| HOLY HANDS During the first days
of my salvation , there were a lot of new things to consider. To be
or not to be slain in the spirit, Prophesying , speaking in tongues
, the laying on of hands, shouting Amen - praise GOD -or-Hallelujah
- in the assembly , and of course the raising of hands to the LORD.
Each of these deserve to be studied and all in due time. For now
lets look at the raising of hands to our LORD. Although while in the
assembly we see such things, and even compelled to emulate, and
indeed emotionally we understand, yet let us search the SCRIPTURE.
Psalm 63.4 “I will praise you as long as I live and in your name I
will lift up my hands.” The answer to why would be; Because your
love is better than life.
Ps 63.3 . It seems natural enough during worship which answers the
next question where, “Lift up your hand in the sanctuary and praise
the LORD” Ps 134.2 But that’s not the end of it for our GOD says “I
want men every where to lift up holy hands in prayer” 1Tim2.8 What
could all this mean, what does up lifted hands testify to? Lets
start with - we have a covenant with the LORD our GOD and HE has
said “I have engraved you on palms of my hands” Isaiah 49.16 and HE
says to “Place me like a seal over your heart like a seal on your
arm ” S S 8.6 . And as we are sealed with the HOLY SPIRIT until the
day of redemption Eph 4.30 and it is like a seal on our palm, and I
just know when my Father makes a pledge its as he says “I lift up my
hands to heaven and declare as surely as I live for ever “ If for no
other reason but to follow the best possible example . And what can
we hope to accomplish; we can look to Lamentations
Lam 2.9 Arise, cry out in the night , as the watches of the night
begin pour out your heart like water in the presence of the LORD.
Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who faint
from hunger at the head of every street “ Lam 3.40 “ Let us examine
our ways and test them and let us return to the LORD. .41 Let us
lift up our hearts and our hands to GOD in heaven and say; .42We
have sinned and rebelled… Every day the levites would sacrifice one
lamb in the morning and one lamb in the evening, but in the days of
captivity the Hebrew people were not allowed to do this. For seventy
years Daniel would pray four times a daily. As once mentioned … as
was his custom during the time of the evening sacrifice … so how
awesome it was when David said in his psalm 141.2 “May my prayer be
set before you like incense , may the lifting up of my hands , be
like the evening sacrifice. The child in us cries out…Jesus, upon
entering the home of Simon and Andrew saw that Simon’s mother in law
was in bed with a fever MK1.31 “So he went to her , took her hand
and helped her up the fever left her …There was a boy from childhood
possessed by a demon the one throws people into fires and tries to
drowned them. Jesus said “You deaf and mute spirit I command you,
come out of him and never enter him again , the spirit convulsed him
violently and came out . the boy looked so much like a corpse many
said “he’s dead” but Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to
his feet and he stood up.” James 4.10 Humble your selves before the
LORD and he will lift you up. OH LORD HEAR MY CRY FOR MERCY AS I
CALL TO YOU FOR HELP SAVE YOUR PEOPLE AND BLESS YOUR INHERATENCE BE
THEIR SHEPHERD AND CARRY THEM FOR EVER
THE PRINCIPAL OR LAW OF FIRST MENTION: There is a radio teacher that
I enjoy listening to and love, Chuck Misler knows the bible and
loves GOD. I first heard Chuck say “in the word of GOD, when a word
or concept is first mentioned our FATHER in heaven places great
importance on it” {loosely quoted}. In the law of first mention,
concerning the lifting of holy hands to the lord, there are four
people involved. The first a great prophet of GOD needs no
introduction, Moses. Two others were assistants only, Joshua however
will be introduced. Although there is an entire book of the bible
with his name, little is known or studied about prior to this. Less
than a year following EXODUS, Joshua, being one of the twelve spies
that entered the Promised Land, was obviously of military age, a
commander of men, so we know he witnessed Moses return to Egypt, and
in Ex 4.29 we read , Moses and Arron brought together all of the
elders , so we know Joshua saw first hand the staff change to a
snake and back again, that he saw all waters of Egypt turn to blood
even in the wooden buckets and stone jars, all the waters except
that of the Hebrew. Remember now that the plagues effected only the
Egyptians and not the Hebrews. Remember also that Joshua witnessed
them all first hand. The plagues of Frogs, Gnats, Flies, Death of
livestock, Boils, Hail, Locusts, the plague of DARKNESS, and the
death of the FIRST BORN, The CROSSING OF THE RED SEA on dry land,
the closing of that sea and drowning of the enemy. The bitter water
made sweet, MANNA in the morning , QWAIL at night, WATER from the
ROCK . The bronze snake lifted up to heal all those who looked to
him . When we consider all that Joshua saw we can understand the
faith and love for our CREATOR that he has. JOSHUA was up the
mountain with MOSES for the first carving of the tablets. This love
that JOSHUA has for GOD is the reason, as Moses’ aid, when Moses
left the tent of meeting Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.
Lets now read from the WORD Ex 17.8-13 The Amalekites came and
attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua “ Choose
some of your men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will
stand on top of the hill with the staff of GOD in my hands.” So
Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses Arron
and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses HELD UP HIS
HANDS the Israelites were winning, but when ever he lowered his
hands, theAmalekites were winning . When Moses’ hands grew tired,
they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it . Arron and
Hur held his hands up one on one side one on the other- so that his
hand stayed steady till sunset . So Joshua overcame the enemy with
the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses “Write this on a scroll as
something to be remembered and MAKE SURE JOSHUA HEARS IT, … Do you
want the LORD GOD to bless you ? Make, for sure, your hands holy and
lift them towards heaven! OH LORD HEAR MY CRY FOR MERCY AS I CRY TO
YOU FOR HELP AS I LIFT UP MY HANDS TOWARD YOUR MOST HOLY PLACE SAVE
YOUR PEOPLE AND BLESS YOUR INHERATENCE BE THEIR SHEPHERD AND CARRY
THEM FOR EVER My Spirit grows faint within me My heart within me is
dismayed I remember the days of long ago , I meditate on all your
ways and consider what your hands have done I spread out my hands to
you my soul thirsts for YOU like a parched land |
