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(The coronation, victory, fame, and divine nature of King Messiah)
Whenever the wickedness and insanity in the world starts to get to me (and it’s been more frequent and more pronounced of late), I find comfort in contemplating the wondrous things that await us in eternity. The words of the familiar hymn come back to me, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus – look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
Imagine the joy of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb – the most lavish Jewish wedding feast of all history! You know, I was going to start out this morning’s d’rasha by saying you’re all invited to an incredible black tie event, but actually it will be a white robe event. And, you’re not merely an honored guest, you’re the bride. And the bridegroom… is the King!
We’re continuing our summer series in the Psalms, and some time ago I requested to teach through Psalm 110, so that’s where we’ll be this morning. It is a song of awe and wonder, of triumph and majesty, of pageantry and even an affirmation of the deity of the Messiah and the triune nature of God. Not bad for seven verses!
The psalm is ascribed to David. Before we begin, I want to address the so-called ‘higher critical’ schools of theology as pertains to this psalm. To these liberal scholars, cynicism is the rule; nothing may be taken at face value – certainly nothing that smacks of the supernatural. Miracles are relegated to fabricated legend. And unless you can prove otherwise, every biblical book or letter or Gospel is presumed to be a pseudepigraph; not written by the one named as author, and also presumed to have been written centuries after-the-fact.
The modern science of archaeology has, time and again, authenticated the biblical record as historically and factually reliable. Time and again it has shown the liberal scholars to have been wrong. And yet, they continue in their skepticism. So we come to Psalm 110, and, true to form, these ‘scholars’ deny David’s authorship.
And yet,
- The psalm is ascribed to David
- David’s authorship was unquestioned by scholars for thousands of years
- Yeshua Himself twice ascribes this psalm to David
- It is either directly quoted or alluded to no less than 27 times in the New Testament and regarded uniformly as Davidic in authorship!
So now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s begin.
Verse 1
נְאֻם יְהוָה, לַאדֹנִי
The Lord declares to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”
Your translation probably reads The Lord said to my Lord… I am reading mostly from the NLT (New Living Translation) this morning, and some from the NASB (New American Standard Bible). But on this one particular word I’m not going with either of them. The usual verb for ‘say’ is amar (9/!). The usual verb for ‘speak’ is davar (9″$). Neither of those verbs is in use here. It is the word n’oom (.!1), which appears 376 times in the Tanakh, and 363 of those times it is translated declare. And that makes sense; this is so much more than merely speaking words. It is a declaration! So let’s read it again: The Lord declares to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.”
Did King David have two Lords? Was he a closet polytheist? Of course not. But David, who penned this psalm, declared that HaShem (the yod-hay-vav-hay, the Eternal One) spoke to David’s Adon – his Lord or Master. Since David had no Adon – Lord or Master other than God, how is it possible for Adonai to speak to David’s Adonai?
There is only one way to rightly understand this psalm, and that is to see it as the exaltation and coronation of the Messiah – King Messiah – King Messiah Yeshua, the Son of the Living God. He was, from all eternity, at God’s right hand, the place of favor and honor, sharing God’s eternal, righteous, glorious, all-powerful nature. So David could write, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “The Lord declared to my Lord…”
When God, speaking through Isaiah (42:8), declared, “My glory I will not give to another… (a passage frequently used by anti-missionary rabbis to deny Yeshua’s divinity),” in context, He was contrasting His eternal, divine nature with the idols, the false gods the nations foolishly worshiped, and whose idolatry Israel at that time was foolishly imitating. We’ve got to understand that Messiah isn’t ‘another’. He is one with the Father and the Ruach, the Holy Spirit.
And lest there be any doubt, Yeshua quoted Psalm 110, verse 1 in His rebuttal to the Pharisees, applying it to Himself. You may recall that in Matthew chapter 22, several groups attempted to trap Yeshua by asking questions calculated to either make Him look bad, or to get him in trouble with the Roman authorities. He answered them brilliantly and adroitly. And then He turned it back on them.
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Yeshua asked them a question: “What do you think about the Messiah, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “Then how does David – in the Spirit – call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, ‘The Lord said to My Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet”’? If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question (Matthew 22:41-46).
The Jewish religious authorities, both then and now, have steadfastly rejected Yeshua’s claim to be the Messiah, and vehemently rejected His claim to be the unique Son of God, one with the Father from all eternity. In fact, the rejection of Yeshua appears to be the only thing all the Jewish authorities can agree on. But it’s right here, and in many other passages of our own Scriptures. Yeshua put them to silence with His d’rasha on Psalm 110. Now as we come to verse 2, David directly addresses his Lord, whom the Lord has exalted.
Verse 2
מַטֵּה-עֻזְּךָ–יִשְׁלַח יְהוָה, מִצִּיּוֹן
The Lord will extend your powerful kingdom from Zion; you will rule over your enemies.
Remember, this isn’t about David. David is the one writing, and, I would argue, not just writing, but prophesying to the days of Messiah’s reign over the earth. A lot of people may not like it, but the Scriptures focus centrally on Israel, Jerusalem, and the Jewish people. Messiah will establish His Kingdom on the throne of David, from Zion (Jerusalem). This theme is repeated throughout the Scriptures. And, by God’s doing, His dominion will extend to all nations, to even the remotest places on planet earth.
This prophecy fits seamlessly with the prophecy of Isaiah 9. There, in verse 7, we read, “…there will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace. On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.”
However, the Scriptures also uniformly attest that the nations will not take kindly to it, at least not at first. Messiah will have enemies. But Adonai will extend His kingdom, and give Him victory over all His enemies. It is painful to think that our wonderful and righteous Messiah will still have enemies, but He will, and that is why the Scriptures also say that He will rule (at least, for a time) with a rod of iron.
But let me say this, to those who bristle at the idea that Jerusalem will be the geographic center of the earth in the Millennium, or who object to the idea of a Jewish King reigning over the world. You had better reconcile yourself to these truths. It has been prophesied, and God will bring it to pass. You don’t want to be on the wrong side of history. Neither Jew-hatred nor Israel-hatred will be countenanced in the Messianic Age. Those who continue to hate Israel and/or the Jews are the ones described as His enemies.
Verse 3
עַמְּךָ נְדָבֹת בְּיוֹם חֵילֶךָ
When you go to war, your people will serve you willingly.
War? “Wait, Rabbi Glenn, I thought the Millennium will be a time of peace on the earth! Didn’t Isaiah (chapter 2) say that men would hammer their swords into plows, and their spears into pruning hooks; that nation will no longer lift up sword against nation and never again will they learn war?”
Yes, Isaiah did prophesy that. And there will be worldwide peace… AFTER the nations realize the futility of resisting Messiah’s authority. You have to remember that the Millennium isn’t the same thing as the eternal state. It will be wonderful, but it won’t be perfect. People will still be born with a sin nature during the Millennium. Our sons and daughters will need to be taught right from wrong and learn the ways of the Lord.
The good news is that, according to Revelation chapter 20, Satan will be bound and imprisoned during that time, so that he cannot deceive the nations. Evangelism won’t be the difficult task it is today. But humanity will still have a sinful nature – it’s still life on this present earth. We also find out in Revelation 20 that at the end of that thousand-year Messianic Age, Satan will be released, and attempt yet one last worldwide rebellion, and will incite people from various nations to join him and fight against Yeshua. It seems there will apparently have been simmering, under the surface, disdain and resentment toward Messiah.
When you go to war, your people will serve you willingly. You are arrayed in holy garments, and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew.
Messiah will wage war against the nations who seek Israel’s destruction, and who hate Him. And His people will gladly take up arms and join His cause, because they love Him, and they love Him because He is just and holy and good! He is described as clothed in holy garments, and that His strength will not falter, but day by day He will continue in power. Again, it is because God the Father approves of Him, delights in Him, and is zealous for Him to achieve final victory.
Now we come to verse four, and this verse alone deserves an entire expository sermon; maybe an entire sermon series! It is that significant, and it requires a bit of unpacking. So, buckle your seatbelts…
Verse 4
נִשְׁבַּע יְהוָה, וְלֹא יִנָּחֵם אַתָּה-כֹהֵן לְעוֹלָם עַל-דִּבְרָתִי מַלְכִּי-צֶדֶק
The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”
Again, David isn’t speaking of himself, but of King Messiah. Adonai has taken an oath. When the Eternal God considers something so important that He Himself takes an oath, you know it’s big. Messiah will not only rule in a governmental way as King over all the earth, but He will lead the way spiritually. He is described as a kohayn – a priest. You could have fun talking to people on the street and saying, “What? You’ve never heard of a Jewish priest?”.
Let’s examine this verse and understand it better. First of all, even if you didn’t know that this was Psalm 110:4, didn’t it sound really familiar? That’s because the writer of the Letter to the Messianic Jews (Hebrews) directly quotes this verse four times, and dedicates almost all of Hebrews chapter 7 to explain it and apply it to Messiah Yeshua. Let’s explore this via a few questions I’ve prepared.
- What was the role of a priest?
A Kohayn (priest) mediated between God, who is holy, and human beings, who are not, enabling the two parties to be reconciled through the God-ordained sacrifices carried out according to the instructions God gave Israel in the Torah (specifically, Leviticus). To serve as a Kohayn, a man had to be from the tribe of Levi, and had to be a descendant of Aaron’s family line.
- Who was Melchizedek?
Malki-tzedek was a mysterious figure, showing up seemingly out of nowhere, in Genesis chapter 14, right after Abram returned victoriously from rescuing his nephew Lot, who had been taken captive in a war between the kings of that region. Malki-tzedek is described in the passage as the king of Salem (i.e., Jerusalem), and a priest and fellow worshiper with Abram of El Elyon – the Most High God.
When Abram returned from that battle, he was also met by the king of Sodom, who offered him the spoils of that war. Abram told the king of Sodom to keep his money; he wanted nothing to do with that wicked king and his wicked city. By contrast, Melchizedek, the king of Salem, offered Abram bread and wine… and a blessing, and Abram gladly received them from his hand. In turn, Abram gave to Melchizedek a tenth of all he had.
And that’s it – just four verses that describe Melchizedek. Nothing about who his father and mother were; nothing about how he came to be a worshiper of the One true God; nothing about his origins. It’s all shrouded in mystery. And we don’t hear the name Malki-tzedek (‘King of Righteousness’) again until… Psalm 110, verse 4, written 1,000 years later by King David. Talk about an enigma!
- Why did David compare Messiah to Melchizedek and not Aaron?
In fact, it isn’t David the one making the comparison. He penned Psalm 110, but in it he is prophesying. It is God the Father who declares David’s Lord to be a priest. But not a priest like Aaron or one of his descendants; rather, a unique priest akin to the priesthood of Melchizedek. And He said, “You are a priest forever…”
The descendants of Aaron, though being privileged to serve in the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, were nevertheless ordinary human beings. They grew old and retired and eventually passed away. By contrast, Melchizedek, because he shows up so suddenly and his origins are unknown, and just as suddenly and mysteriously is gone, has a timeless quality about him – as though a heavenly portal opened up for a few minutes, he appeared, ministered to Abram, and then it closed again.
So King David’s Lord is like this enigmatic priest Melchizedek, and not like any human priest. Note that God did NOT say, “You are Melchizedek,” but rather “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. For the record, I don’t believe that Malki-tzedek was a Christophany (a pre-incarnate appearance of Yeshua). I believe he was a human being, a real person, who served the Most High God as a priest before the Aaronic priesthood existed, the king of a real city; but whose origins are unknown and mysterious, and therefore he is a type of Messiah.
- How did the author of Hebrews interpret this?
The author of The Letter to the Messianic Jews (Hebrews) quotes Psalm 110:4 to show that Malki-tzedek was indeed a type – a person symbolizing the One who was to come – Messiah Yeshua, whose origins ARE eternal and whose nature is divine. And, unlike the priests who descended from Aaron, who eventually died, Messiah’s priesthood will endure forever.
The author of Hebrews wasn’t saying that Melchizedek literally had no father or mother, but that the scant description of him in Genesis 14, shrouded in mystery, was intended by God so that we could see him, in a sense, as a prototype of the Messiah. Certainly his name Malki-Tzedek, King of Righteousness, strikes us as messianic, as does the fact that he was king of Shalem, King of Peace.
The office of High Priest in ancient Israel was held for life, but eventually every High Priest would die, necessitating the choosing of another. We needed a whole tribe to provide ongoing generations of High Priests. No so in the New Covenant. Messiah Yeshua lives eternally, and so His priesthood abides forever, and the atonement and salvation He offers is sufficient for all mankind, and for all eternity.
- What should we take from this?
King David’s King is our King. His name is Yeshua. God the Father is going to give victory to Him, and extend His Kingdom worldwide, and because this King is the quintessential King of Righteousness who will utterly vanquish all His enemies, what we need to do is repent of our unbelief, which is sin, and transfer our loyalty to Him without reservation or qualification. We should serve Him willingly and gladly; if we do that, we will share in the joy and victory that are His forever.
If you refuse to do that, verses 5-7 tell us that you are fighting against God; because God delights in Him. Let’s look at these last verses.
Verses 5-7
אֲדֹנָי עַל-יְמִינְךָ
The Lord stands at your right hand to protect you. He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts. He will punish the nations and fill their lands with corpses; he will shatter heads over the whole earth. But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way. He will be victorious.
As we stated earlier, Messiah will rule over the earth, but will have enemies, necessitating that ‘rod of iron’ to bring the nations into conformity. But should His enemies attempt any evil against him, they will fail. The Father has the Son’s ‘6’.
All such attempts will incur the wrath of God, and this Psalm, as well as many passages in the Prophets (especially Zechariah ch’s. 12 and 14) describes the aftermath of rebellion. The nations will be severely punished. Many who join in the rebellions (I read it as two separate rebellions, like bookends – one occurring on each side of the thousand-year reign of Messiah), those who are part of the effort to fight against Messiah will die.
So much for the American, groovy, hipster Jesus. There is a rude awakening ahead for those who are trying to fit in with the world, and reimage Yeshua to please the desire of this rotting culture, instead of showing reverence to the One who is, and who was, and who is to come: the Holy One.
Let me close with this: Psalm 110 is one of the Psalms Yeshua claimed for Himself. He is the subject. He is King David’s King. He is the King of all kings. What is your disposition toward Him? Do you love Him, or do you reject Him? There is no middle ground; no such thing as ‘tolerating’ Him, or casually ‘admiring’ Him but remaining aloof.
The correct and wise thing for each one of us to do is bow before Him in awe and adoration, and know that He is coming soon to judge the living and the dead, and He will establish the righteous Kingdom of God on earth. Your disposition toward Him now will determine your outcome in eternity. I urge those of you who are listening to this message to humble yourselves, ditch the foolish pride, and allow Messiah Yeshua to take your griefs, sorrows and sickness, and replace it with His joy and shalom, and give you eternal life.
Great article by Justin Dillehay about Psalm 110 and Yeshua’s nature: