POINTING TO JESUS
Opening Prayer
Thank You for not only being my King, Jesus, but for being the mediator between me and the righteousness of God.
Read Psalm 110
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Of David. A psalm.
1 The Lord says to my lord:[a]
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”
2 The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying,
“Rule in the midst of your enemies!”
3 Your troops will be willing
on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy splendor,
your young men will come to you
like dew from the morning’s womb.[b]
4 The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
“You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 110:1 Or Lord
- Psalm 110:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.
- Psalm 110:5 Or My lord is at your right hand, Lord
- Psalm 110:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
What do you see as the role of a king? What is the role of a priest? How did David, writer of the psalm, fulfill both these roles?As we have been looking at the story of Jacob’s family through the eyes of individuals, here we see a number of promises made by God to an individual – this time King David. Jacob learns to trust that God keeps His promises; here David asserts the same aspect of God’s character (4). David feels insecure on his throne, surrounded by enemies, but God confirms his priestly-kingship. David’s security is not in his own character, position or ability, but in who the Lord is and what He will do.
However, this psalm speaks of more than just God’s promises to David – it looks ahead to One who will be David’s Lord, the perfect priest-king (4). In Mark 12:35–37, Jesus quotes this psalm and applies it to Himself. Hebrews unpacks this further in chapters 6–8. Although the discussion is complicated, the writer affirms that because Jesus is our priest- king and has entered the holiest place on our behalf, we have a firm hope like an anchor for our souls (Hebrews 6:19).
Apply
1 Peter 2:9 states that we too are a royal priesthood. Read through Psalm 110 again. How might these promises apply to our priestly kingship now in the twenty-first century?
Closing prayer
God, how can I shine out my heavenly royalty and offer the grace of Your pardon to those in my community?
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