Sunday October 18th "The Right Hand Of God

Psalm 98 begins with a call to sing: God has done marvelous things. God’s right hand and holy arm have won the victory. God’s salvation is made known to every corner of the earth, not tucked away for one people to keep. The command to love one another gives this song its direction.

God’s promise in Genesis 12:3 makes Israel’s calling clear: all peoples on earth will be blessed through Israel. That calling is to demonstrate and announce God’s astonishing love, not to hold it, guard it, or decide who is worthy of it. Israel is a vessel and a proclaimer of that love, not the sole receiver. Any claim to exclusive rights undermines God’s desire to be in relationship with everyone.

God’s right hand pictures power, authority, protection, and saving action. The Caribbean hymn “The Right Hand of God” gives that picture movement. God’s hand writes with power and love, points the way, strikes out against greed and injustice, heals broken lives, and plants seeds of freedom and hope. God’s hand also brings people together to become God’s hands in the world.

The church’s calling carries that same responsibility without replacing the Jewish people. Christianity’s Jewish roots matter: Jesus was Jewish, and his earliest followers understood him as the promised Jewish messiah. Replacement theology gets rejected, not embraced. The church stands alongside Jewish people as another vessel and proclaimer of God’s love.

That love requires an honest reckoning with injustice. The condemnation of genocide in Gaza, occupation, discrimination, and collective punishment is directed at Israeli laws and practices, their enforcement, and those who profit from them, not at Jewish people. The distinction matters. Accountability must name the wrong without condemning an entire people.

White Christian nationalism requires an equally honest reckoning inside the church. Its joining of white supremacy, Christian identity, and American civic life cannot simply be dismissed as somebody else’s problem. Its presence in Christian congregations makes rejection of the ideology a beginning, not the end of responsibility.

Psalm 98 ends with rivers clapping and mountains rejoicing because God is coming to establish justice fairly among all people. God’s marvelous love stands against racism and genocide. The new song calls for joined hands across these many peopled lands, with God’s people becoming vessels of love rather than its gatekeepers.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s love is entrusted, not owned. God’s promise to bless all peoples makes election a calling to share, not permission to keep others out. The image of a vessel leaves no room for deciding who deserves access to God’s love. Faithfulness means making that love known without pretending to control its reach. [38:17]
• 2. God’s right hand gives love movement. God’s power does more than offer protection or a place of honor. The hymn’s picture of God’s hand includes striking against injustice, healing broken lives, and planting freedom and hope. The calling to become God’s hands joins love to concrete action rather than leaving it as a warm feeling. [41:41]
• 3. Christian belonging does not replace Israel. Christianity’s Jewish roots rule out a story in which the church takes Israel’s place and leaves Jewish people behind. The church’s calling is to stand alongside, not claim sole possession of God’s covenant love. That distinction also makes room for naming unjust state practices without turning criticism into condemnation of Jewish people. [43:25]
• 4. Justice requires honesty inside the church. White Christian nationalism cannot be dealt with simply by calling its followers fake Christians. Its presence within churches makes the problem close to home, even where its claims are officially rejected. The rejection of theological error begins the work; responsibility also requires facing how that error has found a home among Christian songs, worship, and fellowship. [48:06]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [37:13] - Psalm 98 Through the Command to Love
• [38:17] - A Vessel, Not the Sole Receiver
• [39:23] - The Meaning of God’s Right Hand
• [40:40] - A Caribbean Hymn of Love and Justice
• [42:41] - Jewish Roots and Replacement Theology
• [45:01] - Gaza and Accountability Without Collective Blame
• [47:07] - Facing White Christian Nationalism
• [49:23] - God’s Justice and the New Song

Bible Reading

Psalm 98:1-9
“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. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.” [37:04]

Genesis 12:3
“I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” [38:09]

John 13:34
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” [37:01]

Observation questions

1. In Psalm 98:1–9, how does the circle of those witnessing God’s salvation and joining in praise widen as the psalm unfolds?
2. How does Genesis 12:3 help explain Israel’s calling to share God’s love rather than claim it as an exclusive possession? [38:19]
3. What actions in the hymn “The Right Hand of God” connect the image of God’s power in Psalm 98 with the command to love in John 13:34? [41:56]
4. What distinction is made between holding Israeli laws and practices accountable and condemning Jewish people? [46:33]

Interpretation questions

1. When Psalm 98 is read through Jesus’ command to love in John 13:34, how does that shape the meaning of God’s victory? What kinds of actions would contradict that understanding of victory? [37:22]
2. How does the promise of blessing for all peoples in Genesis 12:3 challenge a congregation that treats outsiders as less deserving of God’s love? [44:06]
3. Why does the church’s calling to share God’s love not mean that it has replaced the Jewish people? How might that distinction shape a congregation’s relationships with Jewish neighbors? [43:27]
4. Psalm 98 looks forward to fair justice for all peoples. Why is simply labeling white Christian nationalists “fake Christians” an inadequate response to beliefs held within churches? [48:38]

Application questions

1. God’s love is entrusted to us, not owned by us. When have you found yourself deciding who deserves your care or welcome? What might help you respond differently to that person or group? [44:21]
2. God’s hand heals broken lives and plants freedom and hope. Who near you is carrying a burden that you could help bear this week? What is one realistic step you could take? [42:10]
3. The church stands alongside Jewish people rather than replacing them. Have you encountered language in Christian settings that suggests God has rejected Jewish people? How could you respond with humility and respect? [43:27]
4. Accountability names harmful actions without blaming an entire people. When you discuss Gaza and the suffering of Palestinians, what would help you speak clearly against injustice while also rejecting antisemitism and collective blame? [46:33]
5. White Christian nationalism requires honest attention within the church. Have you noticed words or practices in your Christian circles that suggest being white or American gives someone a special claim on God? How might you begin a thoughtful conversation about that? [48:44]
6. Psalm 98 joins joyful worship with hope for justice. What is one step our group could take together this month to stand against racism or support people facing injustice? Whose experiences would we need to listen to first? [50:14]