WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND?
INTRODUCTION:
Moses --> Rod
Exodus 4:2 “And the LORD said unto him, What
is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.”
Hand 3027 --> a hand (the
open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.]) Spiros Zodhiates
Rod 4294 --> a branch, a
rod, whether for chastising (correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a
lance), or walking (a staff, fig. a support of life) Spiros Zodhiates
A rod was a length of tree
limb or bush stock, employed at first for support or weapon. For David it was a symbol of divine guidance
and care: "Thy rod and thy staff,
they comfort me." The rod also
became the symbol of authority and rule prevalent in Bible use. "Moses took the rod of God" and he
and Aaron wrought numerous miracles with rods.
"The rod of discipline" was for child, son, fool, and for
slave. The rod as a symbol of God's
anger and chastisement occurs in numerous passages. The rod was used in counting sheep, and symbolically in numbering
God's chosen. Finally, the rod was used
for measuring, as the New Jerusalem.
Zondervan pg 132
I. SMALL THINGS ARE MIGHTY IN GOD'S CONTROL
It is a good thing to have
something in hand that may bring glory to God.
The thing itself may seem small and useless for the great end; but He
can make it mighty to the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan. Every lawful thing that's in your hand may
become a conquering weapon for God. Smith
& Lee Handfuls on Purpose V. 248
A. Judges 7:16
Gideon --> Trumpets, Pitchers
“And he divided the three hundred men into three
companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty
pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.”
Three ways Gideon contrived to strike a terror upon this
army, and so put them into confusion. (Matthew Henry)
1. With
a great noise.
Every man must blow his trumpet
in the most terrible manner he could and clatter an earthen pitcher to pieces at the same time. They were broken together which would not
only make a great crash, but was
a figure of what would be the effects of fright, even the Midianites killing
one another.
2.
With a great blaze.
The lighted torches were hid in
the pitchers, like a candle under a bushel, until they came to the camp, and then, being taken out of all
together of a sudden, would make a glaring show, and run through the camp like a flash of lightning. Perhaps with these they set some of the
tents on fire, which would very much
increase the confusion.
3.
With a great shout.
Every man must cry, The sword of
the Lord and of Gideon. The sword of
the Lord is all in all to the success
of the sword of Gideon, yet the sword of Gideon must be employed. Men the instruments, and God the principal agent, must
both be considered in their places, but men, the greatest and best, always in subservience and
subordination to God.
B. Judges
15:15 Samson --> Jaw bone
“And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his
hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.”
Not with a lion's jaw which would illustrate
power to crush and kill, but with a donkey's jawbone which illustrates
weakness in the tool itself which crush only grain and grass.
C. I Sam 17:40
David --> Sling
“And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five
smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in
a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.”
--> v. 57 Giant's Head
“And as David returned from the slaughter of the
Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the
head of the Philistine in his hand.”
D. Judges 4:8-9,
21 ; 5:26-27 Jael, Heber's wife -->
Hammer --> Enemy
“And Barak said unto her, If thou
wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will
not go. 4:9 And she
said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest
shall not be for thine honor; for the LORD shall sell
Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak
to Kedesh.”
Judges 4:21 “Then Jael Heber’s wife
took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly
unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and
fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So
he died.”
Judges 5:26 “She put her hand to the
nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote
off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples. 5:27 At
her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where
he bowed, there he fell down dead.”
The enemy falls at the hand of a woman.
E. Nehemiah
4:16-17 --> Work (Trowel) & Weapon (Sword)
“And it came to pass from that time
forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of
them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and
the
rulers were behind all the house of
Judah. 4:17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with
those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work,
and with the other hand held a weapon.”
Building requires working and fighting,
watching and laboring.
Ephesians 6:16-17 --> Shield & Sword
“Above all, taking the shield of
faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God:”
F. Genesis
22:6 Abraham --> Fire & Knife
“And Abraham took the wood of the
burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand,
and a knife; and they went both of them together.”
He who is to be the father of the faithful
has to face the father of all the trials of faith.
1.
There is something awfully solemn about this. "Our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29). "Who shall dwell with devouring
fire?" (Isa. 33:14) Does not this suggest the holy, testing,
consuming character of
God when approaching the altar of expiation?
Isa 6:6 Angel --> Coals of
Fire
“Then
flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which
he had taken with the tongs
from off the altar:”
2. If
fire represents the holiness of God, then the knife may well symbolize the
sword of justice. In these days men are ready to forget that every
sacrifice to God must have to do with the divine knife and fire.
It was a great sacrifice that Abraham was
willing to perform to verify his obedience.
God calls all to sacrifice though the method or amount of
sacrifice may vary. What is that in thine
hand?
We
cannot bless people with empty hands.
And what shall it profit if our hands are full of other things than those
which God Himself puts into them. Our
hands will hang down in emptiness and feebleness until they are "given
unto the Lord," and filled with the gift of His Son. As the priest's hand were only filled after
he was cleansed and anointed, so must we be saved and sanctified
ere our hands can be filled with acceptable service in His
sight. Smith & Lee Handfuls on Purpose V. 236
II. WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND?
I
Sam 14:27 Jonathan --> Honey --> Enlightened
Genesis
24:10 Servant --> Master's Goods --> Responsibility --> Stewardship
Exodus
32:15 Moses --> Stone Tables of the Law
Lev.
14:28 Priest --> Oil
I
Sam 23:6 Ephod --> Priesthood
Esther
5:2 Sceptre --> King
Numbers
31:6 -->Trumpets
Joshua
5:13 Angel --> Sword
Joshua
8:18 Joshua --> Spear
JUDGMENT
I
Chron 21:16 Angel --> Sword
Numbers
22:23 --> Angel --> Sword
Numbers
25:7 Phinehas --> Javelin
Rev
6:5 Balances
Rev.
10:2 A little book
Rev.
14:9 A mark
Rev
14:14 Balances
Rev
20:1 A great chain to bind