Several passages of the Bible referenced the hand of the Lord. It is a phrase with different interpretations. Nehemiah spoke of the king granting all his requests “according to the hand of my God which was good upon me” (Nehemiah 2:18). This would easily pass for favour. It was the favour of God at work in Nehemiah that made the king accede to all his requests. Ezra also spoke of the hand of the Lord in Ezra chapter 7 verse 28. Here, the general help of God was the focus. In our text, the apostles requested the Lord to stretch His hand to heal and perform signs and wonders. That was their main prayer after threats from the authorities.

“It was the favour of God at work in Nehemiah that made the king accede to all his requests.”

How do we understand the hand of the Lord in this context? Two interpretations can be provided. Firstly, the apostles themselves were the hand of the Lord. They were the extension of the Lord’s hand. Hand talks of one’s extension or successor. “Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.”