Instrumentality, in a biblical context, refers to the means or agency through which God accomplishes His divine purposes. Throughout Scripture, God employs various instruments—be they individuals, nations, or objects—to fulfill His will and manifest His power and glory.

Divine Instrumentality in Individuals

God often uses individuals as instruments to carry out His plans. A prime example is Moses, whom God chose to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Despite Moses' initial reluctance, God assured him of His presence and equipped him with signs and wonders to perform before Pharaoh (Exodus 3:10-12). Similarly, David, a shepherd boy, was anointed by God to become the king of Israel, demonstrating how God can elevate the humble to positions of great influence (1 Samuel 16:12-13).

The prophets also serve as instruments of God's communication, delivering His messages to the people. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, among others, were called to speak God's words, often in times of national crisis or moral decline (Isaiah 6:8-9, Jeremiah 1:4-10, Ezekiel 2:3-7).

Nations as Instruments

God's sovereignty extends over nations, which He uses as instruments to execute judgment or bring about deliverance. The Assyrian empire, for instance, was used as a rod of God's anger against Israel due to their disobedience (Isaiah 10:5-6). Conversely, God raised up Cyrus, the Persian king, as an instrument to release the Israelites from Babylonian captivity and facilitate the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1-4).

Objects and Events as Instruments

Inanimate objects and natural events also serve as instruments in God's hands. The staff of Moses became a tool for performing miracles, such as parting the Red Sea (Exodus 14:16). The Ark of the Covenant was a physical representation of God's presence and a means through which He communicated with His people (Exodus 25:22).

God's control over nature is evident in events like the great flood, which served as a means of judgment and renewal (Genesis 6:17-18), and the plagues of Egypt, which demonstrated His power over creation and the false gods of Egypt (Exodus 7-12).

Instrumentality in the New Testament

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is the ultimate instrument of God's redemptive plan. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus accomplished the salvation of humanity, fulfilling the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament (John 3:16, Romans 5:8).

The apostles and early church leaders were instruments in spreading the Gospel and establishing the church. The Apostle Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, became a chosen instrument to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15).

The Role of Believers

Believers are called to be instruments of righteousness, living lives that reflect God's holiness and love. The Apostle Paul exhorts Christians to present themselves to God as instruments for His purposes: "Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness" (Romans 6:13).

Through prayer, service, and the exercise of spiritual gifts, believers participate in God's work on earth, becoming vessels through which His grace and truth are made known to the world.(n.) The quality or condition of being instrumental; that which is instrumental; anything used as a means; medium; agency.1722. en -- in, on, at, by, with
... instrumentality Definition in, on, at, by, with NASB Word Usage about (3), afterwards*
(2), along (1), amid (1), among (124), among* (4), because (3), before (1 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1722.htm - 8k

1223. dia -- through, on account of, because of
... dia Phonetic Spelling: (dee-ah') Short Definition: through, on account of Definition:
(a) gen: through, throughout, by the instrumentality of, (b) acc: through ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1223.htm - 8k

1296. diatage -- institution, ordinance
... ordinance, direction. From diatasso; arrangement, ie Institution -- instrumentality.
see GREEK diatasso. (diatagas) -- 1 Occurrence. (diatage) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1296.htm - 6k

4862. sun -- with, together with (expresses association with)
... union; with or together (but much closer than meta or para), ie By association,
companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4862.htm - 7k

The Instrumentality of the Wicked Employed by God, While He ...
... BOOK FIRST. OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THE CREATOR CHAPTER 18. THE INSTRUMENTALITY
OF THE WICKED EMPLOYED BY GOD, WHILE HE CONTINUES FREE FROM EVERY TAINT. ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 18 the instrumentality of.htm

Macedonius, after his Rejection from his See, Blasphemes against ...
... XXVII."Macedonius, after his Rejection from his See, blasphemes against the Holy
Spirit; Propagation of his Heresy through the Instrumentality of Marathonius ...
/.../chapter xxvii macedonius after his rejection.htm

Some Indian Nations Received Christianity at that Time through the ...
... Book II. Chapter XXIV."Some Indian Nations received Christianity at that Time through
the Instrumentality of Two Captives, Frumentius and Edesius. ...
/.../chapter xxiv some indian nations received.htm

Conversion
... Our text has in it, first of all, a principle involved"that of instrumentality.""
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/conversion.htm

Whether the Human Soul in the Present State of Life Can Understand ...
... active intellect; so much so that when we understand all the intelligible objects,
the active intellect becomes one with us, and by its instrumentality we can ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the human soul in.htm

Absurdity of their Styling Themselves Spiritual, While the ...
... she used him (the Demiurge) as being [in a sense] superior to herself, and better
fitted to accomplish her purpose through his instrumentality; for she would ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxx absurdity of their styling.htm

Third Sunday after Epiphany
... The vengeance and wrath of God are dispensed in various ways: through the
instrumentality of political government; at the hands of the devil; by illness ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol ii/third sunday after epiphany.htm

Appendix B
... condescended to become an author, and I am ignorant about that precious book, which
His Holy Spirit has caused to be written through the instrumentality of His ...
//christianbookshelf.org/muller/answers to prayer/appendix b.htm

The Holy Spirit Convicting the World of Sin, of Righteousness and ...
... would have followed; but now Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit (v.4) and the
Holy Spirit took Peter and his words and through the instrumentality of Peter ...
/.../torrey/the person and work of the holy spirit/chapter vii the holy spirit.htm

The Waterer Watered
... The Lord's people usually get this watering through instrumentality. God does
not speak to us out of heaven with his own voice"perhaps ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/the waterer watered.htm

Instrumentality (5 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Instrumentality (5 Occurrences). ... Acts 19:11 God also brought
about extraordinary miracles through Paul's instrumentality. (WEY). ...
/i/instrumentality.htm - 8k

Instrument (45 Occurrences)

/i/instrument.htm - 22k

Ordinary (17 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Acts 19:11 God also brought about extraordinary miracles through
Paul's instrumentality. (Root in WEY DBY NAS RSV NIV). ...
/o/ordinary.htm - 12k

Onesimus (2 Occurrences)
... The result of their meeting was that Onesimus was converted to Christ, through the
instrumentality of the apostle ("my child, whom I have begotten in my bonds ...
/o/onesimus.htm - 12k

Language (112 Occurrences)
... organs of the throat and mouth. 2. (n.) The expression of ideas by writing,
or any other instrumentality. 3. (n.) The forms of speech ...
/l/language.htm - 101k

Greetings (48 Occurrences)
... (WEB). Acts 21:19 After exchanging friendly greetings, Paul told in detail all that
God had done among the Gentiles through his instrumentality. (WEY). ...
/g/greetings.htm - 18k

Friendly (17 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Acts 21:19 After exchanging friendly greetings, Paul told in detail all that
God had done among the Gentiles through his instrumentality. (WEY). ...
/f/friendly.htm - 11k

Raising (29 Occurrences)
... Acts 17:31 seeing that He has appointed a day on which, before long, He will judge
the world in righteousness, through the instrumentality of a man whom He has ...
/r/raising.htm - 15k

Ezra-nehemiah
... of the books is to show that God fulfilled His promise, or prophecy, to restore
His exiled people to their inheritance, through the instrumentality on the one ...
/e/ezra-nehemiah.htm - 22k

Exchanging (6 Occurrences)
... Acts 21:19 After exchanging friendly greetings, Paul told in detail all that God
had done among the Gentiles through his instrumentality. (WEY). ...
/e/exchanging.htm - 8k

What impact did Marcus Aurelius have on Christian history? | GotQuestions.org

Should a church be seeker sensitive? | GotQuestions.org

Instrumentality: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus