[Moses Parting the Red Sea by Robert Theodore Barrett.]
Since the start of this year, I have had a look at a series of Hebrew words which have provided a deeper insight into the message of the Old Testament .
Just to be clear. I am not a Hebrew scholar. However, I have found that, there are lessons to be learned from using Bible study tools available to lay people. You might want to study this for yourself and so I have made up a list which can be downloaded. Here is the link to the PDF.
Today's Hebrew word is zeroa which is mainly translated as 'arm' or 'arms'. Here is the extract from the book which started me off on this journey of discovery.
(yad - H3027 and zeroa - H2220) Both refer metaphorically to strength or power ["by a mighty hand and outstretched arm"; Deuteronomy 4:34). One's "right hand" (yad yamin) has an even more emphatic sense of strength, and denotes the special favour of a ruler (Exodus 15:6-12).
[From Lois Tverberg: Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus : Appendix B]
We are only going to focus on the Hebrew word for arm in today's blog. In short, this word tells us that God is powerful. The word zeroa appears 91 times in the Old Testament and in the vast majority of these references, the writers are speaking about 'arm' as a metaphor for God's power. Do you remember trying to prove that you were stronger than someone else by arm wrestling? So we gauge a person's strength by the strength of their arms.
[15] You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah [Psalm 77:15 ESV]
This was the lesson God taught His own nation, Israel in the Old Testament. God did the impossible. Pharaoh had enslaved a whole nation in Egypt. The nation of Israel were treated as slaves in Egypt as a series of Egyptian rulers engaged in a form of racial suppression - a forerunner to ethnic cleansing which we witnessed in the Balkans and in Rwanda. The Egyptians wanted to use the nation of Israel for economic benefit while suppressing their right to worship their God. The Pharaoh of the book of Exodus was not going to let these beasts of burden escape from his clutches. The record in the book of Exodus demonstrates his resistance to Moses' demands from the Lord to 'let my people go.'
And Pharaoh did allow them to escape. He was losing a huge resource - a whole nation of 12 tribes all busy making bricks for Egypt free of charge. His reputation as a powerful ruler was at stake. Not only so but the Egyptians came to the point that they were so desperate to be rid of these Israelis that they gave them lavish gifts of jewelery and other valuables. This was how God ensured that His people were paid for 400 years of servitude. This treasure trove was given back to God to allow the building of the 'tabernacle ' - a portable temple in which the Lord would take residence as they travelled for 40 years through the desert to Canaan.
God also publicly acted in judgement on the Egyptians for their cruelty and oppression when the Egyptian armies were drowned in the Red Sea.
And in an age when there was no Internet or social media, the news of God's power spread across the Middle East in that day. A prostitute by the name of Rahab who lived in Jericho came to hear about the power of Yahweh, the God of Israel. Here is what she told the spies who came from Joshua, the leader of the Israelite army:
[10] For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you devoted to destruction. [11] And as soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and there was no spirit left in any man because of you, for the LORD your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth beneath. [Joshua 2:10-11 ESV]
God had demonstrated His power and it was a lesson not only to Israel but to the nations around as well.
There is a description of God's arm which is used repeatedly in the Old Testament - 'outstretched arm.' This expression tells us about the sovereignty of God over human affairs. This phrase is used 17 times in total. Here is the first reference.
[6] Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. [Exodus 6:6 ESV]
The deliverance from Egypt was a powerful demonstration of God's power which was celebrated by Israel throughout the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, God's power was also demonstrated in the way He fought against the enemies of Israel. This is a contentious issue due to the current war in Gaza and the conflict between Israel and Hamas. However, I cannot change the history of Israel nor am I prepared to water down the message of the Bible to make it more palatable. I am making no comment on the present conflict, however. If you look at the 17 references to an outstretched arm, you will see that they refer to God acting in great judgement, a mighty hand, wonders, war, power, greatness, terrors, a great name, everlasting loving kindness and wrath poured out. In the New Testament God demonstrated His power by raising His Son from the dead.
In our 21st century western world, we are living as if God did not exist. The book of Revelation describes God acting in a powerful way with judgements on this world. Some have already taken place throughout history such as earthquakes and famine and pestilence. But God is about to intervene in the affairs of this world and the advice from the writer of the second Psalm is very relevant today. This short psalm ends with a command to 'kiss the Son' which refers to the act of obeisance or submission to His authority. To cite a historical analogy, after the death of the Scottish king Alexander 111, Edward 1 of England insisted that the 13 claimants to the Scottish throne swore allegiance to him and recognised his suzerainty or authority over them as future ruler of Scotland. They had to kiss his hand as a symbolic act of obeisance or recognition of his lordship. Our God is the undisputed ruler of the universe. The writer of the Psalm warns about God's wrath and its effects. The Psalm ends with the words, "Blessed are all who take refuge in him."
[12] Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him. [Psalm 2:12 ESV]
It was as a young boy that I submitted to the Lordship of Christ and accepted Jesus as Saviour and Lord. I 'took refuge in Him.' I hope to expand on my conversion and faith journey in a future blog. Have you taken refuge in Him by 'kissing the Son?' Or are you intending to continue to live your life in defiance of Him?
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