What is the arm of the Lord?

God is a Spirit. The “arm of the Lord” is a metaphor for God’s power and strength. The arm of the Lord saves, delivers, and redeems.

[Capital letters added in verses:]

"Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a STRETCHED OUT ARM, and with great judgments:" - Exodus 6:6

"And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an OUTSTRETCHED ARM, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:" - Deuteronomy 26:8

"Thou hast with THINE ARM redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah." - Psalm 77:15

While the arm of the Lord was the power of God to save and redeem His people from the bondage of Egypt, there was the much greater need for all humanity to be redeemed from the bondage of sin and death.

God had looked for a man, but there was none that was without sin that could pay the price. Only God could save and deliver us.

"And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore HIS ARM brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him." - Isaiah 59:16

The Lord now spoke of power and redemption by His arm in a much greater way. His arm that saved and delivered His people from physical bondage in Egypt, defeating their enemies, was now going to save and deliver the souls of all humanity from the spiritual bondage of sin, defeating the devil.

The arm of the Lord would now be revealed in flesh and blood.

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." - Hebrews 2:14-15

Isaiah spoke of the arm of the Lord, foretelling of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection in Isaiah 53.

"Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?" - Isaiah 53:1 KJV

"But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5 KJV

"The LORD hath made bare HIS HOLY ARM in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." - Isaiah 52:10

Jesus, as the arm of the Lord, reaches out to humanity, redeeming us back to Himself from sin and death. There was no man that had the power to do this. Only the power and strength of God Himself, revealed in a human body - Jesus, the arm of the Lord, could deliver and save us.

John recognized that Jesus is the arm of the Lord. John wrote,

"But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: that the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?" - John 12:37-38 KJV

God’s holy arm is revealed to the world. It is Jesus Christ, bringing salvation to all the nations, reaching to the ends of the earth, saving us from sin by His gospel:

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV