Psalm 110

Intro

We are all worshippers

We will either worship God or self

If we worship God, in the person of Jesus, we must know Him.

This ties directly into our purpose statement.

To know Jesus, we must Yield, Become and Grow as His disciple.

This leads to why we are studying Psalms

How to participate in the series

There are different Psalms that help us understand more of the human experience (heart, soul, mind and strength) in how we worship through everyday life.

Read

Psalm 110:1–7 ESV

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! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.

The Messiah King

A Psalm of David—We know David is writing this.

Psalm 110:1–3 ESV

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! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours.

We start with a covenant promise—God is establishing in a King

A Right Hand Man of God

His Kingdom is ever expanding—ruling over his enemies

These once enemies will offer themselves freely to serve this king

There is a change here from enemies to glad hearts of surrender and service

Messiah—Deliverer, Savior, King. Come to deliver us from sin, establish peace and justice.

Melchizedek

Psalm 110:4 ESV

The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Melchizedek:

Briefly mentioned in the Book of Genesis (14:18-20), Melchizedek appears as the king of Salem (later Jerusalem) and a priest of "God Most High." He blesses Abraham and receives a tithe (tenth of the spoils) from him. Importantly, Melchizedek has no known ancestry or descendants mentioned in the Bible.

Genesis 14:18–20 ESV

And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

Order of Melchizedek

In Psalm 110:4, God declares the Messiah to be "a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek." This "order" refers to a type or lineage of priesthood, not a specific organization. The key aspect is that Melchizedek's priesthood is independent of any tribe or family line.

Psalm 110 refers to a figure enthroned at God's right hand who is also a priest (Hebrews 5:6). Hebrews 5:1-4 describes the qualities and characteristics of a high priest, allowing us to understand the nature of this priest in Psalm 110.

Hebrews 5:1–4 ESV

For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.

Key points from Hebrews 5:1-4 (ESV):

Human and Appointed by God: "For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God..." (Hebrews 5:1) This establishes that the priest, like Aaron mentioned later in the passage, is human and chosen by God, not self-appointed.

Offers Sacrifices: "...to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins" (Hebrews 5:1) - The priest plays a crucial role in mediating between God and humanity, offering sacrifices to atone for sins.

Relatable Imperfections: "He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness." (Hebrews 5:3) This highlights that the high priest understands human shortcomings because he himself experiences weaknesses.

The Lord Said to my Lord

Matthew 22:41–46 ESV

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

In Matthew 22:41-46, Jesus flips the script on the Pharisees who have been trying to trap him with tricky questions. Here's a breakdown of the passage and its connection to Psalm 110

Setting the Scene (Matthew 22:41-42):

Jesus gathers the Pharisees and asks them a question: "What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" The Pharisees readily answer, "The son of David." This aligns with the Jewish expectation that the Messiah would be a descendant of King David.

Jesus' Challenge (Matthew 22:43-44):

Jesus then quotes a passage from Psalm 110:4: "The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’” In this psalm verse, God (the Lord) speaks to another Lord, identified as the Messiah.

The Question and Silence (Matthew 22:45-46):

Jesus asks the Pharisees, "If then David calls him 'Lord,' how is he his son?" This is a challenging question. Traditionally, a son would be subordinate to his father, yet the psalm portrays the Messiah as the Lord of even David. The Pharisees are unable to answer and are silenced. From this point on, the gospels record no further attempts by the Pharisees to test Jesus with questions.

Connections to Psalm 110:

The key connection lies in the use of Psalm 110:4. This psalm verse portrays the Messiah as both a descendant of David (son) and a divine figure (Lord). Jesus highlights this seeming contradiction to challenge the Pharisees' understanding of the Messiah. They expected a powerful human ruler, but the psalm suggests a more complex role, hinting at Jesus' dual nature as both human and divine.

Significance for Jesus:

The Book of Hebrews expands on this concept, contrasting the Aaronic priesthood (established through Moses) with the order of Melchizedek. The Aaronic priesthood is hereditary, passed down through the tribe of Levi. Jesus, however, is seen as a priest in the order of Melchizedek because his priesthood comes directly from God, not through lineage. This emphasizes the eternal nature of Jesus' priesthood and its superiority to the temporary priesthood established by the Mosaic Law.

In essence, the line of Melchizedek signifies a unique and divinely ordained priesthood held by Jesus, separate from any earthly lineage.

Jesus King and Priest

Hebrews 5:5–10 ESV

So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”; as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

Fully God and Fully Man

This was the Priest King depicted on 110

Obedient to the Father

A Living Sacrifice

Intercessor

Application

Submission to Christ's Kingship

The psalm emphasizes Christ's ultimate authority and victory.

What Kingdom do you believe Christ is establishing?

The kingdom then was filled with corruption (Money, Sex, and Power)

Rulers

Religious Leaders (me)

Me

Humbly embrace the Jesus the Priest

Hebrews 4:14–16 ESV

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Perseverance and Obedience in Faith:

The promise of Christ's ultimate triumph can encourage perseverance in following Christ's teachings despite difficulties.

Prayer