Psalm 45:6, 7 – the text of Hebrews 1:8, 9 – is particularly important in this series as it allows us to look into the mind of Christ and, from that vantage, to look out on the world in order to see it as Jesus does from His throne beside the Father.

King Jesus wields “a scepter of uprightness” as the emblem of His rule.  Scepters are short, decorative rods, representing the authority of the sovereign and bearing symbols designed to suggest the purpose of his rule.  The golden scepter of the King of Persia, for example, symbolized his ability to grant life and audience (Est. 4:11).  The scepters of the kings of Israel may have included representations of grape vines, symbolizing fruitfulness and plenty (cf. Ezek. 19:11).

The construction, “scepter of uprightness”, suggests that the scepter in King Jesus’ hand asserts something about the purpose for which He wields His royal authority: the reign of King Jesus is unto uprightness, and, as we gather from v. 9, for the promotion of righteousness and against the continuation of wickedness wherever that scepter holds sway.

But what does it mean that Jesus wields a scepter unto uprightness?  And how should that guide us in nurturing our understanding of Christ’s purpose for our ministries?

In Scripture the term, “upright” (Hebrew: yashar), frequently refers to the original condition of the creation, as Solomon indicates in Ecclesiastes 7:29: “God made man upright.”  “Upright” thus refers to whatever is in complete accord with God’s purposes and plan, what conforms to His standards of goodness, beauty, and truth, and what aligns with His intention of filling the world with the knowledge of His glory (Hab. 2:14).

“Upright” should focus our minds back to Eden, to that season of beauty and shalom in which God made everything beautiful in its time, and everything lived and worked together in harmony and prosperity. Jesus wields a scepter indicating that the purpose of His rule at the Father’s right hand is to return everything He over which He exercises rule to this original condition of blessedness and glory – all of creation, everyone who comes to Him in faith, all our relationships and roles, all culture, everything.

Jesus is ruling unto uprightness.  He must, therefore, have in His mind some vision of what that looks like.  He must envision upright marriages in which husbands and wives are best friends, intimate lovers, co-laborers for goodness, and nurturing parents.  He must see creation flourishing in its strength, beauty, diversity, and wonder, and anything that wears or breaks it down as being restrained or removed.  He must see work – intellectual, aesthetic, and physical – that helps all of creation and all people to realize their fullest potential for goodness, beauty, and truth.  He must have in mind some overarching vision of communities of love and truth and order and beauty, where wickedness is curtailed and righteousness abounds.  Is this what we see as we conduct our ministries in Jesus’ Name?

Jesus wields His scepter in order to achieve uprightness on earth, as it exists in heaven.  And He invites us to take up the work that actually brings that uprightness into existence.

To work the work that Jesus calls us to we must be able to see ourselves and the world as He does.  We must learn how to see the world through the lens of Scripture, discerning as we study and meditate and pray what is good and acceptable, and what is the holy will of God for our lives and all things.  We must see what we cannot now see, in order that we may achieve what does not at this time exist.  We shall not be able to represent the scepter of our King in our earthly activities apart from deeper immersion in His Word and readier commitment to His will.

Uprightness awaits us in the unseen realm, if only we can learn to see with the eye of faith, and live thereby.

For more insight to this topic, get the book, The Crucifixion of Ministry, by Andrew Purves, at our online store.

Or read the article, “Touching, Teaching, and Torching,” by T. M. Moore.