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Awesome Hands – Part 3, “The Law of Moses, the Prophets and Psalms”
During the introduction studies in Alabama, we covered a lot of scripture for this topic in a very brief timeframe. Continuing in part 3 of this series, we will start taking a closer look at each verse under this topic as e- sword has them listed in order of their appearance in scripture.
The idea behind doing a study like this on the awesome hands of God is to convey to the body of Christ what the Lord has placed and told us about himself in the law of Moses, the writings of the prophets and the writings of psalms and how that relates to Christ being revealed to us in the new testament.
As we all want to know Christ more, it is of utmost importance that we search out the scriptures to see what the Lord will have us see and hear with spiritual eyes and ears concerning Himself in the entirety of the bible.
With this study on the awesome hands of God, I hope that over a period of time we can look over all the verses in scripture that deal with the “hands of God” as He works His sovereign will in our lives.
The Law of Moses, the Prophets and Psalms
As most of us have come to understand, everything that happened in the Old Testament happened to those in the Old Testament not for themselves to know about Christ, but for our admonitions to know Christ.
As we come to know God and His Son that He sent, we come to learn that He lives in us and controls all aspects of our lives, good and bad. As such, we can look to scripture to learn what not to do and what to do as we search out the mind of Christ on anything we do. There are those starting in the OT, where Gods hands are very apparent in their lives, yet they did not receive what we have.
They did not receive the PROMISE of Christ in you, your hope of glory but in order to know God and Jesus Christ that He sent, we must know Christ as He is revealed in the law of Moses, the prophetical writings and the psalms.
Joh 17:3 – And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
1Jn 5:13 – These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
In Hebrews we see that those in the OT had a good report by faith, and we can see a whole list of things that were lived out in Heb 11 that was counted towards those OT patriarchs as faith.
Heb 11:39 – And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
… and in 1Co 10, we can see all the lusts and desires that we also done by those in the OT that had God pour His wrath out upon them…. things which we are to learn not to do.
1Co 10:6 – Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1Co 10:11 – Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Now, as concerning the law of Moses and what it means to us today we see several examples of what we live by today as it relates also to the NT and how God’s awesome hands work in our lives thereby.
Gal 3:11 – But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Gal 3:12 – And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Gal 3:13 – Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 – That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.Heb 9:15 – And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Heb 10:35 – Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Heb 10:36 – For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Heb 10:37 – For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Heb 10:38 – Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39 – But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
Clearly, anyone that is coming to the Lord as a child on His knee will be able to hear that we are redeemed from the curse of the law, so that we justly live by the faith that Christ gives us.
So, how does that relate to how God works his awesome hands in the lives of His people, the body of Christ, –> His prophets and prophetesses?
Rev 19:10 – And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Luk 24:44 – And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Luk 24:25 – Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:
Luk 24:26 – Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
Luk 24:27 – And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
I would like to take the opportunity now to look at something very revealing as concerns how God works in the lives of His people.
The story is about Lazarus and the rich man. We know there is a hidden meaning in the verses, but this directly relates to how we are to live our lives now and how being in God’s bosom shows us how we are being dealt with or not and how God is sovereign the entire time.
Luk 16:22 – And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23 – And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luk 16:24 – And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Luk 16:25 – But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
Luk 16:26 – And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
We can see in verses 22 and 23 that the rich man is dead and buried. We know from scripture that night, sleep, the grave, the law and darkness represent being dead and unknowing of God and Christ or the lack of eternal life.
In this parable, we can see that the rich man finally lifts his eyes up to heaven but it took dying to even get to that point. So, we die daily and as such we start to see a truth revealed about the solidification of death working itself in our spiritual lives.
In this mindset, let us see what we ask Abraham which typifies Christ. We ask to have our tongue cooled with just a tip of a finger of water to cool the torment of the flame.
God has given us the extreme blessing of knowing Him in this life. We come to know he more and more each day, Lord willing and as such we are put through a purging fire of cleansing and purification that will have us looking up from our physical death at our Lord and Savior because one day we will be as He is and not only in down payment form now!
Continuing with verse 24:
Luk 16:24 – And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Oh, how we want to go back to the ways we have known! If only a little bit! The flame of the Word of God and how God has worked His awesome hands into our lives is some times more than we want or can bear and we are no different than those in the OT that want to go right back to Egypt after God has utterly destroyed Egypt and the people there and has brought His people out of that place. What utter fools we are, dogs going back to vomit!
Act 7:37 – This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
Act 7:38 – This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Act 7:39 – To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
Act 7:40 – Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
Act 7:41 – And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
Act 7:42 – Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
You might be saying to yourself right about now, “Steven, how in the world are you equating Lazarus and the rich man to Gods awesome hands and Him in our lives?”
Listen, we have an old man and new man living within us, Lord willing. We have and know about a deadly war going on in our heavens and the principalties and powers that be are battling it out as God sets all things in motion. We are privy to this in our lives, but if the Lord wills it, He can turn us back to our mud in the mire or give us the proper mind of a Son of God, just as King Nebakanezer was restored in type and shadow.
That might be all good and well, but how does this relate to this study again you may be asking yourself?
Luk 16:25 – But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
Luk 16:26 – And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Is there a way to crucify Christ again once he has been crucified already? When we have been shown that all we do during our life in the wilderness is offer sacrifices to idols made with our own hands, worship the host of heaven and rejoice in it how then can such a great gulf be crossed? There is no way to taste of that heavenly truth and then turn your back on it to then try to sacrifice another offering to get back to square one. Ain’t gonna happen.
There is simply no way for this to happen. Here, we can see another example of this truth and how we know this is what is being talking about concerning US as we see God’s sovereignty in our lives:
2Pe 2:17 – These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. (note: this is age abiding, aionios, aionion)
2Pe 2:18 – For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
2Pe 2:19 – While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20 – For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
2Pe 2:21 – For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
2Pe 2:22 – But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
We have been given LIFE now, and we want to go back to our old ways and the “water” we knew when we thought we had life. What we had was Babylon, Eqypt and the wilderness. What we were given was a law to deal with the lawless and disobedient people who were continuously being rebellious.
However, when we are in this condition we are given to accept the answer but we also try to get our goals accomplished. So, we ask Abraham to send Lazarus to our father’s house. Interesting to note is that we ask Abraham to affect things in the land of the living because we are in the land of death. I don’t think it is going to go how we want it to:
Luk 16:27 – Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
Luk 16:28 – For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Luk 16:29 – Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Luk 16:30 – And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Luk 16:31 – And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
There is nothing we can do but rely on the Will of God to be worked one way or the other concerning how those who are sent to us will respond to our message. It is all of the Lord. If they don’t go through Babylon, then they can’t be called out of her.
Once they are called out of her, they will want to go back and once most have tasted if the heavenly gift, they will return unto the vomit they have been converted from in their minds and hearts. They have been given the life of a Son of God, rescued from the lives of dogs and pigs, but we can all only do what the Lord has willed in our lives.
The work of our hands vs. Gods Awesome Hands
In the last study, we listed out all of the times in the OT that hand was translated one way or another. So, we will start looking at each of these words are they relate to one another and us through our experiences in life.
Num 11:29 – And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!
Gen 3:22 – And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:
Gen 4:8 – And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
Gen 4:9 – And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
Gen 4:10 – And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
Gen 4:11 – And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
Notice that in these first two examples we see the first few examples of what we do with our hands, the works we work when we are tempted to do so. Our first work is to take of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Gen 3:6 – And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Gen 3:7 – And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
… and this leads to us being cursed from the earth. We are going to be cast out of the earth, earth, earth as part of our curse just as Christ was cast outside the camp of Israel.
We are Cain and the works of our hands are products of death and this has been the case from the very beginning as we were created in the old Adam. We die because there is a law in us that not one of us asked for. We were born into the lives we have, as little baby sinning machines and we are born the SAME WAY into the kingdom of God ….
There is no difference to God because the night and the day are alike to Him!
Jer 4:22 – For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
Jer 4:23 – I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.Jer 6:19 – Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
Jer 22:29 – O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.
Isa 1:1 – The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Isa 1:2 – Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
…. But we can rejoice, the Lord knows what He is doing
Psa 139:1 – To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
Psa 139:2 – Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Psa 139:3 – Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Psa 139:4 – For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.
Psa 139:5 – Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Psa 139:6 – Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
Psa 139:7 – Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
Psa 139:8 – If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
Psa 139:9 – If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Psa 139:10 – Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
Psa 139:11 – If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
Psa 139:12 – Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
Psa 139:13 – For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
Psa 139:14 – I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Psa 139:15 – My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Psa 139:16 – Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Psa 139:15 (ASV) – My frame was not hidden from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Psa 139:16 (ASV) – Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.
If God sees our unformed substance when we are physically being conceived, how much more when we are spiritually being worked with the same? Isn’t this true then with what we do with the works of our hands and also how God works His will into our lives via His awesome hands?
God is in control and will work all things for our good even if we don’t understand the details along the way. How many niches and nicks did the Lord form on you when He was forming you in His potter Hands? How many smooth spots did He give you as well?
Thank the Lord, He is creating us in His image and one day we will be as He is because we will see Him clearly Lord willing.
Conclusion of Part 3
During this study, we have looked through the beginning of the sovereignty of Gods will in our lives in relation to how He works us in His hands.
We can see the start of this as we look at the foundation that has been laid, and that is Christ in us our hope of Glory. Starting from the foundation of the world, the law of Moses, the prophets and psalms have always spoken about Christ.
As such, we are starting to dive into the various scriptures and scenarios that show us this plan as it has been taught to us in the admonitions we can learn and see in both the old and new testaments.
We always initially want to go back to the vomit and mud that the Lord has saved us from, but we too will come to see that we can do NOTHING without Christ.
Joh 15:1 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Joh 15:2 – Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3 – Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Joh 15:4 – Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 – I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 – If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
One way or another, we are going into the fire to burn away all wood, hay and stubble…. now or later or maybe both but we all will be saved by this same fire!
1Co 3:11 – For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 – Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 – Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 – If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 – If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Next study, we will be starting with Gen 8:9 to see how Noah and the dove play significant roles in our spiritual lives as we come to see the awe inspiring power of the work of the hands of the Lord in our lives. We will continue to dissect and look for guidance and inspiration in the next few scriptures lined up in this study.