Isaiah 40:10-11 Behold, the Lord Jehovah will come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him (v’zroah moshel lo); behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. 11 He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those with young.
The Hebrew phrase “z’roah moshel lo” paints the picture of an arm that governs with both strength and care. The same Z’roah that brought Israel out of Egypt in power now establishes righteous order and sustains His people in love. Deliverance without rulership is incomplete; the Redeemer becomes the King — and the King rules as a Shepherd. The Arm does not act independently but moves in perfect submission to the Head, carrying out the will of the Father.
In biblical thought, true rulership is never mere domination; it is covenantal stewardship. The Z’roah carries the full authority of the One who sends it, wielding the power to judge the oppressor while protecting the weak. Messiah, as the Arm of the LORD, executes justice, defends the vulnerable, and leads His people in righteousness — not by coercion, but by faithful, sacrificial love.
Isaiah’s vision joins two images often separated in our minds — the scepter of a king and the staff of a shepherd. The Warrior Arm that struck Egypt is the same Shepherd Arm that gathers lambs into His bosom. His rulership aligns creation under divine order, restoring peace where chaos once reigned. When His arm rules, shalom is not an ideal — it becomes reality.
In the ministry of Yeshua (Jesus), this rulership took tangible form: demons fled at His command, storms obeyed His voice, and His touch healed the sick. These were not random displays of power, but the King’s arm setting creation back into harmony with heaven. And in the Messianic age to come, this rulership will be universal, with every nation under the care of the Shepherd-King.
For believers, submitting to the rulership of the Z’roah means embracing both His authority and His embrace. We cannot receive Him as Redeemer without acknowledging Him as Ruler. The arm that delivers us from bondage must also guide us on the path of life. His reign is our refuge, and His bosom is our resting place.
The Z’roah of God is not only the arm that saves you from the enemy’s grip — it is the arm that takes the throne. Let the Arm that delivered you also direct you, for where His rule is established, no enemy can endure and no chaos can survive. He is the Shepherd-King, whose scepter is a staff, whose power is wrapped in tenderness. Under His care, the path is certain, the journey is guarded, and the destination is sure — for His reward is with Him, and He will not rest until He has led you safely home.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The Bible seems virtually redundant on the theme of courage. More than 125 exhortations for God’s people facing overwhelming trials and dilemmas, resound against fear, notwithstanding how natural that response may seem. Courage based on faith is the universal attitude for saints in all situations. Our omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere) Father says, and repeats, “Fear not! Be of good courage! Be strong and courageous!”
As my wife and I have been redeployed to the United States for a season we’ve traveled over 150,000 miles since 2020. Vehicles which deliver the kind of distances we travel need regular oil changes to stay reliable. So, our vehicles have enjoyed innumerable pit stops.
As we continue to inspect our hearts and take spiritual inventory of our lives during this month of Elul in preparation for the fall feasts, we should stay particularly aware of Yeshua’s prediction in Matthew 24:12, “The love of many will grow cold.” He warned that a sign of the last days would be abounding lawlessness and that callousness and hardness of heart would characterize the end times. The evidence of this is everywhere.
Traditionally in Jewish spirituality, these 40 days of prayer and repentance beginning the 1st of Elul to Yom Kippur parallel the 40 days that Moses spent on the mountain [Exodus 34:28] pleading God’s forgiveness for Israel’s sin of creating and worshiping the golden calf. Interestingly, Psalm 27 is read each day of the month of Elul, along with the shofar blast in preparation for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
As we continue our study for Elul, a month set apart for repentance in preparation for the fall feasts, we find a message hidden in the four Hebrew letters spelling the name of this special month. Alef-Lamed-Vav-Lamed form an “acronym” for a well-known passage in the Song of Solomon: Ani l-dodi v-dodi li or in English, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”
I happened (on rare occasion) the other day to see a CNN headline, “Health Officials Brace for Three Major Viruses this Fall”. Immediately, I thought, “Not again!” Yet, scouring the headlines, it now appears that several colleges are instituting mask mandates even though there isn’t a case of illness yet. While the world is being prepared for an “outbreak” of disease, I’m hoping we may learn a lesson from history so that, perhaps, we’ll see an “outbreak” of revival!
As we enter this season of Teshuva (Repentance) during the month of Elul, we enter a unique season approaching the Fall Feasts. This month initiates a 40-day countdown to Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), and is traditionally known as the time the King would visit His people.