Be inspired from one of the most cited Old Testament passages to faithfully follow your Priest-King.
Psalm 110 | Follow Your Priest-King
Jesus & Me in the Psalms
›SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 110 KJV
A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness From the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek. 5 The Lord at thy right hand Shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; He shall wound the heads over many countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: Therefore shall he lift up the head.
›INTRO:
1001 More Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking: Fresh, Timely, and Compelling Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Speakers 673 TOPIC: Peers The Jesus Fashion
Dad was tired of hearing his son complain about what his friends had and he did not have. Dad had an idea: set a higher standard for his son. The next time his son began his complaining, the father stopped him: “Is this what Jesus would do? Would Jesus complain about the clothes he had and want to wear the same thing your friends are wearing? Is it so important that you wear just what your friends are wearing? Why can’t you be more like Jesus?” The son waited for his father to catch his breath and then interrupted, “All right, Dad, I give up; just tell me what Jesus is wearing, and I’ll wear it too!”
Though the intent didn’t get through clearly between that father and son, the message is still true: Jesus is worthy for us to follow.
This Psalm points all its readers to the Priest/King Messiah.
It is one of the most cited Old Testament passages, and it inspires us to faithfully follow our Priest-King.
As we will see today, this Psalm is clearly what we call a Messianic Psalm: one that points to Jesus Christ.
Interwoven in this Psalm, we will find six applications to take home—all inspiring us to follow Jesus, our Priest-King.
Let’s begin with the OT verse most cited by the NT: verse one.
›MESSAGE:
Psalm 110:1 KJV
1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
God spoke to God . (vs. 1)
Jehovah/Yahweh said to Adonai—the Davidic king.
This same verse cited in the NT helps us see a number of things of Christ:
Peter preaching at Pentecost:
Acts 2:32–35 KJV
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Identity of Christ (Acts 2:32-35)
To Jewish believers contemplating going back to Judaism:
Hebrews 1:13–14 KJV
13 But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?
Superiority of Christ (Hebrews 1:13-14)
Hebrews 10:12–13 KJV
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Finished work of Christ (Hebrews 10:12-13)
Jesus to the sitting high priest at His trial:
Matthew 26:63–66 KJV
63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. 65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy. 66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.
Declaration of Christ (Matthew 26:63-66)
Jesus to the Pharisees after being tested with questions from Sadducees and Pharisees:
Matthew 22:41–46 KJV
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43 He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
Deity of Christ (Matthew 22:41-46)
No one asked Jesus any more questions from that point.
1) See Jesus as Lord .
1001 More Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking: Fresh, Timely, and Compelling Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Speakers 684 TOPIC: Perspective No View
A Colorado native moved to Texas and built a house with a large picture window from which he could view hundreds of miles of rangeland. “The only problem is,” he said, “there’s nothing to see.” About the same time, a Texan moved to Colorado and built a house with a large picture window overlooking the Rocky Mountains. “The only problem is I can’t see anything,” he said. “The mountains are in the way.” People have a way of missing what is right before them.
Don’t miss seeing Jesus as Lord.
Psalm 110:2–3 KJV
2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness From the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
God will send the Messiah to rule as King with His willing people. (vs. 2-3)
Out of Zion
In the midst of enemies
With willing servants adorned in righteousness
There’s no need to wait:
Romans 12:1–2 KJV
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
It is our reasonable service to present ourselves now to God as a living sacrifice
We ought to be transformed in expectation of God’s will.
2) Be a willing servant.
Psalm 110:4 KJV
4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek.
God will fulfill His oath of an eternal Priest and King through the Messiah. (vs. 4)
Hebrews 6:17-20 A fulfilled promise of God.
Zechariah 6:13 KJV
13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; And he shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule upon his throne; And he shall be a priest upon his throne: And the counsel of peace shall be between them both.
O.T. prophesy of a priest-king. Those roles were always to be separated.
Jesus was sent from the Father to be our High Priest
As High Priest, Jesus offered Himself as our sacrifice, not an animal
Jesus is Priest after the order of Melchisedec, not the Levitical priesthood.
Hebrews 7:19–28 KJV
19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: 21 (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) 22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 23 And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24 But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28 For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
The law and Levites helped fore run a new promise of God.
Jesus is our promised, unchangeable and eternal High Priest.
Jesus is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate, and exalted.
3) Go to your High Priest .
Psalm 110:4–7 KJV
4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever After the order of Melchizedek. 5 The Lord at thy right hand Shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; He shall wound the heads over many countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: Therefore shall he lift up the head.
God declares the victory. (vs. 4-7)
1001 More Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking: Fresh, Timely, and Compelling Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Speakers 961 TOPIC: Victory Missing a Loser
One night at a basketball banquet the president of a junior college was congratulating the coach and the team profusely. The beaming coach asked the president, “Would you still like me as much if we didn’t win?” “I’d like you as much,” the president replied. “I’d just miss having you around.”
Everyone enjoys being on the winning team!
4) Rejoice in the declared victory.
The last two are applications from the larger picture of both Testaments.
Colossians 3:1 KJV
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
5) Seek things that matter where Christ is now. (Colossians 3:1)
1001 More Humorous Illustrations for Public Speaking: Fresh, Timely, and Compelling Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Speakers 709 TOPIC: Possessions Keep Moving
The place was Bethel, Vermont, nestled in the vast expanse of the Green Mountains. It was a hot day, a perfect day for a walk to enjoy the view of the river and the surrounding mountains. My trail was the railroad tracks that seemed to endlessly imitate the direction of the river. By the tracks stood an old mill that was being converted into some kind of a workshop. From my vantage point on the tracks, I could see a stop sign on one of the windows of the shop. No doubt it said, “NO TRESPASSING!” but I had to check it out just to make sure. I was right. But the sign said a lot more than I had expected. There in black and white on that dusty window were these words: “Trespassers will be shot; Survivors will be shot again.” Without letting on how I felt at that point, I glanced over my shoulders and scouted the bush and the riverbank for signs of life, particularly property owners who carried loaded guns. I rapidly came to the conclusion that I did not belong in that place, that I was passing through. I kept moving! Sometimes (maybe more than we would like to admit) we find ourselves preoccupied with the beauty of the world around us, including those things that may attract our attention, saying to us, “Come and see what I am all about.” Often in the midst of the beautiful and the interesting, there lies the quiet, yet very real, warning of danger. We need to keep moving! The apostle Peter no doubt had this in mind when he reminded his readers that they were only “aliens and strangers” here on earth. The apostle Paul shared this concern as he prompted the Philippians to remember that their “citizenship is in heaven.” As we walk where God has placed us, may we walk while enjoying the beauty, avoiding the dangers, seeking our promised home, and all the while pressing on, heeding the call that says, KEEP MOVING!
We can’t just move; we have to move the right direction.
We need to follow the right lead.
Hebrews 12:1–3 KJV
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
6) Look to Jesus, and follow His lead . (Hebrews 12:1-3)
› CONCLUSION
10,000 Sermon Illustrations Inspiration
I think of David Livingstone, the pioneer missionary to Africa, who walked over 29,000 miles. His wife died early in their ministry and he faced stiff opposition from his Scottish brethren. He ministered half blind. His kind of perseverance spurs me on. As I run, I remember the words in his diary: Send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. Sever me from any tie but the tie that binds me to Your service and to Your heart. Joseph Stowell, Through The Fire, Victor Books, 1988, p. 150
A person only follows so much dedication if they see Jesus for Who He really is.
Follow Jesus as your eternal Priest-King.
