Jesus, Right Hand Of The Father

Wikipedia reports that the novel series A Song of Ice and Fire and its TV adaptation Game of Thrones have a broad and active international fan base. In 2012, Vulture ranked the series's fandom as the most devoted in popular culture, ahead of that of Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Harry Potter or Star Wars.

The series begins with Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfel, being asked by his longtime friend, King Robert Baratheon, to be his chief advisor, also known as the Hand of the King.

I read George R R Martin's five-books-and-counting series, A Song of Ice and Fire. The books are close to 5,000 pages of swordfights, intrigue, mystery, exotic settings, startling revelations, and lots and lots of uncomfortable sex scenes. If you want to understand modern culture you must have at least some acquaintance with these books and/or the HBO TV series.

What interested me is this thing about the Hand of the King. The Hand is the equivalent of the modern Prime Minister or maybe Secretary of State in the USA. He is the king's advisor and second-in-command, answerable only to the king. He speaks and acts for the king. This is how Jesus is described in the Bible. He is the Right Hand of the Father. Listen to Psalm 110.

A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool." The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! - Psa 110:1-2 ESV

The LORD speaks to David's Lord. The LORD is a translation of the Hebrew YaHWeH, the NAME of God, the name above all names that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come (Ps. 8:1; Eph. 1:21). It is the NAME shared by all three members of the Holy Trinity, i.e. the NAME of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Isa. 9:6; John 16:23; Matt. 28:19). So precious and  holy is the NAME that OT believers would not pronounce it. They chose rather to speak their word Adonay (Lord) wherever it appears in the text rather than chance to speak the NAME in blasphemy. Such blasphemy is common in American culture as men and women daily use the name Jesus and the name Christ carelessly or as a curse.

Jesus' disciples, however, openly acknowledge that he shares the NAME. The apostles openly teach that Jesus shared the form of God, his glory and appearance. In humility he emptied himself of what was always his in order to appear in the form of a man and humbly submit to death on a cross. Paul writes,

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. - Phl 2:5-11 ESV

Paul teaches the same in his letter to the Romans as he speaks about putting your faith in the completed work of Christ.

But the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. - Rom 10:6-9 ESV

We who are disciples of Jesus have always understood that Jesus bears the NAME. He is LORD along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. So in Psalm 110 we hear the Father speaking to David's Lord who is the Father's Hand. He shares the throne with the Father. He is the eternal priest after the order of Melchizedek, that mysterious king of Salem who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings (Gen. 14:18-20). The writer to the Hebrews interprets Ps. 110 as a description of Jesus, the eternal priest who intercedes on our behalf before the throne of God (cf. Hebr. 7:1-8:1).

Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, - Hbr 8:1 ESV

The Scriptures leave no room for any teaching about many paths leading to God's mercy and forgiveness. There is but one High Priest, one King, one Lord, Jesus who sits at the Father's right hand, the one who is the HAND OF GOD!