Psalm 136:12

Psalm 136:12

God's mighty hand and outstretched arm

It’s an enigma, isn’t it, that the Scriptures teach us that God is Spirit, that no one has seen Him and that His dwelling place is heavenly, and yet we find regular references to a physical Being? In this instance His mighty hand and outstretched arm are in action. Are these just figures of speech or does the Lord God literally possess hands and arms like ours? 

There are 17 references in the Old Testament to God’s outstretched arm and in each case, this refers to His active involvement in the world’s affairs, particularly in Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and the terrors, signs, wonders and judgements that accompanied their liberation. It appears that when the Lord deliberately involves Himself in worldly matters and physically intervenes in times of crisis or judgement, His mighty hand and outstretched arm are deemed to be active. In many instances His Word is enough, but there are occasions when He must act, particularly on behalf of Israel. They are His physical people, they live in a land that is a geographical location that is set aside for their occupation, thus when God deals with them it is often in a literal way. God shows us, through Israel, that He still applies His sovereignty over the affairs of men and that those who interfere in His plans are likely to feel the brunt of His wrath. This warns us that we should fear Him and be aware when He intervenes as He has done, for Israel, in the past 70-80 years. 

As ever, we catch a glimpse here of the justice and anger of God but then we are reminded, for those who serve and obey Him, “His love endures forever.”

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