The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, Classic Version, 2015Sample

The Hand of God

Hands are very important. On her wedding day, I took hold of my daughter’s hand and passed it over to the priest (who happened to be my son). His hand (for these purposes) represented the hand of God. He, in turn, joined her hand to that of her husband. Symbolically, I gave her to God and God gave her to her husband. A key part of the marriage ceremony is the joining of hands.

At one level, the hand is simply ‘the part of the human arm beyond the wrist, consisting of the palm, fingers, and thumb.’ But, of course, when we use the word ‘hand’ we often mean it in more than just a physical sense. The hand can be used as a metaphor for action, care and possession.

God uses hands. Many times we read of Jesus healing through laying his hands on sick people, or even just touching them with his hands (for example, Mark 6:5; 8:23). At other times, he put his hands on people to bless them (Mark 10:16). He told his disciples that their hands would be used to heal the sick (Mark 16:18). They were. People were healed through the laying on of their hands (for example, Acts 8:17–18). Others were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17; 19:6), or received gifts through the laying on of hands (2 Timothy 1:6).

What about ‘the hand of God’? What does that mean? Many would think of the moment when Diego Maradona, in the 1986 World Cup, scored for Argentina against England with a decisive, illegal, but unpenalised hand ball. It became known as the ‘hand of God goal’. In the Bible ‘the hand of God’ means something far more profound. In the passages for today we see beautiful truths about God, which are conveyed to us through the metaphor of ‘the hand of God’.

Psalm 145:13b-21

1. The hand of God is open and generous

‘You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing’ (v.16). This metaphor of the extraordinary generosity of God, who opens his hand to us to satisfy our desires, comes in the middle of a section of the psalm that describes God’s great love and faithfulness to us.

Robert Browning wrote: ‘I have lived, seen God’s hand through a lifetime, and all was for best.’ ‘God gives a hand to those who are down on their luck’ (v.14a, MSG). ‘The trademark on all his works is love’ (v.17b, MSG).

This psalm is full of things for which we can thank God. It is a psalm that inspires us to praise. ‘My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name forever and ever’ (v.21).

‘Father, let me hold your hand, and like a child walk with you down all my days, secure in your love and strength’ (Prayer of Thomas à Kempis, c.1380–1471).

Revelation 13:1b-18

2. The hand of God writes our names in the book of life

What an amazing privilege to have God’s hand write our names in ‘the book of life’ belonging to Jesus (v.8b). In the face of persecution ‘God’s holy people passionately and faithfully stand their ground’ (v.10b, MSG).

This chapter is a description of human government at its worst – a demonic power. It needs to be read alongside Romans 13, in which human government is seen at its best – a godly authority. All human government is a mixture of Revelation 13 and Romans 13. Some governments are more like Romans 13, and some more like the description here. We should not be surprised, therefore, by governments making anti-Christian laws and even persecuting the church.

In this passage, the apostle John sees the first two of three beasts, which John Stott describes as seeming ‘to masquerade a diabolical parody of the Trinity’. Later, we will read of the third beast – Babylon (see Revelation 14:8 and chapters 17–18).   

The first beast appears to be a persecuting government. Perhaps the seven heads (13:1b) represent the seven hills on which Rome was built (see 17:9). In Daniel 7:3, the prophet sees beasts that look like the leopard, the bear and the lion, representing three successive world powers. Here they are all rolled into one (Revelation 13:2).

The fatal wound that has been healed (v.3) may refer to Nero, who attempted suicide in AD 68 and was believed to have survived or come alive again (according to legend). This could be seen as a parody of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The beast attacks God’s people for forty-two months or three and a half years (this is typically the period that represents the time between the first and second coming of Jesus – that is, the age of the church). The beast persecutes the church. He makes ‘war against the saints’ (v.7). He has a large following.

The only ones who do not follow him are all those whose names are written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world (v.8b).

The second beast is a pseudo-Christ figure. He performs ‘great and miraculous signs’ (v.13). He is a deceiver. He forces everyone to have his mark on their right hands or on their foreheads (v.16). His number is 666 (v.18).

The number 666 at one level may represent Nero, since the Hebrew letters for ‘Nero Caesar’ when converted into numbers total 666. On another level, numbers in Revelation are normally symbolic. Six is the number of imperfection (since seven is the number of perfection). 666 is therefore the number of triple imperfection, or complete sinfulness.

‘This calls for wisdom’ (v.18a). Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light and his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness (see 2 Corinthians 11:13–14). The first beast has a ‘mouth like that of a lion’ (Revelation 13:2). The second beast has two horns ‘like a lamb’ (v.11). It is as if they are trying to appear to look like Jesus (who is the lion and the lamb, see Revelation 5:5–6). The beasts masquerade as something great, yet they deceive many people. We need wisdom to discern the good from the evil.

Lord, thank you that by your hand you have written our names in the Lamb’s book of life. Please give me wisdom, faithfulness and patient endurance. Help me to overcome evil with good.

Ezra 7:11-8:14

3. The hand of God is on those who look to him

‘I believe in God as I believe in my friends because I feel the breath of His affection, feel His invisible and intangible hand drawing me, leading me, grasping me,’ wrote Miguel de Unamuno.

Ezra knew that the hand of the Lord was on him: ‘Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me’ (v.28). Ezra takes a further 1,500 men – probably about 5,000 people in all – with him (8:1–14).

In tomorrow’s passage we also read: ‘the gracious hand of our God was on us’ (8:18); ‘the gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him’ (v.22); ‘the hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way’ (v.31).

The book of Ezra is about a community making a fresh start. It is not about one man. However, God did use Ezra in a special way. God’s hand was on Ezra.

Ezra was a priest and a teacher who had studied the Scriptures very closely – ‘priest and scholar, expert in matters involving the truths and ways of God’ (7:11, MSG).

God worked through a secular leader (Artaxerxes) to bring about his good purposes. Again we are reminded that ‘the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases’ (Proverbs 21:1). Artaxerxes wrote a letter ordering provision for Ezra (Ezra 7:12 onwards).

Here we see an example of secular government that is more like Romans 13 than Revelation 13. Artaxerxes writes, ‘You are sent by the king ... to enquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand’ (7:14). He continues, ‘I authorize you, Ezra, exercising the wisdom of God that you have in your hands, to appoint magistrates and judges so they can administer justice … Anyone who does not know the teaching, you teach them’ (v.25, MSG).

Ezra says, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honour to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favour to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials’ (vv.27–28).

When we have the hand of God on us we will be like a light on a hill (Matthew 5:15). When God’s hand is on us, his light shines out of us and we attract people to him. He will use us as leaders, equipping us with all the courage and authority we need.

Lord, thank you for those wonderful words ‘because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage.’ Thank you for your love, mercy and protection. I look to you today. I am strengthened and encouraged because I know that your gracious hand is on me.

Pippa Adds

I am slightly struggling with Revelation. I was looking for comfort from the Bible today, so I think I will stick with the psalm (I am not sure I feel strong enough for persecution!).

‘The Lord is … loving to all he has made’ (Psalm 145:13b).

The Lord ‘upholds’, ‘lifts up’, satisfies, ‘is near’, ‘watches over’ (vv.14–20).

I feel better.

Notes:

Miguel de Unamuno, Tragic Sense of Life, (Dover Publications, 1976).

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture marked (MSG) taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.