Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Our Eternal King | The Writings | Psalm 110

Episode Date: November 6, 2024

We love a good story. And no story compares to the one, unified story of the Bible. In today's episode, Jensen shares how the King that David speaks of in Psalm 110 is the King we ultimately find in Jesus. Prepare your heart this Advent with the 2024 TMBT Advent Calendar! Each day, receive a new prompt for Scripture, prayer, and reflection—designed to help you slow down and reflect on the Hope, Love, Peace, and Joy that Jesus offers. Sign up now to receive your free Advent calendar! Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Psalm 110

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. And the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt McNair. I love Harry Potter. Now, I really love the books. I don't discriminate against the movies, but it's in the books where you're able to see the genius of the series play out. Whatever you think about the content of Harry Potter, if you've read the books, you have to admit that the complexity of the storyline,

and prophecies and symbolism woven throughout the series from the very first book is incredible. I took a class in college on the religious symbolism hidden in the books, and it was truly unreal to see how J.K. Rowling had placed so many nuggets of information throughout the books. From the names of her characters to places they visit, passwords they use, it all had symbolism, and all of it was pointing the reader forward towards some of the characters. something that would happen eventually in the books later on. Now, as I read, I geek out over all the connections and all the hidden symbolism. It's so impressive to me that one person could create a world and a series with so much complexity. But I also love it so much because it reminds me of

God's bigger story. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. How can witchcraft and wizardry remind you of God. Well, when I see how someone sat down and weave storylines and prophecy and hints throughout seven books and then wrapped it up so beautifully that I sit in awe of what she has done, I am even more floored that within scripture we see a book written over thousands of years by over 40 different authors do the exact same thing and much, much more, because the prophecy, the stories the history of the Bible aren't made up by someone making sure they connect all the dots. No, they're real, factually based, historically made prophecy that all came true. And this book is woven together to tell an incredible story of a world made perfect

that falls under a curse and a God who becomes human in order to rescue his creation once and for all. It's a book of longing, of hoping for restoration. Throughout the Old Testament, we see prophecy and hints of what's to come, of who would come and rescue God's people out from the curse of sin, who would make all things right again. I love tracing and exploring the hidden meaning, the symbolism, the passages and prophecy that point forward to the bigger story God was writing throughout all of history. Which is why I'm stoked by today's passage, truly. It was so much fun to explore and unpack everything that's on here. Psalm 110 is a prophetic Psalm. It's one of the Old Testament passages that's pointing forward

to a greater reality. And it's one that is quoted and referenced throughout the New Testament for being a prophecy about the coming Messiah, about Jesus. So the Jews who would have originally sang this psalm would have sung it in hopeful expectation of the promised Messiah to come, the one who would free them from the curse and deliver them from their enemies. As we read it, we have the privilege of knowing who that Messiah was. It was Jesus. And so let's just take it line by line, and maybe like me, you'll be overcome by the symbolism, the imagery and prophecy that shines a light on the brilliance of God's big story that he's been writing since the beginning of creation. Psalm 110 verse 1. The Lord says to my Lord. Okay, already pausing for a second.

So this is a psalm of David. So King David is writing down this Psalm as a prophetic vision where he sees the Lord, that's God, saying things to my Lord, David's Lord. So David is saying that he's a servant of this person that the Lord God is talking to. Now we see throughout the rest of this Psalm that God is talking to a king. So naturally we would expect the person that he's talking to would be one of David's sons who would become king after him. But David wouldn't refer to just one of his sons as his superior as his lord, so that automatically tips us off to the fact that this Psalm is about the coming Messiah, a king that would come that was greater than David, that was something different, something more than just an earthly king. He was the king Isaiah and Daniel would prophesy about.

Continuing on, the Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Okay, so we learned that this Messiah would sit at the right hand of God at a place of honor. This is further cluing us in to the fact that this king is not like any other. In Acts 2, Luke writes this, for David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. Let all the house of Israel therefore know, for certain that God has made him both Lord, and Christ, that Jesus whom you crucified. So, Luke is confirming that this Psalm was about the Messiah and he's connecting the dots for us. This Messiah is in fact Jesus, the one who was crucified

and rose from the dead. Let's keep going and learn even more about who this Messiah is. Verse 2 continues with the imagery of the Messiah as a king. The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter, rule in the midst of your enemies. Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power in holy garments from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. So this king will be given power over all his enemies by God himself. He will rule over all people. His people will freely offer themselves to fight for him on the day of his power. In the New Testament, we often see this language used to describe the day that Jesus resurrected from the dead. It was his day of power. The people are willing to fight for their resurrected king. They fight in holy

garments. They are morally pure in their fight. They are ready to renew and refresh the earth-like dew. This is a different kind of king already. And now, David transitions into another image for the Messiah, one of the messianic priest. Verse four, the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. This verse tells us that God has sworn to the Messiah that he is a priest forever, specifically in the order of Melchizedek. Now, if you want to know more about that order, you should read Hebrew 7 in its entirety. We don't have time. But to summarize the main point for you, this Messiah would be unlike any other priest before him. The old priest would cleanse the people from their sins, the people would have to return again.

and again to make sacrifices for their sins, and eventually the priest would die, unable to continue on cleansing the people forever. But this priest is unlike the old priests. He is the resurrected priest, one who would live forever. His work as our high priest is final and complete, lasting forever. Hebrews 7 says it like this. This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many a number because they were prevented by death from continuing in office. But he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the utmost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

So this perfect priest is able to intercede for us forever, until the day that he restores all of creation. And so, knowing that this Messiah is both king and priest, David continues on to show as a picture of what he will do for his creation. Verse 5. The Lord is at your right hand. He will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses.

Now, quick aside, while this may seem aggressive, this is a way to poetically indicate complete victory. He's using imagery to let us know that this Messiah's victory over his enemies and rulers of the world is definite and complete. He will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way. Therefore, he will lift up his head. Now, I know that this may seem like a violent end to the chapter, but let's unpack it. When the people of God would have sung this Psalm, they would have been looking forward to the day when God would send them a king to conquer their enemies and free Israel from their oppressors. They didn't have the whole scope of God's plan and mind. Now, from where we sit, we know that the Messiah,

would bring redemption and freedom for all people, not just the nation of Israel. God's scope was much larger. In these verses, we see a king, shattering all the other rulers of the world. He alone is king. The Messiah is freeing all people from their oppressors, from their kings and rulers who are sinful and broken, in order that they can live freely under his kingship. He replaces unjust rulers with his own divine justice. And we end with the Messiah drinking from a brook, refreshing himself and lifting his head a confident conqueror victorious over his enemies. This prophetic psalm about the Messiah would have encouraged its original audience to look forward with hope. One day God would rescue and redeem his people. Another Old Testament prophet also foretold of the Messiah who would come.

In Daniel 7, we read this, and behold, with the claspel. of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the ancient of days and was presented before him, and to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and is kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. This is that same Messiah, the king and priest, the one who would come and set the world free from the curse of sin and death, the one who would cast judgment on the evildoers and rule with justice. He would establish his kingdom. People from all nations, tribes, and tongues would be set free from oppression to follow and live freely in his good kingdom.

His kingdom would never end. It would give physical safety and redemption to all people, but he would also be a priestly king, a king who gave his people power over the spiritual darkness that infected them. Through his final sacrifice of his own life and his resurrection from death, he would secure their redemption forever. He would cleanse them of their sin once and for all. All people are welcomed into his kingdom, one that cannot be destroyed by death or the schemes of the evil one. This psalm reminds us of the beautiful reality that no matter where you find yourself in God's story, whether you were a first century Jew, a Gentile living in the days of Jesus, or a modern-day American living in a small town of Missouri, God has been making a way for you to find

freedom, redemption, and restoration through the life, death, resurrection, and coming kingdom of the Messiah. His aim has always been the same. To dwell with his people forever in his perfect, glorious and beautiful creation, he has made a way for that to be a reality for you. Now, as you read Psalm, 110, I hope that you will be reminded that God has had a plan from the very beginning, a plan to redeem you, a plan to establish a kingdom where you can dwell alongside him, a plan for you to flourish as he created you to be forever. He has made a way, he has been faithful, he has woven a beautiful story of redemption throughout all of history and throughout all of scripture. As you read your Bible, as you find passages.

like this one, ones that point us to the larger story of redemption at work, I hope that it reminds you that you follow a good king, a wise, an incomprehensible God who has made a way in the wilderness for you to have a home with him. He loves you and has spent centuries paving the way for all people of all nations and tribes to be free to live alongside him in his kingdom of love, justice, and mercy. That is the good news of the gospel. And when we understand it and live by it, it will change everything.