The Hand of the Lord Is with Us!

Acts 11:19-21

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - March 16, 2014

BACKGROUND:

*The Bible often talks about the Hand of the Lord. In the KJV, the phrase "hand of the Lord" is found 39 times, with 36 times in the Old Testament, and 3 in the New Testament. The phrase "Hand of God" is found 16 times in the Bible, 7 times in the Old Testament and 9 times in the New Testament.

(Note: All of these Scripture passages with some context are listed at the bottom of this sermon, and for further information, see SermonCentral sermon "The Hand of the Lord in Scripture" by Rick Crandall Exodus 9:1-4.)

*Naturally, there are other references to God's Hand that don't include these exact phrases.

For example, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 says:

9. Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain.''

10. And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!'' So God granted him what he requested.

*And Ezra 7:8-9 says this about Ezra:

8. And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

9. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

*With this background in mind, let's read Acts 11:19-21, to see how the Hand of the Lord is with Christians today.

MESSAGE:

*Is the Hand of the Lord with us tonight? Sometimes we might be tempted to doubt it. The Hand of the Lord was surely with the Christians in Acts 11. And there is no doubt about it, because vs. 21 says with certainty: "The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord."

*The Hand of the Lord was surely with those Christians. But is the Hand of the Lord with us today? We might be tempted to doubt it, maybe because we don't see a great number turning to the Lord, or maybe because we are going through a terrible hardship.

*But think back to the early church, and let me ask you some questions. Acts 11:19 mentions Stephen the Deacon. He was stoned to death, murdered by the authorities for his strong witness for Jesus Christ. Was the Hand of the Lord with Stephen when he was stoned? There is no doubt about it, because in Acts 7:55, Stephen "being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God" to welcome him home.

*Was the Hand of the Lord with the early Christians in Acts 5, when a married couple tried to deceive the church, and had to die for their sin? We may not understand why all of that happened. But Hebrews 13:5 tells us that Jesus has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.'' So we have to conclude that the Hand of the Lord was with the church on that day of severe judgment.

*Was the Hand of the Lord with them starting in Acts 5:17, when the Apostles were thrown into prison and beaten? The answer is yes. Was the Hand of the Lord with them in Acts 6:1, when there was fussing and complaining in the church? The answer is yes. Was the Hand of the Lord with them in Acts 8, when a great persecution arose against the church? Again, the answer is yes.

*Was the Hand of the Lord with the Apostle Paul when he was falsely imprisoned for two years. We have to say yes, because at the beginning of that ordeal, Acts 23:11 tells us that one night "the Lord stood by him and said, 'Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.'''

*In every hardship, trial and tribulation, the Hand of the Lord was with those Christians. And the Hand of the Lord is with us today. We can be most sure of this great truth, because again in Hebrews 13:5, Jesus Himself said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.''

*Also Christians, I have to say that the Hand of the Lord is always with us, because we are in His Hand! As Jesus said in John 10:27-29:

27. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

28. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

29. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."

*Christians, the Hand of the Lord is with us tonight, and this Scripture helps us see how.

1. First: The Lord's Hand is with us when we suffer.

*Acts 11:19 reminds us that these early Christians had gone through some terrible suffering. There God's Word says "those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only."

*This was a most difficult time for the church. Stephen the Deacon was one of their best leaders, and he had been cruelly murdered. That alone was a terrible blow to the church. But the suffering did not stop with Stephen's death. In fact, Stephen's murder set off a tsunami of persecution on the other Christians.

*Before he got saved, the Apostle Paul was one of the ringleaders. His original name was Saul, and Acts 8:1-4 tells us that:

1. . . Saul was consenting to his (Stephen's) death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

3. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

4. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

*People were being beaten, thrown into jail, even killed, just because they were followers of Jesus Christ. The early Christians had to run for their lives! The church was scattered. But the Hand of the Lord was with them when they suffered, and His Hand will be with us.

2. The Hand of the Lord is with us when we are suffer, and when we are saved.

*Verses 19-20 point out how we are saved by the good news of Jesus Christ. Verse 19 says these early Christians were "preaching the word." And vs. 20 says they "spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus."

*How are people saved? First, we must hear the good news about Jesus Christ that was preached in these verses. We have to hear God's Word tell us we are sinners, but God loves us, and sent His only Son into the world to die on the cross for our sins. We also must hear that Jesus rose again from the dead because He is Lord, and that He will save us if we will turn to Him.

*When we really hear and believe the good news about Jesus Christ, when we turn to God and receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, when we do what the people did in vs. 21, when we "believe and turn to the Lord," then we are gloriously saved! And the Hand of the Lord is with us for salvation.

*In January 2007, there was a stunning rescue of two boys who had been abducted from their rural Missouri towns. The people there called it a miracle. Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby had disappeared four and a half years and 40 miles apart. But police were stunned to find both boys alive and well in the same suburban St. Louis apartment. Shawn was 11 when he disappeared on Oct. 6, 2002, and 13-year-old Ben hadn't been seen since getting off a school bus four days before the rescue.

*Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke headed the search for Ben, and he was elated after the rescue. The sheriff began a news conference by telling reporters, "We have some good news, and we have some probably unbelievable news." (1)

*How did that incredible rescue happen? I'll tell you in a few moments, but those boys were saved! Can you imagine how the families felt when their boys were found? It was joy beyond measure! But that is just a small taste of the joy in Heaven when someone comes to Jesus.

*Those Missouri families surely knew that know the Hand of the Lord was with them. But how much more is the Hand of the Lord with someone when they are saved from hell!

3. The Hand of the Lord is with us when we are saved, and when we are separated.

*In vs. 19, the early Christians were scattered to the cities and towns north of Jerusalem, and as far as the Island of Cyprus. They were scattered by persecution, and certainly separated from people they loved.

*We will also face times of separation in our lives. Work or service to our country may take us hundreds or thousands of miles away for long periods of time. Then there is the separation of death, and I don’t know anything harder than that.

*Verse 19 reminds us that it was one of these losses that led to the spread of the gospel here in Acts 11. Again, in vs. 19, "Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. . ."

*We read about this loss back in Acts 7 and 8. Stephen was on trial for his life before the corrupt leaders of the Jewish high court. But God used Stephen's testimony to put those Christ-rejecting rulers on trial. Listen to it today, starting in Acts 7:54:

54. When they heard these things (i.e. from Stephen) they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

55. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

56. and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!''

57. Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;

58. and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.''

60. Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin.'' And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Chapter 8:

1. Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

*The separation of death brings great lamentation, great heartache to loved ones. But as Christians, we know that our separation is only temporary. That's why in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul later wrote:

13. . . I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.

14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

15. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.

16. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

17. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

18. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

*I saw my wife's faith shine this weekend after her mother passed away. Mary spoke with confidence about seeing her mother again, and how everything is going to be perfect when we get to Heaven.

*Christians: We will face times of separation in our lives, but we know that our separation is only temporary. And the Hand of the Lord will always be with us to give the comfort and strength we need.

4. The Hand of the Lord is with us when we are separated, and when we are sent to new places in life.

*These Christians had been scattered abroad. They were dislocated. They were sent to places they didn’t expect to go, and sent to places they probably didn’t want to go. We do not always get to choose where we are going in life. Maybe it’s a new town, maybe a new place to work, maybe a new place to live, maybe a new stage in life, and maybe it's a difficult place in life. We do not always get to choose where life will take us.

*Marguerite Higgins won a Pulitzer Prize during the Korean War for reporting what she heard from an old army sergeant. Fifteen thousand of our soldiers had been dug in for several weeks, facing more than a hundred thousand communist soldiers on the other side of the valley.

*For weeks they had been shooting at each other across the valley. At times the temperature had gotten down to 43 degrees below zero. For weeks they had been living on K rations, unable to bathe, and unable to shave. They just sat there day after day, cold and freezing, thinking that today might be their day to die.

*Marguerite Higgins climbed to the top of the hill with her notebook and pencil to interview the soldiers. She went from one to another until she came to this tough old army sergeant. Then she asked him this question: "If I were God, and if I could give you anything you wanted, what would you ask for?"

*The old sergeant thought about it for a moment and replied, "Well, if you were God, and if you could give me anything I wanted, here is what I would ask for. I would ask for tomorrow. I would ask for tomorrow." That was the answer that won the Pulitzer Prize for Marguerite Higgins. (2)

*We don’t always get a choice about tomorrow. But Christians: We know that wherever life takes us, the Hand of the Lord will be with us.

5. The Hand of the Lord is with us when we are sent to new places in life, and when we spread the gospel.

*Again in vs. 19-21:

19. Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.

20. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.

*Those believers traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word.

21. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

*How far should we try to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ? -- Farther and farther! We should try to spread the gospel to more places and people than ever before! We should try to spread the gospel, knowing that great things will happen, knowing that people will be saved!

*We should try to spread the gospel, knowing that the Hand of the Lord will be with us, and that a great number of people can believe and turn to the Lord!

*Think back to those two school boys who were rescued from their kidnappers in Missouri. How did that happen? -- There was a witness.

*The key to finding those boys was a beat-up, white pickup truck. It had been spotted by another student from Ben's school. They got off the bus at the same stop. And Ben's friend saw the pickup speeding away about the time Ben vanished from the gravel road near his home. The police later spotted that truck it in the parking lot where the horrible kidnapper lived.

*A wonderful thing happened because there was a witness. But as great as that was, infinitely greater things will happen when we witness for the Lord! The Hand of the Lord will be with us as we reach farther than ever before!

CONCLUSION:

*Trust in the Lord tonight! And Christians: Rejoice in the Lord tonight, because the Hand of the Lord is with us in every season and situation of life. Rejoice in the Lord, and do everything you can to keep spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

(1) "2 Missing Boys Found Alive in Missouri" - Associated Press, Jan 13, 2007 by Christopher Leonard - Beaufort, MO - AP Writers Cheryl Wittenauer, Betsy Taylor and Jim Salter in St. Louis contributed to this report.

(2) SermonCentral illustration contributed by Melvin Newland

List of Scriptures with the phrase "Hand of the Lord"

In the KJV, the phrase "hand of the Lord" is found 39 times, with 36 times in the Old Testament, and 3 in the New Testament.

1. Exodus 9:1-4

1. Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

2. For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

3. Behold, THE HAND OF THE LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous Murrain.

4. And the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel.

2. Exodus 16:1-4

1. And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

2. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:

3. And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by THE HAND OF THE LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

4. Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

3. Deuteronomy 2:14-15

14. And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the Lord sware unto them.

15. For indeed THE HAND OF THE LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed.

4. Joshua 4:20-24

20. And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal.

21. And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones?

22. Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.

23. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

24. That all 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.

5. Joshua 22:28-31

28. Therefore said we, that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, Behold the pattern of the altar of the Lord, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between us and you.

29. God forbid that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn this day from following the Lord, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of the Lord our God that is before his tabernacle.

30. And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel which were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spake, it pleased them.

31. And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben, and to the children of Gad, and to the children of Manasseh, This day we perceive that the Lord is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the Lord: now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of THE HAND OF THE LORD.

6. Judges 2:13-16

13. And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

14. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

15. Whithersoever they went out, THE HAND OF THE LORD was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

16. Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them.

7. Ruth 1:11-13

11. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

12. Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;

13. Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? Would ye stay for them from having husbands? Nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that THE HAND OF THE LORD is gone out against me.

8. 1 Samuel 5:1-7

1. And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

2. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.

3. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.

4. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

5. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

6. But THE HAND OF THE LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

7. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

9. 1 Samuel 5:7-9

7. And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.

8. They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.

9. And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, THE HAND OF THE LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.

10. 1 Samuel 7:10-13

10. And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.

11. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar.

12. Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.

13. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and THE HAND OF THE LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

11. 1 Samuel 12:12-15

12. And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the Lord your God was your king.

13. Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! And, behold, the Lord hath set a king over you.

14. If ye will fear the Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the Lord your God:

15. But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall THE HAND OF THE LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

12. 2 Samuel 24:11-18

11. For when David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

12. Go and say unto David, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.

13. So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? Or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? Or that there be three days' pestilence in thy land? Now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

14. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into THE HAND OF THE LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.

15. So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

16. And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.

17. And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? Let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

18. And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite.

13. 1 Kings 18:44-46

44. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.

45. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

46. And THE HAND OF THE LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

14. 2 Kings 3:14-18

14. And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.

15. But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that THE HAND OF THE LORD came upon him.

16. And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.

17. For thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts.

18. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: He will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

15. 1 Chronicles 21:11-13

11. So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee

12. Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

13. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into THE HAND OF THE LORD; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.

16. Ezra 7:6-9

6. This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to THE HAND OF THE LORD his God upon him.

7. And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

8. And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

9. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

17. Ezra 7:27-28

27. Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem:

28. And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellers, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as THE HAND OF THE LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

18. Job 12:7-10

7. But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

8. Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9. Who knoweth not in all these that THE HAND OF THE LORD hath wrought this?

10. In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

19. Psalm 75:5-8

5. Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

6. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

7. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

8. For in THE HAND OF THE LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.

20-22. Psalm 118:14-17

14. The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

15. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: THE RIGHT HAND OF THE LORD doeth valiantly.

16. THE RIGHT HAND OF THE LORD is exalted: THE RIGHT HAND OF THE LORD doeth valiantly.

17. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.

23. Proverbs 21:1

1. The king's heart is in THE HAND OF THE LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

24. Isaiah 19:16

16. In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of THE HAND OF THE LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it.

25. Isaiah 25:10

10. For in this mountain shall THE HAND OF THE LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

26. Isaiah 41:14-20

14. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

15. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

16. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

17. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

18. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

19. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:

20. That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that THE HAND OF THE LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

27. Isaiah 51:17

17. Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at THE HAND OF THE LORD the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out.

28. Isaiah 62:1-3

1. For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

2. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.

3. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in THE HAND OF THE LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

29. Isaiah 66:10-14

10. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:

11. That ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory.

12. For thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

13. As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

14. And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb: and THE HAND OF THE LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

30. Ezekiel 1:3

3. The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and THE HAND OF THE LORD was there upon him.

31. Ezekiel 3:12-14

12. Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place.

13. I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.

14. 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.

32. Ezekiel 3:22

22. And THE HAND OF THE LORD was there upon me; and he said unto me, Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee.

23. Then I arose, and went forth into the plain: and, behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river of Chebar: and I fell on my face.

33. Ezekiel 8:1-3

1. And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that THE HAND OF THE LORD God fell there upon me.

2. Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.

3. And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

34. Ezekiel 33:22

22. Now THE HAND OF THE LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

35. Ezekiel 37:1-3

1. THE HAND OF THE LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

2. And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

3. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

36. Ezekiel 40:1-2

1. In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day THE HAND OF THE LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.

2. In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

37. Luke 1:59-66

59. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

60. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John.

61. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

62. And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

63. And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they arveled all.

64. And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God.

65. And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judaea.

66. And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this be! And THE HAND OF THE LORD was with him.

38. Acts 11:19-21

19. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

20. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21. And THE HAND OF THE LORD was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

39. Acts 13:8-11

8. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

9. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

10. And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11. And now, behold, THE HAND OF THE LORD is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

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List of Scriptures with the phrase "Hand of God"

In the KJV, the phrase "hand of God" is found 16 times, 7 times in the Old Testament and 9 times in the New Testament.

1. 1 Samuel 5:10-12

10. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.

11. So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; THE HAND OF GOD was very heavy there.

12. And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

2. 2 Chronicles 30:1-12

1. And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel.

2. For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.

3. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

4. And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.

5. So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written.

6. So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

7. And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.

8. Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.

9. For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

10. So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.

11. Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.

12. Also in Judah THE HAND OF GOD was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the Lord.

3. Job 2:7-10

7. So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

8. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

9. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

10. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at THE HAND OF GOD, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

4. Job 19:21

21. Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for THE HAND OF GOD hath touched me.

5. Job 27:11

11. I will teach you by THE HAND OF GOD: that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

6. Ecclesiastes 2:22-26

22. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

23. For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

24. There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from THE HAND OF GOD.

25. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

26. For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

7. Ecclesiastes 9:1

1. For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in THE HAND OF GOD: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

8. Mark 16:19

19. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

9. Acts 2:32-33

32. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33. Therefore being by THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD exalted, and having received of the Father the Promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

10-11. Acts 7:55-56

55. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD,

56. And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

12. Romans 8:34

34. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, who also maketh intercession for us.

13. Colossians 3:1

1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

14. Hebrews 10:12-13

12. But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD;

13. From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

15. 1 Peter 3:21-22

21. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

22. Who is gone into heaven, and is on THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

16. 1 Peter 5:6-7

6. Humble yourselves therefore under THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD, that he may exalt you in due time:

7. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.