Either Hand

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart,

for you have heard the words of my mouth;

in the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple,

and give thanks to your name.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

Because of your kindness and your truth,

you have made great above all things

your name and your promise.

When I called, you answered me;

you built up strength within me.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord.

Your right hand saves me.

The LORD will complete what he has done for me;

your kindness, O LORD, endures forever;

forsake not the work of your hands.

R. Your right hand saves me, O Lord. (Psalm 138:1-8)

So, the left hand doesn’t save?  Left-handed men and women might find this hand-issue to be a slight. Perhaps Jesus references this in his parable of the "The Sheep and the Goats.” The sheep and goats are separated with the sheep on the right hand of God and the goats on the left hand.  Poor goats.  Perhaps they are “punished” due to their independence unlike sheep that simply and dumbly follow their leaders.  I’d rather be a nimble goat capable of looking askew at my supposed leaders and saying. “No way, Jose. Begone from my sight.”

Ecclesiastes 10:2 says, “A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left.” I have no clue as to why.  I’ve read: (begin) “The Scripture has several words translated “right” and the usage of the term, "right hand" ranges from a direction, to the opposite of wrong, what is just or what conforms to an established standard, and to a place of honor or authority. In the case of division or appointment in the Bible, the right hand or right side came first, as when Israel (Jacob) divided the blessings to Joseph’s sons before he died (Genesis 48:13-14).

In addition, a person of high rank who put someone on his right hand gave him equal honor with himself and recognized him as possessing equal dignity and authority. And this is what the Apostle Paul writes of Jesus Christ in Ephesians. "And what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us, the ones believing according to the working of His mighty strength which He worked in Christ in raising Him from the dead, and He seated Him at His right hand in the heaven lies, far above all principality and authority and power and dominion, and every name being named, not only in this world, but also in the coming age" (Ephesians 1:19-21). Here we see God exalting Jesus above all others by seating Him at the right hand of the Father. (end)

Whatever.  I still say I prefer to sit at God’s left hand.  That is the place that befits the goats.  Goats might not seem like the most cuddly animals, but researchers have found evidence that goats are as clever as dogs, and just as capable of building emotional relationships with humans as all the other domesticated animals we've let into our hearts and home.  

I suspect God is ambidextrous.  Therefore, right or left doesn’t really matter.  God saves us with either hand.

Deacon David Pierce