Well, I feel such a sense of privilege to be able to talk about Psalm 110. It is unique amongst all the Psalms. Because of that, Psalm 110 is the most quoted of all the Psalms in the New Testament. And the reason for this is that, unlike most of the Psalms, Psalm 110 is entirely forward looking. It's looking toward the future, and this Psalm is about the reign of the King of kings, Jesus. Let me read Psalm 110.
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."
The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
over the wide earth.
He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.
The Old Testament, when it talks about God's reign, tends to be God's reign over creation, his reign over the affairs of nations, and the move of history. When the New Testament focuses on the reign of the son, the emphasis tends to be his reign for the good of his chosen children.
The first verse of this Psalm is very striking, it says, "Sit at my right hand." Now, who could that possibly be talking about but Jesus? Remember, after his resurrection and appearing to his followers, Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father; Ephesians 1 says to rule over all things for the sake of the church. So, Jesus, right now, is not just a risen King, he is a reigning King. And so, we know right away from the very first verse of Psalm 110 that it's talking about Jesus.
The theme is that Jesus is reigning so that he can defeat his enemies. 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that between his resurrection and his second coming, that Jesus reigns, putting enemies under his feet, and the last enemy will be death, and then, he will say all things are now ready, and invite us into his final kingdom.
So right now, Jesus is reigning, and he is crushing evil until sin and death and evil are finally defeated. Now, it doesn't look like that to you. It looks like evil is ascendant, and the world is out of control, and this thing is a mess, and where is God? That's why we need Psalms like this in the Bible. It makes sense that the Psalm is about Jesus because Jesus works defeating enemies for the sake of his children.
Psalm 110 assures us that the reign of the son is secure. I like this phrase, "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind." This is his plan that the son would reign, and no one has the power to make him change his mind. Here's your hope, the Messiah is reigning, and he will continue to reign and defeat what you can't defeat. And when he's defeated everything that would defeat us, he will usher in his final kingdom of righteousness and peace forever. Now that's worth hooking your hope to!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. If Jesus is truly reigning over all things as the Bible tells us he is, what kinds of things come to your mind as you picture Christ as the reigning and ruling authority over everything everywhere? How does it make you feel knowing that his ruling authority is for the sake of the church (his chosen children)?
2. How does the contrast between what you picture when you think of Christ reigning over all things and what you see in the world today when it comes to prevalent evil make you pause and ask the question, "Where is God?" Why is Psalm 110 necessary for us to act as a reminder about what is true?
3. How might you be tempted to question the validity of Psalm 110 as you look at the world around you today? How might the phrase, "The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind" be a comfort to you amidst the possible doubt you feel about Christ's reigning authority in the world? How can you be intentional about practically reminding yourself of the truth when you're tempted to doubt it? How does Psalm 110 bring you hope in the midst of this messy world?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children:
• Even though it may not look like God is in control of all things in the world, how can we know that Jesus is ruling and reigning over everything, everywhere, for all time? Why does it make you feel good knowing that Jesus is the King over all things?
• What's so good about Jesus being the King? Why is it so important that Jesus is a good King over you and me?
For Older Children:
• What might confuse you when you look at the evil of the world and then read that the Bible tells us God is good and in control of all things? How can we reconcile those two seemingly contradictory things?
• What assurance do we have that Jesus is reigning over everything everywhere and that his reign is secure for all eternity? How does his good rule and reign personally affect you and me?
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