The Arm

 

While a child becomes familiar with an involved adult’s hand (for good or bad), the arm is also a vital part of that relationship.

Early in the Bible, the arm of Yehovah is portrayed the way an arm of a parent defending a child might be:

Exodus 6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments.

The phrase, ‘stretched out arm,’ or ‘outstretched arm’ is used 16 times. It always shows acts of Yehovah’s violence against evildoers, never the gentle call that some have thought. The evildoers are sometimes the Israelis! Parents who are teaching their very young children to hearken will sometimes stretch out their arms when they are about to flick a misbehaving child’s hand.

Consider the following texts:

Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. And He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, “Destroy!”

Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry in his bosom. He shall gently lead those that are with young.

These texts show the other side of the arm of Yehovah, when He is gathering or protecting.

Isaiah 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.

Messiah is the very arm of Yehovah, as the next text and its surrounding texts show:

Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Yehovah revealed?

While a child concentrates more on the hand, the arm can be the ‘faith’ of the child who is being carried.

Every congregation has arms, but most congregations only reach out to its own. Its arms hug itself. A very few pastors fear God, and understand the importance of reaching to the lost of the House of Israel. Many churches claim to be evangelical, and it would be so good if it were true. But instead of having a true Gospel that recognizes the vital importance of Israel’s Salvation, most ignore the Jews, choosing to concentrate instead on almost anything except the Jews. Yet Israel has preserved the Bible for the world, and is the recipient of the Abrahamic promises by which the whole world will be blessed. Listen carefully to your pastor’s sermons. Do they reflect the first priority of bringing the Truth of the Word of God to the Jews? The Gospel will go out to all races if and only if it is first to the Jews, as Paul knew and practiced. The Arm of Yehovah is the Messiah, and He knows if a congregation loves His People, or if it ignores.