To Hellenistic thinkers like you and me, left means left and right means right. But left and right assume more meaning than a straightforward definition in Hebraic thought. In Hebraic thought, the right represents the spiritual and the left represents the physical. It’s not a morality thing like good vs evil, or right vs wrong. It simply addresses two realms: the right side connotes the spiritual and the left side connotes the physical. Throughout the centuries this dynamic has been a standard element in Jewish thinking; you will see it employed often in their writings. Here are some examples from the Bible:
• Ecclesiastes 10:2––Solomon writes, The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool inclines to the left. What he’s saying here is that a wise man concerns himself with spiritual matters, whereas a fool centers his heart on physical, temporal things.
• Matthew 6:3––Jesus speaking: “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” In other words, you shouldn’t let your flesh get in the way of what you’re trying to accomplish spiritually.
• At the ordination of a Levitical priest, blood from a ram is dabbled on the man’s right ear lobe, right thumb, and right big toe (Leviticus 8:24). This symbolizes his spiritual anointing.
• The left hand of God is never mentioned. Only His right hand is. This is because God is spirit. (John 4:24)
• John 21:6––Jesus said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. This historical event doubles as a parable. Before these men became disciples, they worked as fishermen catching fish. Because of their encounter with Christ, their very nature had been altered, and now fishing for mere fish seemed empty. So Jesus called out to them, saying cast your nets on the spiritual side. Catch spiritual fish. And boy did they! They took up a new direction; they shifted their efforts to the right side and became fishers of men. Today the international symbol for a Christian is a fish, so spiritually speaking, those nets are still filling up.
• Joshua 1:7––God spoke to Joshua saying, “...Be careful to do according to all the Torah which Moses my servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.” Don’t drift toward the right: don’t take God’s commandments and spiritualize them into nice thoughts that don’t have any practical application. Conversely, don’t drift toward the left and burden yourself under heavy physical requirements.
• In the Temple, when animals are brought forward for sacrifice, their death occurs on the north side of the courtyard. God, sitting on the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies, faces eastward. Therefore, the north side of the courtyard is on His left. This makes sense, because when a life is given to God, it's only on the physical side that death takes place.
• In the Hebrew language, sentences begin on the right and end on the left. So when you write or read a sentence in Hebrew, your focus moves across the page in a direction that reminds you that all things begin in the spiritual and emanate to the physical.
• John 18:10-11––Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath..." This moment takes place in the Garden of Gethsemane when they come to arrest Jesus. As it says, Peter pulls out his sword and cuts off Malchus' right ear, thereby disqualifying Malchus from serving in the Temple (Leviticus 21:18). Jesus tells Peter to put the sword away; He then touches Malchus' ear and heals it. Now the sword Jesus wants his disciples to use is NOT the sword at their side. He has taught them to use the sword of the Spirit, not the sword at their side. Peter was using the wrong kind of sword. The lesson is, when we defend Jesus in a fleshly way, we severe the spiritual hearing of our audience.
• John 18:10-11––Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath..." This moment takes place in the Garden of Gethsemane when they come to arrest Jesus. As it says, Peter pulls out his sword and cuts off Malchus' right ear, thereby disqualifying Malchus from serving in the Temple (Leviticus 21:18). Jesus tells Peter to put the sword away; He then touches Malchus' ear and heals it. Now the sword Jesus wants his disciples to use is NOT the sword at their side. He has taught them to use the sword of the Spirit, not the sword at their side. Peter was using the wrong kind of sword. The lesson is, when we defend Jesus in a fleshly way, we severe the spiritual hearing of our audience.
• In 1 Samuel 11, we encounter an adversary of Israel: General Nachash of the Ammonites. (Nachash, in Hebrew, means “serpent.” His name is literally General Serpent.) Nachash offers the people of Israel a treaty on one condition: “that I gouge out all your right eyes...” he says to them. The serpent, the enemy of our soul, would offer peace to you and me on the same terms, by submitting to him and becoming spiritually blind. Think about it. If a person views the world solely through the eyes of the flesh, the person poses no threat to the enemy. But if one can perceive the world through the eyes of the Spirit, then one poses a huge threat to the enemy! This is why Nachash demands the right eye’s removal.
Again, the right is the side of the spiritual and the left is the side of the physical. In this regard, there are other examples we could draw from in Scripture. For now let us end with Psalm 73:22-24:
When my heart was embittered, and I was pierced in my heart,
I was brutish and ignorant.
I was like a beast before You.
Yet I am continually with You. You hold my right hand.
You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory!
