Today’s Reading: Deuteronomy 33
The
first phrase of this verse mentions the “eternal” God. The next part talks about His “everlasting”
arms. These two terms are nearly
synonymous, but in the original Hebrew language have a slight variation in
meaning.
“Eternal”
(Hebrew: עַד, ad) means without beginning and without ending and refers to
something that always was and always will be.
God is eternal. God Is infinite –
He is Self-Existing, Without Origin. He has always been and will always
be. He is without beginning and without
end.
“Everlasting” (Hebrew: עוֹלָם,
olam) on the other hand speaks of what will be in the future. It means to last forever. It emphasizes an unbounded duration, going
beyond the limitations of time and space. It denotes a state of being
continual, infinite, or unending. Our God is both eternal and everlasting.
God’s
arms are everlasting. Does God have
arms? Actually, our Heavenly Father is an invisible Spirit who has no physical
body – “God is Spirit” (John 4:24).
Although He has no body, the Bible often refers to Him using the
physical characteristics of human beings such as His face, eyes, nose, hands,
and feet as a means of communicating aspects of Him in a way that we can relate
to. In the Bible, the “arm of the Lord”
is a vivid image of God’s saving power. The picture suggests a little child,
wrapped up in the strong arms of a father who is able to withstand all storms
and dangers. As an expression of his
love and protection, a father puts his arm around his child when it is in
danger. His arms are strong and safe.
Not
only do the arms of God embrace His child—but they are always underneath. That
means that we can never sink—for these arms will always be beneath us, wherever
we may be found. Sometimes we say the waters of trouble are very deep; like
great floods they roll over us. But still and forever, underneath the deepest
floods—are these everlasting arms. We cannot sink below them—or out of their
clasp!
In
the great hymn, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, we sing these words: “What a
fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms; What a
blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms.” So lean - dear child of God. His arms are strong. His arms endure forever. He is your hiding place and refuge. Lean on His everlasting arms. Don’t be afraid to let go because His
everlasting arms are underneath you and will keep you from falling.
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