December 3, 2020
The Lord Jesus Christ Is Victorious. He Wins. We Win.
Psalm 110
Neil Curran
Central Truth
Psalm 110 is like an acorn from which the whole tree of the New Testament grows. It's like we're eavesdropping on the Godhead when it says the following: "The LORD [Yahweh, God the Father] says to my Lord [Adonai, a name given to the Messiah, God the Son] . . . ." He is both king and priest forever.
Key Verse | Psalm 110:1-2, 4
The LORD says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool."
The LORD sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
. . .
The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind,
"You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek."
Psalm 110
Sit at My Right Hand
A Psalm of David.
1
The LORD says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2
The LORD sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
3
Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,
1
110:3
Or on the day you lead your forces
in holy garments;
2
110:3
Masoretic Text; some Hebrew manuscripts and Jerome on the holy mountains
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.
3
110:3
The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
4
The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
5
The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6
He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
4
110:6
Or the head
over the wide earth.
7
He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.
Dive Deeper | Psalm 110
People are anxious and fearful of many things today. For answers to our fears, let's look at some magnificent, interrelated passages of Scripture.
The story starts 4,000 years ago in Genesis 13 and 14. Abram and his warriors rescue his nephew Lot who had been kidnapped. When they return victorious to Salem, later to become known as Jerusalem, Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God Most High, brings out bread and wine to Abram in celebration and blesses him. Then Abram gives a tithe to Melchizedek. The next time we hear of Melchizedek is a thousand years later when David writes Psalm 110. Fast forward another thousand years, and Jesus references this passage of Scripture, as recorded in Matthew 22:41-46, Mark 12:35-37, and Luke 20:41-44. Then the Book of Hebrews comments on Melchizedek, Jesus, and Psalm 110.
In Hebrews 5:1-10, Jesus is called an eternal, perfect high priest, the source of salvation and eternal life in the priestly line of Melchizedek. In Hebrews 6:13-20, we see Jesus as a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls because He will be our high priest forever. In Hebrews 7, we're told Jesus' priesthood ushered in the unconditional new covenant of grace, which is far better than the old covenant of law that no one but Jesus could live up to.
Fear not! Our Messiah, Jesus the Christ, is both king and priest who will intercede and rule forever. We can have total confidence and total trust in the total sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ, our God. Now that's the good news Christmas brings to earth!
Discussion Questions
1. Did you realize God had a priest in Jerusalem before there was even a single Jewish person?
2. How long is Jesus' priesthood?
3. What do you worry about? What do you fear? Read Philippians 4:6-7 in light of Psalm 110.
4. Can we trust in the total sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ today, tomorrow, and forever?