7673. 'Stretch out your hand' means an exercising of power. This is clear from the meaning of 'stretching out' as that which is connected with the exercising of control, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'hand' as power, dealt with in 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544, 6292, 6947, 7011, 7188, 7189, 7518. The reason why 'stretching out the hand' means the exercising of power is that there is power in the hand or arm when it is stretched out. When therefore Jehovah is said to stretch out His hand or arm, boundless or infinite power in action is meant. This explains why Jehovah told Moses on so many occasions, when miracles were to be performed, to stretch out his hand or his rod; for example,

Stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, and they will be blood. Exodus 7:19.

Stretch out your hand over the rivers, and cause frogs to rise up. Exodus 8:1-2. ¹

Stretch out your rod and strike the dust of the land, and it will then be lice. Exodus 8:11, 12. ²

Stretch out your hand towards heaven, and there will be hail. Exodus 9:22-23.

Such words would never have been used but for the meaning of 'stretching out the hand' in the highest sense as Jehovah's almighty power.

[2] The same thing is meant by Joshua's being told to stretch out his javelin, described in his book as follows,

Jehovah said to Joshua, Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand towards Ai. When therefore Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand towards Ai, the ambush rose up quickly out of their place and ran, as soon as he stretched out his hand, and came to the city and took it. Joshua did not withdraw his hand which he had stretched out together with the javelin until all the inhabitants of Ai had been utterly destroyed. Joshua 8:18-19, 26.

Being representative of God's almighty power, this too, like all other representative actions when they were commanded in those times, had force.

[3] There are a number of other places in which almighty power is described when it says that Jehovah 'stretches out His hand', or else His 'outstretched hand' or His 'outstretched arm' is spoken of. It is described by Jehovah stretching out His hand in Isaiah,

The anger [of Jehovah] has been roused against His people, and He has stretched out His hand over them and struck them, and the mountains were shaken. Isaiah 5:25.

In Ezekiel,

I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him. Ezekiel 14:9, 13.

In the same prophet,

I will stretch out My hand against you, and give you as plunder to the nations. Ezekiel 25:7.

I will stretch out My hand over Edom, and cut off from it man and beast. I will stretch out My hand over the philistines, and cut off . . . Ezekiel 25:13, 16.

Other places like these are Ezekiel 35:3; Isaiah 31:3; Zephaniah 1:4; 2:13. The use of 'outstretched hand' to describe almighty power occurs in Isaiah,

Jehovah's outstretched hand is over all the nations; who will turn it back? Isaiah 14:26, 27.

In Jeremiah,

I will fight with you with an outstretched hand and a strong arm, and in anger and in fury. Jeremiah 21:5.

In Isaiah,

Still His hand is outstretched. Isaiah 9:12, 17; 10:4.

The use of 'outstretched arm' occurs in Jeremiah,

I have made the earth, man, and beast by My great strength and by My outstretched arm. Jeremiah 27:5.

In the same prophet,

You have made heaven and earth by Your great power and Your outstretched arm; there is no matter ³ that is too impossible for You. Jeremiah 32:17.

Here it is self-evident that 'outstretched arm' means almighty power. The same applies to many other places in which the expression 'by a strong hand and an outstretched arm' is used, such as Deuteronomy 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 11:2; 26:8; 1 Kings 8:42; 2 Kings 17:36; Jeremiah 32:21; Ezekiel 20:33, 34.

[4] There are places too in which Jehovah is said to 'stretch out the heavens', and in these places also 'stretching out' means almighty power; that is to say, He expands the limits of heaven and fills those who are there with life and wisdom, as in Isaiah,

Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens like a thin veil, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. Isaiah 40:22.

In the same prophet,

Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens, spreads out the earth, gives breath ⁴ to His people upon it, and spirit to those who walk on it. Isaiah 42:5.

In Jeremiah,

. . . He who makes the earth by His power, prepares the world by His wisdom, and stretches out the heavens by His intelligence. Jeremiah 51:15.

In Zechariah,

Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens, and founds the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. Zechariah 12:1.

There are still more places besides these, such as Isaiah 44:24; 45:12; Psalms 104:2.

From all this one may now see why Moses was commanded to stretch out his hand and rod, that miracles were performed when he did so, and that 'stretching out the hand' for that reason means the exercising of power, and in the highest sense almighty power.

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3012. Genesis 24

1. And Abraham, being old, was advanced in years; ¹ and Jehovah blessed Abraham in all things.

2. And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who administered all that he had, Put now your hand under my thigh.

3. And I will make you swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose midst I am dwelling;

4. But that you go to my land and to the place of my nativity; and you shall take a wife for my son Isaac.

5. And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman is not willing to go after me to this land: Must I take your son back to the land from which you came?

6. And Abraham said to him, Beware that you do not by any chance take my son back there.

7. Jehovah, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my nativity, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, To your seed I will give this land, He will send His angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.

8. And if the woman is not willing to go after you, you are clear from this my oath; only do not take my son back there.

9. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10. And the servant took ten camels from his master's camels, and went; and every good thing that was his master's was in his hand; and he rose up and went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor.

11. And he made the camels kneel down outside and away from the city near a well of water, at evening time, at the time that women go out to draw water.

12. And he said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, make it go right for me today ² and deal mercifully with my master Abraham.

13. Behold, I am standing beside a spring of water and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water.

14. And let it be that the girl to whom I say, Let down now your pitcher and I will drink, and she says, Drink, and also I will give your camels a drink - let her be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And in this I shall know that You have dealt mercifully with my master.

15. And so it was, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milkah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother; and her pitcher was on her shoulder.

16. And the girl was very good looking, a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the spring, and filled her pitcher, and went up.

17. And the servant ran to meet her and said, Let me sip now a little water from your pitcher.

18. And she said, Drink, my lord. And she hastened and lowered her pitcher on to her hand and gave him a drink.

19. And she finished giving him the drink and said, I will draw for your camels also until they have finished drinking.

20. And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

21. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether Jehovah had prospered his way or not.

22. And so it was, when the camels finished drinking, that the man took a gold nose-jewel, half a shekel in weight, and two bracelets to go on her hands, ten [shekels] of gold in weight.

23. And he said, Whose daughter are you? Tell me now, is there at your father's house a place for us to spend the night?

24. And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milkah, whom she bore to Nahor.

25. And she said to him, There is both straw and also much fodder with us, and a place to spend the night.

26. And the man bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah.

27. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His mercy and His truth towards my master. As for me, being on the way, Jehovah has led me to the house of my master's brethren.

28. And the girl ran and told [those of] her mother's house all about these things.

29. And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran to the man outside, to the spring.

30. And so it was - when he saw the nose-jewel and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, who said, Thus the man spoke to me - that he went to the man, and behold, he was standing with the camels at the spring.

31. And he said, Come, O blessed of Jehovah; why do you stand outside? And I have swept the house, and there is a place for the camels.

32. And the man came to the house. And he ungirded the camels, and gave straw and fodder to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

33. And [food] was set before him to eat, and he said, I am not eating until I have spoken my words. And he said, Speak on!

34. And he said, I am Abraham's servant.

35. And Jehovah has blessed my master greatly and has made him great, and has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and male and female servants, and camels and asses.

36. And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master in her old age; and to him he has given all that he has.

37. And my master made me swear, saying, You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I am dwelling;

38. But you shall go to my father's house, and to my family, and you shall take a wife for my son.

39. And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman is not going to follow me.

40. And he said to me, Jehovah, before whom I have walked, will send His angel with you and will prosper your way; and you shall take a wife for my son from my family and from my father's house.

41. Then you will be clear from my oath, because you have come to my family; and if they will not give her to you, you will be clear from my oath.

42. And I came today to the spring and said, O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, if You will, prosper now my way which I am walking in.

43. Behold, I am standing at a spring of water; and let it be that the young woman going out to draw, to whom I say, Give me a drink now of a little water from your pitcher,

44. And she says to me, Drink, and I will also draw for your camels - let her be the woman whom Jehovah has appointed for my master's son.

45. I had scarcely finished speaking in my heart, and behold, Rebekah came out, with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring and drew, and I said to her, Give me a drink now.

46. And she hastened and lowered her pitcher from upon her, and said, Drink, and also I will give your camels a drink; and I drank, and she gave the camels also a drink.

47. And I asked her and said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milkah bore to him. And I put a jewel on her nose, and bracelets on her hands.

48. And I bowed, and bowed down to Jehovah, and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, who led me into the way of truth to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son.

49. And now if you are going to show mercy and truth to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, and I will look to the right or to the left.

50. And Laban answered, then Bethuel, and they said, From Jehovah has this thing come; we cannot speak to you bad or good.

51. Behold, Rebekah is before you; take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Jehovah has spoken.

52. And so it was, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he bowed down to the earth to Jehovah.

53. And the servant brought out vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; and he gave precious things to her brother and to her mother.

54. And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed the night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me to my master.

55. And her brother said, and her mother, Let the girl stay with us a week or ten days; ³ after that you will go.

56. And he said to them, Do not delay me, since Jehovah has prospered my way. Send me away and let me go to my master.

57. And they said, Let us call the girl and ask her personally. ⁴

58. And they called Rebekah and said to her, Are you going to go with this man? And she said, I will go.

59. And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.

60. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, Our sister, may you become thousands of myriads, and may your seed inherit the gate of those who hate you.

61. And Rebekah rose up, and her maids, and they rode on the camels and went after the man. And the servant took Rebekah and went.

62. And Isaac had come from ⁵ Beer Lahai Roi, and was dwelling in the land of the south.

63. And Isaac came out to meditate in the field towards evening, and lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.

64. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes and saw Isaac, and dropped down from upon the camel.

65. And she said to the servant, Who is that man there walking in the field to meet us? And the servant said, He is my master. And she took a veil and covered herself.

66. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done.

67. And Isaac brought her into the tent of Sarah his mother; and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after [the death of] his mother.

CONTENTS

Described in the internal sense is the whole process by which truth was joined to good in the Lord's Divine Rational. In this chapter it is the process of introduction which precedes that joining together. Isaac is the good of the rational, Rebekah here is the truth that has to be introduced into good, and Laban the affection for good in the natural man.

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