“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool.’ 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. The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, ‘You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.'” Psalm 110:1-4
Devotional Thought For The Day
Such thoughts must have baffled people for centuries. We understand from the book of Hebrews that in these verses the prophet David is reflecting upon the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ [Heb. 7]. What is asserted and reflected upon is the Divine nature of the incarnate Immanuel – His power, His dignity, His mission, and His office [Matt 22:41-46]. Likewise, it is clear that the Father and His Son are on the same page, have the same will, and cannot in any respect be divided, separated, or set at cross-purposes. This the children of Israel could not fathom or accept in interacting with Jesus, and constantly tried to set Him against the Father. At all times Jesus asserted His oneness with the Father, citing the Word of God, the Old Testament Scriptures, over and over again. To no avail – they became the very enemies of God and His Christ referenced in these verses. Those who believe in Jesus are also referred to in these verses – “Your people.”
It is a curious exercise of the imagination to think of David sitting in his palace nearly three millennia ago penning these words and thinking about the coming Savior. We often think that the ancient believers were in the dark about faith and reality. Daniel certainly expressed wonderment and a desire for greater comprehension of the plan of God for human history [Dan. 12:8,9]. But he was directed to ponder the realities of God’s gracious forgiveness, mercy, and cleansing of our sin [Dan. 12:10]; and all the essentials of Christian faith had already been clearly revealed through the prophetic writings. It is certain that we are blessed to know the greatness of God’s gracious love and mercy more fully and clearly now that His gift of redemption and salvation have been accomplished in the Lord Jesus Christ and described by the apostles in the New Testament books. But we should not discount what the ancients knew and believed on the basis of God’s Word – and that they knew God as well as we do [and may have had a piety that surpasses our own].
All power, rule, and authority are granted to Christ Jesus. His self-humbling unto death was a foregoing of His power and prerogatives – no one took His life from Him, He laid it down of His own accord, and took it up again [Jn. 10:18]. Now He sits at the right hand of the Father, in full control of all things, all empires, all of human history, and even the very continued existence of the universe [Heb. 1:3]. His offering up of Himself as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world was accomplished within an office of “priesthood” that was not mediated by any written Word of God or any “order” that God has set up for His earthly church, but was rather a priesthood bestowed directly and immediately by God Himself. He is the priest Who is the Savior of the world, the Divine Redeemer of mankind from sin, death, and hell. What ignorant and nonsensical blasphemy it is for anyone else to claim this office! All of this is absolutely sure and certain and will never change: “The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind.” David knew these things, and meditated upon them, and asserted them in writing so that we also might know with certainty what God in His great love has done for us. He wrote, inviting us to join him in faith and trust in God and His Son.
Alas, some remain His enemies. They are all over the world, His world. They are committing atrocities against His dear people of faith – cementing the case for eternal damnation. They are proclaiming other prophets who they view as superior to Jesus, and whose words they revere more than the Lord Christ’s Word. They are all around us, mocking Christ’s Church and deeming it irrelevant and even “dead.” They are all the same in rejecting the Lord Jesus, the glorious and eternal Son of God – they are His enemies; and they will all suffer the same fate on the day of His power, His return in glory. We are invited to faith – the same faith as David and all of God’s people from the beginning – so that we become His people by faith. As such we offer ourselves freely to Him – what believer would do otherwise; and we count it our highest privilege. We do so in “holy garments,” washed and cleansed in the blood of the Lamb [Rev. 7:14], and so we join the great host in praising God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and serving Him forever [Rev. 7:12,15].
It is rather amazing what the ancient King David knew, and what He wrote as a prophet in Holy Scripture. And it is forever, and will never change – “the LORD has sworn and will not change His mind.” Thanks and praise be to God forever!
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, Your power, glory, prerogatives, and perfect love have been known from the beginning. Your people of faith have always humbled themselves before You, confessing their sin and rejoicing in Your gracious forgiveness, mercy, clemency, and salvation. We have also put all faith in Your power and rule, and in Your promises, Your precious Word. Enlighten our minds through Your Word, that we continue to see Your glory and never diminish Who You are. All is well for us – You are our Savior and Redeemer, and You are Lord and King forever. Amen.