Sermon # 11 - What's In Your Hand? Series

In Exodus 15:6, we read “Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power.”(NRSV)

1. The Hand of God

God’s hand is not only ‘glorious in power’ but as we read in another version His hand is also ‘Majestic in power’. The question that may arise in one’s mind as we read this verse is that, ‘If the hand of the Lord that is glorious and majestic or in other words strong and powerful rests on us, why then do we have to face so many trials, struggles and difficulties in our lives?’ If we delve deeper into God’s word, we will be able to analyze our lives in the light of God and His word, and understand what needs to be set right in our lives, so we can live the way God intended for us to live and also experience His mighty hand at work in every situation.

2. The Hand of the Enemy

In the same chapter we also read about another hand that is at work in Exodus 15:9 “The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.” (NRSV)

The hand of the enemy has only one intention, and that is to destroy us. Sometimes when faced with sickness, debt or other humiliating situations we despair that these problems will overcome us, and the reason for this is only because we do not realize that when the powerful hand of God rests on us, nothing that the enemy does can devastate us.

In Exodus 15:6, (2nd part) we read, “Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy.” (NRSV)

The aim and purpose of Satan is to destroy God’s people. However, the assurance we have from the Lord is that His powerful right hand alone can shatter or destroy the enemy completely. Often when in some difficult or challenging situation we wonder why things are so complicated for us. If we were to evaluate ourselves, we might realize that the problem often lies entirely with us. Only when learn to submit to the Lord, and choose to do what He wants us to do, will we experience God’s mighty hand at work in ways far beyond our understanding. He will most certainly intervene, and thwart every plan of the enemy in our lives.

3. Man’s hand

In Exodus 3:10, God told Moses, “So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." (NRSV)

Moses was tending his Father-in-law’s sheep in the wilderness for forty long years. God’s purpose for Moses was not to just keep watch over sheep. The Lord had chosen Moses to be the man whom He would use to deliver the people of Israel with His own mighty hands, from the cruel hands of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. God’s plan and purpose for Moses was far greater than he had ever imagined. Moses was content with his life of tending sheep, but God had chosen him to be the deliverer for God’s people.

If we find ourselves caught up with the mundane, ourselves, our families and our work all the time, it’s a clear sign that we are leading a selfish and self-centered life. We have forgotten that the Lord has a purpose for us which He wishes to accomplish through us. God’s ultimate purpose is for everyone to be saved and be set free from the clutches of Satan. Each one of us, have a part to play to fulfill this divine plan and purpose of God.

None of us should be satisfied with the fact that, we are saved from sin and are now members of the church. The purpose God chose us is that we should go out, and share the gospel with others who are lost, and bring them also into His fold. When Jesus called the twelve disciples, he called them to leave their professions not simply to follow Him, but to go out and lead others into God’s Kingdom. When Jesus spoke about His impending death on the cross, the disciples were unwilling to let go of Him. However, Jesus encouraged them that it was only in His going away that they would receive the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to be His mighty witnesses. Later, the disciples took the great commission of Jesus seriously, and went out into all the world and preached the gospel. The Apostles also were scattered, and wherever they went they shared the Good News of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was only because every one of them obeyed the word of God, that we have had an opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and have been saved.

Let us never forget that the primary reason God has chosen us to be His children is so we can go out, and deliver those who are in darkness and bondage, and bring them in to be part of God’s family.