The document analyzes references to "the right hand of God" in the book of Psalms. It finds these references fall into three main places: 1) Leading to songs of the Second Exodus in Psalms 16-21 2) In Psalms 73-89 where the most asked question of God, "How long?", is found 3) In Psalms 108-118 which are songs of the First Exodus from Egypt. The right hand of God represents God's power, protection, presence, saving power, victory, and defeat of enemies. It discusses what specific Psalms these references are found in and how they point ahead to Jesus as prophet, priest and king.

1. The right hand of God in
the Psalms
“fear not, for I am with you; be not
dismayed, for I am your God; I will
strengthen you, I will help you, I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand”
(Isaiah 41:10).

2. We will take notice of where
the phrase ‘right hand of God’ tends to appear in
the book of Psalms

3. These fall in three main places
• Leading to songs of The 2nd Exodus
- deliverance from sin Ps 16-21
• In the most asked question of God:
‘How long?’ in between the two
• In the songs of the 1st Exodus
delivery from slavery in Egypt Ps
108-118

4. Put another way: Three main places
• Psalm 16-21 leads into a description
of Jesus as suffering servant,
shepherd and king (Psalms 22, 23,
24)
• Psalm 73-89 Songs of a crisis of
faith, much of which are laments but
turning to hope
• Psalm 108-110 and 118 The prelude
to the Passover Psalms and the final
Passover Psalm

5. As we do we can also look at what ‘the
right hand of God’ might represent

6.
The right hand of God as a symbol of
God’s
• power Ps 89:13
• protection Ps 16:8 See also Ps 63:8; Ps 139:10; Isa
41:13; La 2:3
• presence Ps 16:11 See also Ps 48:10; Ps 73:23; Isa
62:8
• saving power Ps 60:5 pp Ps 108:6 See also Ps 17:7;
Ps 20:6; Ps 80:15; Ps 98:1; Ps 138:7
• victory Ps 18:35; Ps 44:3; Ps 78:54; Isa 41:10
• defeat of His enemies Ex 15:6 See also Ex 15:12;
Ps 21:8; Ps 74:11
• mighty works Ps 45:4 See also Ps 77:10; Ps
118:15-16; Isa 48:13
See https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/dictionary-of-bible-
themes/1270-right-hand-God

7. In Book 1
Psalms 1-41
Ps 16,17,18,(not 19),20,21
Five Psalms with the right hand of God
leading into
Psalms 22 through 24

8. • The question is raised how long will
the wicked triumph?
• What will the righteous do if the
foundations are destroyed
• All the world is in sin in Psalm 14
• Who is able or worthy ( to bring the
ark to Zion at the time )
• The question is then raised:
‘who can ascend the hill of the
Lord’?
A question prompted

9. • Psalm 15 and 24 being similar (and bookends of
sort for this section) in asking ‘Who might
ascend the hill of the Lord?’ And the emphasis
might be a little different in each
• Psalm 15 can describe an individual and their
deeds, most fitting of Jesus. His righteousness
also emphasized in Psalm 18
• Psalm 24 describes a generation (and says so).
Deeds displayed (sanctification) and
righteousness is received (justification) and
they lift up their hearts to ‘the King of Glory’
The question as bookends of a
section of Psalms

10. Unshakeable, joy, wondrous love and a
shield
Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of
life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your
right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 17:7 Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O Savior of those who seek refuge from their
adversaries at your right hand.
Psalm 18:35 You have given me the shield of your
salvation, and your right hand supported me, and
your gentleness made me great.

11. The right hand of God is not in Psalm 19 -
the heavens are telling the glory of God
The heavens are made by ‘the fingers’ of
God and the law written on the stone
tablets by ‘the finger of God’

12. Psalm 20:6 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.
Psalm 21:8 Your hand will find out all
your enemies; your right hand will find
out those who hate you.
Salvation and retribution

13. The hand of God is seen in Psalm 16, 17, 18, 20,
21. And what does it lead to?
This is the good shepherd
who lays down His life for His sheep, the King
– Psalm 22 ‘My God My God why have you forsaken
Me?’
– Psalm 23 The Lord is My shepherd
– Psalm 24 Who is the King of Glory?

14. Psalm 22
– Begins with a scene of suffering
– Begins in first person, the one suffering speaking
– But interjects ‘You who are enthrones on the praises of Israel’
– I can count all my bones, in pain
– Surrounded by mocking
– Poured out for others but he thirsts
– God is His God from the womb ( contrasted with Psalm 51 where
David is a fallen sinner form conception, but consistent with the
virgin birth and incarnation)
– And yet the second half is triumphant portending resurrection and
benefit to future generations, Abraham’s promise to bless every
family will be fulfilled and even the dead will bow
– (generations referred to in Psalm 24 more on that later)
– A priestly work: a sacrifice of himself
John 10:11 I am the good shepherd
. The good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep

16. Psalm 23
– Written in the first person
– The shepherd from the perspective of ‘the sheep’
– The most comprehensive and intimate picture of the
relationship of a believer and God so far (previous were
more distant – like rock, shield or King )
– All the sheep’s needs are satisfied
– All the sheep’s problems are not gone but the sheep
brought through the valley of the shadow of death
– And the image is stripped away from sheep to self and ‘I
will dwell in the house of the Lord forever’
– A prophetic work: leading with the shepherd staff
(shepherd crook)
Hebrews 11:20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead
our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of
the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you
may do his will,
working in us] that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to
whom be glory forever and ever
. Amen.

17. Psalm 24 ( a Psalm to be read on Sunday )
– A king so great the gates and doors are told to ‘lift up their
heads”
– A Psalm to be read on Sunday ( for the 1st day of the week
by title in the Septuagint and appears to be the historical
practice, reflecting the mention of creation in the opening)
– In the first half, believers mentioned ‘the generation of
those who seek you’ touching on both sanctification (clean
hands) and justification (receive blessings and righteousness)
– In the second half, the King of Glory received ( and clearly
not David as it is said to be the Lord of Hosts )
– To be read on Sunday is consistent with and portends
Jesus entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and His
resurrection a week later on Sunday ( and Pentecost 7 on
Sunday weeks after that )
1 Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd
appears,
you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

18. Notice the connection between Psalm
24 and 25
• Psalm 24 ends with a Selah and 25 is
untitled and some would say perhaps
connected in the original
• Psalm 24 starts saying lift up your heads
to the King of Glory
• Psalm 25 starts saying I lift up my soul and
begins an acrostic of praise

19. And if we went one more psalm:
an application
Gates and doors were told to lift up their heads, now we are told to lift up our hearts
• Psalm 25. An acrostic psalm to be
learned and reflect on what was said
till now. The Lord is prophet, priest
and king
– As priest in Psalm 22, He provides forgiveness
– As prophet in Psalm 23, the shepherd leads
– As king, he protects in Psalm 24

20. And if we went one more psalm:
an application
Gates and doors were told to lift up their heads, now we are told to lift up our hearts
• Psalm 25. An acrostic psalm to be learned
and reflect on what was said till now. The
Lord is
– My protection “Guard my soul and deliver me”
– My guide “His secret is for those who fear Him”
– My forgiveness “He leads sinners in the way”
– God is my salvation in many listed ways
– Touches on similar themes in some ways to ‘the
song of Moses and the Lamb’ ( no one in Genesis
explicitly said ‘God is my salvation’ until Moses sings it in his songs
in Exodus 15, Deut 32 and recounted in Rev 15 )
– In the song of Moses and the Lamb victory was achieved (looking
back), here victory is looked forward to and experienced in
progress turning to prayers in the present ( looking forward )
The song of Moses and the Lamb being the first and last song
mentioned in the Bible

21. lift up your eyes

22. Some other references to the
right hand of God in book 2 of
the Psalms
first
Psalm 44
The persecuted church
laments

23.
Psalm 44:3 or not by their own sword
did they win the land, nor did their own
arm save them, but your right hand and
your arm, and the light of your face, for
you delighted in them.
A lament by the persecuted church
He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s
sake in Psalm 23 Here persecution is also for His
name’s sake and quoted in Romans 8.

24. Moving from lament to
celebration
Psalm 45
A messianic wedding song

25.
Psalm 45:4 In your majesty ride out
victoriously for the cause of truth and
meekness and righteousness; let your right
hand teach you awesome deeds!
Psalm 45:9 daughters of kings are
among your ladies of honor; at your right
hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
A wedding Psalm and a reason given in
Hebrews 1 for why Jesus is better than the
angels

26. And then moving to the
whole world
Psalm 48 glory reaching to the
ends of the earth – the spread of
salvation

27.
Psalm 48:9-10 We have thought
on your steadfast love, O God, in
the midst of your temple. As your
name, O God, so your praise
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with
righteousness.
From thoughts in the temple to
praise at the ends of the earth

28. Psalm 60
salvation at your right hand

29. A psalm a bit like Psalm 108 (where
108, 109 , 110 all will reference the
right hand of God )
Psalm 60:4-6a You have set up a
banner for those who fear you, that
they may flee to it from the bow. Selah
That your beloved ones may be
delivered, give salvation by your right
hand and answer us! God has spoken in
His holiness

30. A right hand strong, close and
personal
Psalm 63
Your hand holds me
My soul clings to you

31. Psalm 63:5- 8 My soul will be satisfied
as with fat and rich food, and my mouth
will praise you with joyful lips, when I
remember you upon my bed, and meditate
on you in the watches of the night; for
you have been my help, and in the
shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you; your right hand
upholds me..
A song because your love is better than
life

32. Book 3
Psalms of laments
The most asked question
of God
‘How long?”

33. Interesting controversy in Book 3
Asaph the seer from the time of David
speaks of a temple not built in the time of David being
overrun Perhaps Asaph the seer is reaching forward
under the inspiration of God. (some wonder if it was
another Asaph but Asaph the seer was a proper )
Perhaps as Asaph reaches forward Habakuk reaches
back and grasps his hand. And all this at the hand of
God. Habakkuk reaches back in the past to Asaph the
seers, quoting Asaph’s Psalm and speaks of a future
coming overrun of Jerusalem by Babylon.

34. Years later even the prophet
Habakkuk
Would quote Psalm 77, a psalm of a
crisis of faith, in his own crisis of
faith.

35. Laments toward the start
Psalm 73:23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
Psalm 74:11 Why do you hold back your hand, your
right hand? Take it from the fold of your garment and
destroy them!
Psalm 77:10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the
years of the right hand of the Most High.”
Psalm 78:54 And he brought them to his holy land, to
the mountain which his right hand had won.

36.
A plea and a turning point
Psalm 80:15 the stock that your right
hand planted, and for the son whom you
made strong for yourself.
Psalm 80:17 But let your hand be on the
man of your right hand, the son of man
whom you have made strong for yourself!

37.
A more victorious ending
After Psalm 88, the darkest Psalm in
the book of Psalms
Psalm 89:13 You have a mighty arm;
strong is your hand, high your right hand.
Psalm 89:25 I will set his hand on the
sea and his right hand on the rivers.
Psalm 89:42 You have exalted the right
hand of his foes; you have made all his
enemies rejoice.

38. Book 4
A reason for
Joy to the world

39. And the Psalm that inspired the song
‘Joy to the world’
Psalm 98:1 [ Make a Joyful Noise to
the Lord ] [ A Psalm. ] Oh 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.

40. Book 5
Psalms of the Passover
From the start and at the
end

41. A prelude to the Hallal Psalms of Passover
deliverance
And a promise of help from the right hand of God
Psalm 108:6 That your beloved ones may be delivered, give
salvation by your right hand and answer me!
A pageant, starting with Judas and an afflicted poor man
Psalm 109:31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
The pageant ending with one made like Melchizedek
Psalm 110:1 [ Sit at My Right Hand ] [ A Psalm of David. ] The
Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your
enemies your footstool.”
Psalm 110:5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings
on the day of his wrath.

44. The last Hallal, Passover song singing of
salvation from God’s right hand three times
as well
Psalm 118:15 Glad songs of salvation are in
the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of
the Lord does valiantly,
Psalm 118:16 the right hand of the Lord
exalts, the right hand of the Lord does
valiantly!”
“and they sang a hymn and went to the mount
of olives” probably this psalm

48.
And two more, the first like Psalm
23, and the first of the last set of
Psalms of David in the Psalms
Psalm 138:7
Though I walk in the midst of
trouble, you preserve my life; you
stretch out your hand against the
wrath of my enemies, and your right
hand delivers me.

49.
And one reminding us that Your right
hand is everywhere to help me
Psalm 139:10
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.

50. ‘The right hand of God’
appears in special places emphasizing
Salvation

51.
- Leading to the a description of the
person and work of the king, the
Messiah, in Ps 22, 23, 24 in book 1

52. - In the prelude and ending of
the deliverance, Hallal,
Passover Psalms in book 5

53.
- In the prayers, longings and
hopes expressed in Book 3, in the
in between time waiting for
deliverance

54. fin’