This Lent our theme is “The Hand of God.” 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.

Click Here to read the full article by Pastor Erik Gauss!