Psalm 110

The great I-AM, Jehovah, Yahweh, the LORD, says a Word to some other great being, called in Psalm 110:1, David's Adonai, or “Lord.”

The first LORD is the word “I-AM.” Jews did not feel it right to even say His Name. In reverence, whenever they came to that great Name in the public reading of the Hebrew Scriptures, they would say a different word, “Adonai.” When this passage was read in Hebrew, the reader would say, “The ADONAI said to my Adonai.” When the Hebrew Bible was translated into the Greek version that was commonly used in the days of Jesus and the apostles, the word for “Lord,” “kurios,” was used twice. “KURIOS says to my kurios,” or in English, “The LORD says to my lord.”

The identity of the first “LORD” who is speaking to David's “Lord” is undisputed. He is the great “I-AM,” the Lord God Almighty. But who is the One that He speaks to? To whom does He say, “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool?”

This great Messiah King was called “My Son” in Psalm 2:7, “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, 'You are my Son.'” It was everyone's understanding from the promise of God to David that there would be a “Christ” who would be David's descendant or “Son.” How could the Christ be both David's Son and David's Lord?

Now we know.

Jesus was the descendant of David according to His human nature, but in His divine nature, He was the eternal Son of God. This Christ was the One that the Father spoke to in Psalm 110. This One who came after David was also above David. He was David's Son and David's Lord.

The Father said to the Son, “Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Jesus is now exalted in the heavens at the right hand of the Father. We must not resist Him.

Jesus rules from Zion above. He rules over the earth in the midst of those who oppose Him. His power is expressed in the service of a willing people who come to Him. They come to Him not to pursue their own agendas, but to joyfully give themselves to suffering love. This love was expressed perfectly in the cross. This is the life of love for God and others that the Lord calls us to live today. When we are His willing people, following Him in the love of the cross, His power is made manifest in the midst of the world.

Jesus has the holy garments of His great priesthood, and we, who follow Him, have been dressed in His righteousness. Every day He can fill us with the freshness of heaven so that we will serve Him in the power of a new life.

The great I-AM is completely and permanently committed to this: His Son will be a perfectly holy Priest forever, according to the example shown centuries before in Genesis 14 in the King-Priest Melchizedek, the King of Salem. (See Hebrews 7 for more on Jesus and Melchizedek.)

We who follow Jesus as willing servants find our identity in Him. He is our great High Priest, and we are priests to God in Him. We are not our own. We are ready to follow His will. He lives in us, and we live through Him.

Together, the Priest-King and His Kingdom of servants will be victorious in the battle of love and justice. He fought the good fight in the fullness of the Spirit. We also “drink from the brook by the way,” and we lift up our heads in wonder that the power of God would be expressed through our weakness.

This is the Christian life. There is no other way for us but this one. In our connection to Him, His kingdom comes. May His will be done through you today on earth as it is in heaven.