In 2 Samuel chapter 22, David’s song of praise and acknowledgment of God’s hand in his deliverance from King Saul and victory over the Philistines is recorded. David made revisions and gave the song to the chief musician in Psalm 18. God had shown Himself to be a strong defender of the young king, and David was quick to acknowledge it.
In 1501, artist and sculptor Michelangelo was commissioned to sculpt David for the cathedral at Florence. The artist was a master of proportions, but the right hand of the young David is larger than his left. Some suggest it is because David’s nickname was “strong hand,” although his name in Hebrew means “beloved.” A nineteenth-century Murray’s Guide for Tourists in Florence suggested Michelangelo might have borrowed from Isaiah 41:13 in making the right hand of David larger: “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand: It is I who say to you, ‘Fear not. I am the one who helps you.’”
Whatever the rationale behind the emphasis on the right hand of David, it is essential to remember that the right hand of God Himself occurs in Scripture, often in Messianic prophecies. Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of the Father since His post-resurrection ascension into heaven. It is from that exalted position that Jesus makes intercession for the believers (Romans 8:34). All blessing and authority, safety, and power come from God’s right hand.
Hymn writer E.S. Lorenz wrote, “Everlasting arms of love enfold me. Words of peace the voice divine has told me; I am safe, while God himself doth hold me, In the hollow of his hand.”
Thank the Lord today for all His Hand has provided.
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