Hebrew Highlights 70 – GOD’S RIGHT HAND

 

Shalom.  This is Yuval Shomron, coming to you from Jerusalem.

 

PSA 20:6, “Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; He will answer him from His holy heaven, With the saving strength of His right hand.” 

The representation of God’s right hand occurs over 100 times in the Holy Scriptures.  Therefore it must be important.  There is nothing particularly special in the Hebrew itself, “yad yamino” simply means “His right hand”.  However, the contexts in which this image is used are indeed significant.  Three themes repeat themselves quite often, salvation, righteousness, and authority.    We already see from Psalm 20 that God’s right hand holds saving strength.  Let’s look at a few more passages.

PSA 48:10, “As is Thy name, O God, So is Thy praise to the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of righteousness.”  Here, God’s right hand gets equal billing with His name, and His praise, two subjects whose importance in scripture is by now famous.

PSA 80:14-15, “O God of hosts, turn again now, we beseech Thee; Look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine, Even the shoot which Thy right hand has planted, And on the son whom Thou hast strengthened for Thyself.”  In this case, we see a reminder that Israel has been planted by the Lord’s right hand.  Obviously the Heavenly Father did not physically put a seed in the ground or in mankind.  Here again is a picture of authority and decision.  Continuing to verse 17 of the same psalm, we read, “Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, Upon the son of man whom Thou didst make strong for Thyself.”  In this case the “son of man” is either all the people of Israel, King David, or a prophetic picture of Yeshua.  I believe this to be a depiction of God’s anointing.

PSA 98:1, “O Sing to the Lord a new song, For He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.”  Now, it may seem a little ridiculous if I say to you that it is important that the hand is connected to the arm.  However, it is noteworthy.  Why?  Because God’s holy arm extends His right hand out.  We don’t only come to Him for help, He comes to us.


The next passage is a well know one quoted in the New Testament.  PSA 110:1, “The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet."  Now the prophetic place of Yeshua begins to become clear.  Messiah confirms this Himself when he states in MAT 26:64, "You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."

The Pharisees certainly understood what importance was connected to God’s right hand.  The Bible tells us they were “cut to the quick” when they heard Peter exclaim about Yeshua in ACT 5:31, "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

 

Some of us mistakenly see ourselves as “God’s right hand man”.  Sorry, Messiah Yeshua already has that seat.  If we want to experience salvation, put on righteousness, and wield authority, we need only to follow the sound advice of HEB 12:1-2.  “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

An Israeli student of mine once asked why in English we use the words right and left.  Why not say right and wrong?  It is not so naïve a question as one might think.  Have you ever thought about it?

Perhaps it is because of this.  If we are not getting everything we need from the right hand of God.  There is not much…left.

 

Shalom, Shalom , from Jerusalem.