At His Right Hand

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

AT HIS RIGHT HAND

Gen 35:16-20

16 Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and had great difficulty. 17 And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for you have another son." 18 As she breathed her last — for she was dying — she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day that pillar marks Rachel's tomb.

NIV

We are now introduced to the last son of Isreal, Benjamin, the beloved brother of Joseph whom we see how that all played out in the story of the famine in the land. However, we are also at the moment of Rachel’s last breath, the beloved wife of Jacob, the one he first laid eyes upon at the well, and agreed to work for another seven years for her to be his wife, after Laban deceived him giving him Leah, Rachel’s older sister after his first seven years of labor. Now Jacob, or Israel as God calls him must bury his dearly loved wife. This had to be one of the most difficult and sad moments in Jacob's life. Still, there is this difference in naming this twelfth son. Rachel gave him a name that meant son of my trouble while Jacob gave him the name that meant son of my right hand. Although Jacob favored Joseph greatly, in fact, so much the other sons became so jealous they got rid of Joseph, still that was all part of the plan of God. Yet Benjamin was given the name of honor in the household because he was at the right hand of Israel. Here is where our story can intermingle with this narrative. Of course, we could focus on the loss of a spouse, for generally it is always going to happen at some time in our lives, but we want to focus on the right hand of Israel. When Jesus ascended back into the heavenly realm He sat down at the right hand of the Father, the place of honor. In the Revelation that was given to John, Jesus said that those who overcome He will give the right to sit with him on his throne, at the right hand of the Father, a place of honor. However, the condition is that we must overcome. In this particular situation Jesus is revealing to John it is a reference to not being lukewarm. Although Jesus would rather we be cold or hot, than lukewarm, those who overcome must be the ones who are hot, for cold in our faith is simply not going to make it. However, this lukewarm, or as the Greek means, tepid, is not the way to live. But what does tepid look like? What does a lukewarm faith look like? Could it be something like sort of believing what the word of God says? Could it be something like kind of being in Jesus for salvation, but not believing God or Jesus for all aspects of our lives? Could it be like looking to our good deeds as fulfilling our faith, but not looking to Jesus for faith for our daily bread? There could be many scenarios that might fit this lukewarm condition, yet we wonder if that can be seen in our worship. Do we just mouth the words of worship songs in a lukewarm effort? Although it might be seen as some becoming over-emotional in their worship, perhaps they are simply being hot in their faith in Jesus. However, we think this being hot in our faith must apply to the wholeness of our lives and when that happens it is reflected in our manner of worship when we gather together. But it is the completeness of our lives that makes us the overcomer who Jesus gives the right to sit with Him at the right hand of God. Let us look to Jesus who creates within us the heat of living as an overcomer, at the right hand of God.