|
This is a text reader for the article below:
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Wednesday 02/19/25
Thru the Bible: Psalm Book V: Chapters 108-110
Message Video Player
Message Audio Player:
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:31:36 — 110.0MB)
Jehovah said to my Adoni
Psalm 108:1-13,
“(1) A song, a psalm of David.
I am determined, O God! I will sing and praise You with my whole heart.
(2) Awake, O stringed instrument and harp! I will wake up at dawn! (3) I will give You thanks before the nations, O LORD! I will sing praises to You before foreigners!
(4) For Your loyal love extends beyond the sky, and Your faithfulness reaches the clouds.
(5) Rise up above the sky, O God! May your splendor cover the whole earth!
(6) Deliver by Your power and answer me, so that the ones You love may be safe. (7) God has spoken in His sanctuary:
“I will triumph! I will parcel out Shechem, the Valley of Succoth I will measure off.”
This refers to the region east of the Jordan river which is associated with the tribe of Gad and is mentioned in stories about Jacob and Gideon.
This entire portion of this psalm is found in Psalm 60:6-8.
The “Valley of Succoth” was previously mentioned in Psalm 60:6, where it is described as a place God will “measure out” in triumph, signifying it as a region of victory and divine control. As such it seems that the “Valley of Succoth” is used as a symbol of a place of God’s triumph and dominion.
“(8) Gilead belongs to Me, as does Manasseh!”
Gilead generally refers to a mountainous, rugged area east of the Jordan and south of the Yarmuk River. Its name means “heap of a witness.” The tribe of Gad lived in its central territory; Manasseh to the North and Reuben to the South touched its borders.
The name Gilead could apply to all of the Transjordanian territory.
“Ephraim is My helmet,
Judah my royal scepter.”
These two being mentioned side-by-side is almost certainly a reference to the Northern Kingdom in Ephraim and the Southern kingdom in Judah.
Ephraim means “doubly blessed”. Being referred to as God’s “helmet” might suggest the crown of God’s power, though technically the word being translated as “helmet” literally means defense or protection.
Of course Judah being God’s scepter is obvious since Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah, the tribe from which Jesus came and its city Jerusalem is the Davidic throne upon which Jesus will reign and represent the Father’s power.
“(9) Moab is My washbasin.”
These were the descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot. So while not officially Jewish, they are related to Abraham and therefore it could be that this reference to being God’s washbasin may not be as impoverished as it might first appear. After all, our Lord set the example of washing feet before the disciples as the actions of a leader. But its use here appears a little more base than that.
“I will make Edom serve Me.”
The Hebrew literally has, “over Edom I will throw my sandal”.
Edom comes from Esau who was loved less than Jacob. Esau is NOT part of the Jewish nation and in fact often opposed Israel. As such it would be out of keeping with the tone to think of this as a favorable mentioning.
The metaphor of throwing one’s sandal over is unclear, but some think it idiomatic for “taking possession of”. Such was the finalizing and legally binding method of transferring ownership or authority in Israel, like with the kinsman redeemer. The idea of “casting” the sandal would seem more hostile and may imply God’s judgment over. This later idea would be in keeping with God’s judgments of Edom in the past.
I will shout in triumph over Philistia.”
The name “Philistia” means “land of sojourners” though I doubt this meaning has much bearing on it’s mention here. It represents the general territory on the west coast of Canaan or the entire country of Palestine. This later is most certainly the meaning since this psalm though clearly written by David in a time of trouble, has its ultimate fulfillment in the Millennial Kingdom where Israel will be given their inheritance of the land and Jesus will reign uncontested over the whole earth with special reference here being made of those who have opposed them.
“(10) Who will lead me into the fortified city? Who will bring me to Edom? (11) Have You not rejected us, O God? O God, You do not go into battle with our armies.
(12) Give us help against the enemy, for any help men might offer is futile. (13) By God’s power we will conquer; he will trample down our enemies.”
Psalm 109:1-31,
As we have established many times, some Psalms have to be brought under the New Covenant in order to live them out in God’s kingdom. Much of what David calls for here is evil on his enemies and for both they and their offspring to get what they deserve.
We know that under the New Covenant we pray for and even bless our would-be enemies (Luke 6:28; Romans 12:14), that the goodness of God might lead them to repentance (Romans 2:4), and we turn all future judgements and vengeance over to God to Whom it belongs (Romans 12:19; Heb. 10:30).
That having been said, David does not evoke evil and a lack of mercy for no reason. The ones he is referring to here have themselves shown no mercy which even under the New Covenant God says will cause a person’s judgment to come without mercy. [See James 2:13]
“(1) For the music director, a psalm ofDavid.
O God Whom I praise, do not ignore me! (2) For they say cruel and deceptive things to me; they lie to me.
(3) They surround me and say hateful things; they attack me for no reason.
(4) They repay my love with accusations, but I continue to pray.
(5) They repay me evil for good, and hate for love.
(6) Appoint an evil man to testify against him! May an accuser stand at his right side! (7) When he is judged, he will be found guilty! Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
(8) May his days be few! May another take his job!
(9) May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow!
(10) May his children roam around begging, asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home!
(11) May the creditor seize all he owns! May strangers loot his property!
(12) May no one show him kindness!
May no one have compassion on his fatherless children! (13) May his descendants be cut off! May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives!
(14) May his ancestors’ sins be remembered by the LORD! May his mother’s sin not be forgotten!
(15) May the LORD be constantly aware of them, and cut off the memory of his children from the earth!
(16) FOR he never bothered to show kindness; he harassed the oppressed and needy, and killed the disheartened.
(17) He loved to curse others, so those curses have come upon him. He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings. (18) He made cursing a way of life, so curses poured into his stomach like water and seeped into his bones like oil. (19) May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on, or a belt one wears continually!
(20) May the LORD repay my accusers in this way, those who say evil things about me!
(21) O sovereign LORD, intervene on my behalf for the sake of Your reputation! Because Your loyal love is good, deliver me! (22) For I am oppressed and needy, and my heart beats violently within me. (23) I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day; I am shaken off like a locust. (24) I am so starved my knees shake; I have turned into skin and bones.
(25) I am disdained by them. When they see me, they shake their heads.
(26) Help me, O LORD my God! Because You are faithful to me, deliver me!
(27) Then they will realize this is Your work, and that You, LORD, have accomplished it.
(28) They curse, but You will bless. When they attack, they will be humiliated, but Your servant will rejoice.
(29) My accusers will be covered with shame, and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
(30) I will thank the LORD profusely, in the middle of a crowd I will praise Him, (31) because He stands at the right hand of the needy, to deliver him from those who threaten his life.”
Psalm 110:1-7,
“(1) A psalm of David.
Here is the LORD’s proclamation to my lord:
“Sit down at my right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool!”
This passage is quoted 8 times in the New Testament.
The first three are simply the synoptic Gospels accounts of Jesus’ quote.
These are found in Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36 & Luke 20:42
Then we have Peter quoting this verse in his preaching at the giving of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:34.
We then have Paul quoting it in 1 Cor. 15:25.
Then the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 1:13.
And finally we have Peter again quoting this passage in 1 Peter 3:22.
In order for this to make the most sense I’m going to first show you how complex this passage is. Then simplify it by unraveling its meaning – the most important part of which you already know.
- This is a Royal psalm attributed to David.
- By the use of the word נְאֻם (neʾum) it is safe to assume this is a prophetic announcement since this word is frequently used in the Old Testament for such. Thus making this a Prophetic Psalm which makes predictions of the Messiah.
- It is a dualistic Psalm in that it has immediate application to both Daivd and his natural progeny, but is clearly and ultimately about Jesus Himself.
All of this makes for a rather complex psalm. While it is NOT impossible that David prophesied this himself and then later wrote it down, it appears as if the content of this Psalm was prophesied TO him in his royal court and was therefore later recorded by David in the form of a psalm.
You will notice that the speaker is an unidentified prophetic voice in the royal court, who is addressing David, the head of the dynasty.
Moving forward this psalm was applied to each successive king in the dynasty, and was likely understood as intended to mean just that to David (for God Himself had told Daivd that He would build an everlasting kingdom over which his descendants would rule each in succession – 2 Samuel 7:11-14; 19.
However, we know that ultimately these words come to apply to the ideal Davidic king, specifically Jesus Christ, the Son of David.
Thus, in a type of irony of the incarnation, the lord Who receives the promise is the Lord Who gave the promise. This creates some conundrums for the translator who has to choose whether to capitalize the word Lord, knowing it ultimately applies to Jesus or to keep in lower case since the original context was speaking to David.
The first part of the oracle appears in verse 1.
The second we will see in verse 4.
In the verses between them, namely verses 2 & 3 the psalmist addresses the king, while in verses 5-7 he addresses God.
In the words “Here is the Lord’s proclamation to my lord”
The Septuagint Greek translation of these words introduces more difficulty because it uses κύριος (kurios, “lord”) for the LORD’s name, יהוה “Jehovah” and the title אֲדוֹנַי (ʾadonay, “lord”) for “my lord”.
I bring this up because it is due to the complexity and irony of these words that this passage is so often quoted in the New Testament.
When used by our Lord Jesus, this irony was the basis for a type of riddle He posed to the Pharisees in the gospel accounts which they could not solve due to their incorrect assumptions and expectations of who Messiah would be. They were not expecting Davidic “lord” to also be the Divine Lord.
Let’s read one of the gospel accounts of that encounter…
Matthew 22:41-46,
“(41) While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them a question: (42)
“What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is He?”
They said, “The son of David.”
(43) He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, (44) ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? (45) If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
(46) No one was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.”
Peter incorporates the answer to this riddle in his message at Pentecost by saying that “God has made this Jesus, Whom you crucified both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:34-35).
As you know, to sit at the “right hand” of the king was an honor (see 1 Kings 2:19). Thus the Lord’s invitation to this future Davidic king (Who was and is Jesus) to sit down at His right hand reflects the king’s position as the Lord’s vice-regent.
Now clarify the players on the field, let’s turn to our passage in Hebrew 1:13. However, in order to establish the case for which Lord is which in our parent passage in Psalm 110:1 we will need to read the entire chapter of Hebrews 1.
So as you are turning there, let me tell you precisely what this passage says.
The wording here is literally, “Jehovah said to my Adoni”.
Hebrews 1:1-13, “(1) After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, (2) in these last days He has spoken to us in A son, Whom He appointed heir of all things, and through Whom He created the world.”
Now the word ‘A’ son might give you pause but let me explain.
Wuest says,
“The expression “in these last days” is in the Greek text, “in the last of these days.”
The word “last” is eschatos which means, “the outermost, the extreme, last in time or in place.”
The writer had just been speaking of the times in which God spoke through the prophets. Now, at the very termination of the times in which He is speaking to man, He speaks, not through the prophets, but “IN SON”.
The definite article appearing before “prophets,” sets these individuals off by themselves as a class. The fact that the article is absent before the word “Son,” emphasizes character and nature. It speaks of the Son-relationship of the Messiah to God the Father. It speaks of the distinction that exists between the prophets as God’s creatures used as instruments in His hands and the Son Who by nature is Deity. The Son belongs to a different category. God spoke through One Who is in character a son.”
“(3) The Son is the radiance of His glory and the representation of His essence, and He sustains all things by His powerful word, and so when He had accomplished cleansing for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
So the One on the primary throne is the Father and the One Who sits on His right hand is the Son, Jesus Christ the righteous.
“(4) Thus He (Jesus) became so far better than the angels as He has inherited a name superior to theirs.
(5) For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my son! Today I have fathered you”?
And in another place He says, “I will be His Father and He will be My Son.”
(6) But when He again brings His firstborn into the world, He says,
“Let all the angels of God worship Him!”
(7) And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels winds and his ministers a flame of fire,” (8) but of the Son He says,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of Your kingdom. (9) You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, Your God, has anointed You over Your companions with the oil of rejoicing.”
(10) And, “You founded the earth in the beginning, Lord, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. (11) They will perish, but You continue. And they will all grow old like a garment, (12) and like a robe You will fold them up and like a garment they will be changed, but You are the same and your years will never run out.”
(13) But to which of the angels has He ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”?”
So it would seem that Jehovah is referring to who we call the Father and Adoni is Jesus the Lord.
God the Father has invited Jesus Who is God the Son, to sit at His right hand until He (the Father) places all things under Jesus’ feet. The scriptures tell us that Jesus MUST reign in the kingdom until this time which is how Paul referenced this verse in 1 Corinthians 15:25,
Let’s read that passage beginning in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28,
“(20) But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
(21) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a Man.
(22) For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to Him. (24) Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.
(25) For He (Jesus) must reign until He (the Father) has put all His enemies under His (Jesus’) feet.
(26) The last enemy to be eliminated is death.
(27) For He (the Father) has put everything in subjection under His (Jesus’) feet. But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the One Who (the Father) put everything in subjection to Him (Jesus). (Meaning this does not include the Father being in subjection to the Son)
(28) And when all things are subjected to Him (Jesus), then the Son Himself will be subjected to the One Who subjected everything toHim, so that God (the Father) may be all in all.”
That covers all New Testament quotes of this verse except for 1 Peter 3:22. Let’s read that beginning in verse 17.
“(17) For it is better to suffer for doing good, if God wills it, than for doing evil. (18) Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring you to God, by being put to death in the flesh but by being made alive in the spirit.
(19) In it He went and preached to the spirits in prison, (20) after they were disobedient long ago when God patiently waited in the days of Noah as an ark was being constructed.
In the ark a few, that is eight souls, were delivered through water. (21) And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you – not the washing off of physical dirt but the pledge of a good conscience to God – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (22) Who went into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels and authorities and powers subject to Him.”
“And preached to the spirits in prison”. The meaning of this is a point of much debate. But again, most of the difficulties come from not considering the context. Peter is talking about the need to endure persecution in the preaching and living out of the gospel. Then he makes mention of this – so it is insane to assume Peter left this topic to go on a totally unrelated rant.
This proclamation clearly occurred sometime between Jesus’ death and final ascension where He preached to those who were destroyed in Noah’s flood so as to seal their condemnation. These are the same unrighteous human souls who heard the message of repentance preached through Noah, now dead and confined in hell.
Other than the obvious clues of context, this interpretation is to be preferred because of the temporal indications in verse 20 in addition to the wider argument of the entire letter.
The clear intent of these verses is to encourage Christians to stand for righteousness and try to influence their contemporaries with the gospel just as Noah did in spite of the suffering that he endured and which will likely come to us.
All who Christians who suffer and identify with those who have gone before us like Noah and most notably Jesus Himself, will be saved from the coming judgment, just as Noah and his family were during the flood.
Moving on in Psalm 110…
“(2) The LORD extends Your dominion from Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
(3) Your people willingly follow You when You go into battle. On the holy hills at sunrise the dew of Your youth belongs to You.
(4) The LORD makes this promise on oath and will not revoke it:
“You are an eternal priest after the pattern of Melchizedek.”
The word “priest” here also contains connotations of a prince. Melchizedek was the prince and priest of Salem which was the precursor name for Jeru-salem.
Jerusalem is a compound of two words, Yirehand Shalem.
- Yireh: Means “the abiding place” or “the Lord will provide“
- Shalem: Means “Place of Peace” or “peace“
As such Jerusalem means both the abiding place of peace and the Lord will provide peace.
The deeper spiritual realization of this is found in Jesus Himself. We know that Jesus Himself IS the Prince of Peace. Therefore Melchizedek was a type of Christ. Also, it follows that when we pray for the “peace of the city of peace”, we are praying for Israel to see and submit to Jesus Who Himself IS their PEACE.
“(5) O Lord, at Your right hand He strikes down kings in the day He unleashes His anger. (6) He executes judgment against the nations; He fills the valleys with corpses; He shatters their heads over the vast battlefield.
(7) From the stream along the road He drinks; then He lifts up his head.”
This all points to the judgments of the Great Tribulation and the establishment of the Millennial kingdom which follows. You may recognize elements of this time from scripture, especially Revelation.
Blessings!
Tri
