The Right Hand of God

I was reading the scriptures one day while in campus at around the year 2009 and could not help but notice the extensive use of the phrase “the right hand of God”. I began to wonder and search to understand the meaning of it. What the Holy Spirit revealed to me, becomes the subject of this blog post.

Just to drift a bit, most of you may have watched the famous series: game of thrones. You must be aware of “the hand of the king”. The Hand of the King (or King's Hand) is the most powerful appointed position in the Seven Kingdoms, second only to the King in authority and responsibility.

The Hand is the King's closest advisor, appointed and authorized to make decisions in the King's name. The Hand of the King is the highest-ranking member of the Small Council, and leads meetings of the council as proxy for the king when the monarch is absent.

During the reign of strong and able kings, the Hand is the chief agent for coordinating and carrying out the king's plans. During the reign of weakA or ineffectual kings, the Hand is often the real power behind the throne, and the man chiefly responsible for holding the realm together.

Game of thrones attempts to replicate how medieval kingdoms were governed and functioned.

But before even human kingdoms begun, the government of God existed. It is numerously cited in the Bible “the right hand of God”. I was curious why there is no mention of the left hand. Why specify it is the right hand of God.

In most of these scriptures, the right hand of God is depicted as a hand of power, a hand that saves and delivers, a hand full of righteousness and victory and further as a hand that is exalted. Moses says in Exodus 15:6 after crossing the red sea and seeing the great power of God, "Your right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has dashed the enemy in pieces."

King David, in the psalms, has extensively referred to the right hand of God and through it, he sought salvation and vengeance against the enemies. He writes;

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. (Psalm 20:6, NKJV)

According to Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. (Psalm 48:10, NKJV)

You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand. (Psalm 89:13, NKJV)

The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." (Psalms 110:1, NKJV)

The voice of rejoicing and salvation Is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. (Psalms 118:15 -16, NKJV)

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11, KJV)

In Isaiah, God swears by His right hand. Why? Of what significance is His right hand?

The LORD has sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength: "Surely I will no longer give your grain As food for your enemies; And the sons of the foreigner shall not drink your new wine, For which you have labored. (Isaiah 62:8, NKJV)

Psalm 80:17, says it all, “Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, Upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself." Who is this man of God’s right hand in whom God’s hand should be upon? Who is this son of man whom God made strong for Himself?

The bible is clear that not even an angel was told to sit at the right hand of God. Only one man, Jesus Christ was told to sit at the right hand of God.

Jesus said to him, "It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Mathew 26:64, NKJV)

Stephen, the man of God full of the Holy Spirit saw the heavens open and the Son of God standing at the right hand of God. So many scriptures in the new testament testify to the fact that Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God. I quote but a few;

Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, (Hebrews 1:3, NKJV)

Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. (1 peter 3:22, NKJV)

My eyes, mind and understanding were opened to see that “the right hand of God” is indeed Jesus Christ. Yes He sits at the right hand of God but more than that He is the right hand of God. Jesus Christ is the right hand of God that brings salvation and deliverance; the right hand of God that fights the enemies of God and brings victory; the right hand of God that is filled with righteousness and strength; the right hand of God that is exalted and in Him are pleasures forever more.

May the right hand of God intervene in your situation. May Jesus Christ intervene in your situation.

Shalom.