THE HAND OF THE LORD

An introduction to our Lenten Series written by the author.

Whether tightening a bolt, crocheting, or typing on a computer, there is so much that we do with our hands. The Greek physician Galen called them the instrument of instruments. Indeed, hands are instruments that can do a great deal of things. Hands can be used to heal or hurt, work or wreck, build or break, seize or surrender, and on and on. Hands are so often central to the ways we interact with the world that they have also become figurative symbols of power, control, craftsmanship, and possession. We daily speak of hands in many phrases, such as “Lend a hand,” “Things are out of hand,” “Working together hand in glove,” and “Close at hand.” Moreover, in our modern era of robotic, machine, and computer processing, adding “hand” as a prefix to many words can often communicate something that is personal and intentional. Labeling something as handpicked, handwritten, or handmade adds a personal touch and significance. Our Creator has bestowed on us these amazing instruments.

It is no surprise that mentions of hands appear all over the Bible as God’s Word speaks to us in ways that we can understand. All things are the work of the hand of the Lord (Psalm 102:25). The Lord’s hand is referred to over two hundred times in the Old Testament. The Lord’s hand is active in creation, power, control over happenings of the world, judgment, and salvation. The hand of the Lord was upon Ezekiel when He gave him a vision (Ezekiel 3:22), and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines in the days of Samuel (1 Samuel 7:13). The hand of the Lord is both Law and Gospel.

Perhaps surprisingly, specific references to the “hand of the Lord” are not all that frequent in the New Testament. However, it is precisely in the New Testament where the hand of the Lord takes on literal meaning. The One through whom all things were created took on real, literal hand sin His incarnation (John 1:1–14). We have several examples throughout Scripture that speak of the way that Christ used His hands alongside His life-giving words to bring forgiveness, life, and salvation. The work of Christ’s hands helps us to see the merciful and personal way that He has condescended to us. He has given us something to grasp, even as He holds us. Jesus used His hands to save drowning Peter, to feed the multitudes, to touch those who were unclean, to stop a funeral procession in its tracks, to lift up Jairus’s daughter, and to bless the children. The hand of the Lord has come to us in Jesus.

On the other hand, the literal and figurative actions of mere human hands in the Bible are often the means of our own sin. After all, our own Lord was “delivered into the hands of men” (Luke9:44). However, on a greater level, we know that it was the hand of the Lord at work all along, most especially in His crucifixion. Christ laid down His life of His own authority as He allowed Himself to be delivered into the hands of sinful men (John 10:18). His hands were pierced for the sins of the world. His hands rested on Holy Saturday. Yet, on the third day, He rose again. He now holds us in His hands, and no one can snatch us from His hand (John 10:28). Our Lord has hands, real hands. Jesus has accomplished all that we need. Amazingly, He takes our manipulative, distorted, self-serving hands and restores them into useful hands for His purposes, both to literally use them in service and to make our whole lives into His instruments of witness, service, and praise.

Join us Wednesday Evenings @ 6:30pm as we explore the Lenten Series, The Hand of the Lord. Ash Wednesday is March 5th, 2025. Weekly soup suppers return March 12 @ 5:15pm.

Pastor Al

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