Unless otherwise cited all of the scriptures in this posts are from the King James Version of the Bible found at Bible Gateway.com. The Bible verse gifs are from this ministry’s archives.
Context
Psalm 110 is labeled a royal coronation/battle psalm. It focuses on two oracles from Yahweh. See verses 1 and 4 that are directed to the king at that time. The author has been identified as David. When one reads the first verse’s contextual context, it leads one to understand this psalm as an oracle from God-the LORD, the king, my lord. In other words, the psalm is addressed to “the king.” Longman declares, “Assyrian royal prophecies suggest that ‘Psalm 110 was delivered at the temple by a prophet, possibly a temple functionary, as part of Israel’s cultus and pertains to the newly minted king” (Longman 2014, 382). The psalm foretells the king’s military prowess. It also declares his victories over his enemies and announces that this particular “warrior-king” will also be a priest. However, the priest will not be in the lineage of Aaron. Surprise, right? But the priest will follow the order of Melchizedek.
Come, sit at my right hand.
1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Imagine having the honor of God telling you to sit at the base of His throne while he basically takes out your enemies for you? That is exactly what God – The Warrior King- is telling his servants in this verse. Christ sits at the right hand of God right now. He is doing battle for us. See Acts. 2:22-36; Heb. 10:10-12.
The king’s rule is extended
2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord's rule will extend from beyond the borders of Israel into the entire world. There is only one time when this event will happen. It is when Christ will rule on the earthly throne of His earthly ancestor, King David. See Luke 1:32, in fulfillment of the prophecy chronicled in Isa. 9:6 and Zech. 14:9.
Whose order?
4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
One is reminded that a priest – as in a descendant of Aaron – was not to become a king. Neither could an earthly king take on the role of a priest. Note what happened to Saul when his impatience led him to offer up the offering that only a priest can offer up to the Lord. See 1 Samuel 13:8-14. But this new priest, this Melchizedek would be able to offer us sacrifices and pray for the sins of the people WHILE he is ruling as their king. See Jer. 31:31-33; Heb.8-9. Strong’s Concordance definition for Melchizedek. He is subordinate to no man-not even Aaron’s priestly line. See these references Acts 2:34–35; 1 Cor. 15:25; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:13; 1 Pet. 3:22. Paul, a pharisee knew about the superiority of the Melchizedek priest; he speaks of it in Hebrews 5:6; 7:17.
He reigns at God’s right hand
5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
The day of the Lord’s wrath will be something that humanity has NEVER experienced before. Scripture refers to it as the “Day of the Lord”; global expression of the Lord’s wrath is written about at the end of Daniels’s 70th week, see Dan. 9:24-27. This prophetic term speaks of God’s wrath. His wrath is exclusively set apart for the end time when it will be poured out on a world that refuses to accept Christ as its savior. Then the millennial reign of Christ – on earth – will begin. See Joel 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Rev. 6:16-17; 14:19: 19:15.
6 He shall judge among the heathen; he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.
1 Cor. 15:24-28 describes the event poignantly and graphically. “24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.” Can you even imagine the peace that the world will finally experience at that time? I, for one, am delighted to read about this hope in our future. No more wars, death by any means, murder of innocent people, etc., Christ suffered once and for all, for all of humanity. 1 Timothy 4:10 “For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe.” We just have to accept his suffering—other scriptures about the reign of Christ.
7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
The psalm ends with this stanza and might engender a thought process of “well he fought so he could be recognized as king!” No, that is far from the truth. No, that his people will be refreshed from the brook. Who or what is “the brook”? “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.” Yahweh does not fight this war for the sake of fighting a war. He fights it to bring world peace to the earth. Everlasting, refreshing peace. Jesus-the ultimate high priest-brings peace. That is something that Aaron’spriestly line could not do in the Old Testament. Neither can members of the priesthood do it today; See how Hebrews 8:1;10:12–14 uses Genesis 14 and Psalm 110 to argue that Jesus is the ultimate high priest who is even greater than Aaron. We have access to that high priest, my friends. We have access to Jesus Christ, our High Priest.
References
Longman, III, Tremper. Psalms : An Introduction and Commentary, InterVarsity Press, 2014. Google Books.
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