An Outstretched Arm
One of the best ways to prepare for Christmas is to echo the historic church which has sung the O Antiphons for centuries. In the second antiphon, “O Adonai,” we pray:
O Lord, and leader of the House of Israel
who appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush
and gave him the law on Sinai:
Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.
What does it mean for God to have an “outstretched arm?”
Have you ever had an arm injury? I did a few months ago and had to go to physical therapy. One of the exercises they gave me was to take a resistance band and stretch my arm out at different angles to rebuild strength.
An arm that can be stretched out is a strong arm. In Exodus[1], after the defeat of the Egyptians, there’s a battle that occurs between the people of Israel and the Amalekites. As long as Moses is able to hold his arms out, the battle goes well. When his arms falter, the enemy begins to succeed. So, his brother Aaron and a man named Hur come alongside Moses by holding up his arms to ensure the success for the people.
An outstretched arm is an arm that is strong, but it’s also an arm that has done something. When God is praised for His mighty hand and His outstretched arm, it’s because He’s whacked somebody with it – namely, His and our enemies. He is a God who takes action on behalf of His people.
As we remember Jesus’ first coming and await His return, let us pray that He would come with an outstretched arm to bring peace where there is war, bring justice where there is injustice and bring love where there is discord.
[1] Exodus 17:8-16
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