Psalms 110
July 22, 2018
Psalm 110
READ: Psalm 110
PRAY: Ask the Lord to help you understand His word properly and apply it to your life as He wills.
Psalm 110 was written by a king (David) but it’s about THE King: Jesus. David was a powerful king and revered by his descendants. But David’s earthly kingdom was just a foreshadowing of the eternal Kingdom to come, which is and will be ruled by the King of Kings. In Acts 2, the Apostle Peter made clear that, “it was not David who ascended into the heavens …” but rather, “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:34, 36).
King Jesus will be glorious in victory! But it will not be all smiles, as “He will judge the nations, heaping up corpses; He will crush leaders over the entire world” (Psalm 110:6). Do not misunderstand, it will not go well for Christ’s enemies.
As sinners, our natural human condition is to be an enemy of Christ (Romans 5:10). As King, Jesus demands absolute fealty (allegiance). When we first choose to go around God for fulfillment, we sin and commit treason against the King, becoming His enemy. This is the original plight of all people. We have sinned against the King of the Universe.
But the King who justly punishes sin is also “a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth” (Exodus 34:6). You see, in Jesus we have not just the King but also our Priest (Psalm 110:4). This is such good news! The writer of Hebrews tells us that because of Jesus’ eternal priesthood, “He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrews 7:25). Amazingly, unlike the Old Testament priests who had to offer animal sacrifices yearly, Jesus offered a sacrifice “once for all time when He offered himself” (Hebrews 7:27).
Here’s the amazing thing. Because of Christ’s priestly ministry, not only are believers in Christ forgiven of their treason against the King, but we are also adopted into His family. Paul says that we are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Let that astound you. For those of us who trust Christ, not only are our sins forgiven, but also the King of the Universe has adopted us and made us royal heirs with Him!
What a gracious and loving father! I love the multifaceted glimpse of God we get from this passage. We see the fierce King punishing His enemies, and at the same time, we see a gracious and merciful priest giving Himself to redeem a people, His church, from the midst of His former enemies. A King this fierce who nonetheless deals so gently with His people is a King we can really trust with every facet of our lives.
REFLECT:
1. How can underemphasizing God’s anger toward sin actually diminish the greatness of His grace and mercy?
2. In what ways does having a more complete understanding of God and all His attributes actually help you trust Him more?
Psalm 110
1 This is the declaration of the Lord
to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion. Rule over your surrounding enemies.
3 Your people will volunteer
on your day of battle. In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, the dew of your youth belongs to you.
4 The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back: “You are a priest forever according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his anger.
6 He will judge the nations, heaping up corpses; he will crush leaders over the entire world.
7 He will drink from the brook by the road; therefore, he will lift up his head.