Sunday
Morning Bible Study
March 14, 2004
Introduction
Over the centuries there had been little glimpses of a Messiah. For the
Jew, the “Messiah” (meaning “anointed one”) would be a king who would one day
deliver them from all their enemies.
One of the individuals in the Old Testament who seemed to have the clearest
vision of the Messiah was David. David
was told that the Messiah would be his descendant and the Messiah would rule
forever (2Sam. 7:12-13)
The Messiah was known as the “son of David”
We’ve already looked at Psalm 22, where David had this incredible
description of Jesus on the cross.
Psalm 110 may be short, but it is a key passage in understanding the
Messiah. For the most part, the Jews in
Jesus’ day understood this as a reference to the Messiah.
The first verse alone is one of the most quoted Old Testament passages in
the New Testament, either by a direct quote to it or a reference to the idea
spoken of in it. I found at least fifteen references in the New Testament (Mat.
22:41-16; 26:64; Mark 12:35-36; 14:62; 16:19; Luke 20:41-44; 22:67-71; Acts
2:34-35; 5:31; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20;
Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:13; 10:12-13; 12:2).
Psalm 110
:1 The LORD said unto my Lord
There are two different Hebrew words for “lord” being used here. Pay
attention to the capital letters:
LORD – Yahweh – “the
existing One”; this is God’s name.
Lord – ‘adown – lord,
master
The idea is that David has overheard a conversation in heaven. God (Yahweh)
is speaking to someone whom David calls his “Lord”. God is telling this person
to sit at His right hand until God takes care of His enemies.
In the gospels, Jesus uses this passage to challenge the Pharisees:
(Mat 22:41-46 KJV) While
the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, {42} Saying, What think
ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. {43} He
saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, {44} The
Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies
thy footstool? {45} If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? {46} And no
man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth
ask him any more questions.
A son was not considered greater than his father.
Jesus presents the paradox in that the Messiah was clearly supposed to be
the “son of David”, yet David is referring to this “son” as his “Lord”.
Jesus was greater than David because He was not only the son of David, but
He was the Son of God.
:1 Sit thou at my right hand
Illustration
Little Bobby was spending the weekend with his grandmother after a
particularly trying week in kindergarten. His grandmother decided to take him
to the park on Saturday morning. It had been snowing all night and everything
was beautiful. His grandmother remarked, “Doesn’t it look like an artist
painted this scenery? Did you know God painted this just for you?” Bobby said,
“Yes, God did it and He did it left handed.” This confused his grandmother a
bit, and she asked him “What makes you say God did this with His left hand?”
“Well,” said Bobby, “we learned at Sunday School last week that Jesus sits on
God’s right hand!”
I was surprised to find how important this little phrase in Psalm 110 was. It’s
very central to much of the New Testament.
The chair on the right side of a king’s throne was reserved for someone
very, very important. For example, when Solomon was king, he had his mother
Bathsheba sit on his right hand (1Ki. 2:19).
So who would God allow to sit at His right hand? The Messiah.
At one of Jesus’ trials before His crucifixion, you will hear Jesus mention
this fact –
(Luke 22:66-71 KJV) And
as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the
scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, {67} Art thou
the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe:
{68} And if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. {69}
Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on
the right hand of the power of God. {70} Then said they all, Art thou then
the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. {71} And they said,
What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.
What was Jesus saying to the chief priests?
Specifically, Jesus was talking about how after His crucifixion and
resurrection, He would be sitting on God’s right hand.
He was laying claim to Psalm 110. He was claiming to be God’s Son. He was
claiming to be the Messiah.
After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven – where did He go? He
went to sit at God’s right hand, fulfilling Psalm 110.
Peter understood this when he preached his first sermon at Pentecost. Peter
would quote David’s prophecy in Psalm 16 about the resurrection and remind the
people that David hadn’t rose from the dead, Jesus rose from the dead. Peter
would then go on to refer to Psalm 110 to explain where Jesus was, fulfilling
another prophecy of David’s:
(Acts 2:32-36 KJV) This
Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. {33} Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted,
and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed
forth this, which ye now see and hear. {34} For David is not ascended into the
heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, {35} Until I make thy foes thy
footstool. {36} Therefore let all the house of Israel
know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ.
:1 until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
make thine enemies a footstool – this is a phrase generally meaning that
the enemies will be conquered, humiliated, and used for furniture.
The idea is that Jesus will be in heaven, sitting at God’s right hand,
until it is time for Him to come back and set up His kingdom on earth.
:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion
During the Millennium, when Jesus rules on the earth for 1,000 years, He
will rule from Jerusalem, sitting
on the throne of David.
:3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power
When the Messiah comes back, He won’t be alone. He will have an army with
Him.
(Psa 110:3 NLT) In that day of battle, your people will serve you
willingly. Arrayed in holy garments, your vigor will be renewed each day like
the morning dew.
:5-7 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings
As Jesus comes back, He will conquer over kings at the battle of
Armageddon, then judge the world and rule over the earth.
(Ps 110:5-7 The Message) {5} The Lord stands true at your side,
crushing kings in his terrible wrath, {6} Bringing judgment on the nations,
handing out convictions wholesale, crushing opposition across the wide earth.
{7} The King-Maker put his King on the throne; the True King rules with head
held high!
:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever
after the order of Melchizedek.
There are four statements being made in this verse:
First, the Lord is swearing an oath. There is something serious going on
here. The things being said are not going to change. God is not going to change
His mind.
Second, the Messiah would be a priest. He would not only be a king, but a
priest. As a priest He would intercede for men. As a priest He would offer up
sacrifices. The strange thing about this is that David knew the Messiah would
be a descendant of his, coming from the tribe of Judah, not the tribe of Levi,
where all the priests were to come from.
Third, there’s a statement of eternity. This isn’t some temporary thing. The
priest being talked about here was going to forever be a priest.
Fourth, there’s this Melchizedek stuff. Melchizedek was an individual
mentioned as living during the time of Abraham.
When Abraham heard that his nephew Lot had gotten
into trouble, he decided to do something about it. Lot
had been living in Sodom when it
was ransacked by marauding kings. The entire city had been carried off as
captives. Abraham mounted an attack and rescued the entire population. After
his victory, Abraham met an unusual person:
(Gen 14:18-20 KJV) And
Melchizedek king of Salem
brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. {19}
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor
of heaven and earth: {20} And blessed be the most high God, which hath
delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.
Abraham took 1/10 of what he had brought back from the
battle and gave it to this mystery fellow Melchizedek.
(Gen 14:21-23 KJV) And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, Give
me the persons, and take the goods to thyself. {22} And Abram said to the king
of Sodom, I have lift up mine hand unto the LORD, the most high God, the
possessor of heaven and earth, {23} That I will not take from a thread even to
a shoelatchet, and that I will not take any thing
that is thine, lest thou shouldest say, I have made Abram rich:
Abraham said “no” to the riches that the king of Sodom
offered him. When you tithe to
Melchizedek, when you give your life to Jesus, you can say “no” to the king of Sodom.
The writer of Hebrews (Heb. 7) gives us a commentary on this fellow
Melchizedek.
(Heb 7:1-7 KJV) For this Melchisedec,
king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the
slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; {2} To whom also Abraham gave a tenth
part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after
that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
His name was significant, being a king of “righteousness” and “peace”.
{3} Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither
beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth
a priest continually. {4} Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even
the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils.
He was greater than Abraham because Abraham gave his tithe to Melchizedek.
(7:4)
{5} And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the
office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people
according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the
loins of Abraham: {6} But he whose descent is not counted from them received
tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. {7} And without all
contradiction the less is blessed of the better.
His priesthood was greater than Aaron’s priesthood because Aaron was still
inside of Abraham when Abraham tithed to Melchizedek (7:5-7).
The writer goes on to say (vs. 8-12) that since Melchizedek was greater
than Abraham, then the Melchizedek priesthood is greater than the priesthood of
Aaron, because Aaron was still inside Abraham when Abraham gave tithes to
Melchizedek.
If Aaron’s priesthood had been good enough, there would
have been no need for another. Yet David said that Messiah would be after
another order, and Messiah’s priesthood was forever. (7:8-12)
Even though Jesus was not from the Levites, the tribe of the priests, He
could be a priest because He was of the order of Melchizedek, not of Aaron (7:13-15).
{Heb. 7:23-28} And they
truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason
of death: {24} But this man, because he continueth
ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. {25} Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that
come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Because He and His priesthood are eternal, we are completely saved when we
trust Him.
{26} For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; {27} Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up
sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up
himself. {28} For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the
word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated
for evermore.
Jesus was not a weak priest. He was
made a priest by God’s oath, an oath that came in David’s day, after the giving
of the Law of Moses.
Jesus is able by His one sacrifice, dying on a cross, to pay for all of
your sins.
Lesson
Be a footstool
We saw the phrase “until I make thine enemies thy footstool”
A “footstool” doesn’t always have a negative connotation. David refers to the building of the Temple
as God’s “footstool” (1Chr. 28:2), a place of worship. The Psalmist declares:
(Psa 99:5 KJV) Exalt ye the
LORD our God, and worship at his
footstool; for he is holy.
The night before Jesus died, He spent a lot of time with His disciples in
the upper room. One of the things He
discussed with them was His “going away”, which includes His ascension to
heaven with the Father – “sitting at the right hand of God”. He said:
(John 16:7-11 KJV) Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is
expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not
come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
Jesus tied His ascension to another event – the coming of
the Holy Spirit. This is what happened
at Pentecost, ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven. We’ve already touched on this as we read a
bit of what Peter had to say on that day, also mentioning Jesus’ ascension and
Psalm 110.
{8} And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment:
reprove – elegcho – to
convict; generally with a suggestion of shame of the person convicted; by
conviction to bring to the light, to expose; to find fault with, correct. The Messiah would “judge among the heathen”
(Ps. 110:6).
{9} Of sin, because they believe not on me;
It’s believing in Jesus that brings forgiveness of sin.
{10} Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no
more;
This is Jesus ascending to heaven (Ps. 110). He showed heaven’s standard by meeting
it. Righteousness – He is the “King of
Righteousness” (Melchizedek).
{11} Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
The Messiah would “strike through kings” (Ps. 110:5).
Have you humbled yourself before Him?
Are you His footstool yet? You
can humble yourself now, or you will be humbled then? Which will it be?
If you were to die tonight, do you know where you’d spend eternity?
He’s paid for us, once for all.
Has He paid for you?
(Rom 8:34
NKJV) Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also
risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for
us.