Numbers 11:23 The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”
[New International translation.]
Summary:
Learning to trust GOD after the great exodus from Egypt wasn’t easy for the Israelites. Despite seeing GOD perform great miracles---- the escape from Pharaoh’s army, the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14); the guidance by the pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13); the numerous plagues that occurred in Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go (Exodus 7-12), the Israelites still found it hard to totally put their trust in GOD. The Israelites complained about the food (Numbers 11); they were often defiant (See Exodus 32 when the people tried to make their own GOD); they were difficult, argumentative, and often “tried to box with GOD.”
Even, Moses, who spoke directly with GOD, sometimes “couldn’t see” how GOD was going to work things out when GOD promised to give the complaining Israelites the meat they craved, for a whole month, until it came out of their nostrils and became loathsome (Numbers 11:20). Moses could not “see” how GOD was going to fulfill this meat every day for a month promise. Moses counted all the animals in the flocks and herds and the math simply did not add up.
But just because Moses couldn’t “figure it out” didn’t mean GOD could not do it. GOD asked Moses, “Do you think my arm is short” or in other words “Do you think me weak?” Without explaining how, GOD just told Moses “You will see.”
So, just on the WORD of GOD, Moses delivered GOD’s promises to the people. And, GOD did exactly what GOD said HE would do.
ARM EXERCISES
While the LORD does not have weak arms (i.e. short arms), often people who fail to exercise do.
In “The Best Arm Exercises, by Barbara Russi Sarnataro, Dan Agresti, an exercise physiologist notes that arm toning and strengthening are important throughout life. First, he notes that:
Life is a lot better when you’re strong
Just knowing you can lift something, have a range of motion, perform certain daily tasks is important and helps to improve a person’s quality of life. Moreover:
We need to combat the pitfalls of our culture
Our culture tends to have us hunched over a computer, bending over phone screens, sitting in front of TV’s, lounging in chairs at the movies while we eat or perhaps behind the steering wheel of a car or behind a desk. Often we are hunched over. The chest muscles get tighter. We often set ourselves up for decreased range of motion and sometimes for later injury if we continue these patterns. That’s why we need to exercise the whole body, including our arms.
See: https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/the-best-arm-exercises#2
Here are just a few upper body and arm exercises that can be performed while sitting:
SHOULDER RETRACTIONS
- Find a straight back chair and sit with your back straight and abs engaged.
- Hold your arms straight out in front of you making fists without locking your elbows.
- Bend the elbows straight back, pulling your shoulder blades (in the back together) as your elbows bend back toward your torso.
- As your elbows come back, push your chest forward. Continue this chest pushing forward, elbows pushing backward 10 times.
MEDICINE BALL EXCHANGE
- Find a straight back chair and sit with your back straight and abs engaged.
- Hold a medicine ball (or a ball you feel comfortable holding) in your right hand with your left hand down by your side.
- Circle the ball up over your head and then take the ball in the other hand.
- Circle the ball down to your left side.
- Then circle the ball up over your head catching the ball with the other hand.
- Repeat this circular over the head ball movement, alternating the arms 10 times. Or, do 3 sets of 10.
SEAT PUNCHES
- Find a straight back chair and sit with your back straight and abs engaged.
- Get in a fighting position with your hands up and your fists clenched guarding your face.
- Extend your right hand toward the left in a punch and bring it back quickly;
- Extend the left toward the right in a punch and bring it back quickly;
- Repeat 10 times.
- Reset the hands and now extend the right hand upward punching toward the ceiling and bring it back quick
- Alternate the hands punching toward the ceiling 10 times.
- Now punch toward the floor alternating the hands 10 times.
- If you increase your speed, remember to maintain your form and keep your abs engaged.
See, https://www.verywellfit.com/seated-upper-body-workout-1231439 for additional upper body exercises and visuals. If you have a medical condition or you are taking medication speak to your personal physician about arm exercises appropriate for you.
Your Arm’s Too Short To Box With GOD
The phrase “Your arm’s too short to box with God” first appeared in James Weldon Johnson’s poem “The Prodigal Son.” The passage reads like this:
Young man—
Young man—
Your arm's too short to box with God.
But Jesus spake in a parable, and he said:
A certain man had two sons.
Jesus didn't give this man a name,
But his name is God Almighty.
And Jesus didn't call these sons by name,
But ev'ry young man,
Ev'rywhere,
Is one of these two sons.
See, James Weldon Johnson’s God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse, published in 1927.
Life can be frustrating. And, sometimes it is difficult to see a way through. When, like Moses, we just can’t see how GOD is going to fix things or keep HIS promises, it pays to remember, “our arm’s too short” and our vision is too limited.
Sometime we have to remember our spiritual exercise, prayer, and just “wait” and “see.”
So, continue to exercise your whole body---including your faith.
Be strong, trust GOD and BE BLESSED!
