Psalm 110
“SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND”
Before I get into Psalm 110, I always think it is a good idea whenever we begin a new study to introduce the book that we are going to study. And so, I am going to give a real brief intro into Psalms. This is our “Summer of Psalms” series.
There are 150 psalms in the Bible. These are a collection of Hebrew poems, psalms and prayers from different periods in Israel’s history. About half of them were written by King David. Psalm 110, which we are going to be looking at this morning, is one of those. It is one of David’s psalms. But there were other contributors in Psalms such as Moses, Solomon, and some of the temple worship leaders. Nearly one-third of the psalms are anonymous.
At five different places in Psalms the compilers inserted these headings: “One,” “Book Two,” “Book Three,” “Book Four,” and “Book Five.” These divide the psalms into five main sections. The final psalm in each section closes with a doxology. Those are worth reading. They are amazing. For example, the last verse of Book One, Psalm 41:13, says this (this is the doxology): “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.”
Book One (Psalms 1 to 41) contains the original psalms. Most of these were written by David. In fact, 37 of the 41 Psalms were written by David and they were all collected during David’s reign. So, that is Book One.
Book Two (Psalm 42 to 72) contains psalms that were collected during the time of Solomon. You all remember Solomon, David’s son – wise, wealthy, all that. Again, most of these psalms were written by David, though they were collected during Solomon’s reign.
Book Three (Psalm 73 to 89) is a collection of psalms from the time of the exile in Babylon. Most of these were written by Asaph and the sons of Korah who had been worship leaders in the temple. So, they may have written them while they were still temple worshippers, but they were compiled during their time of exile.
Book Four (Psalm 90 to 106) also dates from the time of the exile. These were all compiled then, but we do not know who wrote most of them. These psalms are in response to the crisis of exile. They express confidence that God will protect and deliver His people. If you remember, while they were in exile, there was a lot of despair. They did not know what the future held for them, so they were crying out to God.
Book Five (Psalm 107 to 150) contains psalms compiled after the Jews returned home from exile. A major theme in these psalms is that God hears the cries of His people and will one day send a future king to defeat evil and bring about His kingdom. And as we get into Psalm 110, you are going to notice that theme here in this psalm.
Psalm 110 is the most quoted psalm in the New Testament. It is quoted directly or alluded to more than 20 times. We saw that actually in our study of the Gospel of Mark. Jesus quoted v 1 of this psalm while He was teaching in the temple. We will get to that here in a little bit. So, let’s go ahead get into Psalm 110.
READ Psalm 110:1
Here we have a sneak peek behind the veil of heaven. We overhear a conversation that is taking place. The LORD (all capital letters) is the most holy name of God, Yahweh. In some of the older hymns they speak about Jehovah. That is the old English transliteration of the Hebrew word Yahweh. It appears as LORD in all caps in your Bibles, meaning Yahweh. Lord (with the lower case “ord”) is the Hebrew word Adonai. It is also a title for God. So, in essence, in this psalm, God is talking to God. Most reputable Bible scholars interpret this to be a conversation between Yahweh, God the Father and Adonai, the Messiah King who later in the New Testament is revealed to us as God the Son, Jesus Christ. In our recent study in Mark, the Messiah was revealed to be Jesus of Nazareth. His mysterious mission turned out to be a mission of redemption and salvation for the entire human race. So, as we look at Psalm 110, let’s view it from that perspective. God the Father in heaven is speaking to His Son.
Now, the best interpretation of the Old Testament is the New Testament. And the best New Testament Teacher was Jesus. Let’s hear what Jesus has to say about this verse. Remember in our study in Mark, Jesus was teaching in the temple (in Mark Chapter 12) and He says, “How can the scribes say that the Christ [speaking of the Messiah] is the son of David?” That phrase, “son of David” was the most common term for the Messiah in Jesus’s day. So, Jesus is asking this question. “David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared [and then Jesus begins to quote Psalm 110:1 that we just read], “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ David himself calls him Lord. So, how is He his son?” In other words, Jesus is asking how can the Messiah be David’s son? “And a great throng heard Jesus gladly.” (Mark 12:35-37)
What does the Father, Yahweh, say to His Son, to the Messiah? He says, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.” So then, the Father puts His Son in a position of power and authority. The Father’s Son is the Messiah. These are the dots that Jesus is connecting for his audience here in Mark and in the parallel passage in Matthew. These are truths that people in the Old Testament would not have fully understood. When we did our study of Mark, I pointed out that Jesus’s main point here was to show that the Messiah would not be merely a man, a king greater than David, although He would be, but He would also be God. Of course, Jesus was pointing to Himself in this passage. He is seeing Himself in it.
But this passage is also quoted in the Book of Acts. In Chapter 2 Peter is preaching at Pentecost – that is the context of this verse. So, Peter quoted this same verse in his famous sermon, which you find in Acts 2:33-37. Peter says, “Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He [Jesus] has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” What he is talking about here is the people there in Jerusalem were seeing all these miraculous things happening which were evidence of the Holy Spirit’s mighty presence in the believers. They were seeing all of this, but they could not explain it. Peter goes on… “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ And he quotes that verse we just read, from Psalm 110. Peter then goes on to say that Jesus fulfilled this scripture when He ascended back to heaven and set down at the right hand of His Father. So, when people heard this it says, “they were cut to the heart.” They were convicted. And you read on in Acts and you find out that 3000 people got saved that day.
And so that is Psalm 110:1. I just wanted you to see where it was quoted in the New Testament.
READ Psalm 110:2
Remember this is a Messianic psalm. It is a conversation between Yahweh and Adonai in heaven. The Messiah will rule with the power that has been delegated to Him by God, by Yahweh, from a place referred to as Zion. This is Jerusalem. Yes, the same Jerusalem of present-day Israel. That Jerusalem. This verse refers to the 1000-year reign of Jesus on Earth, From where? Jerusalem. You can read about it in Revelation Chapter 20. It will be a literal physical rule from Jerusalem and it will be an earthly reign rather than a heavenly reign. And how do we know this? Because of last phrase in v 2 – “in the midst of Your enemies.” There are no enemies of God in heaven, are there? The only enemies of God are right here on Planet Earth. So, that is a hint right there that this is an earthly reign.
READ Psalm 110:3
“Your people,” remember, He is talking to Adonai, to the Messiah, to the Son. There are all sorts of interpretations of this verse. It seemed like every commentary I read, including the quarterly, said something different (which is a real challenge for a teacher). Which one is the most correct? The first part of this verse is talking about YOUR people or the people who follow their Messiah, who follow Jesus. The second part of the verse (notice there’s a semicolon after “garments”) appears to be speaking about the Messiah Himself. It says, “Your youth.” Now, you have to go back and remember the context. This is a conversation where Yahweh, the Father, is speaking to Adonai, the Son. “On the day of Your power” indicates the setting for this verse. It is during the Millennial Kingdom.
This verse gives us some insight into the nature of Jesus’s rule. He does not today and He will not in the future force anyone to follow Him. That is done voluntarily. Obviously, there are consequences for whatever choice you make. But it is still your choice. So, my suggestion is that you make the right choice!
When Jesus sets up His kingdom, most of the people who remain on Earth, after they survive the Battle of Armageddon, whoever is left, will be drawn to King Jesus. They will voluntarily submit to and follow Him. J. Vernon McGee in his commentary on this verse says, “During [this period] there will be the greatest turning to Jesus Christ that the world has ever seen.” The Millennial Kingdom will be a period of peace and prosperity. Isaiah Chapter 11 describes the peace and tranquility that will exist during Jesus’s reign like this (a familiar passage): “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat…” (Isaiah 11:6). It will be a time of peace on Earth. There will be no wars, no conflicts, no temporary ceasefires. It will just be a time of peace.
Since we are talking about the Millennial kingdom, one of the questions that gets debated is – really the New Testament doesn’t talk a lot about it, just a little bit in Revelation Chapter 20 – will the Millennial kingdom be a literal 1000 years? Bible scholars disagree. Some say, “yes.” Others say, “not necessarily.” However, it is safe to say that it will be an extended period of time. Not just a few years. Personally, I don’t see any reason to believe it will be anything other than a 1000-year reign. There is no reason to interpret the Bible any differently from what it says. Several times in Revelation 20 it says “a thousand years (v 2),” “a thousand years (v 3),” “a thousand years (v 4),” “a thousand years (v 5),” “a thousand years (v 6),” So, I am going to take it as being a thousand years.
This will also be a period of unparalleled righteousness. The psalmist describes the people who have freely submitted to Jesus’s rule in His Kingdom as wearing holy garments. The King James version says “in the beauties of holiness.” This is a reference to their holiness, those who follow Jesus, to their godly character.
That last phrase is a little more difficult to interpret. In fact, if you read all the different Bible translations, they will state it in different ways. So, it is a tough verse to translate. The ESV says, “from the womb of the morning, the dew of Your youth will be Yours.” In this conversation between God the Father and the Son, it is describing Adonai, the Messiah. It says YOUR youth will be Yours. So, this is talking about the Messiah. Here we get a picture of King Jesus during his earthly reign. He is seen as one possessing youthful vitality and strength. I like the way the New Living Translation renders this phrase. It says, “Your strength [talking about Jesus the Messiah, Adonai] will be renewed each day like the morning dew.” I like that.
READ Psalm 110:4
Again, here is this conversation going on and Yahweh’s declaration, His oath, His forever promise to the Messiah, is to be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Does the name Melchizedek sound familiar? We studied it before. We talked about him in our study of Hebrews. His name is mentioned eight times in Hebrews and he came up again later in our study of Genesis. Let me give you a review because we have to understand who he is in order to understand this verse.
Melchizedek is first introduced in Genesis Chapter 14. He is a real historical person who lived during the time of Abraham. He is referred to in Genesis as the “king of Salem,” the future city of Jerusalem. He is also called “priest of God Most High.” So then, he is referred to as a king and as a priest.
Here is the background story on him: Some rogue kings, some bad guys raided and plundered the cities that were in the Jordan River Valley near the Dead Sea back in Abraham’s time. This included the city of Sodom where Lot, Abraham’s nephew and his family lived at the time. They, along with many citizens of Sodom, were captured and carried off by these bad guys. When Abraham, who was living up in Hebron at the time, received the news, he immediately assembled an army of men. I like to think of it as a large posse. They pursued the bad guys and eventually caught up with them around Damascus, Syria, well to the north. There they soundly defeated them. Abraham then returns home as a hero and with him are all the people and the goods that had been taken, including Lot and his family. Mission accomplished! And as he returns, Abraham is met by this king of Salem, this Melchizedek. Melchizedek is a priest, a follower of the one true God, as Abraham is a follower of God. Melchizedek blesses Abraham and, in return, Abraham offers to Melchizedek a tenth part of the spoils that he had taken, long before the Law required giving a tithe. It would be 500 years before the Law would be given. So, long before that we see Abraham giving God a tithe, a tenth, as an act of worship. That is the background to Melchizedek.
So, here in Psalm 110, David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, declares prophetically that the future Messiah who we know to be Jesus as being a priest on the order of or similar to Melchizedek. He is not a priest like Aaron, the priest that is associated with the Law that would come later. Aaron was only a priest, but but he was not a king. And he is not a king like David, who was only a king but not a priest. He is both a king and a priest like Melchizedek. That is how Jesus and Melchizedek are similar.
Now, the writer of Hebrews in his argument about how the new covenant in Christ is better than the old covenant of the Law, quotes this verse (several times actually). He makes the case that Jesus, like Melchizedek, is a King Priest of God Most High. So then, Melchizedek in the book of Genesis offers us the perfect picture of our Messiah, of Jesus. However, unlike Melchizedek, Jesus will be our King Priest – FOREVER. This is why the writer of Hebrews calls Jesus “the guarantee of a better covenant” (Hebrews 7:22).
OK, so that gives you a good picture of Melchizedek in this verse and explains why he is so important. We are going to wrap up this psalm by reading the last three verses together.
READ Psalm 110:5-7
What is that all about, right? This sounds a lot like a battle, like war, doesn’t it? And it is. The Messiah gets up from His throne where He has been seated at the right hand of Yahweh and He heads to the battlefield. He does this on what is called “the day of His wrath.” This is when He executes judgment, v 6, “among the nations,” against the kings, the enemies of God. It is a gruesome scene. When will this battle occur? The Battle of Armageddon, Revelation Chapter 19. There in Revelation 19 this same scene is described, but in more horrific detail.
Afterward, the Messiah will be refreshed (That is what v 7 is talking about), having completed His victory over His enemies. The psalm concludes with the great exaltation of Jesus, where it says “He will lift up His head.” Yahweh is going to lift up, elevate to a position of prominence, Jesus the Messiah.
So, everything in Psalm 110 points to Jesus, from v 1 through v 7. In v 1 Jesus is God, Lord, Adonai. In v 2 Jesus is King. He is ruling with a mighty scepter. In v 3 Jesus is the leader of His people. It says “Your people will offer themselves freely.” In v 4 Jesus is our great High Priest, “a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” In v 5 Jesus is our returning Conqueror. In v 6 He is our Judge. And in v 7 He is exalted above all.
So, I will conclude with a verse that you all are familiar with and tie all this together. Paul speaking in Philippians Chapter 2 about the exalted Jesus: “Therefore God has highly exalted Him [Jesus] and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord [Adonai], to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
That is Psalm 110. Jesus is the central figure of the Bible and He is the central figure of this psalm.