Psalm 110, Behold Your King,

Psalm 110 as a Messianic Royal Psalm

Psalm 110 hear the word of the Lord. 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 and the Lord at his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Well, I get a treat today. I Get to. I get to go to church and listen to the preaching of the word and we welcome.

Mr Ed Davis again. He's been with us before. If you remember back in August, we figured we'd show him what we're like in in cold weather. Welcome.

Well, I get to take this off now, right. Awesome. Amen. I can preach with this on too, but I'll just go ahead and take it off. Well, good morning, if you love the Lord this morning, won't you say amen.

You can do better than that. If you love the Lord this morning, who's want you to say amen. Amen, God bless you. What a joy. I enjoyed the worship the music the songs the prayers. It is such a joy to be with you again as we look at the closing of another year.

Man, what a year we have been in.

2020 a.

Year that has been challenging a year that has been trying for many a year that has been tragic and Yet God is still Lord. And so when Dr. John asked me to come and preach again it just.

Felt.

Very.

How can I put it off? Just some 110 just felt to be the song that I I myself needed to hear as I went back and studied it again and.

Prepared and.

Sat before the Lord and I think it's gonna be a blessing to you as it has to me as well. So let's go to God again in prayer and then we'll begin preaching and teaching God's Word. I hope you have your copy of the scripture is still open to Psalms 110.

Now dr. John, I understand you're gonna have Lord's Supper afterwards. So I am probably going to preach half of the sermon rather than the whole sermon. Is that okay doc? All right. All right, so we'll see how the Lord works.

I love to teach God's Word I I love to walk through the scriptures and there are several things here. Psalms 110 is Full of truth, so I want to ask your pardon right now. There's no way in the world I'm gonna be able to cover it all but I will try to Give you some meat to eat and to enjoy throughout this week.

Amen. Let's go to God in prayer father. We thank you for again bringing us through a.

Troublesome.

A.

Hard year and as we are looking at just a few more days of this year and the birth of another year 2021. Lord you are still God. So Lord, we pray that by your spirit. I agree and concur with dr. John in his prayer that.

Would you please help us to see? The king. Help us to see his glory his majesty his beauty His grace his mercy his omnipotence his omniscience his omnipresence his omnibenevolence. What a wonderful God what an awesome God you are.

Help us to behold the king. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen in the church said.

Amen.

Providence, Calvin, and the World Under Christ’s Rule

On February the 5th 2004 at the National Prayer Breakfast President Bush said and I quote we can be confident in the ways of providence Behind all of life and all of history. There is a dedication and purpose set out by the hand of a just and faithful God in quote.

By this statement the president affirmed again his foundational faith in God who as John Calvin once wrote and I Quote governs the vast machinery of the whole world in quote. In a culture beloved where it seems that no one is in control the truth of the providence of God shines like the New Day Sun as Crime as kovat 19 as political mayhem and terrorism continues to dominate both our local and our national and international news of our day and Our universities beloved both small and prestigious continue to call right wrong and wrong, right?

It is refreshing To be reminded that our God still governs the whole world. Amen. Such is also the case with Psalms 110 this Psalm cries out that the Lord Has a plan to bring all things back under the rightful rule of his Messiah.

And so I want to give you this big idea and what we call a sermon idea. But this is the big idea that kind of drives. I believe the text that we're going to be looking at today and that is this Yahweh will establish the Sovereign King Jesus and the great High Priest, let me say that again Yahweh will establish the rule the reign of Jesus the Messiah as Sovereign King and the great High Priest.

So the question that I want to try to answer in this sermon today and we probably won't only only look at half of it. But that is this how will Jehovah? How will Yahweh? establish Jesus reign as Sovereign King and great High Priest.

Our text gives us two ways. That Yahweh Establishes the reign of Jesus as Sovereign King and I use that word purposely and you'll you'll see why in a moment as Sovereign King and great High Priest two ways and if God will will look at the two if not, then Forgive me for that.

But the first way is this That Jesus Yahweh is established by God to be Sovereign King by means of divine Oracle divine Oracle. But before we look at that, I want to bring out three things about this particular text out.

That is important that will help us to understand what David I believe who wrote this psalm. In fact, Jesus stated that he did in his ministry when he he also quoted from this psalm in Psalms 110. There are three things I think important for us to understand before we delve delve into the text itself.

Psalms 110 is without question a what's called a messianic or messianic or royal psalm. Now, what does that mean beloved? Well, basically what that means is that this psalm does not in any way or any sense whatsoever portrays or pictures a king of the present or the past or even the future.

Except one and that is the God King the King priest and that is the Messiah the promised Messiah that Yahweh Said he would give to the world to the nation of Israel and to the world. In fact one scholar puts it this way Alan Ross.

He states We we can know from the clear exposition of the New Testament Writers that it fits perfectly Into the flow of the messianic passages in the Old Testament that all come to fulfillment in the person in work of Messiah.

Psalms 110 however finds its fulfillment in his exaltation in glory and in his certain coming to judge the world.

Ross.

Talks about Zechariah 14 in Acts 1 we'll refer to that in a little while, but that's very important in other words Psalms 110 it's a picture of the coming Messiah and it emphasizes in this particular chapter not so much the humanity of Jesus as Much as the deity of Jesus that is to say that Jesus Christ all the promised Messiah.

Which I argue is Jesus Christ, although some Liberal scholars would argue. Otherwise, I think the scriptures are clear It's Jesus and that he would be a hundred percent man, and he would be God of very God God of very God.

Second Psalms 110 is also the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. In fact, verse 1 is quoted 25 times and verse 4 is quoted 5 times and thirdly One more very important jewel that we need to understand about this text and it's this that the psalm is that is easily divided Into the into two divine statements from the Lord.

First there is a divine oracle. We find that in verses 1 through 3 and I'll explain just a moment what we mean by that Divine oracle and then in verses 4 through 7 there is a divine oath by Yahweh both refers to Jesus the Messiah.

Both refers to Jesus Messiah. So with that in mind, let's get directly into the text. Yahweh Establishes Jesus reign as sovereign king by divine oracle. Now. Why am I using this word? Sovereign because Jesus is not a tribal king.

He is not just a king of the nation of Israel or the nation of Judah. He is the king of kings that is to say he is the king over all nations as we were singing this morning. So beautifully done. Thank you sister.

Jesus is the king of all nations of all Ethnos of all ethnic groups ethnic peoples of all worlds. He is the king of king. He's the sovereign king. I notice what what Yahweh and right away I want you to see this that we enter a holy moment in time that is to say we enter into a time where there is a conversation between Yahweh and Now notice what the text says he says the Lord now notices.

Capital L capital O capital R capital D. Always in the Old Testament. It refers to the covenant name of God given to Israel of Yahweh or Jehovah is the English transliteration of it and then notice he said the Lord Yahweh says to my Lord Adonai.

Another way of looking at it is that that that the father Says to the Son the Son of God or God the Father is saying to God the Son. So here is a holy moment in time in the throne room of God in heaven.

This takes place in the throne room of God in heaven where we are entering into a holy Conversation between God the Father and God the Son and Yahweh says to the Son notice what he says this. He says sit at my right hand.

I'll stop there for just a moment. The word says there is is a is is a word at the notes. It's the Hebrew word now own and it denotes the idea of prophetic revelation in other words Oracle. Yahweh is speaking over the son.

The father is speaking over the son and he says to the son and this is the first Imperative in our text. There are two imperatives in our text that drives everything. That's being said from verses 1 through 7.

The first one is sit. Yahweh the father says to the son sit at my right hand. Now my lord. He says notice he says my lord in Acts chapter 2 and there are several occasions. But I'm only going to refer to Acts chapter 2 Peter when he was preaching to the people referred to this text and Why is this important.

Because Peter uses this text to make very clear that when this text is Explained as the Lord speaks to my lord. It wasn't Yahweh speaking to David but instead Yahweh was speaking to the son. In other words, he was pointing out to the fact that my lord Adonai is God the son the father.

Speaking to the son again. He was emphasizing the deity of Christ. Now John chapter 1 verse 1 attests to that doesn't it? You remember that verse in the beginning was the word and the word was God and in the word I'm sorry in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the word was God.

Then remember first John chapter 1 in verse 14 and the word became flesh and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth. David here is Emphasizing the deity of the Son that he is just as much God as the father.

So he says sit at my right hand in ancient Middle Eastern times Beloved the phrase at my right hand was significant. It carried the idea of honor. It carried the idea of Prestige of power and in this case the Lord invites the Messiah.

To sit in the place of honor in the heavenly throne of God. One scholar confirms that this occurs sometimes after the extension of Jesus that we see in Acts chapter 1. So the second half of Yahweh's declaration that we see in verse 1 Is a very interesting phrase and I love this phrase.

I'm not going to spend a lot of time here, but there's much written about this and that is until I make your enemies your.

Footstool.

What is going on here? What is being said here? Until I make your enemies your footstool. This phrase depicts total domination of one's enemies and in many cases Actually happened in ancient times. Where the conquering King was set on his throne and the defeated King watch this now would be brought to his knees.

Until the victor placed his feet on his neck. There is coming a day when Jesus will place his feet on the necks of his enemies. One scholar puts it this way and I quote. Oh, what a difference there is between God's Evaluation of the Son and those on earth who mock him who ridicule him who make little of him.

How much more wonderful it is to sit with him on his throne than to be crushed under his feet. You will experience one or the other. Now notice in verse 2 if you will Yahweh acts acts as a result of his declaration.

Again, here's the pattern Yahweh makes a statement. He makes a promise and then he shows the results. So here is one of the results of his promise that that the Messiah will be the sovereign King. He says Lord set sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter.

Beloved literally in the Hebrew the phrase your mighty scepter comes before. What's being said in other words it's used as a way of literary emphasis. In other words the writer David is emphasizing the reign of Messiah in Zion.

Most writers think that this is a picture of the millennial reign of Jesus found in Revelation 19 and 20. I tend to agree with that and so here's the picture. He says rule in the midst of your enemies.

This is the second imperative beloved. If you've taken notes rule is the is the idea of his total domination and notice. Notice if you don't just look past this he will rule in the midst of his enemies.

You're gonna have a hard time if you read history whether it be classical or whether it be Greco-Roman or English or Whatever to find a king who will set up his kingdom rule in the midst of his enemies.

But Jesus does just that because it's so totally Dominating he will rule in the midst of his enemies now notice in verse 3 if you will in verse 3 David goes on and he says your people will offer themselves freely on the day of.

Your.

Power. And what is going on here? Well, the first half of this is very clear. It's a picture of two things. First of all, it's a picture of willing volunteers for the Kings army. Here notice the text here.

He says your people will offer themselves freely. Notice the phrase your people here. The picture is that the Kings army comes to him willingly. Freely. The adverb freely is the word that literally means willingly.

They come and offer themselves to be a part of the Kings army on.

The day of.

Your power. The day I think again references a picture of the battle of Armageddon. Which we'll talk a little bit if we get to verse 5 in just a few moments. But here is the picture and notice that definite article.

So he's not just talking about a day, but he is Specifying what day it is and I would argue that he is picturing the day of his power or force. Hi yield is the Hebrew word that will occur in the battle of Magiddo Armageddon.

He will offer himself freely, but there also is a picture not only of willing volunteers here. But this also is a picture of worship, isn't it? Notice that they said they offer Themselves freely. It is almost an echo of rep of Romans chapter 12, isn't it?

You remember Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and 2 Where Paul writes. I beseech you therefore by the mercies of God that you present. The word present literally means that you offer yourself up.

Freely.

To God and I think this is a picture that echoes that very truth That they offer themselves up not only in the sense of being a part a willing part of his army army But also as an act a picture of worship.

The last half of verse 3 beloved Is a beautiful literary piece, but it holds quite a varying of Interpretation. In other words, it's a difficult passage. There are many different ways of that has that scholars have Translated this but I want to give you the way that I kind to I kind of lean towards and that is That this picture that we see here Let's just read it again in verse 3 where it says from the womb of the morning The dew of your youth will be yours.

What in the world is David talking about doc? There are many different interpretations here. But the one that I think is most apropos and I'd kind of lean toward is that this is a picture again of the Messiah.

This is not so much a picture of The willing volunteers or the king's army, although some have interpreted that way. But instead this is a picture of Messiah and let me show you how some have interpreted this to be It some have interpreted that this picture of the holy garments depict the royal beautiful garments fit only for a king and.

One.

Let me put it right this one from the womb of the morning the dew of your youth will be yours represents the constant vigor and strength of youth that Messiah shall enjoy for eternity. I Think that's a beautiful picture.

So on the one hand it shows the beautiful royal garments of a king in this case of the king of kings and. Then it shows the fact that he will be vigorous he will be like a youth full of energy. He will not get tired.

He will not need rest. He is forever king of kings. Omnipotent omnipotent powerful all-powerful. A picture of the king of kings. In an article entitled ugly Christ on the cross is too much to bear for sort.

Judge Roger Maynard noted that Australia's most prestigious prize for religious art had been overshadowed by controversy over one of the paintings in the competition. The controversy around the painting of Christ on the cross and the inscriptions only woman bleed.

Led to one of the judges resigning in protest the Sydney academic Christopher Allen stood down from the judging panel of the blaze of the Blake. Excuse me Blake prize for religious art because of the deliberate ugliness of the work by the artist Adam Cullen.

Adam Cullen was a skeptic. He won the Australians are Archibald prize in 2000 and this is what he said. Concerning. Dr. Allen who withdrew from the panel. This is what he said. He says, how can he be or so offended?

It's just the Jew on the cross. All the other entries would be of a Jew on two bits of wood. Beloved I want to say to you this morning. There is only one proper response to the sovereign rule of Jesus, right?

Messiah as and and is that and that is to worship him. To adore him to magnify him to lift him up as we did this morning. There is only one response and that is to bow the knee.

To him.

We see it in verse 3, but we also see it in Revelations 4 8 through 11. I think we have it up there now. Can we say this together? I was going to read it myself, but can we just read this passage together?

Revelations 4 8 through 11 out loud and the four living creatures each of them with six wings are Full of eyes all around and within and day and night. They never cease to say holy. Holy holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come.

And Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne who lives Forever and ever now listen to these words. Listen to these words that he's about to say here in verse 8 and verse 9.

Isn't this beautiful. He says Are y 'all with me? Verse 8. And the four living creatures each of them with six wings are full of eyes all around and within the day and night. They say holy holy holy is The Lord.

There it is again that covenant name God Almighty. Notice this now who was and who is and who is to come. Isn't that beautiful. And Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne He lives forever and ever the eternality of God and specifically of Jesus.

So read with me again verse read read read with me verse 10 and 11. The 24 elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and Worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne saying Worthy are you old our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power?

For you created all things and by your will they existed and Were created. And the people of God said.

Amen.

Salvation, Sanctification, and the Proper Response to the King

So what is the proper response then I say to you beloved by way of application. I want to give you two. Now, I don't know about who you where you where you stand today in relation to Jesus. I'm not going to assume that every person in here is Legitimately a follower of Christ you may be here today and you may be a skeptic.

You perhaps might even be a doubter or a seeker. We're glad you're here but I think if you are here today and if you are a skeptic or a doubter or a cedar or seeker and perhaps you might see this on YouTube and you might be doubting or or seeking or in Some way or skeptic about the truths and the claims of the cross and the claims of Christ.

I Want you to know that the way of salvation and the way of the kingdom of kings is to offer yourself up by way of salvation. In Romans chapter 10 and verse 9 Paul says that if you're willing to confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and to believe you've dealt with your heart that God has raised him from the dead.

You will be saved. Respond by offering yourself for salvation. Now if you're here today, or if you're listening to this in some social media and you are a Christian. You have given yourself to the Lord.

You're a follower of Christ then I think the proper response for you and I is by offering ourselves daily and willingly for sanctification and the King's service. You see beloved in the Bible The Word of God and the New Testament writers more specifically Tells us that it is the Spirit of God that sanctifies us, but it also talks about us giving ourselves to sanctification.

Peter says be holy for I am Holy and he's quoting from the Torah. So this there is a kind of a wedding going on there between our willingness and desire to follow God. Even to the point of living holy despite an unholy world.

We live in and the work of the Holy Spirit in us as he draws us to become more and more Conformed into the very image of Christ Romans 8 29. So the question is are you willing to let him do your work do his work in your life on a daily basis?

And that you're willing to do the King's service Romans 12 1 which we call it quoted some time Earlier and that is I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God. What did he mean by mercies of God? Well most believe that he is referring to what he is covered in chapters 1 through 11 justification.

Righteousness grace. Propitiation all of the beautiful theological terms that Paul Deliberates in in the book of Romans in book of Romans earlier before chapter 12. He is referring to those the mercies of God.

He says I beseech you. The word beseeched literally means I beg you I beg you to consider Seriously the mercies of God and may they cause you to want to serve in the King's service.

Paul.

Talks about this in Romans, but we won't go there today for the sake of time. I do want to refer just to the second Way that that David talks about and then we're closed for the day. But the second one is that Yahweh establishes Jesus reign not only as sovereign King.

But he also established him as the great high high priest by divine oath. Look at verse 4 if you will the Lord has sworn. Here's the divine oath. Here's the promise. The Lord has sworn literally in the Hebrew.

It's a carrot carries the idea of divine oath or promise and will not change His mind. You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Yahweh gives this promise in the form of an oath or a solemn promise based on the character and integrity integrity of God the Father himself. He declares that his promised Messiah will not only be sovereign king of the nations But he will also be the great high priest.

Then he backs it up with his character. This has never been done. Listen to me beloved. This has never been done in the history of his people. The offices of King and priests were always kept separate the line of the Kings from from the seed of David.

While the line of the priests came from Aaron and the lineage of Levi. But in Zechariah listen to this but in Zechariah in his sixth chapter in verses 12 through 13 States that when Messiah comes Something incredible will happen and let me read it to you.

He says and I stay and I quote and say to him thus says the Lord of hosts behold the man whose name is the branch for he shall build the temple of the Lord and shall bear royal honor and shall sit and rule on his throne and There shall be a priest on His throne and the council of peace shall be between them both centuries before Jesus first coming beloved.

Zechariah looks into the portals of time and Sees Jesus not only as the sovereign king of the nations But as chosen great high priest of the Lord of hosts. Jesus is King of priests. Now notice that the priesthood of Jesus here in our text is better than their ironic priesthood.

First of all, look in verse 4. We are told that the priesthood of Jesus is eternal. It knows no end. Look at how David specifies this important point in the text. While the ironic priesthood was as temporary as the priests of his day.

The priesthood of Jesus is as eternal as the Son who also is eternal. Second look at the latter part of verse 4 and we see that the priesthood of Jesus is based on the mysterious king priests named Melchizedek.

We know very little about this person. He is mentioned only in Genesis 14 18 through 20 psalm 110 for our text Hebrews 5 5 through 10 and Hebrews 6 19 through 7 28 yet beloved as one commentator puts it.

There could be there could have have been no better person to portray the Messiah as does Melchizedek. Why you may say I'm glad you asked.

First.

Melchizedek seems to have no beginning or an end. It Pictures the reality of Jesus who has no beginning or end He is truly eternal.

Amen.

Revelation 1 17 through 18 says records the words of Jesus about himself to John saying. And I quote I am the first and the last. I am he who Lives and was dead and behold. I am alive forever. In quote Jesus our great high priest is eternal, but second.

Melchizedek seems to function as a king priest in a limited fashion, of course but not so with King Jesus as We learned from the Prophet Zechariah. And again, I quote. And there shall be a priest on his throne.

In quote Jesus serves in a pure sense in a total sense as both King and priest sovereign King and great high priest and.

Third.

His very name that is the name of Melchizedek Come points to the King Jesus Melchizedek. The first part of Melchizedek comes from the Hebrew word Malik, which means king and Zedek in Hebrew means righteousness king of righteousness.

Jesus Christ is the perfect king of righteousness. The very name of Melchizedek is Used by Yahweh to point to the reality of his son as being the king priest. So here we have a picture of Jesus not only as the sovereign King, but Jesus is the great High priest.