have
enough if flocks and herds were slaughteredfor them? Would they have
enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?" The Lord answered
Moses,"Is the Lord's arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I
say will come true for you." Numbers 11:21-23
POWER - Ex 32:11 Then Moses entreatedthe LORD his God, and said, "O
LORD, why doth Thine angerburn againstThy people whom Thou hast
brought out from the land of Egypt with greatpowerand with a mighty
hand? (cp Dt 5:15, mighty hand Dt 7:19, mighty hand Dt 11:2) (cp He "had
brought them up from the land of Egypt and they had feared other gods." -
2Ki 17:7 - why they were sent into exile to Assyria)
Isaiah43:13 “Evenfrom eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver
out of My hand; I actand who can reverse it?”
Creation- Isaiah 45:12 “It is I who made the earth, and createdman upon it. I
stretchedout the heavens with My hands And I ordained all their host.
Isaiah48:13 Surely My hand founded the earth, And My right hand spread
out the heavens;When I callto them, they stand together.
Joshua 4:23 "Forthe LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan
before you until you had crossed, justas the LORD your God had done to the

Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed;24 that all the
peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that
you may fearthe LORD your God forever."
Dt 3:24 'O Lord GOD, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness
and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do
such works and mighty acts as Thine?
1 Sa 5:11 They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines and
said, "Sendawaythe ark of the God of Israel, and let it return to its own
place, that it may not kill us and our people." Forthere was a deadly
confusionthroughout the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. (1Sa
6:3, 5)
3) We are strengthened by the hand of the Lord
"[A]nd who has extended his goodfavor to me before the king and his
advisers and all the king's powerful officials. Becausethe hand of the Lord my
God was on me, I took courage and gatheredleaders from Israelto go up with
me." Ezra 7:28
"You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great." Psalm18:35
"The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he
may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." Psalm
37:23-24
4) We are delivered by the hand of the Lord
"In days to come, when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' sayto him,
'With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of
slavery." Exodus 13:14
5) We are redeemed by the hand of the Lord
"They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great
strength and your mighty hand." Nehemiah1:10
Isaiah50:2 … Is My hand so short that it cannot ransom?…

6) We are lead by the hand of the Lord
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?If I
go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are
there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm
139:7-10
God knows eachwinding way I take,
And every sorrow, pain, and ache;
And me He never will forsake—
He knows and loves His own. —Bosch
Isaiah49:16 Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me.
7) We are blessedby the hand of Lord
"A personcan do nothing better than to eatand drink and find satisfactionin
their own toil.
This too, I see, is from the hand of God." Ecclesiastes2:24
TO GRANT UNITY - The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one
heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the
LORD. 2Chr 30:12
8) We are satisfiedby the hand of the Lord
"You open Your hand and satisfy the desires ofevery living thing." Psalm
145:16
1Chr 29:16 "O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided to
build Thee a house for Thy holy name, it is from Thy hand, and all is Thine.
Isaiah41:10 (Speaking of Israelbut applicable to all who are in Christ) Do not
fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I

will strengthenyou, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My
righteous right hand.’
9) We are motivated by the hand of the Lord
"Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind
to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of
the Lord." 2 Chronicles 30:12
Isaiah14:26 “This is the plan devisedagainstthe whole earth; and this is the
hand that is stretchedout againstall the nations. 27 “Forthe LORD of hosts
has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-outhand,
who can turn it back?”
PRAYER OF JABEZ - Prayerre hand of God - 1Chr 4:10 Now Jabezcalled
on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and
enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou
wouldst keepme from harm, that it may not pain me!" And God granted him
what he requested.
PRAYER OF JEHOSHAPHAT - "O LORD, the God of our fathers, art Thou
not God in the heavens? And art Thou not ruler over all the kingdoms of the
nations? Powerand might are in Thy hand so that no one canstand against
Thee. (2Chr 20:6)
Warren Wiersbe on Hand of God
Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first
month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He
delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road.
EZRA 8:31
"If you can explain what’s going on in your life and ministry, then God didn’t
do it; so be sure to keepyour life on a miracle basis.” Dr. Bob Cook, then
president of Youth for Christ, said that at a YFC conference many years ago
and I’ve never forgottenit. Without God’s hand upon his people, we could
never experience God’s power and make progress in our Christian walk and

work. If any book in the Bible illustrates this truth, it’s the book of Ezra. “The
hand of God” was at work for his people in wonderful ways.
The hand of God directs us. “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD,
like the rivers of water;He turns it whereverHe wishes” (Pr. 21:1). The
prophet Jeremiahhad predicted that the Jews wouldbe exiles in Babylon for
seventy years and then permitted to return to their land (Jer. 25:1–14;29:10–
11). The exiled prophet Daniel understood this fact, and he claimed God’s
promise and devoted himself to prayer (Dan. 9). The heart of King Cyrus was
moved by the Lord and he setthe exiles free (Ezra 1:1–4). Their liberty came,
not by political pressure, demonstrations, or bribes, but by God’s people
believing God’s promises and praying.
The king’s heart was moved by the hand of the Lord and so were the hearts of
the Jewishexiles who decided to return to their land (Ezra 1:5). About fifty
thousand of them left Babylon and made the long journey to Jerusalem.
During their years of exile, many families had become comfortable and
preferred to remain in Babylon, but the dedicatedremnant stepped out by
faith to return to their land and rebuild their temple. The Jews who remained
gave generouslyof their wealth, and King Cyrus returned to the priests the
furnishings they would need for the ministry in the temple (vv. 5–8). Only God
could get the glory for these remarkable events. We would experience more
such events today if we gave ourselves to the Word and prayer (Acts 6:4).
The hand of God protects us. In these days of rapid communication and
transportation, we think nothing of making long journeys; but in ancient
days, the picture was not so bright. Travelwas dangerous, for bands of thieves
watchedthe roads for caravans, and it was also uncomfortable and tiring, but
the hand of the Lord protectedhis people. When the people reached
Jerusalem, they found themselves surrounded by enemies who did not want
Jerusalemrebuilt, and the Lord gave the Jews the insight and courage not to
compromise. Satanstarts his attack by being a serpent that deceives (Ezra
4:1–5)and if that fails, then he comes as a lion that devours. But the hand of
God is powerful and gives us victory.

The hand of God corrects us. Ezra 9–10 and Nehemiah9–13 tell the sadtale of
the Jewishmen disobeying God’s law and taking pagan wives. If the leaders
had allowedthis compromise to continue, it would have polluted the nation’s
“godly seed” (Mal. 2:13–16). The leaders had to exercise discipline, for “whom
the LORD loves, He chastens” (Heb. 12:5–6).
If we obey the Lord, his hand will pour out blessing;but if we rebel, his hand
will be heavy upon us (Ps 32:3). May the goodhand of the Lord always be
upon us as we seek to serve him!
The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does
valiantly. Psalm118:16
God can use the storms of life to fulfill His will. Is the wind blowing? He is
flying on the wings of the wind. Are the clouds thick? He will bring showers of
blessing out of them. Don't be afraid of the storm. Storms can come from the
hand of God and be the means of blessing
Psalm78:40-53 The older we get, the more we forget. This is especiallytrue
when it comes to our relationship with God. The people of Israeloften
remembered what they should have forgottenand forgotwhat they should
have remembered! "Theydid not remember His power:the day when He
redeemedthem from the enemy, when He workedHis signs in Egypt, and His
wonders in the field of Zoan" (Psalm78:42,43). How amazing. The Jews had
seenGod perform ten miracles on their behalf in Egypt. Moses evenpointed
out that this was the hand of the Lord, yet they forgotall about it (Ps 78:54
"So He brought them to His holy land, To this hill country which His right
hand had gained.")
HE’S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS
Stephen Lang - The Complete Book of Bible Secrets andMysteries
Well, first off, God doesn’thave a body. He is a spirit, and one of the Ten
Commandments strictly prohibited making any kind of picture or statue that
representedhim. (See Exodus 20:4.) While other nations representedtheir
gods in the forms of humans or animals (or sometimes a combination of the
two), the Israelites did not, for the true God was invisible—and also too

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