CHAPTER 3

ARMS

(Help, mighty, power, shoulder, strength stretched out)

BEARS-CARRIES (accepts, lifts)

FEATHERS (wings)

FINGERS

HANDS (direction, means, open, power)

HOLDS (bears up, cares, catches, commits, encourages, establishes, fastens upon, helps, holding in possession, leaned upon, maintains, preserves, repairs, rested upon, retains, stay, strengthens, sustains, takes)

TOUCHES (attaches oneself, draws near, lays hand upon, reaches)

UPHOLDS (bears up, establishes, helps, holds up, keeps fast, maintains, props, sustains, takes hold of)

WINGS

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. 21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. [These verses show, although they do not mention, that God touched Adam and Eve.]

Genesis 49:24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from there is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)

Genesis 32:25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

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:

Exodus 7:5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

Exodus 8:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out your rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 17 And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

Exodus 15:16 Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of your arm they shall be as still as a stone; till your people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which you have purchased.

Exodus 19:4 You have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.

Exodus 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Deuteronomy 2:15 For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from among the host, until they were consumed.

Deuteronomy 4:34 Or has God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

Deuteronomy 7:8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, has the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before you; and shall say, Destroy them.

Joshua 4:24 That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that you might fear the LORD your God forever.

1 Samuel 5:6 But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.

1 Samuel 10:26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.

1 Kings 18:12 And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from you, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry you where I know not. And so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find you, he shall slay me: but I your servant fear the LORD from my youth.

2 Chronicles 30:12 Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.

Ezra 7:9 For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

Ezra 8:18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding.

Job 2:10 But he said unto her, You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Job 12:9 Who knows not in all these that the hand of the LORD has wrought this? 10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

Job 19:21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O you my friends; for the hand of God has touched me.

Job 40:9 Have you an arm like God? or can you thunder with a voice like him?

Psalms 8:3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained. 6 You made him to have dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet:

Psalms 16:11 You will show me the path of life: in your presence is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Psalms 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of your wings,

Psalms 18:35 You have also given me the shield of your salvation: and your right hand has held me up, and your gentleness has made me great.

Psalms 20:6 Now know I that the LORD saves his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

Psalms 31:5 Into your hand I commit my spirit: you have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

Psalms 36:7 How excellent is your loving-kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of your wings.

Psalms 37:17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the LORD upholds the righteous. 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

Psalms 48:10 According to your name, O God, so is your praise unto the ends of the earth: your right hand is full of righteousness.

Psalms 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of your salvation; and uphold me with your free spirit.

Psalms 55:22 Cast your burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain you: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. [This verse suggests that when we cast our burden on the Lord that He carries it.]

Psalms 57:1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusts in you: yea, in the shadow of your wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be past.

Psalms 63:7 Because you have been my help, therefore in the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.

Psalms 66:9 Which holds our soul in life, and suffers not our feet to be moved.

Psalms 71:6 By you have I been held up from the womb: you are he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of you.

Psalms 73:23 Nevertheless I am continually with you: you have held me by my right hand.

Psalms 80:15 And the vineyard which your right hand has planted, and the branch that you made strong for yourself. 17 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, upon the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.

Psalms 89:10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; you have scattered your enemies with your strong arm. 13 You have a mighty arm: strong is your hand, and high is your right hand. 21 With whom My hand shall be established: My arm also shall strengthen him.

Psalms 91:4 He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings shall you trust: his truth shall be your shield and buckler.

Psalms 95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if you will hear his voice,

Psalms 98:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he has done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, has gotten him the victory.

Psalms 104:28 That you gave them they gather: you open your hand, they are filled with good.

Psalms 118:16 The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

Psalms 119:116 Uphold me according unto your word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. 117 Hold me up, and I shall be safe: and I will have respect unto your statutes continually.

Psalms 139:10 Even there shall your hand lead, and your right hand shall hold me.

Psalms 145:14 The LORD upholds all that fall, and raises up all those that be bowed down. [Thank you, Lord, for we all fall and all have times when we are bowed down. We all need you to uphold us and raise us up.]

Isaiah 9:17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows: for every one is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still 21 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh: and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 30:30 And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

Isaiah 31:3 Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helps shall fall, and he that is helped shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

Isaiah 33:2 O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for you: be their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

Isaiah 40:2 Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. 10 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. 11 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. 12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? [The span was a unit of measurement, usually the length of the king’s hand.]

Isaiah 41:10 Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. 13 For I the LORD your God will hold your right hand, saying unto you, Fear not; I will help you. 19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together. 20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Isaiah 42:6 I the LORD have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you, and give you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Isaiah 45:1 Thus says the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

Isaiah 46:4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoary hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

Isaiah 49:2 And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he hid me;

Isaiah 51:5 My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and my arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on my arm shall they trust. 9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Are you not it that has cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?

Isaiah 52:10 The LORD has made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. [When GOD rolls up His sleeves, we had better watch because He is getting ready for action!]

Isaiah 53:4 Surely he has borne our grief, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. 16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

Isaiah 62:3 You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 8 The LORD has sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give your corn to be meat for your enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink your wine, for the which you have labored:

Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay, and you our potter; and we all are the work of your hand.

Isaiah 66:14 And when you see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like a herb: and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward his servants, and his indignation toward his enemies.

Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.

Jeremiah 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. 6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? Says the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

Daniel 5:5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 23 But have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you, and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine in them. And you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, have you not glorified. 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

Daniel 10:16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spoke, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. 18 Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.

Matthew 8:3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be you clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

Matthew 9:29 Then  he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

Matthew 17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

Matthew 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

Mark 7:33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. 35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plain.

Mark 8:22 And he came to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and sought him to touch him.

Mark 10:13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them,  “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Luke 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which kills the prophets, and stones them that are sent unto you; how often would I have gathered your children together, as a hen does gather her brood under her wings, and you would not!

Luke 22:51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer you thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.

1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. [This verse suggests that when we cast our cares on the Lord, He carries them.]

It blesses us when we see how tenderly God holds us in His arms and holds our hands. The "Footprints" poem really is true. Our God is not a distant one. He is close enough to touch us and He often does. If God literally carries us as these scriptures declare, what are we doing fretting about our circumstances? Let’s cast all our cares on Him as He commands us in 1 Peter.

See Also: Advocate, Anger, Creator, Eternal, Grace, Jesus (pre and post incarnate), Power, Reconciler, Savior, Shepherd

Cross References: Dt. 5:15, 7:19, 9:10, Ruth 1:13, 1 Kin. 18:12, 2 Kin. 17:36, 1 Chr. 6:15, Neh. 2:18, Ps. 32:4, 44:3, 57:1, 61:4, 63:8, 77:10, 15, 78:42, 104.32, 118:15, Is. 22:7, 53:1, 63:5, 12, Jer. 23:23, Am. 9:5, Jn. 12:38, Rev. 5:1, 7

Hymns: BURDENS ARE LIFTED AT CALVARY; LEANING ON THE EVERLASTING ARMS; GOD BE WITH YOU; CHILDREN OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER; GOD BE WITH YOU; CHILDREN OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER; GOD OF OUR FATHERS; SINGING I GO; YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION; GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU; TAKE MY HAND PRECIOUS LORD; I MUST TELL JESUS; UNDER HIS WINGS BURDENS ARE LIFTED AT CALVARY; JESUS TOOK MY BURDENS; HIGHER GROUND

 

Study and Application Questions

 

1.           What concepts or details about God having Arms did you understand for the first time by reading this chapter?

2.           In what ways did the definitions of God’s attributes, etc. affect you?

3.           How did the hymns listed reinforce the concepts in the verses? Which one(s) did you pick to help you remember this attribute?

4.           Concerning the author’s comments, did any of them challenge you in thought or action? Did you agree or disagree with them?

5.           Which verses caused ‘the light to come on’ and the Holy Spirit impressed something to you? Is He challenging you to change anything?

  1. What do you need or want God to minister to you or change in you after reading this chapter?

7.           How will the knowledge of God having Arms affect your prayer, worship, and/or other aspects of your relationship with Him?

8.           Consider your ministry to Christians and non-Christians. How will the attributes of God in this chapter affect how you minister to them?