God's Hand

Read: Isaiah 40:12

Intro:

Holy Dunn sang several years ago a song that I thought was moving and tender. I heard it at a few weddings, but the words went like this:

I remember daddy's hands folded silently in prayer And reachin' out to hold me, when I had a nightmare You could read quite a story in the callous' and lines Years of work and worry had left their mark behind

I remember daddy's hands how they held my mama tight And patted my back for something done right There are things that I'd forgotten that I loved about the man But I'll always remember the love in daddy's hands

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin' Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong Daddy's hands weren't always gentle but I've come to understand There was always love in daddy's hands

Now did you know the Bible gives us a lot of information about God’s hands?

Now please understand that much of what the Bible tells us about God’s hands is anthropomorphic or more figurative in nature.

Three things I want us to notice tonight about God’s hand

The Span of God’s Hands

The Plan of God’s Hands

The Command of God’s Hands

The Span of God’s Hand - God’s Immensity

Our text talks about the Span of God’s Hand in terms that are undeniably incomprehensible. You can’t fathom or understand it, or at least I don’t have the mind to be able to grasp it.

the hollow of his hand An image of the sheer immensity of God in His power over the universe. The imagery of God holding the oceans in the hollow of His hand and covering the heavens with the width of His hand sets up the later contrast with humanity—where the nations are little more than a drop of water or a speck of dust1

1 John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Is 40:12.

Now just to help me understand a little of the immensity of God I want us to consider some numbers, facts and figures -

There is a whole lot of water on the Earth! Something like 336,000,000,000,000,000,000 (326 million trillion gallons)

That includes but is not just the seven seas - Isaiah is trying to say that God is so immense that he can hold all the water in the world in his hand.

The great Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Antarctic, and Indian ocean with all the wells, brooks, fountains, streams, lakes, rivers, and ponds in the palm of his hand without spilling a drop.

40:15 like a drop from a bucket Compared to the greatness of God, all the power of earthly nations is next to nothing—a drop of water or a speck of dust. See note on v. 12. The image should be reassuring to Israel, since they are currently under the domination of a foreign power.1

1 John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Is 40:15.

The prophet is using figurative and metaphorical language to tell us we serve a BIG MIGHTY GOD!!!

He’s got the whole world in His hands one songwriter said -

another added years later -

“If He carries the wait of the world …I know that he will carry you!”

Talking about God’s hands my Father’s hands - the span of God’s hand we aren’t trying to get a literal image - we are trying to see the immensity of God.

But it’s not just the immensity of God and the Span of His Hands - we are also talking about

The Command of God’s Hand - God’s Sovereignty

God’s hand is Mighty

Joshua 4:24 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.

Psalm 89:13 Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.

Psalm 98:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.

God’s Hand Has Unlimited Power

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

1 Kings 18:46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. (God has the unlimited power and capability to cause humanity to do impossible things - “Think of Philip in the New Testament when God translated him to another place”

The Plan of God’s Hand - God’s Knowledge

God’s Plan of Protection: By protection please don’t misunderstand me - I don’t mean harm will never come to God’s people, I’m talking about a spiritual protection.

Think of how protected you are when you are in God’s Hand -

No man can pluck you out - Joh 10:28 ) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

you can’t be taken from God’s hand.

Now I suppose there is room here for if you so desire you can force your way out of His Hand - but you will have to work to do it.

God intends on keeping and protecting His own.

God’s Plan of Possession: You are bought with a price - you belong to Him he is going to take care of His own - hold you in His Hand and what better place is there to be?

We serve a Great big God with Great big Hands

Hands with an immeasurable span - He is Immense

Hands with a Powerful Command - He is Sovereign

Hands with an amazing plan - He is All-knowing

2 Timothy 1:12 ... I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

If you have a problem tonight - a spiritual battle, burden, struggle, I want you to know you can put it into God’s hands - he will take care of it. He will help.