← Back to sermon library

with me in your Bibles to Psalm 
110, Psalm 110. It's a Psalm we have looked at before 
in the past, both in its Old Testament setting, Psalm 110 
itself, but also in Acts 2, the Apostle Peter appeals to Psalm 
110, and then various places in the book of Hebrews invokes 
Psalm 110. So I wanna read the Psalm, pray, 
and then we'll look at it in some detail. A Psalm of David. The Lord said to my Lord, sit 
at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. 
The Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule 
in the midst of your enemies. Your people shall be volunteers 
in the day of your power. In the beauties of holiness from 
the womb of the morning, you have the due of your youth. The 
Lord has sworn and will not relent. You are a priest forever according 
to the order of Melchizedek. The Lord is at your right hand. 
He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge 
among the nations. He shall fill the places with 
dead bodies. He shall execute the heads of 
many countries. He shall drink of the brook by 
the wayside. Therefore, He shall lift up the 
head. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
thank you for Psalm 110. Thank you for its frequent use 
in the New Testament. And God, I pray that it would 
encourage our hearts now as we get a fresh view of Christ enthroned 
at the right hand of God Most High. Lord, there ought to be 
no reason we shrink back in fear in this modern culture. There 
ought to be no reason why we don't step forward in faith with 
reference to the promises of God that are yea and amen through 
our Lord Jesus Christ. Help us, as the Church of the 
Lord Christ, to never shrink back from declaring the whole 
counsel of God. And help us, in the midst of 
a crooked and perverse generation, to shine as lights. And help 
us to walk in the confidence, not in our own strength, but 
in the strength of our blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Again, forgive us for all of our sin, fill our hearts and 
minds with the Spirit of God, and guide us now as we consider 
your word, and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
Well, there are those who say that Psalm 110 is about David, 
that it's about his reign, it's about his rule, it's about his 
authority and sovereignty when he ruled over Israel. But it's 
also the case, or not also the case, rather it is the case that 
when we get to the New Testament, we see that it is in fact, as 
the subscription says, a psalm of David, but it's about his 
greater son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not David who ascends into 
heaven. It's not David who sits at the 
right hand of God most high. This is Peter's argument in Acts 
chapter two at verses 34 to 36. David wrote about Jesus. David wrote about Messiah. And 
what David writes about Messiah is a great encouragement to the 
church of our Lord Jesus. We ought to consider the offices 
of Jesus Christ. That's what happens here in Psalm 
110. There are two of the three offices of Christ underscored. The Westminster Shorter Catechism 
asks the question, what offices does Christ execute as our Redeemer? Christ as our Redeemer executes 
the offices of a prophet, of a priest and of a king, both 
in his estate of humiliation and exaltation. So Psalm 110 
underscores the priestly and the kingly office of Christ. 
Not that he's not a prophet, but these are the ones that are 
uppermost in the mind of David, as he takes pen to paper and 
gives us Psalm 110. Michael Reitelnick says the theme 
of the psalm is that the Lord has granted universal dominion 
to the messianic priest-king. So Christ the Lord is the subject 
of David's psalm in Psalm 110, and there are three things we 
ought to observe. First, the kingship of Messiah 
in verses 1 to 3. Secondly, the priesthood of Messiah 
in verse 4. And then finally, the triumph 
of Messiah in verses 5 to 7. And I think a good dose of the 
triumph of Messiah is always a helpful antidote to the people 
of God who are beset not only with their own remaining corruption 
and the various temptations that confront us on a daily basis, 
but when we live in tumultuous and chaotic times, it is good 
for us to have a fresh view of the kingly reign of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. In fact, in the book of Revelation, 
John the Apostle begins that book by greeting the seven churches 
of Asia Minor, and then he conveys upon them grace and peace and 
truth from God the Father, from Jesus Christ, and from the Holy 
Spirit. When he describes Jesus Christ, 
he does so with reference to the threefold office. Christ 
is the firstborn from the dead. That's the priestly office of 
Jesus Christ. Christ is the faithful witness. So there is the prophetic testimony 
concerning Christ. But he's also ruler over the 
kings of the earth. Now that is a very key position 
in the book of Revelation in terms of what follows. The book 
of Revelation, while it is consumed with the triumph of Jesus Christ, 
it does not shrink back from declaring the hardship of the 
people of God. There are the two beasts in Revelation 
13. There is oppression to the seven churches in Asia Minor 
in chapters 2 and 3. There is great persecution in 
the various cities where the people of God find themselves. 
So what would they need to steady their souls in the midst of chaos? they would need a fresh word 
concerning that one who is in fact ruler over the kings of 
the earth. So let's look first at the kingship 
of Messiah in verses 1 to 3. You have his enthronement, verse 
1, and then his government in verses 2 and 3. Notice, the Lord 
said to my Lord. Now the two parties involved 
here are Yahweh and Adonai. Yahweh and Adonai, both are translated 
in the English version as Lord, but if you notice the first Lord, 
it's all caps. That's a convention used by the 
New King James Version, by other translations, to indicate that 
what's in view is Yahweh. So we have Yahweh said to my 
Lord, my Adonai, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies 
your footstool. One man, J.A. Alexander, has 
seen a connection with Psalm 2, the Psalm that I read at the 
outset of worship. He says this is the counterpart 
of the second Psalm, completing the prophetic picture of the 
conquering Messiah. It's not just J.A. Alexander 
that does that, but it's the Apostle Paul. In Hebrews 5, at 
verses 5 to 6, it says, so also Christ did not glorify himself 
to become high priest, but it was he who said to him, you are 
my son, today I have begotten you, Psalm 2, and he also says 
in another place, you are priest forever, according to the order 
of Melchizedek. So the author appeals to both 
Psalm 2 and Psalm 110 to underscore that it's speaking concerning 
that Messiah, that Lord Jesus Christ sent from the Father in 
order to save His people from their sins. So Yahweh says to 
Adonai, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your 
footstool. Now, the right hand of God Most High speaks concerning 
a position of authority and dominion in the heavenly throne room. 
That's what the right hand of God means. Remember from our 
study in the Confession this morning, God is without body. He doesn't actually have a hand. The Bible predicates or asserts 
truths about God in an improper way. Not that it's false, not 
that it's a lie, not that it's deception, but it says that God 
has a right hand. Not to teach us that God actually 
has a right hand, but it underscores something concerning His authority, 
His supremacy, and His dominion. Now the fact that the Lord Jesus 
sits enthroned at the right hand underscores the reality that 
Christ has supreme dignity and Christ has sovereign rule. In 
other words, in Matthew's gospel in chapter 28 at verses 18 to 
20, Jesus says, all authority has been given to me in heaven 
and on earth. Now let that sink in for a moment. 
It's not the case that person's running for political office. 
It's not the case that nations who are at war with one another 
are completely untethered, that they in and of themselves are 
sovereign, that they in and of themselves are independent. that 
they in and of themselves can do whatever it is they want. 
No, Christ most high has absolute authority. Now, oftentimes people 
say, well, why does he let what happened happen? Well, I don't 
know the answer to that, but I do know this, that all things 
are in his hand, all things are controlled by him, and ultimately 
all things will redound to his glory, his honor, his praise, 
the vindication of his bride, and the ultimate punishment of 
all of his enemies. This is what Jesus said in that 
parable concerning prayer with reference to the importunate 
woman this morning. Remember what he says in Luke 
chapter 18. He says, and shall not God avenge his own elect 
who cry to him day and night? You mustn't ever think that your 
prayers fall upon deaf ears. You mustn't ever think that heaven 
is closed to the cries of God's people. You mustn't ever conclude 
that Christ must have taken a holiday, and now he's left us to fend 
for ourselves. No, he's enthroned at the right 
hand of the majesty of God on high, and he must reign until 
all of his enemies are made his footstool. That's what David 
says, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it should speak 
great encouragement to the hearts of his people, and it should 
speak great terror to the hearts of those who are not his people. Notice the footstool imagery. The Lord said, Yahweh said to 
my Adonai, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your 
footstool. The footstool imagery points 
to conquest. Verses 5 to 7 underscore conquest. John Gill says, with reference 
to the image, an allusion to the custom of conquerors treading 
upon the necks of the conquered. Now again, the Bible wasn't written 
to sissies. It wasn't written to delicate 
people that couldn't deal with a bit of this kind of language. 
It was written to steal the soul and the heart of God's saints. It was to encourage. It was to 
strengthen. It was to build us up. In Joshua 
chapter 10, when they execute the Amorite kings, they drew 
near and put their feet on their necks. 1 Kings 5.3, when Solomon 
appeals to Hiram, king of Tyre, in order to get building materials 
for the temple, he says, you know how my father David could 
not build a house for the name of the Lord as God because of 
the wars which were fought against him on every side. until the 
Lord put His foes under the soles of His feet. And then in Psalm 
47 at verse 3, He will subdue the peoples under us and the 
nations under our feet. And then turn to 1 Corinthians 
chapter 15 to see the New Testament application of this image to 
our blessed Savior, the Lord Christ. 1 Corinthians 15 at verse 
23. Well, verse 22, for as in Adam 
all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each 
one in his own order, Christ the first fruits, afterward those 
who are Christ's at his coming. Then comes the end when he delivers 
the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an end to all rule 
and all authority and power. For he must reign till he has 
put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed 
is death, for he has put all things under his feet. This is 
a most blessed encouragement for the church today. Turn over 
to Ephesians chapter one, same emphasis. Same emphasis in terms 
of the triumph of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. This footstool 
imagery underscores the reality that Christ is victor, Christ 
is triumphant, Christ most high will ultimately win. In Ephesians 1.20, which he worked 
in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him 
at his right hand in the heavenly places. far above all principality 
and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, 
not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. And 
he put all things under his feet and gave him to be had over all 
things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him 
who fills all in all. Now brethren, most likely this 
imagery also reflects another piece of scripture. So does what 
we find in terms of a vivid description of the triumph of the Messiah 
in Psalm 110 verses 5 to 7. Specifically, notice what it 
says in verse six. He shall judge among the nations. He shall fill the places with 
dead bodies. He shall execute the heads of 
many countries. Most likely, this, along with 
the imagery of the footstool, is reminiscent of the promise 
made in the garden at Genesis 3.15. I will put enmity between 
you and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He shall, 
what? bruise your head. He shall crush 
your head. He shall execute judgment on 
your head. Now, in the midst of it, you 
shall bruise his heel. Through the suffering and the 
death, ultimately, of our Lord Jesus Christ, he gains triumph 
and victory over the power of darkness. So this illusion runs 
through scripture, and instead of going, ooh, that's icky, I 
can't believe that God would actually suggest that Christ 
is gonna dash his enemies into pieces. The faithful of Christ 
love that concept. Not because they're barbaric, 
not because they're sadistic, not because they don't have some, 
you know, well-adjusted idea of justice, but rather for the 
opposite. We have been remade anew in the 
image of our blessed God. We have been saved by grace through 
faith. And now we image God in terms 
of a longing for justice and righteousness. The apostle speaks 
to that in 2 Thessalonians 1. He says it's right with God to 
repay with tribulation those who afflict you. In the book 
of Revelation at chapter 6, you see the souls under the altar 
crying out, how long, O Lord, until you avenge our blood? And 
in Revelation 19 at the judgment or after the judgment of the 
great harlot, she's cast into the lake of fire. What does heaven 
do? Does heaven lecture God on how 
harsh he is? Does heaven lecture Christ on 
how unjust he is? No, in Revelation 19, there is 
a four-fold hallelujah to God Most High for casting down the 
great whore into the lake of fire. This is a concept that 
runs from Genesis to Revelation, again. I am not suggesting we 
take up arms. Again, I am not suggesting we 
go out, strap on a C4 vest, walk into a crowded mass of people 
and say, we'll see you on the other side. That is absolutely 
positively not the case. The weapons of our warfare are 
not carnal, but they are mighty for the pulling down of strongholds. 
And those weapons that the church avails herself of is prayer and 
preaching. But with reference to our Messiah, 
with reference to our Savior, with reference to our Lord Christ. 
The Apostle, again, in 2 Thessalonians, says that he will come in the 
glory of his Father with all of his holy angels, taking vengeance 
on them who knew not God and on those who do not obey the 
gospel. If Paul is able to see that as 
a positive, if Paul is able to extol that as a good, then those 
of us saved by grace ought to be able to do the same thing. 
David uses the language of his day to underscore that his greater 
son is going to be the triumphant king, the conquering Messiah. Notice back in Psalm 110, you 
have his enthronement in verse one, and then you have his government 
in verses two and three. The government over his enemies, 
in verse 2. The Lord shall send the rod of 
your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies. You can turn back to Psalm 2. 
Same sort of situation that we find there. Psalm 2, you have 
the mutiny of man. Psalm 2, you have the kings of 
the earth, you have the nations raging, you have the peoples 
plotting of anything, you have mutiny against Yahweh and against 
His Christ. So what is the response? The 
response is that the Father sets His King on His holy hill of 
Zion, verse 6. And then in verse 7, I will declare 
the decree. The Lord has said to me, you 
are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask 
of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance 
and the ends of the earth for your possession. Again, brethren, 
you can't miss this reference in the Great Commission. Go therefore 
and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the 
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Why 
can or why does Jesus say this? Because God most high, the Father 
has conferred upon him authority over the nations. He has given 
them to him and thus Christ sends forth his church to disciple 
them. And then notice in verse nine, 
you shall break them with a rod of iron, you shall dash them 
to pieces like a potter's vessel. Davis comments on Psalm 2. He says the appointed king, verse 
7, with worldwide sway, verse 8, to be established in overwhelming 
force, verse 9. That is the decree that is controlling 
history. Again, when we walk by sight, 
we don't see it. When we walk by faith, we understand 
it. That's why it is imperative for 
the people of God in times of tumult to be in the word of God. It's the word of God that communicates 
to us the various things that we need by way of encouragement, 
by way of stirring us up to prayer, by way of stirring us up to faithfulness 
in the light of a faithless time. So do not neglect scripture in 
the midst of whatever it is you're going through, because it's the 
word of truth that affords that comfort. Back in Psalm 110, we 
have his rule over his enemies in verse two, and then his rule 
over his people in verse three. Your people shall be volunteers 
in the day of your power. In the beauties of holiness from 
the womb of the morning, you have the due of your youth. I 
think this is reminiscent of Judges 5.2, the song of Deborah. When leaders lead in Israel, 
when the people willingly offer themselves, bless the Lord. In other words, under the Lord's 
leadership, the people of God step up. Under the Lord's leadership, 
the people of God are volunteers in the day of His power. He doesn't 
have to draft us, He doesn't have to extort us, He doesn't 
have to coerce us, He doesn't have to beg us. We are the blood-bought 
children of God, owned by the Holy Spirit of God, and therefore 
it is our joy and our delight to engage in the service of God. 
And I believe that that's what He means in verse 3. Your people 
shall be volunteers in the day of your power. As well, God is 
sovereign over the hearts of men. He is able to make men willing 
in the day of His power. It speaks to His sovereign grace. 
It speaks to the efficacy of the power of the Spirit. It speaks 
to His ability to overcome His enemies, not with that potter's 
or with that rod of iron, but rather with the grace of the 
word spoken. But then that last clause in 
verse 3 is a bit difficult. In the beauties of holiness, 
from the womb of the morning, you have the due of your youth. 
Some suggest that it underscores the multitude of Christ's people. Calvin takes it this way. David 
extols the divine favor displayed in increasing the number of Christ's 
people. And hence, in consequence of their extraordinary increase, 
he compares the youth or race which would be born to him as 
to the due. The other interpretation goes 
along with the Greek Septuagint. That's the Greek translation 
of the Old Testament Scriptures. They see it as the eternal relation 
of origin between the Son and the Father. It goes this way, 
with thee is dominion in the day of thy power, in the splendors 
of thy saints. I have begotten thee from the 
womb before the morning. And I think when we compare it 
with Psalm 2, 7, I suggest that that is an excellent way to understand 
what is in view here. It is highlighting what John 
highlights in the prologue. In the beginning was the Word, 
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This Messiah 
to come, this one who is king, this one who is priest, this 
one who will be triumphant, shares or rather has the essential deity 
or divinity of God Most High. Now notice in the second place, 
the priesthood of Messiah. Remember that the kings in Old 
Covenant Israel didn't function as priests. Remember that instance 
where Samuel tells Saul, I want you to wait here and don't do 
anything. Saul gets impatient. So Saul 
says, well, I'm gonna go ahead and offer up a sacrifice. This 
is in 1 Samuel chapter 13. When Samuel gets back, Samuel 
doesn't commend him. Samuel doesn't say, good on you. 
Saul, that was wise. No, he rebukes him and he announces 
at that point that no longer would Saul be or no longer would 
the kingdom reside in Saul's family. It's that place where 
it is announced that ultimately the king or the crown would pass 
from Saul to the Davidic dynasty. So Saul arrogates to himself 
this privilege of offering sacrifice. He is condemned by Samuel. But with reference to Messiah, 
as we saw in Westminster's Shorter Catechism, he executes the office 
of prophet, priest, and king. Here Christ is not only king, 
but he's also priest. Notice in verse 4, the Lord has 
sworn and will not relent, you are a priest forever according 
to the order of Melchizedek. Now this swearing is indicative 
of the reality that whatever this priest does will most surely 
come to pass. When we look to the book of Hebrews, 
specifically chapters 6 and 7, we see the apostle make much 
of Melchizedek and the Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 7 at verses 
20 and 21, it says, And inasmuch as he was not made a priest without 
an oath, for they have become priests without an oath, but 
he with an oath by him who said. And notice again in our text, 
the Lord has sworn and will not relent. See, when it comes to 
the salvation of his people, when it comes to the destruction 
of his enemies, that's not up for grabs. That's not something 
that it may go one way or the other. There's an election coming 
up, a federal election. It may go one way or the other. 
We certainly don't know. We might have some idea. We might 
make our projections. We certainly offer up our prayers 
in terms of what we would desire, but we don't know. It could go 
either way. But when it comes to the priestly 
office of our Lord Jesus Christ, not only that He is constituted 
as priest, but that He actually engages in the function of a 
priest, it's not left to chance. It's not left to be arbitrary. 
It's not left ultimately up to us whether this will come to 
pass or not. Christ as priest does what priest 
is supposed to do in order for the salvation of His people. The commitment of God is at play. Notice, the Lord has sworn and 
will not relent. John Gill says, what follows 
was said, and this oath was made in the Council of Peace when 
Christ was called to this office and He accepted of it. And of 
this the Lord never repented, as He never does of any of His 
acts of grace. In other words, brethren, we 
can be content that God's will will be done. God's will will 
be done. When we turn to Revelation 5 
and 7, we have a great multitude that no man can number. When 
we ponder this now, we might think, How's it ever gonna work 
out? How's he ever gonna connect the 
dots? How is it gonna be the case that 
from every tribe and every tongue and every people and every nation, 
there will be amassed this great church triumphant? It may be 
perplexing to us, but it's not to God. God has decreed, God 
has sworn with an oath, God has appointed Jesus as Messiah, as 
priest, in order to engage in a priesthood similar to Melchizedek, 
in order to save His people from their sins. Now, why does David, 
and why does Paul in Hebrews compare Jesus to Melchizedek? Well, the point is, is that Jesus 
was from the tribe of Judah. No priest came from the tribe 
of Judah. You had to come from the tribe of Levi. You had to 
be connected to Aaron. You had to be of that stripe, 
that sort of pedigree in order to function or in order to serve 
in that capacity of priesthood. And so that link between Melchizedek 
and Jesus is made by the apostle according to David in Psalm 110 
at verse 4, which reflects that character back in Genesis 14, 
who was both a king, king of Salem, and a priest of the Most 
High God. So Melchizedek functions typologically 
concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. Some suggest that Melchizedek 
was our Lord Jesus Christ, in his pre-incarnate state. I do 
not take that particular position. I believe he was the king of 
Salem that was also a priest of the Most High, and that is 
where the typological nature was. He points forward to one 
that would come from the Father, one that would come from the 
Most High, one that would combine the offices of both king and 
priest in his own earthly ministry. And we see, with reference to 
this, that branch metaphor that's applied to Christ in Zechariah 
6. Zechariah 6, verses 12 to 13. It says, Behold, the man whose 
name is the branch. From his place he shall branch 
out and he shall build the temple of the Lord. Yes, he shall build 
the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory and shall 
sit and rule on his throne. So he shall be a priest on his 
throne and the council of peace shall be between them both. Notice 
that he shall be a priest on his throne. Who do you think 
Zechariah is talking about? The same one that David is talking 
about in Psalm 110, four. The same one that the apostle 
expounds specifically in Hebrews chapter seven. He's not from 
the tribe of Levi. He is not connected to the Aaronic 
priesthood, but rather his priesthood is of the order of Melchizedek. 
That Melchizedek from Genesis 14, who was both king of Salem 
and priest of the Most High. Now in terms of the practical 
significance, A.W. Pink has a wonderful statement 
concerning this in his commentary on Hebrews 5. He says this, Jesus 
is a priest with royal authority and a king with priestly tenderness. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that 
awesome? Isn't that glorious? He is a 
priest with royal authority and a king with priestly tenderness. Everything that a sinner needs 
in our Lord Jesus Christ is available in our Lord Jesus Christ. We 
need his compassion. We need his kindness. We need 
his mercy. We need his love. In fact, the 
confession of faith in the catechism reflect on why do we need Jesus 
as a king? Well, we need him to rule over 
us. We need him to command us. We need him to protect us and 
to defend us. Why do we need Jesus as a priest? 
Because we need one who is a mediator between us and the Father. We 
need one who offers himself up and sacrifice in order to save 
us from our sins. Why do we need Jesus as a prophet? The catechisms are clear because 
we're ignorant and we need the voice of God most high and Christ 
brings that as a prophet. He brings mediation as a priest 
and he brings his rule and authority over us as a king. It is most 
blessed that our Savior is King and Priest and Prophet. Now notice 
thirdly and finally the triumph of Messiah in verses 5 to 7 in 
Psalm 110. He underscores or reiterates 
or repeats the reality of his position of universal government. 
Notice in verse 5a, the Lord is at your right hand. The Lord 
is at your right hand. So just before he expounds on 
the triumph, he expounds on the victory, he reminds us that he's 
in the position of advantage in order to be able to carry 
it out. I might say, I want to go conquer this particular nation, 
but I don't have the resources to do it. I might have the desire, 
but if I don't have the power or the capability, that desire 
might be nice, but it doesn't do anybody any good. So not only 
does Christ have the desire, speaking in the manner of men, 
Not only does Christ actually carry out or execute His vengeance, 
but He's at the position of authority in order to be able to do so. 
So verse 5a, the Lord is at your right hand. Now notice the extent 
of His judgment. Verses 5b and 6. It says, He shall execute kings 
in the day of His wrath. The margin says, He will break 
kings in pieces. Again, we have this concept of 
gentle Jesus, meek and mild. And that's not necessarily wrong, 
but it's not necessarily the whole answer. In Revelation 6, 
the persons under the judgment of God Most High call upon the 
mountains, call upon the hills, call upon the rocks to fall on 
them and to hide them from the wrath of what? The wrath of the 
Lamb. So the Lamb of God who takes 
away the sin of the world is also the Lamb who executes judgment 
on those who continually rebel against His reign. And so the 
Messiah shall shatter in pieces the kings in the day of His wrath. Notice verse 6, He shall judge 
among the nations. That is one of the future sort 
of things that Christ is still engaged with. John chapter 5, 
he says, judgment has been given to me. Acts chapter 17, verse 
31, the Apostle Paul tells us that God judges the world by 
the man whom he has ordained. And he has given proof of this 
by having raised Jesus from the dead. The resurrection of the 
dead not only speaks encouragement and comfort and blessing to the 
people of God, but again, it should speak terror to the non-people 
of God. That empty tomb not only publishes 
grace and mercy and a gospel that saves, but it publishes 
the reality that Christ will be the one who judges the living 
and the dead. Notice, the Messiah shall fill 
the places with dead bodies. He shall fill the places with 
dead bodies. And then notice, he shall execute 
the heads of many countries. Turn over to Isaiah 63. This 
is just those or a couple of places that speak this way concerning 
Messiah. Isaiah chapter 63, specifically 
at verses one to six. I feel as you're turning, I must 
qualify once again. I am not advocating that the 
people of God go out and engage in violence. I'm not advocating 
that the people of God strap on C4 vests and go and tell people, 
see you on the other side. I am not suggesting that at all. 
But what I am underscoring or highlighting is that Christ, 
when He comes again, it will be to bless His people, to bring 
them into that blessed eternal state wherein we will be with 
Father, Son, and Spirit. But there'll also be a casting 
off of the enemies of Christ. There will be a destruction of 
those who know not God and those who do not obey the gospel. Look 
at Isaiah 63, verse one. Who is this who comes from Edom 
with dyed garments from Bozrah, this one who is glorious in his 
apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I who speak 
in righteousness, mighty to save. Why is your apparel red and your 
garments like one who treads in the winepress? I have trodden 
the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me. 
For I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my 
fury. Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have 
stained all my robes. For the day of vengeance is in 
my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come. I looked, 
but there was no one to help, and I wondered that there was 
no one to uphold. Therefore, my own arm brought 
salvation for me. and my own fury it sustained 
me. I have trodden down the peoples 
in my anger, made them drunk in my fury, and brought down 
their strength to the earth." You see that kind of imagery 
used or employed by the Apostle John in the book of Revelation. The same language, treading the 
winepress of the wrath and fury of Almighty God. Brethren, instead 
of us going, oh, that's too horrendous to ever think about, as the apostle 
says in 2 Corinthians, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, 
what do we do? We persuade men, if we actually 
believe the Bible, that God not only saves sinners, but he's 
going to execute this kind of vengeance upon his enemies, Shouldn't 
that impel us in terms of the evangelistic enterprise? Shouldn't 
that impel us in terms of missions? Shouldn't that impel us in terms 
of planting churches such that the enemies of Christ Most High 
can believe the gospel and be saved? And instead of being dashed 
down, instead of being shattered by that rod of iron, they come 
to submit to His rule, to His government, confessing Him as 
Lord and Savior. Perhaps it is this vacancy in 
our theology, in terms of the judgment of God, that gives us 
no immediacy in terms of evangelism. Perhaps we have bought into the 
idea that God is only ever love, that there is no righteous judgment, 
there is no execution of justice, there is nothing like that. Brethren, 
if that is the case, we won't say with Paul, knowing therefore 
the terror of the Lord, we persuade man. Several weeks ago in our 
reading in the book of Exodus, I quoted Dale Ralph Davis. You've 
probably heard this several times because it's one of my favorite 
quotes outside of the Bible. But he speaks concerning Jesus 
in terms of Psalm 110, verses 5 and 6. I don't think that's 
exactly the comment. I think the comment is from Joshua. 
But he says, the popular image of Jesus is that he is not only 
kind and tender, but also soft and prissy, as though Jesus comes 
to us reeking of hand cream. Such a Jesus can hardly steal 
the soul that is gaily assaulted by the enemy. We need to learn 
the catechism of Psalm 24. Question, who is the king of 
glory? Answer, Yahweh, strong and mighty. Yahweh, mighty in battle. We 
must catch the vision of the faithful and true sitting on 
the white horse, the one who judges and makes war in righteousness. Revelation 19, 11-16. No mild 
God or soft Jesus can give his people hope. It is only as we 
know the warrior of Israel who fights for us and sometimes without 
us that we have hope of triumphing in the muck of life. Brethren, 
again, I'm not making this up. The Old Testament is riddled 
with this imagery, as is the New Testament. Dorothy Sayers 
was an English novelist and poet from 1893 to 1957. Listen to her perceptive words. That is no joke, brethren. We 
have tamed the Lion of Judah. We have domesticated Him. We 
have put Him on a shelf and have neglected the reality that the 
Lord is at your right hand. He shall execute kings in the 
day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations. 
He shall fill the places with dead bodies. He shall execute 
the heads of many countries. And then the psalm ends again 
on a note of triumph. Verse 7, he shall drink of the 
brook by the wayside, therefore he shall lift up the head. What 
does a king do? What does a warrior do? What 
does a battle-hardened soldier do when he's done dispatching 
the enemy? He drinks water. Remember Samson 
at jawbone height. Remember Samson betrayed by the 
tribe of Judah. Samson sold out by the very persons 
that he had engaged in salvation for. Judah turns over Samson 
into the hands of the Philistines. Samson takes the jawbone of an 
ass and he kills a thousand Philistines. You know what Samson then wants? 
He wants water. He prays to God Most High, and 
he sounds almost arrogant, but God doesn't take it that way. 
He says, I've killed these men, I've dispatched the enemies, 
shall I now die for a lack of water? God doesn't say, you arrogant 
wretch. God gives him an abundance of 
water. So when we see in verse 7, we 
see the returning king, the returning general, the battle-hardened 
man, he shall drink of the brook by the wayside, therefore, notice, 
he shall lift up the head. How is he able to do that? Because 
the heads of many countries have been shattered to pieces under 
his rule, under his reign, and under his government. Christ 
is triumphant. This king priest will not fail. He will competently carry out 
his duties, and he will indeed bring his blessed people unto 
fruition in terms of salvation, or rather, location in the heavenly 
Jerusalem, but he will damn his enemies into everlasting fire. In terms of some practical observations, 
and then we close. In the first place, while the 
triumph of the king is most conspicuous in the psalm, we also ought to 
appreciate the persecution of Christ's people is in the psalm. Notice, the Lord said to my Lord, 
sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. So in the midst of the reign 
of the Messiah, he still has his enemies. And those who identify 
with Messiah by grace, through faith, will also suffer persecution. That's what the text is telling 
us. There will be hardship. He doesn't immediately ascend 
on high and then come in glory and in power. There's already 
been a couple thousand years. How many more years? I don't 
know. We just need to wait and see. We need to patiently look 
forward to it. We need to have the confident 
expectation that it's going to actualize and that when he comes, 
he will be triumphant. But from the ascension to the 
consummation, there is not only a protracted period where Christ 
reigns, but also a period wherein he subdues his enemies. Hence, 
there will be enemies to oppose the church. It's similar to Matthew 
16. I will build my church and the 
gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. There's a promise 
of triumph, a promise of victory. I will build my church. But there's 
also a promise that the gates of Hades shall try to oppose 
it. So we're not going to go unmolested 
or unaffected in this present evil age, even though Messiah 
isn't thrown at the right hand of the Father. It's just not 
the way it's going to be. There's going to be hardship. 
There's going to be difficulty. And as Calvin says, at the same 
time, he intimates that the kingdom of Christ would never enjoy tranquility 
until he had conquered his numerous and formidable enemies. So until 
that last enemy is defeated, 1 Corinthians 15, death, there's 
going to be these assaults against his kingdom. Secondly, the encouragement 
for Christ's people. Now, when we want encouragement 
from the Psalms, not only the Psalms, but when we want encouragement 
in terms of the Psalms, Spurgeon is a good guide here. commenting 
on Psalm 110. He says, all nations shall feel 
his power and either yield to it joyfully or be crushed before 
it. He goes on to say, the monarch 
of the greatest nation shall not be able to escape the sword 
of the Lord, nor shall that dread spiritual prince who rules over 
the children of disobedience be able to escape without a deadly 
wound. Pope and priest must fall with 
Muhammad and other deceivers who are now heads of the people. 
Jesus must reign and they must perish. Again, brethren, these 
aren't psychos. These aren't sociopaths. These 
are biblical commentators that suck the sweetness out of the 
Psalms, not only in terms of the salvation of God's elect, 
but the subjugation of God's enemies through his manifested 
power. Matthew Henry said, Christ sitting 
at the right hand of God speaks as much terror to his enemies 
as happiness to his people. Again, this is a vision that 
the Church of God would do well to have. Thirdly, in terms of 
Psalm 110, we see the total subjugation of Christ's enemies. When we 
see that, 1 Corinthians 15 20. "'he must reign till all of his 
enemies "'are made his footstool.' "'Calvin again said, "'As a shepherd 
is gentle towards his flock, "'but fierce and formidable towards 
wolves and thieves, "'in like manner Christ is kind and gentle 
"'towards those who commit themselves to his care. "'While they who 
willfully and obstinately reject his yoke "'shall feel with what 
awful and terrible power he is armed.'" I say this, brethren, 
to bring encouragement. I say this, brethren, to steal 
our hearts. I bring Psalm 110 for that expressed 
purpose. We live in tumultuous times. 
We live in chaotic times. We live in times that are very 
difficult to navigate if we are not walking by faith in the Son 
of God who loved us and who gave himself for us and who has assured 
us of his triumph, of his victory, of his eternal reign. And in 
terms of the gospel, we should turn back to Psalm 2 to end on 
that high note, that invitation by David to the nations of the 
earth to behold and see that the Lord God Most High is good. Notice in Psalm 2, you not only 
have the rage of the nations, verses one to three, you have 
the response of Yahweh in verses four to six, you have the revelation 
of the decree in verses seven to nine, It ends finally on the 
response of the wise in verses 10 to 12. Notice, now, therefore, 
be wise, O kings, be instructed, you judges of the earth. See, 
David doesn't say, well, I want those Amorites and those Hittites 
and those Hivites and those Philistines to continue with their pagan 
gods. Now David's an evangelist. David is a missionary. David 
has a heart for sinners. David says, come and behold Israel's 
God. He tells the surrounding nations 
to be wise, O kings, be instructed, you judges of the earth. Now 
we extrapolate from that, not only the kings and the judges, 
but the ones they rule over, the ones they judge. In other 
words, every single one of us need to come to grips with what 
David says here. Notice in verse 11, serve the 
Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Isn't that a blessed 
concept? We can serve the Lord with fear 
and rejoice with trembling. I'm sure I've said it before. 
When I was a little kid, I remember the Laura Ingalls Wilder sort 
of series of books, and once in a while you would hear them 
refer to each other as God-fearing Christians. As a little guy, 
I never could possibly conceive how there was happiness in fearing 
God. That's because I didn't understand 
the fear of God. The fear of God biblically isn't 
to run from Him, it is to run to Him. It is to understand His 
glory. It is to understand His majesty. 
It is to give Him that reverence. It is to give Him that honor 
that is His due. That's what it means to fear 
the Lord. And notice, rejoice with trembling. Verse 12, kiss the son lest he 
be angry and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled 
but a little. Now notice, blessed are all those 
who put their trust in him. Verse 12, there's a command, 
kiss the son. There is an argument, lest he 
be angry and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled 
but a little. And then it ends with a benediction. 
Blessed are all those who put their trust in him. If you are 
not a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, blessed are you when 
you do so. Blessed are those sons and daughters 
of God Almighty who are washed in the precious blood, who have 
the Holy Spirit, who are heaven bound, who are destined for glory 
because of the goodness and the mercy and the graciousness of 
our King, our priest, our prophet, that blessed mediator of the 
new covenant, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. For those of you who 
have not tasted and seen that the Lord is good, I bid you to 
do so. Listen to David. Blessed are 
all those who put their trust in Him. Let us pray. Father, 
thank you so much that Christ is at the right hand of the Father. 
Thank you so much that He will come again in glory to judge 
the living and the dead. Thank you that He will not be 
thwarted, that He will not be frustrated, that He will not 
be stopped, that His kingdom will come. that His glory will 
be had, that the nations of the earth will be judged, and that 
His people will be brought into that blessed rest in the heavenly 
Jerusalem, and those enemies cast off into the lake of fire. 
God, we pray that more and more of the enemies would come to 
know Jesus as Lord and Savior. We pray that you would give us 
that impetus, knowing, therefore, the fear of the Lord, or the 
terror of the Lord. Help us to persuade men. And 
God bless the preaching of the gospel throughout this land. 
We know, again, these are difficult days. These are divided days. 
These are tumultuous, tumultuous days. And certainly the answer 
is to be found. in the Prince of Peace, in that 
one who is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000. Go with 
us now, we pray, and bless us in this coming week, and help 
us to be faithful unto you. And we ask through Jesus Christ 
our Lord, amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation.