Introduction
Psalm 110 is the most frequently quoted psalm in the New Testament. And the reason it’s quoted so frequently is because it speaks so very clearly of Christ our Saviour, who is also Christ our King and Priest. And it’s about how he’s now seated in heaven at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. And God the Father Almighty is extending Christ’s kingdom throughout the earth. And one day, all of Christ’s enemies will be put under his feet and subdued.
As you can see from the title, it’s a psalm of David. And David was writing as a prophet about these things which had not happened in David’s day. But the Holy Spirit revealed to him that these things would happen one day when King David’s greater son appeared.
Verse 1
In the first verse, David reports what the LORD said to David’s lord. As you know, when you see LORD in capital letters in our English translations, it’s God’s special covenant name. The pagans would say that their god was called Dagon or their god was called Baal. But the Israelites would say that their God is called the LORD and he’s the Most High God who made all things and who rules over all things in heaven and on earth.
David also refers to ‘my Lord’. He’s referring to his master: to someone who is superior to him. So, the Lord God said to David’s master, ‘Sit at my right hand….’ God the Almighty is inviting David’s master to sit beside him on his throne. Since God is seated in heaven, then that means that David’s master is being exalted to heaven. Whereas David ruled from an earthly throne in Jerusalem, his master will reign from God’s heavenly throne.
And David’s master will remain there until God makes his enemies a footstool for his feet. At some point in the future, God will subdue the enemies of David’s master so that David’s master will be able to place his feet on this enemies. They will be trampled under him.
We know from the New Testament that David’s master is the Lord Jesus Christ. After his death on the cross, God the Father raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come. That’s how Paul put it in his letter to the Ephesians. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul said that God exalted Christ to the highest place. And in the book of Revelation, John saw visions of heaven where God was seated on his throne and the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, was with him on the throne. And he will reign there until he comes again to judge the living and the dead and to punish his enemies and to save his people. David was writing as a prophet and he foretold how Christ our Saviour would be exalted to heaven.
Verses 2 and 3
In verse 2, David says that the Lord God Almighty will extend Christ’s mighty sceptre from Zion and he will reign in the midst of his enemies.
The king’s sceptre symbolised his authority to rule. And the point of the verse is that God will extend Christ’s kingdom throughout the world, beginning in Zion or Jerusalem and moving outwards. And so it was that the Lord’s apostles went out from Jerusalem to proclaim to the good news about Jesus Christ; and all who believed in here were added to his kingdom.
However, David also mentions his enemies. Until his enemies are subdued at his coming, they will continue to oppose Christ. They will do what they can to overthrow his kingdom. But God will enable Christ the King to rule despite them. The gates of hell will not prevail over Christ and his kingdom.
In verse 3, David refers to his troops who will be willing on the day of battle. He’s referring to all of God’s people who have been added to his kingdom and who are therefore willing to serve him. And they will stand firm in the strength of the Lord against all the wicked schemes of the devil.
David also says about Christ’s people that they will be arrayed in holy majesty. This signifies that Christ’s people have been made holy. They have been set aside from the rest of humanity to belong to Christ and to serve him.
The next two lines about ‘the womb of the dawn’ and ‘the dew of your youth’ are hard to interpret, but the image of the womb of the dawn may convey the idea that a new day has dawned. The exaltation of Christ to heaven was the beginning of a new day, or a new age. And the phrase ‘the dew of your youth’ may refer to Christ’s people. At the beginning of this new day, or this new age, there are people to serve Christ.
So, the Lord God Almighty has raised Christ to the highest place in heaven, where he will reign over all things until the day comes when God will finally subdue all of Christ’s enemies under him. Until that day comes, his enemies may try to overthrow his kingdom, but they will not succeed, because the Lord God Almighty will ensure that Christ’s kingdom is extended throughout the world.
Verse 4
In verse 4, David reports one other thing which the Lord said to Christ the King. The Lord said to him that he is a priest for ever in the order of Melchizedek. In other words, God was appointing him a priest. And by referring to God’s oath and to how he will not change his mind, David is making clear that it is absolutely certain that Christ the King will serve as a priest for ever.
This will therefore distinguish him from the Levitical priests who served the Lord in the tabernacle and temple under the terms of the old covenant. And those Levitical priests were unable to serve God for ever, because each of them grew old and died. But Christ the King is priest for ever because he lives for ever. And the reference to Melchizedek is in connection with that, because Melchizedek was that mysterious person who appears briefly in Genesis 14. He was both a king and a priest. And he just appeared and disappeared. And since the Bible says nothing about his death, then it’s as if he’s a priest for ever. And Christ the King is like that, because he too is a priest for ever. And since he’s a priest for ever, then he’s able to save completely and for ever those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them, appealing to the Lord God Almighty on their behalf for the help and strength they need.
Verses 5 to 7
So, David’s master, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, is both our king and our priest and he’s at God’s right hand side in heaven. But according to verse 5, God is also at his side.
Although the words ‘the Lord’ in verse 5 are not written in capital letters, nevertheless David is referring here to the Lord God. And he’s saying about the Lord God that he’s at the right hand side of Christ our King. And he’s there to help him in his battle against his enemies. They’re standing side by side in the fight.
Since David refers to the ‘day of his wrath’, he’s perhaps thinking about the last day when the nations will be brought before the Lord for judgment. On that day God the Father and Christ our King will work together to crush kings and to judge nations. God will heap up the dead and he’ll crush the rulers of the whole earth. This recalls Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 about the great statue which was smashed to pieces by a small rock. And do you remember? The statue represented the kingdoms of the earth which are destined to perish. And the rock symbolised Christ’s kingdom which grew and grew until it filled the earth. And it’s the only kingdom that will last for ever. Every earthly kingdom will come to nothing, but Christ’s kingdom is from everlasting to everlasting. And all who opposed Christ’s kingdom will be destroyed. They will be crushed on the day of judgment.
The idea of their being crushed recalls God’s promise in Genesis 3:15 where God said that he will put enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. He was referring to those who belong to satan and those who belong to Christ. It’s the unbelieving world and the church. And there’s enmity between them because they are always at odds with each other and there can be no real friendship between the unbelieving world and the church of Jesus Christ. And God promised that in the end the one who comes from the woman will crush satan’s head. In other words, God will ensure that Christ the King will crush satan and all who side with satan against Christ. They will be crushed and destroyed when Christ comes again in glory and with power to judge the world.
And Christ the King — who is the ‘he’ in verse 7 — will drink from a brook beside the way and will lift up his head. The image here is perhaps of how he will find refreshment and will keep going and not stop until his enemies are under him and kingdom has come on the earth.
Conclusion
Those who crucified the Lord Jesus thought that they had destroyed him. But God the Father raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand side in heaven. Now God is extending his kingdom throughout the world through the reading and preaching of the gospel in the power of the Spirit; and all who are persuaded and who repent and believe are added to his kingdom, which is the only kingdom that will last for ever. Though satan will do all he can to oppose Christ’s kingdom and to overthrow it, he will not succeed. And in the end, all of Christ’s enemies will be destroyed under his feet. And we will reign with him for ever and for ever over the new and better world to come. And until that day come, Christ our King is interceding for us before his Father in heaven to ensure that we obtain all the benefits of his life and death and resurrection and that we are saved completely and for ever.
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