1st Timothy, part 3, Linking the Hebrew Letter Yod

Hebrew letter "yod"

We’ve been showing the links between the 22 Hebrew letters and the corresponding 66 books in the Bible. See CROSSING THE SCRIPTURES for the complete study. We’re on the tenth letter, yod, whose symbol is the hand. The alphabetic verses for the letter yod (KJV) show this clearly:

Psalm 119:73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.Proverbs 31:19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.Lamentations 1:10 The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things:Lamentations 4:10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children

The symbol of the hand naturally represents power, might, ability, and authority because with it we handle, control, possess, and manipulate (from the Latin manus = hand) everything in our world. In fact, yod is translated as power twelve times in the KJV and when God gave dominion over all creatures to Noah and his sons, he said "into your hand are they delivered." A ruling king has the land under the "power of his hand" and God freed the Jews from their Egyptian bondage "with great power, and with a mighty hand" (Exodus 32:11).

We saw several instances of “hand” in our other two yod books, 2nd Samuel and Jonah. Now look at 1st Timothy 2:8: 4:14; and 5:22:

 8 Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

I don’t know about you, but this stuff gives me chills. How awesome is the Word of God!