INDESTRUCTIBLE
Opening Prayer
Lord, all majesty belongs to You.
Read PSALM 110
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.
Meditate
‘Jesus shall reign where’er the sun / doth His successive journeys run; / His kingdom stretches from shore to shore, / till moons shall wax and wane no more.’ (Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, ‘Jesus shall reign’) Make your response.
Think Further
As believers in the risen, ascended, and glorified Lord Jesus, we read this psalm like a ‘telescope turned on the Messiah … the full reality that David was only the shadow cast beforehand’ (Alec Motyer, ‘Psalms’ in New Bible Commentary, 21st-Century Edition, 1994, p560). This is how the New Testament writers understand this psalm (it is quoted more often in the New Testament than any other) – as pointing to the Lord Jesus. In Mark 12:36,37, for example, Jesus identifies Himself as the Lord that David acknowledges as his Lord (1).
We see Jesus here and worship Him as the true king and our high priest. David’s reign was momentous, built on the promise of God that his rule would extend beyond Zion (2), but we know of its frailties and limitations. The internal struggles and external pressures meant there was only going to be partial fulfillment of the promises. The Messianic hope is of one greater than David, commanding reverence from all and extending that reign to exert a universal authority. The army of the Lord is willing, holy, young, and fresh like dew (3), so that this reign can stretch from shore to shore, never running out of energy, never undermined by internal dissent. Enemies are still at work, but we trust the One who, having defeated death and having been exalted, will complete His victory.
The psalm then turns from the king to the priest. The line of Melchizedek, the priest-king who first appears in Genesis 14, is distinct from the Israelite, Aaronic line of priesthood. Hebrews 7 explains that this is the basis of Jesus’ priesthood, ensuring it is an uncorrupted and everlasting priesthood, guaranteed by divine oath. Nothing can stand against the work of this priest-king. We kneel in gratitude that we are part of this compassionate reign.
Apply
Pray that ‘the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored’ (2 Thess 3:1).
Closing prayer
Lord, You remain our King and our Priest. As Priest You mediate, and as King You rule. Reign over our hearts today.
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