How Jehovah Exerts His Power

Holy spirit pours forth from Jehovah in limitless supply. It is God's power in action. In fact, at Genesis 1:2, the Bible refers to it as God's "active force." The original Hebrew and Greek words that are rendered "spirit" may, in other contexts, be translated "wind," "breath," and "blast." According to lexicographers, the original language words suggest an invisible force in action. Like wind, God's spirit is invisible to our eyes, but its effects are real and discernible.

God's holy spirit is endlessly versatile. Jehovah can us it to carry out any purpose that he has in mind. Aptly, then, in the Bible, God's spirit is figuratively called his "finger," his "strong hand," or his "outstretched arm." (Luke 11:20; Deuteronomy 5:15; Psalm 8:3) Just as a man might apply his hand to a wide range of tasks requiring varying degrees of strength or finesse, so God can us his spirit to accomplish any purpose-such as creating the infinitesimal atom or parting the Red Sea or enabling fist-century Christians to speak in foreign tongues.

Jehovah also exerts power through his authority as Universal Sovereign. Can you imagine having millions upon millions of intelligent, able subjects eager to do your bidding? Jehovah wields such ruling power. He has human servants, in Scripture often likened to an army. (Psalm 68:11;110:3) A human weak creature, though, compared with an angel. Why, when the Assyrian army attacked God's people, a single angel killed 185,000 of those soldiers in one night! *(2 Kings 19:35) God's angels are "mighty in power." -Psalm 103:19, 20.

Next time: The conclusion of How Jehovah Exerts His Power

Draw Close To Jehovah, 2002