Well good morning and we certainly
do want to welcome you to this study of the book of Ezra, Ezra
chapter 7. again this morning as we look
at the last four chapters of this wonderful book, The Gospel
According to Ezra. Last week we spent a little time
on that subject that he was a ready scribe. Ezra was a ready scribe
and what that entails and he was in complete agreement with
the gospel throughout the entire Bible even as we come up into
the New Testament period. The gospel has not changed and
so the ready scribe. There is a wonderful figure of
speech in this Verse 6 that I'd like to spend some time on it's
applied to God and his care of the church And it's particularly
as pointed out here the care of Ezra But as Ezra is a believer
and as he has faith and he's been given to him by God He's
one of God's choice one that's written down in the Lamb's Book
of Life before the foundation of the world We have this figure
of speech mentioned verse 6 this Ezra went up from Babylon and
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 requests, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon
him. I'd like to spend some time this
morning on the subject of the hand of the Lord as it is mentioned
here upon him. This wonderful figure of speech
is here applied to the almighty God and his care of the church,
his care of Ezra in particular, the church in general. And in
these verses, the scriptures declare that Figuratively God
has hands and those hands are about the business of redemption
from beginning to end now as we read there in verse 6 the
hand of the Lord his God was upon him and if you'll drop down
to the last verse of that chapter chapter 7 we have these words and hath extended mercy unto
me before the king and his counselors 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 you noticed in there that ezra also acknowledges the
fact that i was strengthened as the hand of the lord my god
was upon me now from uh... Early in this chapter down towards
the ends. We have we have the letter that
art of Xerxes sins with Ezra and He's going to carry it over
to Jerusalem and we'll spend some time on that at a later
date But we also in chapter 8 we have a lot said about Ezra's
trip over to Jerusalem So I'd like to look at one verse over
there as we think about the hand of God and this wonderful figure
of speech this beautiful Image that the Lord gives us about
himself toward his people and in the book of Ezra chapter 8
It's recorded there in Ezra chapter 8 and in verse 31 Ezra chapter
8 in verse 31 as The people that were with Ezra those Jews that
had been in Babylon and in we mentioned last week it was over
50 years from the time that the first people went over to Jerusalem
and now that Ezra goes and he has a group of people with him
and There's some concern he stops and they have fasting and prayer
and it tells us here in Ezra chapter 8 and Verse 31 and we
departed from the river Hava on the twelfth day of the first
month to go unto Jerusalem And the hand of our God was upon
us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of
such as lay in wait by the way. Now they were prepared to meet
a number of the enemy, and they prayed, and God was gracious
to them. He had already purposed He had
already prepared. He had knowledge of what he was
going to do. He had this all planned out ahead
of time. But it was brought to the attention
of Ezra and these folks that were going that there was trouble
that lie ahead. And so they prayed. And it's
wonderful as they prayed that God's answer to them was, as
it's read there in verse 31, and to go into Jerusalem and
the hand of our God was upon us. and delivered us from the
hand of the enemy. Now I just did a little bit of
research on the word hand and I was amazed at the number of
times this word is used in scripture but I was also amazed at how
many words that we commonly use that have the basis for that
word in the word hand. The skeleton of the hand consists
of many bones, muscles, nerves, and ligaments, giving great dexterity. And it's also our hands are the
place of the sense of touch, where it is most intimately known
is with our hands. Now, some of the words that we
run into in our everyday language that have to do with the hand
is the word manage, to lay hands on, give a hand, farm hand, deck
hand, to pledge, or to pledge by hand or handshake, A handful,
handled, hand-billed, hand-out, hands-free, hands-on, on-hand,
hand-work, handle, single-handed, high-handed, red-handed. Even
the Japanese word that has come into our language, karate, comes
to us from two words which mean empty hand. You have nothing
in your hands to defend yourself with. We have the word chiropractor,
which right in the middle of it is the hand. He manipulates
our structure with his hands. Surgeon also has as his basis
the word hand. And a handkerchief. All these
words, and there's probably three or four hundred different words
that we commonly use that have this word hand as the basis for
them. Now, as we look at this from
a scriptural standpoint, we find that God's hand is an image of
him being the creator of all things. He shares that a number
of places. There is a necessity, if we're
going to have a God that has his hand on us in protection,
we must have a God, and the God of the Bible is that God, we
must have a God that is able to do all that he expects to
do, all that he plans to do, all that he has purpose to do.
If you'll turn with me over to the book of Acts for just a moment
we're going to read over there and we have in that passage of
scripture in Acts chapter 7 that the message is brought out here
about the Lord and That it is in his purpose to make all things
in the book of Acts chapter 7 Acts chapter 7 and verse 44 and Acts
chapter 7 and verse 44. We read there as Stephen, again
we've been spending a little time here under Stephen's preaching
in the book of Acts because he's bringing up many things that
happened in the Old Testament to these people who said that
they believed God and he shares with them they did not because
they didn't believe on his son, didn't believe in his son. Verse
44 of Acts chapter 7, it says, Our fathers had the tabernacle
of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking
unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that
he had seen, that he had seen in the mount. This is a physical tabernacle built in the wilderness
that reflected the glory of God as it is seen in heaven. Verse
45, which also our fathers that came after brought in with Joshua,
the word here is Jesus, but Jesus in the New Testament is Joshua
in the Old Testament, and those translators missed this, it should
have been Jesus, into the possession of the Gentiles whom God drove
out before the face of our fathers unto the days of David. who found
favor before God and desired to find a tabernacle for the
God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. Howbeit, the Most High dwelleth
not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet. heaven
is my throne and earth is my footstool what house will you
build saith the lord or what is the place of my rest now notice
with first fifty here as we think about the hand of god that was
protecting esra over there and protecting all those folks as
they travel back to jerusalem it was the hand of god the protected
them from the enemy and here it says half not my and made
all these things Now, God is a spirit, and a spirit doesn't
have the frame and faculties that we do in the sense of our
hands or our feet, but they are brought up, an image is brought
up, these figures of speech are brought up about the Lord as
we see here that He hath not my hands made all these things.
He's just simply declaring that all the things that have ever
been, God created, God made. He's the one that appeared to
Moses and he's the one that gave him the instructions concerning
the tabernacle Those were not Moses's thoughts and those were
not Moses's Plans that he was building these all came from
God and they reflected the great salvation that God had declared
and decreed before the foundation of the world and as he mentioned
there in the mount it was given to him and he came down and had
wise men build it according to that plan, but have not I Have
not my hand made all these things? God is just sharing with us that
through the hand of God, as we think of it from a figurative
or a spiritual aspect, He built on us. He's just declaring, I
have made all things. I have made these things that
are mentioned here, and he is the most high, dwelleth not in
temples made with hands, as saith the prophet. The heaven is my
throne, and the earth is my footstool. As just again, as figurative
language, as pictorial language, as imagery is brought to our
attention, that we might get a little grasp about the greatness
and all-mightiness and all-powerfulness of God. Would you turn with me
back into the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah chapter
40 we have some words here with regard to the hand of God and
his creatability His great power that he created all things in
and all things were created on purpose and nothing that was
created was not created on purpose and he has everything in his
control and he does all things and works all things after the
counsel of his own will and here in the book of isaiah chapter
forty beginning with verse ten it says behold the lord god will
come with strong hand and his arm shall rule for him behold
his reward is with him and his work before him he shall feed
his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the lambs with his
arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that
are with young and then the question comes up as God brings it out
here through the prophet Isaiah who hath measured the waters
in the hollow of his hand now if you cup your hand you have
a picture of what we have Mentioned about God and can you imagine
God giving us the image God giving us the picture God giving us
this reflection about himself that he was able to measure out
all the waters of the world all the Oceans and lakes in the palm
of his hand now. He doesn't need to do that But
he's sharing with us. I'm far above all Principalities
and powers I'm far above all beings who hath measured the
waters in the hollow of his hand Meted out heaven with a span
he's taken from his little finger to his thumb and measured out
the entire heavens He's using his hand to share with us these
great things He comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in a scale and the hills in a balance
Who's done this the question mark is there who has ever done
this God? God has measured the waters in
the hollow of his hand. He's the only one that could
and heavens and earth Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord
or being his counselor have taught him? No one has counseled God. No one. You know, it's just foolish
what we do in our religious days. And here we find out God straightening
that all out, sharing with us here who's directed the Spirit
of the Lord, who's going to tell God's Spirit what to do. And
who's his counselor? God, you should do this. God,
you should do that. No. Lord, God Almighty, let me be
thy servant and be pleased with what you do. But you're going
to do it anyway. With whom took he counsel, and
who instructed him, taught him in the path of judgment, taught
him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?
I'm very thankful for some of the teachers that I had through
school. In elementary school and high
school and on into college, some of those people shared some great
knowledge with me and it was appreciated a great deal. But
no one has ever done that for God, who's ever counseled God,
or instructed God, or taught God anything. Behold, the nations
are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust
of the balance. Behold, He taketh up the aisles
as a very little thing. And so we have in this passage
of scriptures, it talks about the greatness of God. He's the
one and the only one. By imagery, by picture, who's
measured the waters in the palm of his hand, or who has measured
out heaven with a span of his hand. This is the God of the
Word of God. This is the God of the Bible.
This is the God that was dealing with Ezra, and the children are
going back, of Benjamin and Judah going back to Jerusalem. He's
the one that is leading in the rebuilding of that temple, and
when Ezra gets there, it's built, and he's gonna be the one leading
in the direction of the building of the walls around Jerusalem.
He's the Almighty God. God's hand is an image of Him
being directly involved in the affairs of men. Turn with me
at a verse that we've used a number of times as we've gone through
the book of Ezra here, and it's found over in the book of Proverbs,
Proverbs chapter 21. God's hand is an image. of him
being directly, directly involved in the affairs of man. He did
not create this world and then stand back and see what's going
to happen. He's not caught short. There's no plan B. He's doing
all things after the counsel of his own will. And here we
read in the book of Proverbs chapter 21, this wonderful passage
of scripture about the hand of God and what he does with the
king's heart. Nobody can direct anybody like
this. We may try to influence. We may
try to get someone to do it our way. We may try to convince them
that this is the best way to do that. We may lead them to
do that. But here in the book of Proverbs chapter 21, we find
these words with regard to God and what he does with his hand.
It says here, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. Now
isn't that an interesting image? Isn't that an interesting figure
of speech? The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord. The
hand that is larger than the waters of the world, larger than
the span of heaven, This God has the hand of the king and
the king's heart in his hand as rivers of water. He turneth
it with us wherever he will. He goes and has gotten completely
and totally involved in the affairs of men because that's his purpose.
The king's heart is in the hands of the Lord. And we also find
that is the image of God's hand demonstrated and demonstrates
His sovereignty. We read this passage last week
when we were looking at the book of Ezra here, chapter 6, about
Ezra being a ready scribe. But over here in the book of
Daniel, would you turn with me to the book of Daniel, Daniel
chapter 4 there, again, as we look at that, we find as God's
hand, it's God's hand. And he's left us many words that
have that thought in it. And here, the king's heart is
in the hand of the Lord. Ezra is touched and kept by the
hand of God. And it's the hand of God that
protects them and keeps the enemy from them. And here in the book
of Daniel, chapter four, and there in verse 35, as we have
Nebuchadnezzar confessing, he says, and all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing. and he doeth according to his
will. God does his according to his will in the army of heaven
among the inhabitants of the earth. Now notice this last part.
And none can stay his hand. None can stop his hand. None
can put their hand out and cause him not to do what he is intended
to do. Now we've all seen pictures or
films or something about men getting into a fight and one
man holding another man from their hand from getting hurt
and all that. Well, that's not going to happen with God. God,
when he intends to protect his people, he will protect his people,
and it doesn't matter who the enemy is. They might be Goliaths,
but the hand of the Lord protected Israel. Here we have that Nebuchadnezzar
said, and he said it by divine appointment. He said it by inspiration,
as it's recorded here in the book of Daniel. He says, none
can stop him. None can wrap his hands or his
knuckles and say, you know, we really don't want you doing that.
God is God and beside him there is none else. And we have the
image of God's hand demonstrating his absolute sovereignty. Now,
we find a number of times in the scriptures that God demonstrates
his victory and salvation by his hand. And we'd like to look
at a few of those as we have really the end of the victory
of God there to Ezra. chase them back to Babylon. And
the Lord, whether He literally stopped them or He caused them
to go in another direction and not be in the way, we don't know. But God protected Ezra and his
folks in their travels. Well, here in the book of the
Psalms, would you turn with me to the book of the Psalms? Psalm
98. As we look at God's hand again,
the hand of the Lord, the hand of God, many, many verses of
Scripture have this imagery in them and share with us what God
is able to do. Psalm 98. Would you turn with
me to Psalm 98. In Psalm 98 and verse 1 we have
this wonderful imagery, Oh sing unto the Lord a new song for
he hath done marvelous things. Now notice this with me. His
right hand, God's right hand, the Lord's right hand, Jehovah's
right hand, his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him
the victory." Now, God wins a battle by just thinking it. God is so
high above us. His ways are above our ways as
far as heaven is above the earth. That's what the scriptures tell
us. But He leaves us this imagery, this picture in our mind, talking. We know a little bit about our
own hands. We know a little bit about the dexterity of our own
hands. We're able to pick up the finest
thing, pick up a penny with our fingers. We're able to feel with
our hands. We're able to caress with our
hands. We're able to do many things with our hands. They're
just the miracles that we have. Oh, how sad it is to be given
into evolution and say, these are just the product of evolution,
when we find out that we're fearfully and wonderfully made, not only
physically, but spiritually, and God would give us these two
hands. Now, I've met a couple of people that don't have hands.
Some of them were by birth defect, and some of them, they lost their
hand. And what a loss it is. But we find with regard to God,
He gives us this imagery that His hands are all powerful, His
hands are all sovereign, His hands are in all directions in
relation to His people and protects them. And it tells us here in
Psalm 98 and verse 1, His right hand and His holy arm hath gotten
Him the victory. Now He doesn't lose any battles.
He has never lost a battle, never intended to lose a battle. He
goes into battle with the purpose of winning. He just takes care
of it. That's the way he does his business.
He's the victor. He's the victor, and he gives
us this imagery that his right hand and his holy arm hath won
him the battle, hath given him the victory. In the book of Exodus,
chapter 13, When Moses was talking to the children of Israel after
just coming out of Egypt, Exodus chapter 13, we have this again,
wonderful imagery that Moses shared with the children of Israel
about them coming out. In chapter 13 of the book of
Exodus in verse three, it says, and Moses said unto the people,
remember this day in which you came out from Egypt out of the
house of bondage. Now, we look at that and we say,
yes, they were in the house of bondage physically. And then
we look at that and say, we were in the house of bondage spiritually.
And he's brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
For by strength of hand, the Lord brought you out from this
place. Those people had no strength
at all against Egypt but it was by the hand brought you out from
this place by what for by strength of hand the Lord brought you
out so Whatever has happened in your life to bring you to
the place where you cry out for salvation It is by the hand of
the Lord it is by the hand of God by the strength of the hand
of the Lord that he does that and We have no strength over
sin. We have no strength over any
enemy of the church. We don't have any strength over
any of the fall. We cannot fight it. We can't
deal with it. It's not in our power to do that.
But we have one that has. And he demonstrates his victory
and salvation from beginning to end by what he does with his
hand. All-powerful. I have a younger
brother, and he used to arm wrestle, and how his hand was involved
in that, to arm wrestle and win the victory. He won the victory
over a lot of young people, even in his thirties and forties,
because he was strong. God is the essence of strength
and he will win the victory. Turn with me as we look at some
more imagery along this line. It tells us in the book of Isaiah,
Isaiah chapter 64. In Isaiah chapter 64, This wonderful imagery about
God's hand is once again brought out Isaiah 64 and I'd like to
start reading with verse 6 Isaiah 64 and verse 6 this beautiful
pictorial language that God gives us the imagery that we have about
something that we can relate to you know We may think that
in our day right now. We're pretty strong well that
won't be long that strengthen our hands and our arms will abate
and But the strength of the Lord never falls short. It never abates
it never is ever lost notice here in Isaiah 64 and verse 6
and But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags and And we all do fade as a leaf, and our
iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. There it is. We
have a problem. And there is none that calleth
upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee.
For thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us because
of our iniquities. But now, O Lord, Thou art our
Father, we are the clay, and Thou our potter, and we all are
the work of Thy hand. What a beautiful image that we
have. Now, I've never turned out a
pot on a wheel, but I've had children that did that, and I've
had students that did that, and they did a wonderful job. But
nothing compares to what God does when He's the potter and
we're the clay, and we are the work of His hand. It is perfect
work accomplished in a perfect way by perfect salvation, perfect
blood, perfect redemption, perfect hope. all is perfect in the hands
of the Lord. Thou art our Father, and we are
the clay, and Thou our potter, and we all are the work of Thy
hand." Oh my goodness. My goodness. When we try to accomplish
some things, I remember in religion, trying to get people saved, we
just make a mess of things. But God, when He does His work,
He says, we're all the work of Thy hand. How glorious is that? Well, I'd like you to turn with
me again over to the book of Acts. To the book of Acts, as
we see again, the imagery, the picture of God's hand in redemption
from beginning to end. He's the one that thought it.
He's the one that wrought it. He's the one that bought it.
He's the one that's working it all out. Over here in the book
of Acts again, would you turn there with me, Acts chapter 11.
Acts chapter 11, beginning with verse 19. in verse 19 of Acts chapter 11.
Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that
arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenicia and Cyprus
and Antioch preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
Now after Stephen was stoned, great persecution broke out and
many people left Jerusalem. And here we have them traveling
with the gospel. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene
which when they were come to Antioch Spake unto the Grecians
who the Gentiles preaching the Lord Jesus now notice verse 21
and the hand of the Lord the hand of the Lord was with them
and a great number believed and Turned unto the Lord What a what
a wonderful image the hand of the Lord was with them oh my
oh If anybody's ever going to be saved, the hand of the Lord
must be with them. And great number believed and
turned unto the Lord. Oh, we look for that day. But
we look for the day when one says, God's touched me by his
mighty, sovereign, free grace. We rejoice with him. But the
hand of the Lord was upon them. The Lord God blessed them in
such a mighty way that he would come. Now, there is one verse
over in the book of Deuteronomy I'd like to read. Over in the
book of Deuteronomy, as we think about the imagery of the Lord,
His hand, the book of Deuteronomy, way back there in the Pentateuch,
fifth book of Moses, Deuteronomy chapter 32. Deuteronomy chapter
32, and I'd like to begin reading with verse 36. Deuteronomy chapter
32, verse 36. Here we have these words, For
the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants,
when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut
up or left. And he shall say, Where are their
gods, their rock in whom they trusted, which did eat the fat
of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink-offerings?
Let them rise up and help and be your protection. See now that
I, even I, am he, and there is no God with me. I kill and I
make alive. I wound and I heal. Neither is
there any that can deliver out of my hand." What a mighty statement
God says about himself. I read or heard, I can't remember,
a preacher saying that God is the only one that can brag about
himself. We boast not in ourself. We boast
in the work of Christ. We work in the work of God. We
boast in His hand and what it has done and what it will do.
He goes on to say here, none can deliver out of my hand for
I lift up my hand to heaven and I say I live forever. If I wet
my Glittering sword in my hand take hold on judgment I will
render vengeance to my enemies and will reward them that hate
me. I will take my Glittering sword
and my hand take hold on judgment God's hand will do this very
thing. We know that that he does in some ways in these days upon
those that are without God, those who are never chosen in Christ
before the foundation of the world. But in that day, his mighty
hand of judgment will put them on the left hand. Those that
were judged in Christ will be placed on his right hand. We
have the hand of God again separating. Now, O to be like Ezra. Have the wonderful almighty all-sovereign
all-saving hand on us. Oh to be like Ezra to protect
from the enemy to guard to see hands about now The Lord Jesus
used this imagery in his ministry when he's talking about the eternality
of salvation I'd like you to turn with me over to the book
of I excuse me the book of John the book of John Notice with
me here as he uses the imagery of hands again. John chapter
10. John chapter 10. And there in
verse 28. John chapter 10 and verse 28.
We have this wonderful imagery again as he uses the hand as
an image, as a picture. as a type. We know what our hands
are like and he gives us this image about what the almighty
hands of God are like. He says, I give unto them eternal
life. Who? Verse 27, my sheep hear
my voice and I know them and they follow me. What does verse
26 say? But ye believe not, because ye
are not my sheep. As I said unto you, my sheep
hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And I give
unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Now he goes
on to give us this wonderful image about what he does with
his hand. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." This
almighty hand that could put the oceans, all the water of
the world, in the palm of his hand and have room left over.
Just an image. God is almighty. His ways are
not our ways, His daughters are not our ways, but thank God He
gives us this imagery from time to time, a familiar image that
we have with us, and this hand that we have, and He says, I
will never leave them. They shall follow Me. I shall
give unto them eternal life. This is the Lord Jesus Christ
speaking. He's speaking about His sheep,
the sheep whose names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life. the
sheep who are under the shepherd, the shepherd who was a lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. They shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Now, to be doubly
safe, the Lord goes on and shares us another image. And he says,
my father, which is greater than me, is greater than all, and
no man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. So we
have an all-protective hand of God. God can protect His people. He's declared, decreed that He
will do that, and He'll give unto them eternal life. And they're in my hand, they're
in my Father's hand, and no man can pluck them out of my hand. Now there's a wonderful image
over in the book of Isaiah along the same line. Would you turn
with me to the book of Isaiah? Isaiah chapter 49, as we think
about this hand, this image of a hand that protected Ezra. He knew that God had his hand
on him, and they prayed, and we'll get to that over in chapter
8 of the book of Ezra, and it says there that the hand of the
Lord protected those folks. We're thankful for God's protective
hand today against things that we don't even know about. He
still protects his people. And here in the book of Isaiah
chapter 49, we have this wonderful image again. Isaiah chapter 49
verse 15. What a wonderful image this is. Can a woman forget her sucking
child? Isaiah chapter 49 verse 15. Can a woman forget her sucking
child? That she should not have compassion
on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will
I not forget thee. Now I've shared a number of times,
I didn't understand it completely. But you know, there are mothers
today, and there probably has been in every generation, that
didn't want to have a thing to do with their children. But it
became very poignant to me, when my mother got Alzheimer's, and
she didn't know me, and she didn't care for me, and she had nothing
to say about me. She didn't have any idea who
I was. So she actually forgot me. Verse 16, behold, I, God said,
I've graven thee upon the palms of my hands. I put your names
in the palms of my hands. I've seen people in hardware
stores, and I've seen people on a construction site, and I've
seen people in business, and they have such a temptation to
make a note and then lay the note down and not know where
it is. And I've seen these people write on their hands. They don't
lay their hands down. They don't lose their hands.
The only thing they may do is wash their hands and lose that
note. But isn't that something that we could write something
and carry it around with us? And that's exactly the image
that we have here with regard to the Lord God Almighty. I've
graven thee upon the palms of my hands. I have you written
on the palms of my hands. This is, again, imagery, picture. As we have hands and we may write
a note on our hands to keep track of something, the Lord says,
I'm going to give you this image. I'm going to use the best possible
indelible ink, and I will write your names on the palm of my
hands. And every step of redemption
I go, I will look at those names and know exactly who I am going
to the cross for. These names were written down
before the foundation of the world. They were written down
as we read concerning Jacob and Esau before they had done any
good or evil, but according to election that it might stand.
Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated. So we have this one,
this mighty God, this everlasting Father, this Prince of Peace
saying, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, and thy
walls are continually before me. Now, I have to do this, but I need
to go back to the book of John again. I want to look at another
verse of scripture and the imagery that is found there. In the book
of John, the book of John chapter 20, the book of John chapter
20, we have this wonderful imagery again about the hands of God,
the hands of the Lord. John chapter 20 and verse 20
now this is after the Crucifixion this is after the death of the
Lord Jesus when he said it is finished and he gave up the ghost
and they came with the intent of Breaking his bones, but he
was already dead and the comment was he's so soon dead well He
said I lay down my life no man taken it from me But I lay it
down to myself and we have that exactly what happened they took
him his body and they wrapped it in linen and placed it in
a tomb that no man had laid in. And for three days and three
nights we have those folks that followed him so closely, those
who listened to him so intently, those who saw and heard what
he did and who he was, and even Peter, thou art the Christ, the
son of the living God. And after the resurrection and
when they're in an upper room and he comes in without opening
the door. It says here, verse 19 of John chapter 20,
then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week,
when the doors were shut, where the disciples were assembled
for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith
unto them, now, if this isn't enough, This is enough. But he goes beyond that. Peace
be unto you. The God of heaven telling his
children, peace be unto you. Now, he can really do that. He's
the only one that can really give peace. And he can do it. And he does it. And he gives
peace. But notice the next verse here. And when he had so said,
he showed unto them his hands and his side. Notice with me,
then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. What gladness was in their heart
when they saw the risen Savior, when he showed them his hands
and his side. Those hands that have been written
about throughout the scriptures share with us the greatness of
our God, the work of God, the ministry of God, the creating
ability of God, the work of His redemption, as He shares with
us throughout the scriptures in this figurative language about
His hands. Now there's an interesting passage of scripture over in
the book of 1 Samuel. 1st Samuel chapter 4 and with
this will close but I just couldn't help but go and show what religion
is like This is what religion is like The Lord has all power
in his hands. He has the whole world in his
hands in 1st Samuel chapter 5 and it says there the Philistines
had captured the ark of God They thought, this is a rabbit's foot,
this is a lucky charm, this is a four-leaf clover, it'll surely
bless us, we'll just keep this. Well, they put it in the house
of their god Dagon, into one of the temples of Dagon, and
notice here, in 1 Samuel 5 and verse 4. And when they arose
early the 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 Dagon was left to him His there's no power in all religion. There is no power just a stump
heads gone Palms of the hands are gone. But with our God as
we read over there in the book of Ezra chapter 6 Ezra chapter
6 we have these wonderful words Excuse me Ezra chapter 7 and
verse 6. We have those wonderful words
about Ezra. It says there that according
to the hand of the Lord his God upon him how wonderful is that
and then that last verse of that chapter and hath extended mercy
unto me before the king and his counselors Ezra saying this 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 the Israel chief men to go up with me. The hand of the
Lord my God was upon me. And we thank him for that wonderful
imagery throughout the scriptures of how he takes care of his people
from beginning to end in salvation, in redemption, in his glory to
us, his keeping of us. It's the mighty hand of our God. Amen. God bless you. And we look
forward to the next time as we go on to the book of Ezra.