Christ in exaltation, waiting for the judgment of His enemies, and to reign from Zion for the blessing of His willing people, exercising His priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.
In Psalms 109, Christ is presented as waiting upon God to speak for Him in answer to the wicked who spake against Him (Psa. 109:12, 21, 3112Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children. (Psalm 109:12)
21But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. (Psalm 109:21)
31For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul. (Psalm 109:31)). In this psalm God speaks for Christ, in answer to the prayer of Psalms 109. Thus while Psalms 109, unfolds God’s ways with Christ in humiliation, Psalms 110 presents God’s purpose for Christ in exaltation.
(vs. 1) In the days of Christ’s humiliation men spoke against Christ with a lying tongue; they fought against Christ without a cause, and “persecuted the poor and needy man” (Psa. 109:2-3; 162For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. (Psalm 109:2‑3)
2O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; 3But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. (Psalm 16:2‑3)). God’s answer is to exalt Christ to the place of supreme power in heaven, there to wait until His enemies are made His footstool, when He will have the place of supreme power on earth. He once waited in the days of His humiliation for God’s answer to His prayer; He now waits in exaltation for the fulfillment of God’s purpose.
(vv. 2-4) The verses that follow unfold God’s purpose for Christ. God has decreed that He shall rule from Zion in the midst of His enemies. In the very scene of His humiliation, and man’s hostility, His power will be displayed. If, however, He rules in the midst of His enemies, He will also exercise His Melchizedek priesthood in the midst of His willing people. From the dawn of that new day there will come to Him a new generation of willing people, here called “the dew of thy youth” (Lit. “young men”), in all the fresh — less and vigor of youth. (cf. Psa. 22:3131They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this. (Psalm 22:31)). As the King ruling from Zion, He will bring blessing from God to His willing people: as the Priest He will lead the praises of the people, and thus bless God on behalf of the people (comp. Gen. 14:2020And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all. (Genesis 14:20)).
(vv. 5-6) In the day of His power all that exalt themselves against the Lord will come under judgment. The One who now sits at Jehovah’s right hand will rise un and “strike through kings.” The day of His patience will be followed by “the day of His wrath.” It will be a universal judgment “among the nations”; and an overwhelming victory that will turn the scene of conflict into a vast battlefield strewn with the corpses of His foes― “He shall fill (all places) with dead bodies” (JND).
The statement that “He shall smite through the head over a great country” (JND), would appear to refer to Israel’s last enemy, the Gog of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. It can hardly refer to the Beast or to Antichrist, who we know, will be destroyed by the coming of Christ (Rev. 19:2020And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)). The psalm does not contemplate the actual descent of Christ, but rather, the overwhelming judgments among the nations that will take place after He has come.
(vs. 7) The closing verse tells us that when all other heads are judged, Christ will “lift up the head.” The One who was once the perfectly dependent Man, will alone be the exalted Head over all. He is the One who drank of the brook in the way. In the day of His humiliation, as the dependent Man, He partook of the mercies the Lord provided in the way. He did not despise the brook: He was not detained by the brook. He stooped to be the dependent Man; therefore will He be the exalted Man, who will lift up the head above every other head. He will be the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.
It is well to note that the Lord Jesus definitely states that this psalm refers to Himself, and was written by David under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is more frequently cited by New Testament writers than any other single portion of Scripture. It is quoted in each of the synoptic gospels to prove that David’s son will be David’s Lord (Matt. 22:43-4443He 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? (Matthew 22:43‑44); Mark 12:36-3736For 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. 37David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly. (Mark 12:36‑37)); Luke 20:42-4342And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 43Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Luke 20:42‑43)). It is quoted by Peter in Acts 2:34-3534For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35Until I make thy foes thy footstool. (Acts 2:34‑35), to prove the exaltation of Christ; by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:2525For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. (1 Corinthians 15:25), to enforce the fact that all Christ’s enemies will be annulled. In Hebrews 1:1313But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? (Hebrews 1:13), it is used to prove the superiority of Christ over angels; in Hebrews 5:66As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. (Hebrews 5:6), to prove His Melchizedek priesthood; in Hebrews 7:17-2117For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 18For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 20And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: 21(For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) (Hebrews 7:17‑21), to prove the unchangeable character of His priesthood, and in Hebrews 10:1313From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. (Hebrews 10:13), to prove His present waiting attitude.