Adult Bible Study

Psalms – Rhythms of Thinking and Feeling

Fall Session 11

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Psalm 110

Messianic – Jesus’ Victory and Our Submission

There is likely no other psalm that lends itself so thoroughly to its given title, in this case, “A Psalm of David,” nor is there likely any other psalm whose authorship is so emphatically endorsed in the New Testament. There are other “royal” psalms that share the exalted language of this one and which point beyond the reigning king to the Messiah; however, it is only in this psalm that the king himself pays homage to the coming Messiah and answers two questions:

1. Was the perfect king being described someone yet to come or an idealized version of the present ruler?
2. If it was someone yet to come, would he merely be a very good man, the best sort of man, or more than that?

Jesus gave His full weight to David’s authorship as well as the importance and validity of David’s words, by stating that David was speaking “in the Holy Spirit” in Mark 12:36. Jesus uses David’s prophetic voice to challenge the Jewish leaders’ ideas of the Messiah. The apostle Peter seconded this notion on the Day of Pentecost by showing the contrast in the psalm between David “himself” and David’s “Lord” (Acts 2:33-35), who was “raised up” from the grave, and “exalted at the right hand of God” after his ascension “into the heavens.” Thus, it is King David who speaks prophetically in this psalm and declares the coming presence of the Lord’s throne, His eternal rule, His victory over all challengers, and His ministry of intercession as a priest. But unlike Samuel anointing Saul (1 Sam. 10:1) or Jehoiada anointing Joash (2 Kings 11:12), it was a king (David), a royal speaker, addressing a more-than-royal person, as King over all, resulting in a psalm that declares both the exaltation as King and the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.