And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall. 1 Samuel 19:9, 10 KJV
Now there was an evil spirit from the LORD on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, and David was playing the harp with his hand. Saul tried to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, so that he stuck the spear into the wall. 1Samuel 19:9-11 NASB
Several times in the narratives of the ‘Saul and David’ encounters, attention is drawn to the hand of Saul and the hand of David. In Saul’s hand was a javelin. In David’s hand was a harp. In Saul’s hand was an instrument to harm; in David’s hand was an instrument to heal. In Saul’s hand was a javelin to remove David as a rival; in David’s hand was a harp to remedy the malady afflicting Saul. The hand of Saul was moved by envy and hatred; the hand of David by care and compassion.
We read these contrasts and they magnify to us the ugliness of sin and the beauty of David’s character. But how much more precious they become when we think of them in relationship to the One whom David prefigured.
The Hands of Men
The Lord Jesus spoke of being delivered into the hands of men (Matt 17:32), into the hands of sinners (Matt 26:45), and into the hands of the powers of darkness (Luke 22:53). Peter charged the nation that they had cooperated in the Lord Jesus being delivered into wicked hands to be slain (Acts 2:23). We are reminded that men smote Him with “the palms of their hands” (Matt 26:67).
While not described for us in detail in the Gospel accounts, we can think that it was the hands of a Roman soldier which platted a crown of thorns. That in the hand of a soldier was a hammer which pummeled the nails into his hands and feet. In the hand of a soldier was a spear that pierced His side. Instruments of cruelty and evil were in the hands of men.
The Hands of Christ
If we were to list all the mentions of the hands of Christ which were so active in blessing people, it would be a long meditation, indeed. Think of just a few.
In tenderness, He put His hands on little children, showing His love and compassion for even them (Matt 19:13). Men marveled at the mighty works done by His hands (Mark 6:2). His hands brought sight to the blind (Mark 8:23), blessing to the multitude with their multitudinous needs (Luke 4:40), and deliverance to the afflicted (Luke 13:13).
He was conscious that into those hands the Father had committed everything. Yet those hands gently took the dusty feet of disciples and washed them (John 13:3). Eventually, those hands were pierced with nails, as He willingly yielded Himself to the cross (John 20:27). His hands were ever active in blessing and healing, in remedying and relieving. The very last sight the disciples had of Him was that of a risen Savior with His hands uplifted in blessing (Luke 24:50).
The hands of men, our hands, were marked by hatred; His were marked by healing. Our hands were raised to rid the earth of Him; His were yielded to redeem us.
Consider
Go through any one of the Gospels, perhaps Luke first, and look at the mentions of the hand or touches of the Lord Jesus.