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"Without hands": spiritual creation, spiritual warfare

From the August 1996 issue of The Christian Science Journal


There is a quite well-known Biblical theme that identifies divine power as the "right hand of the Lord." In Exodus we read, for example, "Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power."  Ex. 15:6 And the Psalmist rejoiced in declaring that "the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly."  Ps. 118:16 In her book Miscellaneous Writings, Mary Baker Eddy writes of Christian Science, "It is not a search after wisdom, it is wisdom: it is God's right hand grasping the universe,—all time, space, immortality, thought, extension, cause, and effect; constituting and governing all identity, individuality, law, and power."  Mis., p. 364

Very much related to this concept is a far more obscure, but intriguing and profound, Biblical theme (which includes Messianic prophecy) that not only points to the workings of divine power to accomplish all things, but specifically rebukes human motives, will, ways and means of accomplishing good or removing evil. It is the "without hands" theme—or, in other words, the establishment of good and the destruction of evil without human hands, without physical force or human will, by "the Spirit of truth,"  See John 14:17 or the Holy Ghost. Science and Health, the Christian Science textbook by Mrs. Eddy, gives this spiritual definition of Holy Ghost: "Divine Science; the development of eternal Life, Truth, and Love."  Science and Health, p. 588

"The mighty shall be taken away without hand,"  Job 34:20 declares the book of Job. A translation from the French version of the original Hebrew puts it, "... without the hand of any man." The book of Lamentations, referring to the destruction of Sodom, states that it "was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her."  Lam. 4:6

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