From the Hand מִיַּ֣ד

We are in chapter fourteen of Exodus with our word for today which is a small phrase. מִיַּ֣ד from the hand, out of the hand. It is used 217 times in the Old Testament. It is from the root word יָד  hand used 1,529 times, with the preposition מִ from or out of attached. We find our phrase used in a literal sense when Benaiah kills the Egyptian. 2 Samuel 23:21 And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear מִיַּ֣ד from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Our phrase is used a lot as a figurative expression. We see this in the sense to identify the one who is responsible for the action that is taking place. When Cain killed his brother Abel we find this expression used. Genesis 4:11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood מִיָּדֶֽךָ from your hand. Our phrase is also used to describe the action of giving a gift. Genesis 21:30 He replied, “Accept these seven lambs מִיָּדִ֑י from my hand as a witness that I dug this well.” Most of the time it is used in the sense of rescue from the power of someone over someone else. And when it is used in this way it is almost always God who does the delivering. Genesis 32:11 Please deliver me מִיַּ֥ד from the hand of my brother, מִיַּ֣ד from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 2 Kings 17:39 But you shall fear the Lord your God, and he will deliver you מִיַּ֖ד out of the hand of all your enemies. This is how our word is used in our chapter today. Exodus 14:30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day מִיַּ֣ד from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. We see our phrase used exactly the same way earlier in Exodus where God predicts his salvation. Exodus 3:8 And I have come down to deliver them מִיַּ֣ד out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey. We see throughout the Bible God’s character of wanting to save us from what has power over us to bring us to himself and always into a better reality. Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. God rescues us not only from the consequences of our sin but also from the power of sin over us. Romans 6:17-18 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I’ll close with these great passages from Psalms. Psalm 97:10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them מִיַּ֥ד from the hand of the wicked. Psalm 106:10 So he saved them מִיַּ֣ד from the hand of the foe and redeemed them מִיַּ֥ד from the power of the enemy.