A Hand Shake

O.T. #168  "A Hand Shake"
Nov. 13, 2013
Exodus 13-Part 3
...for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.  Exodus 13:16

LET IT GLOW

No I haven't shaken hands with Presidents, emperors, nor famous people. However, I have shaken hands with a few popular singers in my day. Added to that list of important people that I have shaken hands with would be the executive director of our state denomination and our national woman missionary union. Those two folks are more important to me than the world's famous people. They are servants of God.
We extend our hand to many people and for various reasons. When we meet someone we know, it's as a greeting; to a stranger as a way of saying glad to meet you; to the preacher as an approval of his message; to the needy as a way of helping by lending a hand; opponents at the beginning of a sports game agreeing to play fairly. I really haven't thought about the practice or custom. It's something that I seem to do automatically.

So, just to let you know, and not disappoint you, the concordances list pages of references where the word hand is used in the Bible. There were too many definitions for me to list, but the first one listed seemed to apply to chapter 13.

In Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, hand in the Hebrew language is the word yad (pronounced  yawd), which refers to an open hand (indicating power, means, direction, etc.).

Dear friend, get out your Bible and turn to Exodus 13 with me. I am using the King James Version.
Now read verses 3, 9, 14, and 16. All four verses have something in common. Did you see it?

Verse 3 says, ...for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place...
Verse 9 says, ...for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
Verse 14 says, ...by strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, and from the house
                           of bondage.
Verse 16 says, ...for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.

Whose hand is it?   (The LORD's hand)
How is this hand described? (having strength and being strong)
What did the LORD's hand do? (It brought them out of Egypt, bondage.)

Moses is recognizing that the LORD God did it. It wasn't Moses nor Aaron that had the power to do all those plagues and deliver the Israelites out from under the most powerful empire in the world at that time. No siree, God did it and Moses wanted everyone to know it. Here it is written in black and white.

Since God has not changed down through the ages, don't you think He is still strong enough to deliver us out of our Egypt? His powerful hand is open and He has the means to do it, dear one. Will you turn to Him today? Will you ask for God's strong hand in your life?

LET IT GROW

All right now, I don't believe in coincidences. Today I was reading what Ann Voskamp wrote on her blog: a holyexperience.com (so check it out later). Ann was writing about how we hear and say yada, yada, yada, in a meaningless manner.

Ann says yada in the Hebrew means to hold out the hand in four ways:
1. to bemoan with this wringing of hands
2. or to revere with an extending of hands
3. to confess
4. to give thanks. (Strong's Concordance)

She goes on to say that it's a good thing to yada:

• in the midst of the wringing of hands, to extend the hand
• hold out the hand-not as a fist to God, but in praise to God
• give thanks-to brazenly confess that God is wholly good though the world is horribly not. 
• don't stop giving thanks and holding up hands and taking His hand.
• God is good.

I wonder if we wring our hands, not sure what to do in a situation instead of extending them toward God in praise. Can we, will we, do we trust Him to take care of the problem and give thanks beforehand?

Jesus has all the power in the world combined, and more, yet He graciously restrained it when He stretched out His hands and arms to be nailed to the cross for you and me. Such love and mercy!
Now Jesus is stretching out his hands to you-come dear one.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek, and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

Will you come now?

LET IT GO

Thank You, Jesus for Your strong hands of love and mercy.

Hold up my hands to God in praise.

Take Jesus' hand and follow Him.

May I hold out my hands in Your love and mercy to others.

Yada, yada, yada.