Thy Right Hand

 •  7 min. read  •  grade level: 10
May we not recognize in these three words of Exodus 15:66Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. (Exodus 15:6), a latent reference to our Lord Jesus Christ? Here we have the magnificent victory over the enemies of Israel, when Jehovah saved His people out of the hand of the Egyptians. “Thy right hand, O Jehovah, is become glorious in power; Thy right hand, O Israel, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.” Infinitely more glorious was the victory of our Lord Jesus over all the powers of evil at the cross, where “having spoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” And not only this, but “when he ascended up on high he led captivity captive,” so that now, our enemies vanquished, His people are forever free.
Yet was the victory obtained through weakness. “He was crucified through weakness,” and it is written, “It pleased Jehovah to bruise him. He hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand.” That pleasure could only have been effected by Jesus (the name of humiliation and exaltation), and in such a way. For the objects of eternal love, whatever their class and whatever their election whether to heavenly or to earthly glory and to whatsoever sphere in either, were lost, ruined, yea, dead in trespasses and sins. And grace could only take them up in virtue of His sufferings who tasted death for every man (or, thing), and bearing the judgment of sin, “that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, Jesus suffered without the gate” (Hebrews 13:1212Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Hebrews 13:12)). But that pleasure prospers now, for “as concerning that he raised him from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David” (Acts 13:3434And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. (Acts 13:34)). These sure mercies (to quote from the same chapter) are all found on the “word of God” (verses 5, 7, 44, 46), and in connection with “the doctrine” or “word of the Lord” (verses 12, 48, 49). They provide the believer with “a Savior” (ver. 23), “salvation” (26), “forgiveness of sins” (38), “justification” (39), “everlasting life” (46), all flowing from “the grace of God” (43).
Salvation of the soul (though now enjoyed, and its fruition awaited in connection with the body) does not, however, even in the wilderness, preserve the believer from conflict. “Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt, how he met thee by the way and smote the hind-most of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary” (Deuteronomy 25:17, 1817Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; 18How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God. (Deuteronomy 25:17‑18)). So, many a believer, in weakness of body, has felt the cowardly assault of the enemy and has rejoiced in the intercession of One whose arms need no holding up, and “who is able to save them to the uttermost (or, completely) that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. “Moreover, what a triumph!” The hand upon the throne of Jehovah will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (Exodus17:16). Yes, “the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Romans 16:2020And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. (Romans 16:20)). And it will be by our Lord Jesus Christ, whose grace the apostle prays to be with us.
In Daniel 5 we have an awful instance, not merely of pride (as in Nebuchadnezzar's case, for he had been proud enough, yet through grace he had learned his lesson), but of impiety and of deepest dye. Those golden and silver vessels taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, in one way or another, pointed to the adorable person of the Lord Jesus. And that profane lords and wives, etc., should drink wine out of them to praise the gods of gold and silver, was to Daniel intolerable. “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote” (ver. 5). No wonder “that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another!” Christ in judgment is an awful reality. Nor need we be surprised that Daniel in his bearing towards Belshazzar was altogether different to what he was to Nebuchadnezzar. As to the latter, he could be astonished, and his thoughts trouble him. Addressing him as “My lord,” he desires that “the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies,” and could give counsel “if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility.” To Belshazzar he shows not the same respect, “Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another.” Jehovah's Christ was attacked, and the indignation just.
Do we know how to make these differences? Has the incident no voice to us? “Then was the part of the hand sent from him (i.e. the Lord of heaven): and this writing was written. And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene, God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it. Tekel, Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Peres, Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (vers. 24-28). Contrast this with “the hand” —the Lord Himself—in the three ways here spoken of. First, Peter in his Second Epistle, exhorts (chap. 1:11), “For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” —not, one that can be “numbered and finished.” Second, of the Lord Jesus it is recorded, “Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:2626For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; (Hebrews 7:26)). And He could say, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:44I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. (John 17:4))—not, “weighed in the balances and found wanting.” Third, as regards the earthly kingdom of our Lord Jesus, we read, “Then [cometh] the end, when he delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father: when he shall put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet” (1 Corinthians 15:24, 2524Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (1 Corinthians 15:24‑25)). No earthly monarch has ever done the one or the other, for they have been called away, either by violent or natural death, and have never reigned to the exclusion of others. His kingdom will never be divided, nor given to others.
In 1 Kings 18:44-4644And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 46And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. (1 Kings 18:44‑46), we have, in connection with “the hand,” the triumph of grace consequent on the acceptance of Elijah's burnt sacrifice. “And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare [thy chariot] and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.” “There shall be showers of blessing” (Ezekiel 34:2626And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. (Ezekiel 34:26)) even towards such an one as that. Are you surprised at this? Remember, when it is a question of making a marriage for the king's son, “both bad and good” are gathered together, and it is only the wedding garment that avails there (Matthew 22:1-131And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. 5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: 6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:1‑13)). Well for us, then, that whilst saying with Job (chap. 9:32), “He is not a man as I [am, that] I should answer him [and] we should come together in judgment,” we can blessedly add (in contrast to his next words in ver. 33) that there is a “daysman betwixt us that can lay 'his hand ' upon us both.” “For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time” (1 Timothy 2:5, 65For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:5‑6)). W. N. T.