“Has The Lord’s Arm Been Shortened?”

David Eldridge

Numbers chapter 11 finds the children of Israel complaining because of not having any meat (vss. 4-6). God then said that He would give them meat, so much in fact it would become loathsome to them (vss. 18-20). Moses questions God as to how He will do this. God replies, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not” (vs. 32). God asks, in the rhetorical, if His arm had been shortened that he would not be able to accomplish this task. Perhaps we sometimes think God’s arm has been shortened and He is not able to accomplish that which He has promised to do. Let us consider, if the Lord’s arm been shortened…

In providing for His people? God has promised to provide for us today (cf. Matthew 6:25-34). He does not do so today through miraculous means as he did for Israel in the wilderness, but through providence. God’s providence is that which supplies our needs through natural means to make sure His purposes are fulfilled. Some think God has done His part and is in Heaven sitting on His hands. Not so! God is active today. A failure to see this shows a lack of seeing the true nature, power, and blessings of God. The Lord’s arm has not been shortened in providing for His people.

In saving the lost? Some think that God’s arm has been shortened in saving the lost. The apostle says Jesus “is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). God was able to save a sorcerer (Acts 16), a group of horrible sinners (I Corinthians 6:9-11), and a murderer (Acts 22:16). God can save any who would come to Him in obedience. God’s arm has not been shortened in saving the lost.

In church growth? Some individuals are of the faithless opinion that the church cannot grow today. To assert such says that one sees God’s arm as having been shortened. God is able to save the lost and add them to His church (Acts 2:42). Furthermore, if we are doing our job in spreading the word (I Timothy 3:15), the church will grow. God told Isaiah, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void…it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Seeing this we do our part in sowing and watering the seed of God’s word knowing that God will give the increase (I Corinthians 3:6,7). God’s arm has not been shortened in seeing His church, this church, grow spiritually and numerically.