Psa 110:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | The Afflicted and Needy of Psalm 109 is the reigning King-Priest in Psalm 110. Between His suffering on earth and His public glorification on earth, which is the time in which we live, He sits on the Father’s throne ( ) awaiting His own throne ( ). His suffering and the glory thereafter are the great theme of the prophets ( ). We often find Christ in Psalms in connection with the remnant. In this psalm it is only about Him. He has emptied Himself and God has given Him a Name above every name ( ). of this psalm is quoted more than any other verse – as many as fourteen times – from the Old Testament into the New Testament: 1. The Lord Jesus quotes this verse to the Pharisees to prove that He, the Messiah, is not only the Son of David, but also the Lord of David because He is also the Son of God ( ; ; ; ). The verse is also quoted to state that Christ 2. as Son is exalted far above the angels ( ); 3. as Lord has authority over all things and as Christ is the Man of God’s pleasure ( ); 4. has received an unchanging priesthood ( ); 5. awaits the moment of His public rule, when His enemies will be a footstool for His feet ( ). is quoted in Matthew 22 to reproof , to show that the Son of David is more than David. In Acts 2 it is quoted to convince the Jews of the fact of ascension. In Hebrews 1 it is quoted to confirm that Christ is more than the angels. For “a Psalm of David” ( ) see at Psalm 3:1. This psalm, as confirmed by the Lord Jesus Himself, is “of David”. However, it is not about David, but in the Spirit he prophesied about the great Son of David, the Christ of God in the glory of heaven. In Psalms, David is mostly a type of Christ. As a prophet, he then speaks in the Spirit. In this psalm, which is about the glorification of Christ, he cannot be a type. Psalm 110 is the only psalm where David is very clearly distinguished from Christ. Therefore, this verse is used by the Lord Jesus to show His glory as the Lord and the Son ( ). “The LORD” ( ) informed David by the Spirit that He “says to my Lord” and what He says. This is the answer to David’s prayer in Psalm 109 ( ). Psalm 109 is the past, the suffering of the Lord Jesus on earth. Psalm 110:1 is the present; almost 2000 years the Lord has been seated at God’s right hand. Beginning with Psalm 110:2, it is the future, when the Savior will appear as the King-Priest, as the Conqueror, Who will sit on His own throne. In summary: Psalm 109 Christ’s suffering. Psalm 110:1 Christ’s sitting. Psalm 110:2-6 Christ’s reign. “Says” is literally ‘oracle, a speaking of God’, an expression often found in the prophetic books. This psalm is indeed prophetic, as Matthew 22 makes clear ( ). David speaks of “my Lord”, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler. The Lord Jesus is the Son of David as Man, but He is also the Lord of David because He is also the Son of God. To Him the LORD, Yahweh, has said to sit at His right hand. The right hand is the place of honor (cf. ) and of power. That place was given to the Lord Jesus by God. It refers to the glorification of the Lord Jesus after He accomplished the work on the cross, His death and His resurrection. He occupies that place since and from His ascension until He appears in glory. Peter refers to this verse in his speech on the day of Pentecost and says that God has made the Lord Jesus “both Lord and Christ” ( ). He attributes everything to God to show how much God values and has accepted the work of His Son. On earth people may have despised and rejected Him, as Psalm 109 shows, but Psalm 110 shows that to God He is the perfectly Delightful One, Whom He joyfully gives the highest and most glorious place in heaven. The contrast between the place God gives Him and man gives Him is enormous. Man has betrayed, rejected, mistreated and murdered Him as an unworthy. But God has made Him Lord, the Sovereign Who has all power in heaven and on earth. God has also made Him Christ, the Bearer and Dispenser of all His promises. Peter’s reference to this verse proves that it is not about David, but about the Lord Jesus. David is speaking here of the glorification of the Lord Jesus as an act of Yahweh, that is God. The Lord Jesus has been exalted by the right hand of God and God has given Him the place of honor at His right hand. That place belongs to Him, He has deserved that place. The suffering of Christ by the hands of the people and the glorification of Christ as God’s response to it is the recurring theme of the apostles’ preaching to the Jewish people in the book of Acts. There is an “until” attached to that place of honor at God’s right hand. For there will come a time when the Lord Jesus leaves that place to return to earth. He will then judge the enemies of His people, that is the faithful remnant –the enemies of His people are also His enemies. Those enemies are both within the people – they are the antichrist and his followers, the unbelieving part of Israel – and outside the people – they are the Assyrians led by the king of the North. Christ will lay all those who have refused to repent and have continually turned against Him and His people full of hatred as vanquished enemies under His feet, so that He will rest on them. A footstool symbolizes total submission (cf. ). Until that time, He remains in glory. It is important to notice that the truth of the connection between Christ and the church is not mentioned. This psalm shows Christ in glory with immediately following the subduing of His enemies under His feet by God. The psalm is God’s dual response to Christ’s humiliation: first His glorification in heaven and then His glorification on earth ( ).

‏ Psalms 110:1-2

Introduction

The Afflicted and Needy of Psalm 109 is the reigning King-Priest in Psalm 110. Between His suffering on earth and His public glorification on earth, which is the time in which we live, He sits on the Father’s throne (Psa 110:1) awaiting His own throne (Rev 3:21). His suffering and the glory thereafter are the great theme of the prophets (1Pet 1:11).

We often find Christ in Psalms in connection with the remnant. In this psalm it is only about Him. He has emptied Himself and God has given Him a Name above every name (Phil 2:9-11).

Psa 110:1 of this psalm is quoted more than any other verse – as many as fourteen times – from the Old Testament into the New Testament:

1. The Lord Jesus quotes this verse to the Pharisees to prove that He, the Messiah, is not only the Son of David, but also the Lord of David because He is also the Son of God (Psa 2:7; Mt 22:41-44; Mk 12:35-37; Lk 20:42).

The verse is also quoted to state that Christ

2. as Son is exalted far above the angels (Heb 1:3 ; 13);

3. as Lord has authority over all things and as Christ is the Man of God’s pleasure (Acts 2:33-34);

4. has received an unchanging priesthood (Heb 7:17 ; 20-21 ; Heb 5:5-6);

5. awaits the moment of His public rule, when His enemies will be a footstool for His feet (Heb 10:13).

Psa 110:1 is quoted in Matthew 22 to reproof, to show that the Son of David is more than David. In Acts 2 it is quoted to convince the Jews of the fact of ascension. In Hebrews 1 it is quoted to confirm that Christ is more than the angels.

Christ in Heaven

For “a Psalm of David” (Psa 110:1a) see at Psalm 3:1.

This psalm, as confirmed by the Lord Jesus Himself, is “of David”. However, it is not about David, but in the Spirit he prophesied about the great Son of David, the Christ of God in the glory of heaven. In Psalms, David is mostly a type of Christ. As a prophet, he then speaks in the Spirit. In this psalm, which is about the glorification of Christ, he cannot be a type. Psalm 110 is the only psalm where David is very clearly distinguished from Christ. Therefore, this verse is used by the Lord Jesus to show His glory as the Lord and the Son (Mt 22:43).

“The LORD” (Psa 110:1b) informed David by the Spirit that He “says to my Lord” and what He says. This is the answer to David’s prayer in Psalm 109 (Psa 109:1). Psalm 109 is the past, the suffering of the Lord Jesus on earth. Psalm 110:1 is the present; almost 2000 years the Lord has been seated at God’s right hand. Beginning with Psalm 110:2, it is the future, when the Savior will appear as the King-Priest, as the Conqueror, Who will sit on His own throne. In summary:

Psalm 109 Christ’s suffering.

Psalm 110:1 Christ’s sitting.

Psalm 110:2-6 Christ’s reign.

“Says” is literally ‘oracle, a speaking of God’, an expression often found in the prophetic books. This psalm is indeed prophetic, as Matthew 22 makes clear (Mt 22:43).

David speaks of “my Lord”, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler. The Lord Jesus is the Son of David as Man, but He is also the Lord of David because He is also the Son of God. To Him the LORD, Yahweh, has said to sit at His right hand.

The right hand is the place of honor (cf. 1Kgs 2:19) and of power. That place was given to the Lord Jesus by God. It refers to the glorification of the Lord Jesus after He accomplished the work on the cross, His death and His resurrection. He occupies that place since and from His ascension until He appears in glory.

Peter refers to this verse in his speech on the day of Pentecost and says that God has made the Lord Jesus “both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:34-36). He attributes everything to God to show how much God values and has accepted the work of His Son. On earth people may have despised and rejected Him, as Psalm 109 shows, but Psalm 110 shows that to God He is the perfectly Delightful One, Whom He joyfully gives the highest and most glorious place in heaven.

The contrast between the place God gives Him and man gives Him is enormous. Man has betrayed, rejected, mistreated and murdered Him as an unworthy. But God has made Him Lord, the Sovereign Who has all power in heaven and on earth. God has also made Him Christ, the Bearer and Dispenser of all His promises.

Peter’s reference to this verse proves that it is not about David, but about the Lord Jesus. David is speaking here of the glorification of the Lord Jesus as an act of Yahweh, that is God. The Lord Jesus has been exalted by the right hand of God and God has given Him the place of honor at His right hand. That place belongs to Him, He has deserved that place. The suffering of Christ by the hands of the people and the glorification of Christ as God’s response to it is the recurring theme of the apostles’ preaching to the Jewish people in the book of Acts.

There is an “until” attached to that place of honor at God’s right hand. For there will come a time when the Lord Jesus leaves that place to return to earth. He will then judge the enemies of His people, that is the faithful remnant –the enemies of His people are also His enemies. Those enemies are both within the people – they are the antichrist and his followers, the unbelieving part of Israel – and outside the people – they are the Assyrians led by the king of the North.

Christ will lay all those who have refused to repent and have continually turned against Him and His people full of hatred as vanquished enemies under His feet, so that He will rest on them. A footstool symbolizes total submission (cf. Jos 10:24). Until that time, He remains in glory.

It is important to notice that the truth of the connection between Christ and the church is not mentioned. This psalm shows Christ in glory with immediately following the subduing of His enemies under His feet by God. The psalm is God’s dual response to Christ’s humiliation: first His glorification in heaven and then His glorification on earth (Mt 6:10).

The King

In Psa 110:2 we see Christ in His glorification on earth. This happens when He appears in the world for the second time. Then “the LORD”, Yahweh, gives Him the dominion He has deserved through His work on the cross (Rev 5:1-14). Christ stretches forth His “strong scepter from Zion”. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy spoken by Balaam (Num 21:17; cf. Psa 2:8-9 ; Psa 72:8). The scepter is a symbol of authority, which is further emphasized by speaking of a “strong scepter”. Zion is the center of His government that extends over the whole earth. He rules in the midst of His enemies. All enmity has come to an end.

He also rules over His people, who “will volunteer freely in the day of Your power” (Psa 110:3; cf. Song 6:12). When the Lord Jesus has appeared in glory, the remnant will bow down to Him and make themselves available to Him. The remnant then exhibits the features of the Lord Jesus. It is with them as with the followers of David who, as weary and burdened, sought refuge with him in the cave of Adullam, and were changed by Him into heroes (1Sam 22:1-2). The Lord Jesus “volunteered freely” to do the will of His Father (Jn 4:34). So it is with the remnant: they “volunteer freely”.

Now that the believing remnant’s own strength and self-will are broken, it is willing to do God’s will (Psa 119:60). Jacob, who learned in the school of God, is a wonderful example of this. When his hip is dislocated and his strength is broken in the encounter with the Angel of the LORD, the God of Jacob declares that his name will henceforth be “Israel”, which means “prince of God” (Gen 32:24-28).

Jacob experienced a rebirth, as it were. In this he is a type of the faithful remnant who have been made a very willing people by the God of Jacob.

There is no reluctance at all, but great willingness to serve Him and to confirm Him in His kingship (cf. 1Chr 11:10). They match Him, for they are clothed “in holy array”, meaning they are holy as He is holy. They are clothed in white garments, as priests, the garment washed in the blood of the Lamb (Rev 7:14). The appearance of so many people clothed in a white robe, resembles the dew, pure and fresh, priestly and powerful. It is truthfully a kingdom of priests.

They come forth “from the womb of the dawn”. This is a beautiful, poetic description of the new period that will begin when the Messiah begins to reign (cf. Song 6:10). The new period is like a new birth. The Lord Jesus therefore speaks of that time as the “regeneration”, which is the time when He will reign and His disciples reign with Him (Mt 19:28). The regeneration is that of the earth, when it is freed from the curse of sin that lies upon it (Rom 8:19-21). Then the earthly kingdom is regenerated, renewed, reborn (Psa 104:30b).

To this, “the youth … [as] the dew” ties in closely. The willing people and the regeneration of creation belong to the Messiah as dew belongs to the dawning of a new day. Dew speaks of refreshment, invigoration. It is the freshness of a new day. Dew is described several times in the Old Testament as a blessing from heaven for the land of God (Deu 33:13 ; 28; Num 11:9). The new generation that will enter the realm of peace in imitation of the Messiah will be a refreshment for the Messiah and will bear fruit for Him in their life. They will serve the Lord with joy.