The Reign of the King!
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Victory is Assured!
Victory is Assured!
Introduction: Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe: Kinds and Queens of Narnia.... when a son of Adam sits upon the throne.... all things will be restored....
The book ends with a great battle between the army led by the evil white witch.... and the army led by Aslan the King!
Each side… longs to be victorious.... but only one side can be.... As many of you know… Aslan… the true King… is victorious (did we ever have any doubt?)
The book ends with the sweetness of victory being proclaimed… as the sons of Adam and the daughters of eve take their place on the thrones of Care Paravel.
Through hard battles and strategic planning… Victory has been achieved. But remember… it is a victory that had been promised before hand through the Aslan’s prophecy… which we first heard come out of the mouth of a beaver. That promise was that once the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve sit on the thrones.... all things would be made right. Victory had been assured from the beginning!!!
While Narnia is a wonderfully fictional place, dreamt up by C.S. Lewis.... there are many themes that point us directly to Scripture. One of those themes… is that there is a Promised King… who has the rights… and authority… to rule and reign!
As we open our Bible’s to Psalm 110 today… we are going to continue in our series through the Psalms and look at a passage of Scripture that does the very same thing…
It points us to a King.... who has been given the right… and the authority… to rule… and reign forever!
Psalm 110 is probably the most quoted and referred to Psalm in the NT. Psalm 110 is directly quoted or indirectly alluded to at least 27 times in the NT. The most direct example would be from the mouth of Jesus in Matthew 22:44
(Other passages would be: Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43; Acts 2:34-35; 1 Cor. 15:25; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13, 5;6, 7:17, 8:1, 10:11-13, 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22. )
The fact that Psalm 110 is so often quoted or alluded to… should tell us of its importance!
Psalm 110 is a “royal psalm”… pointing the reader to the true Promised King. But Psalm 110 is more than just a royal psalm… it is considered the greatest of the Messianic psalms. It is exclusively about the Messiah and His work without any reference to an earthly king.
Psalm 110 is entirely about a divine king who has been installed at the right hand of God in heaven, who is presently engaged in extending his spiritual rule throughout the entire world.
In this psalm we are told that this divine Messiah is also a priest, who is performing his priestly functions… and that he also serves as a judge who at the end of time will execute the final judgement on the nations and the rulers of this earth!
This Psalm was most likely written around the time of the giving of the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7). It was probably sang at David’s coronation… as well as during the coronation process of the later kings… pointing the kings mind… as well as the people’s to focus on the true Messianic King who would one day come.... as they were crowing their earthly king....
Just to be clear, as David pens this Psalm.... he is not writing about himself. He is pointing the reader (us) exclusively to the Promised Anointed One… the Messiah… the Christ!
The subject of the entire Psalm is this Anointed One who David did not personally know… but was looking forward to by faith.
We have the amazing opportunity to be able to personally know this Anointed One ( whom we know as Jesus Christ). By faith we can have a direct relationship with Him!
This Psalm we will look at today is exclusively about Jesus Christ and His reign as our Promised King!
David wants his readers to understand that the Promised Messiah will not only reign as King… but His reign will be Powerful, Spiritual, Priestly, and Judicial. That is how we will break down the Psalm in our study today. We will look at several aspects of Christ’s reign as our Promised King. (The Powerful, Spiritual, Priestly, and Judicial reign of Christ).
Let’s start by reading through Psalm 110 together. Let’s stand… and read through these 7 verses out loud together.
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.
I. The Reign of our Promised King
As David introduces his readers to this Promised King, his promised reign is introduced as a Powerful reign.
A. Powerful (1)
The Lord says to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
Let’s focus on two phrases in verse 1 that reflect the Power of Christ’s reign.
1. The Lord says to my Lord
In Hebrew these two words for “Lord” in our text are actually different words.
LORD = Yahweh the Covenant Keeping, personal, promise keeping name for God.
Lord = Adonai, which refers to an individual greater than the speaker.
So, as David writes verse 1 he is serving as the narrator in a conversation that he, himself is not even part of.
You could translate verse 1 as… “An utterance of Yahweh to my Adonai .... to One who is greater than I am”...
David, serving as the narrator is inviting us to listen in on a conversation that God is having with another person… who is greater than David.
God tells this person to sit at His right hand untilHe makes all of this Person’s enemies a footstool for His feet.
This person… who is greater than David… who is being invited to sit at God’s right hand can be none other than the divine Messiah.... Jesus Christ!
There are two assumptions being made in this argument.
David is the one writing… therefore He… the King... is talking about someone greater than he is. — If David did not write this Psalm then the argument could be made that the author was merely trying to flatter David… calling Him “Lord”… and suggesting that he was to rule with God’s special blessings...
What David wrote was inspired… and what he wrote was true and is divine prophecy about the Messiah… Jesus Christ. —> In Matthew 22:41-45, Jesus made both of these assumptions about Psalm 110.
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?”
In Acts 2:33-35, Peter also attributed the words of Psalm 110 to David… pointing his audience to the reality that Jesus is the Christ!
The words of Christ spoken to the Pharisees… and the conclusion of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost are both still valid for today....
“… know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36)
“… Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins...” (Acts 2:38)
There is a certain assurance… and confidence that comes with knowing that Jesus has the power to forgive sins… and has demonstrated that power as both Lord and Christ!
Another phrase that represents the Power of Jesus’ reign is “sit at my right hand”…
2. Sit at my right hand
The Messiah, Jesus, is presented here as holding the present position at the right hand of the Father in heaven. This is a picture of HIs Lordship over all things in heaven and earth.
In the ancient world, to sit at a person’s right hand was to occupy the place of honor. To sit at a king’s right hand was more than mere honor… it was to share in his rule.... it signified participation in the royal dignity and power.
This is expressed more fully in Philippians 2:9-11 where Paul wrote about Christ saying that,
Therefore God has highly exalted him 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, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus’ rule is God’s doing....
Here is a reality that is comforting to those who believe… and at the same time terrifying to those who do not!
It is not up to you whether Jesus Christ will be Lord.... Jesus is Lord! (whether you submit or not… whether you believe it or not!) (Illustrate)
God has made Him Lord of All!
What are the ways in which people think of Jesus?
- Baby in a manger.... (too sentimental) — Jesus is not in a manger any longer!
Jesus on the cross (crucifix) — This is past..... Jesus is no longer on the cross.... he has died once for all and has ascended to heaven to share in the fullness of God’s power and glory!
When Stephen was martyred in Acts 7:55, how did He see Jesus? —> He saw Jesus as he was at that moment.... at the right hand of God!
As we read this Psalm, we are being challenged to think of Jesus as he is today.... occupying His position of honor.. power… and authority at God’s right hand!
The imagery in the end of verse 1 helps to support this.
In ancient cultures, when a conquering King would defeat another kingdom.... the custom was for the conquering king to place his foot on the conquered kings neck. This illustrated the complete power and authority of the conquering king over those whom He had conquered.
Those who rebel against Christ… will one day be judged for their rebellion… as Christ reigns as Lord and King!
Psalm 110 teaches us that Christ’s reign is not only powerful… but it is spiritual.
B. Spiritual (2-3)
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.
Verse 2 verbalizes the reality that the Promised King… will rule in the midst of his enemies....
1. In the midst of your enemies
Sitting at God’s right hand already signifies rest from Jesus’ atoning work.... but it does not mean that Jesus is inactive in his seated position.
Jesus is not just sitting on His throne in heaven… he is ruling form his throne.... extending HIs kingdom throughout the entire world through the witness of those who follow Him!
An earthly king does not rule like this.... but Jesus does. Earthly kings make boundaries.. defend their borders… and fight to overpower and occupy their enemies.
Jesus is a king who rules differently… He rules in the midst of his enemies.
The only way this can be done is if it is a spiritual rule… that is able to infiltrate the hostile powers of this world in a way that is almost invisible.
Jesus’ spiritual rule is an indirect rule. Jesus does not come into the enemies camp personally with power (although He will do this in the judgement day), but Jesus rules through His people..... the Church! (that is us!)
We are called to live in the midst of Christ’s enemies.... But… what this verse is not telling us to do is physically resist the enemies of Christ. Christ’s kingdom has nothing to do with secular power… and government....
As Christians we are not to try and defeat or subdue the devil and the world by means of physical power or weapons…
Martin Luther said it well when he said, “We are to fight for Christ by suffering, by faith… and by the preaching of God’s Word.”
The church has gotten itself into trouble when it has tried to Christianize society..... thinking that the secular world could be “made” Christian.
In the past Christians have tried to impose their ideas on society by imposing laws or proscribing civil penalties… but this is not our calling!
Our calling is wonderfully expressed by Paul in 2 Cor. 10:3-4...
“though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. Our weapons have the power to demolish strongholds (paraphrase).”
The weapons we are equipped with as the Church are:
participation … we live in the world.. in the midst of Christ’s enemies.
Persuasion: Informed by God’s Word we are to persuade others with the truth.
Prayer: We pray because we know that even if we are the most awesome evangelist and spiritual soldier… that we are not the ones who change hearts.... God is… We are not the ones who gain the victory.. Christ is!
The world is in desperate need for a spiritual church.... that uses spiritual weapons.. to fight a spiritual war… under the spiritual reign of Christ . (paraphrase of Walter Chantry quote)
2. Your people will offer themselves freely
The Psalmist shares that those who follow their Messiah King.. will offer themselves freely… robed in holy garments… provided by His grace! What an amazingly beautiful and encouraging picture!
If you are part of the family of God… part of His kingdom… you should not have to be compelled to serve.... it should be a natural by product of the grace of God at work in your life!
There are no mercenaries and no forced slave labor in Christ’s service. David wants his readers to understand that those who serve the King, do so voluntarily!
Through God’s grace.... those who were once far from God… have been brought to Him by the King… and are now willing and wanting to serve as the grace of Jesus works in and through their lives.
How willing are you to serve Jesus? What would be different about how you life… if you were to live out that willingness? --- Think about that....
Christ’s reign is powerful… spiritual… but this Psalm also teaches us that it is also a priestly reign.
C. Priestly (4)
The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek.”
This priestly aspect of Christ’s reign is interwoven with an oath and a man named Melchizedek.
David tells us that the Lord has sworn… made an oath.. and will not change His mind. About what?
What is God so series about that he brings up this oath that he has made?
David tells us.... the Lord has made an oath and will not change his mind about the reality that the Messiah… the Christ… is a priest forever… after the order of Melchizedek!
Who is Melchizedek? How many people in our church… or in your general circle of Christian friends know exactly who he is.... or how important he was?
Melchizedek appears in only 3 places in the Bible. He is introduced in Gen. 14 as part of the story of Abraham. .... then about a thousand years later with any other reference to him… he appears here in Psalm 110.
Then… again, after another 1000 years… he shows up in the book of Hebrews. The author of Hebrews mentions Melchizedek 8 times (Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:1, 10-11, 15, 17)and uses the phrase “the order of Melchizedek” four times (Heb. 5:6, 10; 6:20; 7:17) … and points directly back to Psalm 110 and Genesis 14.
We don’t have the time to go in depth today… but it would be a great study to do in the future… to see how all the references fit together.
Let me give you an idea of how Melchizedek is… and why he is so important… and why he shows up in Psalm 110.
In Genesis 14:18-20,Melchizedek is called the King of Salem (which means King of Peace). He shows up in Abraham’s story as a king and priest of God Most High)… who has no genealogy.... but who Abraham pays homage to… as someone who is greater than himself.
The name Melchizedek actually means… King of righteousness....
His name tells us that he stood for righteousness in an age when most other people did not. Melchizedek is a significant title for Jesus, who has become “our righteousness, holiness, and redemption”. (1 Cor. 1:30).
Melchizedek is not Jesus Christ… but is a very important type of Christ in the Old Testament.
We were already told in Genesis that Melchizedek was the king of Salem… or king of peace. — This is another accurate description and title for Jesus Christ.
By becoming our righteousness… and by his death on the cross, Jesus has provided a way for us to have true peace with God.
In Psalm 110..Melchizedek is presented clearly as a type of the Messiah.
We are told that God has given this divine Messiah dominion over his enemies… His rule will be extended through His willing servants.... the church… and then here in verse 4, David tells us that this Messiah would also be a priest… according to the order of Melchizedek.
The Jews who read David’s words would have probably been initially shocked… because kingly and priestly functions were never united in a single person in Israel. They were actually kept apart. In Israel… no king could be a priest… and no priest could be a king. In 2 Chron. 26:16-23, we are told of a a time when King Uzziah (king of Judah) tried to offer incense to the Lord by entering the temple where only priests were allowed to go… God judged him with leprosy.
But.... Psalm 110 (along with Gen. 14 and Hebrews)… teaches us that when the Messiah… the Promised King… will be both King and Priest in one person… and this Priestly King… would reign forever!!!
This is something that God stresses by making an oath… stressing the certainty that it will happen!
God uses the language of an oath… to make His unchanging nature very clear. God’s promises and purposes are very clear.... they are unchanging… directly tied to God’s nature.... He is unchanging (immutable).
Why is it important that we know about God’s unchanging character?
Trust & Confidence.
We can trust that God’s appointed priest has made the atonement for our sins.... and he will not change his mind about our salvation and security.
We can have confidence that the work God is doing in us… will last.
All those who have placed their faith in Christ alone as their Savior and Lord.... have confidence that we will be saved from the coming judgement....
Just as God has promised peace and victory through His Christ.... He has also promised a day of judgement for all those who reject Christ....
Application/ Conclusion:
As Christ reigns as King… his reign is not only a powerful reign.... a spiritual reign.... and a priestly reign. It is a reign that brings perfect judgment to the world!
D. Judicial (Judgment) (5-7)
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.
God the Father and Messiah are pictured as working together here!!!
The Psalmist closes his song with the sobering reality that Judgement is coming.
God has promised that those who embrace His Christ by faith will be saved..... and those who reject Christ… will be left to deal with the consequences.
Life is a daily battle.... a battle that rages within us as our sinful flesh desires to be sinful.... and as the world around us tries desperately to get us to follow down the sinful slope described last week in Psalm 1.
For the believer and the unbeliever.... life is a battle. The big question is.... which side are you on?
For the believer.... when we serve the Messiah’s cause with willing hearts. With our words and deeds, in our attitudes and actions, we participate in the victory that belongs to the Lord and Messiah, Jesus Christ!
Victory is Assured!!! We can have confidence in that!!!
For the unbeliever… life is a battle. A battle in which you will lose… because you are fighting in rebellion against the True King..... If you are not a Christian today… whether you realize it or not… you have pledged your allegiance to a false king.... you are fighting in rebellion against your true and rightful king.... the One who created you!!!
You don’t have to fight against your King.... He invites you to come to Him.... place your faith in Him.... and be rescued from the penalty of your sin… and be made a part of His family.. HIs Kingdom… in which there is no end!!!
Victory is assured for those who are part of His kingdom!
What is going on in your life right now where you need to be reminded of the Lord’s victory?
Jesus has the power… not only to reign as King over all the Universe… but He has the power to reign spiritually in your heart forever....
Jesus’ reign is both a physical and spiritual reign!
He is to be the King of your life… your finances… your work… your relationships… your family..... your heart..... and your soul! He is a king who demands your all! (Have you surrendered your all to Him… to His Lordship?)
Jesus ministers as our Great High Priest.... He knows what you are going through… He experienced this fallen world.... yet he did not sin! He is the only One who is perfectly righteous enough.... but also personally knowledgable enough… to intercede for you....
Sometimes in life… it is easy to become overwhelmed by our problems… and the sinful fallenness of our world.
We become super bogged down and overwhelmed with the needs of our city.... with the needs of those in our community.... and with the brokenness of our world...
It truly is more than we can handle..... But our King can handle it!
More than that.... He is already promised victory! Victory is Assured!
That is the main idea of this Psalm..... The Psalmist wants us to realize and embrace the truth that:
Main Idea: Victory is Assured!!! Our Promised Priest and King will reign victoriously over all!
Response:
Rejoice in the truth that your King not only has the title… and position… but He has the power to reign!
Repent from your sins! Because our King is not just a powerful and eternal King… but He is a priestly King who has atoned for your sins… and is ministering to us…even now as He intercedes for us.
Reflect on the reality that our King’s reign is not for the physical here and now… but is for eternity… as He reigns spiritually forever!
Reflect on the facts of your guilt before God.... but Rejoice in the truth that your King has judged you as guilty… but has paid the price for your guilt.... for your sin.... and has now deemed you as Just… and Clean in the sight of God!
The Psalmist wants us to see the victory that is possible through a relationship with God’s Anointed.... Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is on the throne! The King is reigning over His spiritual Kingdom.... and will one day return to physically reign over His creation..... Victory is Assured!!! --- Our Promised King and Priest will reign over His Creation forever!!!