The Order of Melchizedek, Part 1

Call to Worship

Psalm 29 LSB

A Psalm of David. Ascribe to Yahweh, O sons of the mighty, Ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. Ascribe to Yahweh the glory of His name; Worship Yahweh in the splendor of holiness. The voice of Yahweh is upon the waters; The God of glory thunders, Yahweh is over many waters. The voice of Yahweh is powerful, The voice of Yahweh is full of splendor. The voice of Yahweh breaks the cedars; Indeed, Yahweh breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, And Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of Yahweh hews out flames of fire. The voice of Yahweh causes the wilderness to tremble; Yahweh causes the wilderness of Kadesh to tremble. The voice of Yahweh makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, “Glory!” Yahweh sat enthroned over the flood; Indeed, Yahweh sits as King forever. Yahweh will give strength to His people; Yahweh will bless His people with peace.

Scripture Readings

Amos 7:7-17

Colossians 1:1-14

The Flow of the Psalms (Robertson)

By way of introduction to our text today I would like to orient us to the general flow of the Psalms.

We tend to think about the Psalms, in the words of one writer, as a cabinet of music. It is a collection. There is no form necessarily, but it is a song book for various occasions both liturgical and social as well as personal and devotional. And those acquainted with the Palter will know which psalms apply in which situations and which to go to intuitively.

But more recently, commentators such as Gerald Wilson, O. Palmer Robertson, and James Hamilton, have looked at the psalms as a unified whole. This literary approach seeks to analyze the book of psalms in its received form as part of the Canon of scripture which was written by a single person: the Holy Spirit. And this perspective is corroborated by the fact that Jesus when quoting even the text that we will be looking at today, Psalm 110, says David, speaking in the spirit... Jesus equates the writing of the psalms by David as being done in the Spirit.

Therefore, rather than looking at the psalms as individual works that are collected together into a “cabinet for music.” More recently there have been efforts to identify thematic elements that tie the psalms together in the form in which they were received. Meaning that one could read through the psalms from beginning to end and appreciate a form and movement of the text.

For our purposes, we will use the outline of O. Palmer Robertson as our basis for our literary analysis of the book of Psalms in order to more greatly appreciate the placement of Psalm 110 within that greater context. The title of Robertson’s commentary is “The Flow of the Psalms: Discovering Their Structure and Theology.” His outline is as follows:

Introduction Psalm 1-2 - The Law in Psalm 1 and the Gospel in Psalm 2. Torah and Messiah. There is promised a king who will be installed at the right hand of God until all the enemies of God are put down. These two psalms, according to Robertson, function to introduce us to everything that will follow in the entire book.

Confrontation Psalm 3-41 - Then, as if to emphasize that David is not the One who was promised, we are launched into a collection of Psalms by David known as laments. Psalm 3-10 are laments of David concerning all the enemies that are inhibiting him from establishing the kingdom of righteousness. And this first collection was written by David. This collection has traditionally been called Book I. There is so much more that can be said, but for now, just remember that book I is about the confrontation of David with his enemies.

Communication Psalm 42-72 - Significantly, there is a shift in this second book of Psalms from the name Yahweh, the covenant name of God, to the name Elohim, a more general name of God. And twelve of the twenty-one psalms refer to non-Israelite peoples with the last Psalm, a Psalm of Solomon, Psalm 72, describing a messianic King who will reign over all the earth: Psalm 72:8 “May he also have dominion from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth.” The conclusion is that this collection of Psalms is purposefully seeking to communicate to the nations. Book I describes the struggle of David in establishing his kingdom. Book II describes an established kingdom that is seeking to bless the nations: Psalm 72:17 “May his name endure forever; May his name increase as long as the sun shines; Let all nations be blessed in him; Let all nations call him blessed.”

Devastation Psalm 73-89 - But alas, it does not seem that this will happen. In Book III, the tone changes. We are given the hopeless perspective of the people of God: Psalm 74:4 “Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place; They have set up their own signs for signs.” And this collection ends in devastation: Psalm 89:38–39 “But You have cast off and rejected, You have been full of wrath against Your anointed. You have spurned the covenant of Your slave; You have profaned his crown to the ground.” They still hope in God’s promises, but they are not seeing them realized. Psalm 89:3–4, The Psalmist reminds Yahweh of His promise: “I have cut a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne from generation to generation.” Selah.” and the Psalm concludes, Psalm 89:49 “Where are Your former lovingkindnesses, O Lord, Which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?”

It seems that Yahweh has forgotten His promises. It seems that all hope is lost.

Maturation Psalm 90-106 - Book IV, Robertson calls “maturation.” Rather than placing hope in the earthly kingdom of David and the extension of David’s kingdom to all the earth, the devastation of Book III reminded God’s people that He is their dwelling place. Yahweh is King over all the earth even in the midst of exile. Psalm 90:1 “Lord, You have been our dwelling place from generation to generation.” Psalm 93:2 “Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.” Psalm 97:1 “Yahweh reigns, let the earth rejoice; Let the many coastlands be glad.” Psalm 99:1 “Yahweh reigns, let the peoples tremble; He sits enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth quake!”

The Flow of the Psalms: Discovering Their Structure and Theology Chapter 8: Book IV (Psalms 90–106): Maturation

Rather than destroying their faith, the nation’s exile from Jerusalem and the vacuous state of the Davidic throne have produced a stronger grasp both of the certainty of the merger of God’s throne with David’s throne and at the same time of the pain, the unending struggle, that will be involved in the full realization of that merger. Greater trust must be placed in the eternal kingship of Yahweh, who will be true to his covenantal promise to David.

Because of this wonderful truth that has matured in exile, that Yahweh reigns and will be faithful to His promises despite no current king being on the throne in Jerusalem, Book IV concludes with praise: Psalms 104-105 both conclude with “Praise Yah!” Or, in Hebrew “Hallelu-YAH.” And the last Psalm in Book IV, begins and ends with “Praise Yah!.” It is a collective command: All of you praise Yahweh. The exiled people of God have been taught that Yahweh is their portion and their dwelling place. It is not the land of Canaan nor the city of Zion. And they have been taught that Yahweh is their King, not David. But, how glorious it will be, when Yahweh and David’s seed converge into One Person, Jesus Christ. David’s son and Lord.

Consummation Psalm 107-150 - Book V, the final book of Psalms, presents post-exile restoration. Or, in eschatological terms, consummation. It remembers exile and why the people of God were brought there, Psalm 107:11 “Because they had rebelled against the words of God And spurned the counsel of the Most High.” But, they are not left in devastation. It goes on, Psalm 107:13 “Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble; He saved them out of their distresses.” And throughout the book of Psalms, as at the beginning couplings of Messianic Psalms with Torah Psalms serves literary purposes. So here, in Book V, after declaring the Lord as priest and king over all the earth in Psalm 110, there is another collection of Hallel psalms, praise psalms, which begin and end with “Hallelu-YAH.” But then notably, Psalm 118, a messianic Psalm, is paired with Psalm 119, the quintessence of Torah Psalms. Book V then concludes with the finale of Hallelujahs in Psalms 146-150. Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise Yah. Praise Yah!”

And here we have the general flow of the Psalms. They move from the confrontation of David’s kingdom with the forces of darkness, the communication of that kingdom with the nations of the earth, the devastation of that kingdom by those very nations, the maturation of God’s people while in exile, and their restoration in the consummation of God’s true kingdom of righteousness.

It is in this context that we can place any Psalm that we either sing, read, or hear.

When we sing Psalm 2, you should note that this is an introduction to what Yahweh will declare throughout the book of Psalms.

Psalm 106, which we sang for confession, closes book IV of the Psalter and is meant to remind Israel that Yahweh is their portion. That exile and judgment are brought by Yahweh for His glory and our good.

Psalm 117, the round which we love, comes just after the declaration of Yahweh’s King in Psalm 110.

Psalm 134 is the final song of ascent, one of fifteen psalms that correspond to the fifteen steps leading up to the temple in Jerusalem. A vivid picture of our restoration when we arrive at the consummation.

The Flow of the Psalms: Discovering Their Structure and Theology Fifteen Psalms of Ascents Echoing the Priestly Benediction (Psalms 120–134)

The phrase has been interpreted as referring to the fifteen steps leading up to the temple in Jerusalem, to a literary connection moving step by step through the fifteen psalms, or to the ascent of pilgrims to Jerusalem, either during the three annual feasts (cf.

Context of Psalm 110

For Psalm 110, it is placed in a collection of Davidic Psalms (Ps 108-110). These open the last book of Psalms addressing restoration, or the consummation. And when will this consummation begin? When Yahweh says to David’s Lord, “Sit at My right hand Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.” (Psalm 110:1).

Psalm 110 is then a post-exilic, restoration Psalm. Which we can say, despite the critics, because we find it here in a post-exilic collection of Psalms. Where it was placed in the canon. It is the 110th Psalm for a reason. It is not placed with other Davidic Psalms. It is placed here, post exile, in the restoration.

I contend that we see a microcosm of Christ in Psalm 108-110.

Psalm 108 is a declaration of trust in God that He is sovereign over the nations. Psalm 108:13 “Through God we shall do valiantly, And it is He who will tread down our adversaries.” A New Covenant promise that Jesus shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 109 describes the betrayal of the Psalmist, fulfilled in Judas as stated by Peter in Acts 1:20 ““For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his residence be made desolate, And let no one dwell in it’; and, ‘Let another man take his office.’”. Quoting from Psalm 109:8.

Psalm 110 demonstrates the betrayed One being invited to sit at the right hand of God, accomplished by Christ at the Ascension in Acts 1. And proclaimed by Peter in Acts 2:34–36 ““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 put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.” ’ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.””

So, this Psalm is really a New Testament Psalm.

Calvin says, “In this psalm David sets forth the perpetuity of Christ’s reign, and the eternity of his priesthood.”

Matthew Henry says, “This psalm is pure Gospel...”

Augustine says, “A psalm short indeed as to the number of its words but vast and weighty as to its content…a signed copy of [God’s] promises, as it were.”

Luther says, “This beautiful psalm … is the very core and quintessence of the whole Scripture.”

Psalm 110:1 is one of the most quoted Old Testament verses in the New Testament. It is quoted in Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42–43, Acts 2:34–35, Hebrews 1:13, Hebrews 10:13, and is referenced or alluded to in 1 Corinthians 15:25, Ephesians 1:20–22, Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 12:2, 1 Peter 3:22.

There is an extended commentary on the psalm, particular verse 4, in Hebrews 5-8. And really, all of Hebrews is presenting Jesus as our great High Priest. So this passage emphasizing the priesthood of the Messiah is foundational to that New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:14 LSB

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us take hold of our confession.

With all of that in mind, we will introduce Psalm 110 today. We will revisit it next Sunday. Today, I would like for us to understand where the Psalm falls in it’s place, appreciate the form and emphasis of the Psalm , we will look at the first three verses, and then apply some its implications.

Outline of Psalm 110

For an outline, there are a few different approaches. The one that I like sees this Psalm as a chiasm. A chiasm, which we’ve talked about before, is when the text emphasizes a central point by reiterating the same material on either side of that point. For example, if I want to emphasize C, then it would look like: A, B, C, B, A. C is the emphasis.

This Psalm has a similar structure with verse 4 as the central focus. James Hamilton, quoting someone else, points out that there are two stanzas to this Psalm, verses 1-3 and verses 4-7, and that each stanza has 74 syllables. So, it would be:

I. The Declaration of Yahweh (Ps. 110:1-3)

II. The Oath of Yahweh (Psalm 110:4-7)

But, for our study of this Psalm, I have it outlined this way, simply for emphasis, to draw out the chiasm:

I. The Declaration of Yahweh (Ps. 110:1-3)

II. The Oath of Yahweh (Ps. 110:4)

III. The Faith of David (Ps. 110:5-7)

Exposition of Psalm 110:1-3

The Declaration of Yahweh

Psalm 110:1–3 LSB

Of David. A Psalm. Yahweh says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.” Yahweh will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, “Have dominion in the midst of Your enemies.” Your people will offer themselves freely in the day of Your power; In the splendor of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, The dew of Your youthfulness will be Yours.

Jesus attributes this Psalm to David

In Matthew 22:41–45 “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, “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” ’? “Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?””

Jesus says “David in the Spirit” called the Christ Lord even though the Christ will be David’s son, or descendent.

Yahweh is speaking.

In verse 1, “Yahweh says...” and in verse 2, “Yahweh will stretch forth...saying...” So, the speaker here is Yahweh.

Yahweh is speaking to the Messiah.

David writes that Yahweh says to whom? To his Lord. David writes that Yahweh says to David’s Lord.

Who is David’s Lord? Jesus says, in Matthew 22, that He is the Christ. David’s Lord is the promised Anointed One, the Messiah.

Jesus asked whose son the Christ would be, followed by the declaration that David called the Christ Lord in this text in Psalm 110:1. So we know that based upon Jesus’ interpretation, David here speaks of the Christ.

This is the same One spoken of in Psalm 2:6 ““But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.””

The same One spoken of in Psalm 72:11 “And let all kings bow down to him, All nations serve him.”

The same One spoken of Psalm 89:3–4 ““I have cut a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne from generation to generation.” Selah.”

The same One spoken of in Psalm 91:11–13 “For He will command His angels concerning you, To guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, Lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread upon the fierce lion and cobra, The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.”

This is the same One spoken of here in Book V: David’s son and David’s Lord.

Yahweh’s declaration to the Messiah: “Sit at My right hand Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”

In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus says, in the Great Commission, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth...”

In Acts 1:9 a cloud receives Jesus up into the sky, and we can see what happens next in Daniel 7:13–14 “I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days And came near before Him. “And to Him was given dominion, Glory, and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not be taken away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.”

And of this day, Ascension Day, spoke Zechariah the prophet in Zechariah 14:8–9 “And it will be in that day, that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. And Yahweh will be king over all the earth; in that day Yahweh will be the only one, and His name one.”

And Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:25–26 “For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be abolished is death.”

This is Yahweh’s declaration to the Messiah. It was foretold by the prophets and accomplished by Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

The Scepter of the Messiah from Zion will go forth.

Jacob prophesies in Genesis 49:10 “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”

And just like in Psalm 2:6, the Messiah is established in Zion, and Psalm 2:9 “‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like a potter’s vessel.’” The rod, or the scepter goes forth from Zion. The true King will reign from the Holy Mountain and will exercise His dominion over the nations of the earth. And what is this Holy Mountain, Zion?

Hebrews 12:22–24 LSB

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the festal gathering and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

The holy mountain is the church. It is the third temple, the sanctuary of the Living God. Messiah’s scepter will go forth from the church. And there are many misunderstanding regarding this, but, suffice it to say that Jesus subdues all His and our enemies by means of the proclaimed Gospel. Not by politics, the sword, or wealth. It is through the foolishness of preaching that this High King installed at the right hand of God has ordained that His kingdom would advance. His kingdom is not of this world, but it will change this world and subdue it to Himself.

Yahweh says, “Have dominion in the midst of your enemies.” And what does that statement remind you of? Is it not similar to what Nick took us through in the book of Joshua? Yahweh gives the people the land with still so many enemies surrounding them in Joshua 13. Yahweh declared victory over them. And even now, Jesus has ascended, He reigns at the right hand of the Ancient of Days, victory is declared, and we still find ourselves surrounded by enemies. Jesus truly has dominion in the midst of His enemies.

The Messiah’s people will be willing followers from the heart.

Christopher Ash says, “New covenant believers offer themselves gladly in the service of Christ...”

The day of Christ’s Power

I take this to mean the “day of the Lord.” Peter proclaims this in Acts 2, where this Psalm is quoted. He first quotes Joel, talking about the “Great and Awesome day of the Lord...” in Acts 2:20. Then, he says in Acts 2:33 ““Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this which you both see and hear.” Peter says that Jesus, having been exalted to the right hand of God, a fulfillment of Psalm 110, poured out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in fulfillment of Joel 2, describing the great and awesome day of the Lord.

In other words, when Jesus ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, those events mark the beginning of the day of Christ’s Power.

Holiness, light, and dew

The following statements are difficult to interpret. I am greatly reliant upon more studied men who have grappled with the Hebrew for translating these statements. We will take them one at a time, and then talk about their meaning.

“Splendor of holiness” - Christopher Ash says, “regalia or sacred, festal garments....it seems to indicate holy garments such as would be worn by priests in the context of fighting God’s battles.” Hamilton says, “The impressive majesty of holiness radiates from the king as he goes forth to conquer on his day of power.”

“From the womb of the dawn” - similar to Zechariah 14:6–7 “And it will be in that day, that there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. And it will be a unique day which is known to Yahweh, neither day nor night, but it will be that at evening time there will be light.” The very origin of light actually. The womb of light. It will be a new day. Hamilton says, “The “womb of the dawn” is the place where light gestated, from which it broke forth in the beginning.” And Ash says, “It suggests the springing into existence of a new life and power.”

“The dew of Your youthfulness will be Yours.” - Kirkpatrick says that this “...might describe the constantly renewed youthful vigour of the king.” Hamilton says, “This expression hints at the way the morning dew gives life to the land and suggests the new day hope we see in those who are young and strong, unwrinkled and unbesmirched by the vagaries of age.”

But, Kirkpatrick goes on to say that he prefers the KJV rendering which connects all of these statements together: “...in the beauties of holiness From the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.” If it is taken this way, then, Kirkpatrick reads it as, “...a further description of the army mustering to march forth to battle for the king. Thy youth denotes the youthful warriors who flock with eagerness to his standard. They are clad in holy adornments, as it were an army of priests following their priestly leader. They are compared to dew; the mysterious birth of the morning, so abundant and so precious in hot Eastern countries. The comparison, however, need not be limited to a single point. It may further suggest their sudden appearance in obedience to the Divine command, their freshness, their inspiriting effect upon the king, their numbers, the glittering of their armour in the sunshine.”

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary agrees with Kirkpatrick, that this verse is in reference to the army, not the Messiah.

In contrast, Hamilton and Ash see this verse as a description of the Messiah. Ash says, “In Ps 110:3 David celebrates the way the king compels (without commanding) self-sacrificial loyalty, the way he is adorned by the beauty of holiness, comes like new morning light, and stands in the new life of youth.”

Summary of the exposition of Ps. 110:1-3

David writes a declaration of Yahweh to the Messiah.

The Messiah will sit at the right hand of Yahweh until all His enemies are put beneath His feet.

He will rule with a scepter from Zion.

He will have a faithful army, clothed in holy garments, birthed out of new light.

And the Messiah will be ever refreshed, never losing His youthful vigor.

Christ is King

There is a singular point of application I would draw our attention to: Christ is King. The call throughout the Psalms, but particularly in Psalm 2, is to honor the Son. Bow the knee to the Son. Christ is King and He extends a golden scepter to you. Just as the King extended a golden scepter to Esther. But there will come a day when that golden scepter will be turned into a scepter of iron. Then it will be too late. Then, you will have no choice but to bow the knee to the Son. For in that day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

To illustrate this point, I would like to read an extended section from Milton’s Paradise Lost. This is from Book V. In the scene, Raphael has been sent by God to remind Adam of his duty to obey and of the danger of the enemy. Adam asks for the tale of the enemy to be told. And so Raphael recounts the rebellion of Satan. At the end of book V, the Son quotes Psalm 2, Satan makes brash claims about his preeminence and of his self-existence, independent of God, and there is an innumerable host that listens to his lies; believing that they were self-created. But one Seraph, Abdiel, stands up against Satan and is faithful.

Jesus: Mightie Father, thou thy foes Justly hast in derision, and secure Laugh’st at thir vain designes and tumults vain, Matter to mee of Glory, whom thir hate Illustrates, when they see all Regal Power Giv’n me to quell thir pride, and in event Know whether I be dextrous to subdue Thy Rebels, or be found the worst in Heav’n....

Satan: We know no time when we were not as now; Know none before us, self-begot, self-rais’d By our own quick’ning power, when fatal course Had circl’d his full Orbe, the birth mature Of this our native Heav’n, Ethereal Sons. Our puissance is our own, our own right hand Shall teach us highest deeds, by proof to try Who is our equal: then thou shalt behold Whether by supplication we intend Address, and to begirt th’ Almighty Throne Beseeching or besieging. This report, These tidings carrie to th’ anointed King; And fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.

He said, and as the sound of waters deep Hoarce murmur echo’d to his words applause Through the infinite Host, nor less for that The flaming Seraph fearless, though alone Encompass’d round with foes, thus answerd bold.

Abdiel: O alienate from God, O spirit accurst, Forsak’n of all good; I see thy fall Determind, and thy hapless crew involv’d In this perfidious fraud, contagion spred Both of thy crime and punishment: henceforth No more be troubl’d how to quit the yoke Of Gods Messiah; those indulgent Laws Will not be now voutsaf’t, other Decrees Against thee are gon forth without recall; That Golden Scepter which thou didst reject Is now an Iron Rod to bruise and breake Thy disobedience. Well thou didst advise, Yet not for thy advise or threats I fly These wicked Tents devoted, lest the wrauth Impendent, raging into sudden flame Distinguish not: for soon expect to feel His Thunder on thy head, devouring fire. Then who created thee lamenting learne, When who can uncreate thee thou shalt know.

So spake the Seraph Abdiel faithful found, Among the faithless, faithful only hee; Among innumerable false, unmov’d, Unshak’n, unseduc’d, unterrifi’d His Loyaltie he kept, his Love, his Zeale; Nor number, nor example with him wrought To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind Though single. From amidst them forth he passd, Long way through hostile scorn, which he susteind Superior, nor of violence fear’d aught; And with retorted scorn his back he turn’d On those proud Towrs to swift destruction doom’d.

John Milton, Paradise Lost (London: S. Simmons, 1674), 142–144.

And so, in epic fashion, Milton shows us the two categories of people:

Those who reject the Messiah. These say with Satan, “To reign is worth ambition though in Hell: Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav’n.” Despite the foolishness of it all; the folly of rebellion against the Almighty God, they would rather rebel against Him than bow the knee.

C.S. Lewis said in The Problem of Pain, “I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked from the inside.” And in The Great Divorce, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened." (pg. 75)

And what about you? Do you find yourself thinking, saying, and doing evil continually? Do you find yourself in rebellion against God’s laws: profaning the Sabbath, dishonoring authority, hating, lusting, taking, lying? You can continue in your sin and this will lead you straight to hell. Or, you can accept the gracious golden scepter of the Messiah. He invites you to come and sit at His table in peace. His kingdom is not of this world, but it is making this world new. Will you be apart of the New Creation? Or will you be cast into the outer darkness?

Those who submit to the Messiah. These will offer themselves freely in the day of Messiah’s power. They, like the fictional Abdiel, will be faithful to their king. Despite innumerable foes, unmoved, unshaken, unseduced, unterrified. They will remain loyal, they will keep their love and they will keep the faith. All this by God’s good grace.

Romans 8:37–39 LSB

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

And so Christian, take to yourself the full armor of God, so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to stand. Give all diligence to add to your faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. But, know, “...it does not depend on the one who wills or the one who runs, but on God who has mercy.” (Romans 9:16).

In this text, Yahweh declares His Messiah to be the King over all the earth. Will you be of those who rebel against this King? Or will you be found faithful?

Let’s pray.

The Lord’s Supper

Psalm 107:4–9 LSB

They wandered in the wilderness along the way of the wasteland; They did not find an inhabited city. Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted within them. Then they cried out to Yahweh in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses. He led them by a straight way, To go to an inhabited city. Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness, And for His wondrous deeds to the sons of men! For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.

To those who do not yet believe: you are wandering in the wilderness along the way of the wasteland. Do you find that your life is simply one meaningless scene moving into the next? The mundane grind of existence is empty? You are crushed by the weight of wrongdoing, of expectation, of responsibility? Cry out to God! He will deliver you from your distresses. He will lead you by a straight way into a community. He will satisfy the hungry and thirsty soul with what is good. He will satisfy the hungry and the thirsty with Himself.

Will you accept the invitation to sit at His table and be at peace? Will you come and be reconciled to God?

To those wo believe and have peace with God through Christ. Give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness, and for His wondrous deeds to the sons of men! For He has given his own blood and his own flesh and drink and food for His people. The drink that Christ gives will perpetually quench your thirst. Eat and drink today and remember Christ. He is truly our portion and our dwelling place forever.

The Bread

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 LSB

...the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Read during distribution:

Psalm 82

The Cup

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:25 LSB

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

Read during distribution:

Luke 10:25-37

1 Corinthians 11:25 LSB

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 LSB

“...Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:14–15 LSB

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

The Commission

Matthew 28:18–20 LSB

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Numbers 6:24–26 LSB

Yahweh bless you, and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face on you, And give you peace.’