For instance, as today, most people in ancient times were right-handed and that term became a symbol of power. Psalm 20:6 says, “Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand.” Other verses associate His right hand with awesome deeds, His promises and the seating place of the Messiah.
This idea of right-hand carried over into the NT and into various contexts such as “the right hand of fellowship” indicating a shared grace and mission, and to Jesus being exalted “to the right and of God” to fulfill several functions as in:
Acts 2:33. “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.”
Acts 5:31. “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”
Romans 8:34. “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
I selected this word thinking of “right” as the goodness of God in always doing the most appropriate thing. Job’s story is filled with debate over what God considers right or good. It shows how in our humanness, we can sometimes feel as if God is not fair, or He made a mistake, or what is happening is not right but wrong. However, Scripture does not portray God in that way.
Rightness is not always about power. Psalm 25:9 says that God “leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.” It is about honesty and “speaking what is right” and “doing what is just” and being able to say, “Righteous are you, O Lord and right are Your rules.” If God says this is the way we should live, then it also is true about the way He is toward us.
In the NT, right is translated from a word meaning “fitting, in harmony with, or appropriate for a person or occasion.” It is sometimes translated good, better, fine, honorable, or beautiful, even honest. It describes Jesus:
John 10:11–14. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
The instructions in the NT are for us yet they are clearly descriptions of the character and actions of our Lord. He tells us to “hold fast to what is good” and 1 Timothy 2:1–3 says to pray in every way for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.” He intercedes for us because it is the right thing to do!
We are to have a reputation for good works, doing what is right in the eyes of God and pleasing others, even causing them to praise our Father in heaven. Being rich in good works is being like God who does the same. Even regarding food, this word for right is used in 1 Timothy 4:4–5. “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”
James 4:17 stresses the importance of doing right: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” and if applied to God, He must also do all things right for there is no sin in Him.
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. God does right. Putting my focus on God is the only way I can know the right thing to do. In our world, this is becoming increasingly challenging for compared to the Word of God, right is becoming wrong and wrong is being accepted. It is okay to destroy unborn children but not okay to cut down a tree or use a goose for its feathers or food. Marriage is no longer sacred and Christians are beheaded for following and wanting to be like a sinless Savior. However, God promises to keep His people on the right path!
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