Psalm 110
How evident it is that this psalm supplies the divine answer to the riddle of a suffering Messiah. In Psalm 109:4, 5,4For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. 5And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. (Psalm 109:4‑5) “For My love they are My adversaries ... ... and they have rewarded Me evil for good, and hatred for My love,” and in this one, “Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool....Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power.” “He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.” Isaiah 53:1111He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11).
The first verse is quoted five times in the New Testament; the first time (Matthew 22:41-4641While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22:41‑46)) when the Lord Jesus asked the Pharisees concerning the promised Messiah; the second time, and the third (Mark 12:3636For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Mark 12:36) and Luke 20:4144) when He asked the same question of the scribes and Sadducees; the fourth time, when Peter in Acts 2:3434For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, (Acts 2:34) gives the answer the Jewish leaders could not or would not give because of unbelief. Last of all this verse is quoted in Hebrews 1 in declaring various glories of the Son of God (verse 13).
It will be noticed that in the Psalms, the present period of grace, and the taking out of a people for heaven, chiefly from the Gentiles, is wholly left out. In verse 1 of our psalm, the despised and rejected Man of Psalm 109 is invited to sit at the right hand of Jehovah until His enemies are made His footstool. They are not being made His footstool now, certainly, for the gospel of the grace of God is proclaimed to all, both Jew and Gentile. That the Church of God to be composed of all who believe in the Lord Jesus from the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) to His soon-coming descent from heaven to claim them (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 1716For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‑17)), was secret not disclosed in Old Testament days, is expressly told in Ephesians 3:1-131For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: 12In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. 13Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. (Ephesians 3:1‑13).
The position of Psalm 110 is that the Lord Jesus, as Israel’s Messiah, has appeared again on earth according to prose; has defeated and destroyed the mighty host assembled by the Western powers in the land of Israel, and has set up His authority as Israel’s King in Zion (Jerusalem). His people who formerly demanded and secured His crucifixion, crying, “Away with Him; crucify Him,” will now be willing in the beauties of holiness (or, in holy splendor), and as born again in that day.
The fourth verse speaking of the order of Melchizedek, invites a reference to brews, chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8, where the subject is taken up and explained. It will suffice here to remark that believers need and have been given, a High Priest in the blessed Lord Jesus; and that He could not be a priest according to the law of Moses, because He was not of the tribe of Levi, but of Judah. Melchizedek furnished an illustration which the Holy Spirit has made use of, of a priest not tracing his descent from a family of priests, nor passing on his priesthood to others after him.
“He shall drink of the brook by the way” (verse 7), refers to His lowly, dependent life while passing through this world on the way from the manger to the cross.
ML 10/04/1931