Psalm 98 – Right Hand
In Psalm 98 – right hand, God’s right hand has brought salvation. What is the significance of a right hand? Why is it important to us?
Psalm 98
Psalm 98 – right hand begins with a call to sing praise to God for all the marvelous things God has done. His right hand and holy arm have gained God victory. “These are the instruments of God’s victory, the expressions of His skill and strength. As in Isaiah 52:10, the idea of His holy arm is that God has rolled up His sleeve to do His mighty work. Together, His hand and arm have gained Him the victory.” (Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 98)
“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.” (1)
The psalm praises God in widening circles – first Israel:
“The Lord has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” (2-3)
Then all the earth:
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the Lord, the King.” (4-5)
Then all creation:
“Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.” (7-9)
What is the Lord going to do? Judge the world and all people with fairness and righteousness.
Right and Left Hands
While reflecting on this psalm, I found myself thinking about the use of right hand as opposed to left hand. Some used to extoll the right hand as being better because it was normative. Yes, the vast majority of people are right-handed, hence the reason for this bias. There was a time when children who were left-handed were forced to write with their right hand by their teachers. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. Being left-handed is now seen as within the range of normal.
To only speak of a right hand creates a feeling of imbalance to me. How can one clap their hands, like the rivers in this psalm, without both left and right? So much of what we do requires the use of two hands. We swing bats and golf clubs, shoot basketballs, work most power tools, type with two hands. Having two hands from two arms helps us maintain balance.
Left and Right Hands in the Bible
In the Bible we see some of this cultural influence with the right hand holding a slightly more prominent position. The right hand is used in blessings and is a source of power. God’s right hand spread out the heavens (Isaiah 48:13). Jesus sits at the right hand of God and in Matthew’s final judgment (25:31-46) the sheep go to the right and the goats to the left. “The right hand, in particular, is frequently associated with power, blessing, and honor, while the left hand can symbolize secondary status or, in some contexts, judgment and misfortune.” (Topical Bible: The Symbolism of the Right and Left Hands)
However, there are also positive references to left hands. Judges 3:15 introduces us to Ehod, a left-handed man sent to deliver the Israelites. In Judges 20:16 we hear about a select troop of 700 left-handed warriors. “Here we learn about a group of skilled left-handed slingers. Their talent is highlighted, demonstrating that being left-handed can lead to exceptional skills.” (What Does The Bible Say About Left Handed People (31 Verses Explained) – Christianity Path) 1 Chronicles 12:2 speaks about warriors who could fight with both hands.
Psalm 98 – Right Hand
In Psalm 98 – right hand, God’s right hand has the power to conquer and save. God’s right hand brings justice. As I have been going through the Psalms for the fourth time, I’ve been struck by the importance of justice and righteousness in them. In a country where many judges were corrupt and only looking out for themselves, the concept of true justice was important. “The concept of unjust judges is a recurring theme in the Bible, highlighting the moral and ethical failures of those in positions of authority who pervert justice for personal gain or out of negligence.” (Topical Bible: Unjust Judges) Where you could not rely on justice from human judges, you could count on God.
Not so different from our own times. I used to hold judges in high regard as seekers of truth. Not so much anymore.
But our ultimate hope lies not in human judges, but our heavenly judge who comes to judge the earth. Our God is willing to roll up his sleeves and work for us. A message of hope to all who feel hopeless before the injustice and inhumanity present in our world. A message we need to hear.
What are your thoughts on God’s right hand? Is it an image that brings comfort or fear?
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 98: Keep the Victory! – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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