Introduction
This psalm is a psalm which is Messianic in nature and is quoted 22 times within the New Testament. Each of the quotes in the New Testament refers to Jesus as the Messiah and His kingdom reign.
Heading
‘Of David. A psalm.’
Although the headings aren’t inspired by God, they are important because they give us some understanding of the Psalm and they help us to see why it was written. The headings usually tell us four things.
1. Who wrote them, probably wrote them or possibly wrote them.
2. Information about the historical background to the Psalm. Why it was written.
3. They tell us of the tune the Psalm was written to.
4. How it was used.
The heading tells us this is a psalm of David.
‘The LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The LORD will extend your mighty sceptre from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!” Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendour, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high.’ Psalm 110:1-7
David begins by telling us what the LORD, that is, Yahweh, said to the lord, that is, Adonia, that is, Jesus, David’s lord. Please note the word, ‘lord’ used in the NIV, should have a capital ‘L’.
Jesus quotes these words in Matthew 22:43-45 and Mark 12:36-37, to show how David called the Messiah lord, which means that the Messiah was greater than David. Peter quoted these words in Acts 2:34-35, to show how David prophesied the deity and accession of Jesus.
Paul quotes these words in 1 Corinthians 15:25, to demonstrate the rule and dominion of Jesus. The writer of Hebrews quotes these words in Hebrews 1:13, to explain how Jesus is superior than any angel. Later, in Hebrews 10:13, the writer quotes these words again to explain the rule and dominion of Jesus.
The LORD, that is God, the Father, spoke to the Messiah, that is, Jesus the Son, and told Him He would sit at His right hand until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet, Ephesians 1:20 / Hebrews 8:1. In other words, Jesus would remain there until the Father provided the victory, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 / Hebrews 2:8.
Jesus, the Messiah’s authority, that is, the sceptre, would reach out to the whole world, He would dominate all the kings and nations of the earth, which meant He would rule over them. Jesus came to Israel, but not every one of Israel submitted to Him, John 1:11 / Philippians 2:5-11.
Nevertheless, Jesus was seated at the right hand of God to reign over all things. At this moment and time, we don’t see everything in subjection to Him, Hebrews 2:8, but that doesn’t mean He isn’t reigning over all things.
David tells us that the Messiah’s ‘troops will be willing on your day of battle and arrayed in holy splendour, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb’.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Every clause of the verse is obscure, though the ‘general’ idea is not difficult to perceive; that, in the day of Messiah‘s power, his people would willingly offer themselves to him, in holy robes or adorning, like the glittering dew of the morning; or, in numbers that might be compared with the drops of the morning dew.’
The essential ideas are as follows.
1. He would have a ‘people’.
2. Their subjection to him would be a ‘willing’ subjection.
3. This would be accomplished by his ‘power’.
4. They would appear before him in great beauty, in robes of holy adorning.
5. They would in some way resemble the dew of the morning.
6. To him in thus subduing them, there would be the vigour of youth, the ardour of youthful hope.
In other words, Christ’s rule will be over those people alone who willingly and wholeheartedly submit themselves to His authority, Matthew 28:18 / Matthew 11:27 / John 17:2.
David continues and says that the LORD, that is, Yahweh, God the Father, has sworn, that is, made an oath and will not change His mind.
The first appearance of Melchizedek is found in the days of Abram, Genesis 14:13-20. 1000 years later we read about him in Psalm 110:4. We wait another 1000 years before he appears in the New Testament, Hebrews 5:5-10 / Hebrews 6:19-20 / Hebrews 7:1-25.
God declared that it was His intention that His own Son should combine in Himself, the function of Kingship and Priesthood, when in Psalm 110:4, He said, ‘You are a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek’.
In Hebrews 5:1 the high priest is chosen from the people, He is for the people, He is of the people. The ordinary high priest was beset with weaknesses which Jesus didn’t have, Hebrews 5:2-3. The high priest needed to offer a sacrifice for his own sins, which Jesus didn’t need to do since He was sinless.
In the book of Hebrews the writer tells us that this was something which God, the Father declared, not the Son Himself, Hebrew 5:5-6 / Hebrews 5:10. The writer also tells us Jesus, the Son, is now serving and will serve forever, as a living, active High Priest for His people, Hebrews 6:20.
The writer also tells us that Jesus, the Son’s priesthood is according to the order of Melchizedek and is better than the priestly order of Aaron, because it’s eternal and will never end, Hebrews 7:17. It is better than the priestly order of Aaron because it was founded upon the oath of God, the Father, Hebrews 7:21.
The last part of this psalm uses military terms in order to metaphorically portray the work of Jesus in His kingdom’s reign among the nations of the world.
As a kingly priest, Jesus’ sovereignty would be over all the nations of the world. Through the power of His word, millions would submit to His authority and those who found confidence in kings of this world would turn to the King of kings and Lord of lords, 1 Timothy 6:15.
Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, which signifies strength, He will crush kings and judge the nations. He will heap up the dead and crush the rulers of the earth, Revelation 16:16 / Revelation 19:11-21.
He will drink from a brook and He will lift up His head, that is, He refreshed Himself after the battle, Psalm 110:7, and He will be exalted in glory, Psalms 3:3 / Psalm 27:6 / Jeremiah 52:31.
Conclusion
David spoke of the importance of Jesus, the Messiah, being a High Priest and as Christians, we are so blessed to have Jesus as our High Priest, Hebrews 2:17 / Hebrews 3:1 / Hebrews 4:14-5:10 / Hebrews 6:20 / Hebrews 7:11-8:2 / Hebrews 10:12.
As our High Priest, He mediates for us, Hebrews 7:23-25, and it’s because He sacrificed Himself, that we now have our sins cleansed. In the Old Testament the priests would offer sacrifices for sin once a year, but Jesus, who had no sin, sacrificed Himself once for all, Hebrews 10:1-18.
His priesthood is based on God’s authority rather than lineage, Hebrews 7:11-17, and it is also kingly, 1 Timothy 6:15-16 / Revelation 17:14 / Revelation 19:16. Because He is our High Priest, we can have the confidence to approach God with confidence in prayer, Hebrews 4:16.