Sep 11 2008
By His Mighty Hand – I
The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. (Isaiah 8:13)
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm. (Luke 1:50-51)
Why is a people’s supreme deity typically described as powerful? To explain events and to persuade people of his high status and great worth.
Many centuries BCE the Egyptian deity Ra “dictated” these words to a prophet: I am Ra in his first risings. I am the great god who came into being of himself, He who created his names, lord of the Nine Gods [i.e. of all gods], He who has no opponent among the gods. (25)
If a being is the creator of everything, how can it not be the greatest? Many Bible verses reflect this very theme. But they also go further. They explain not only creation, but fearful events post-creation. What are these events? Evidence of a powerful hand at work and/or waiting to do work.
The whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. (Exodus 19:18-19)
The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. (Ezekiel 38:20)
In the following posts we will encounter Bible references to the work of God’s arm or hand. Not coincidentally, primates are very good with their hands. And in the chimp we see a species that fights not just with it’s teeth, but with its fists as well. Our kind’s teeth, by the way, are pathetic, in terms of weaponry. We tend to rely on arm strength and the power of a thrown fist. So why wouldn’t this be reflected in the actions of our gods?
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(25) Quirke, S. The Cult of Ra: Sun-Worship in Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson, New York, 2001, p. 23
