After the Order of Melchizedek: An Exposition of Psalm 110
The 110th Psalm is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. Jesus uses the first verse in querying the Jews about His person and the Book of Hebrews uses both verses 1 and 4. Therefore, its message is of the utmost importance to the Christian. We do have David ascribes as its author, but we know nothing of the context of the writing. In David’s day, it was like other psalms, both in the Hebrew and Ugarit traditions. The leader that Yahweh chooses is to trust God to subdue the enemies of the state rather than the king’s own power. It is Yahweh who establishes the king. But as its prophetic application to Jesus Christ is what will be emphasized in this exposition.
There has been scholarly argument whether the ascriptions to the Psalms of authorship, for example, are inspired along with the Psalm. Jesus Himself gives strong evidence that it does. Jesus asks the Pharisees a question about the Christ in Matthew 22:41. “Whose Son is He? When the answer “David’s” he then quotes the first verse of the 110th Psalm. There it says “The LORD said unto my Lord….” Jesus’ logic is that David calls someone assumed to be his son, “MY Lord.” In Jewish thought, the father is greater than the son. Jesus says this of Himself in relation to Himself and the Father. It is also demonstrated in the book of Hebrews where Melchizedek is greater than Levi because Abraham his great-grandfather, being greater than Levi himself paid tithes to Melchizedek. The Pharisees had no answer to give Jesus. But this argument depends upon David being the author of the psalm. If it was written “about” David by a royal poet, then “my lord” is the poet’s ascription to David.
David was also a prophet as well as king. Peter in the Pentecost sermon in Acts 2 quotes David as author of the 16th Psalm and comments that he was a prophet and was speaking about Christ and not himself. This principle of interpretation was used by the early church, even though many scholars dismiss this as illegitimate. Those of the grammatical-historical school state that the most important reading is “what did this mean to the author and his original audience? From this, any other meaning must be of secondary application. But to do this would reduce the psalm to what we said earlier. We must understand that the prophets often spoke better than they knew. This means the context of prophetic fulfillment supersedes the original context in this case. The Holy Spirit breathes all of Scripture, and its meaning properly understood in the divine purpose of its utterance. How people interpret what is written is not primarily based upon human authors and considerations but is to be based upon the Divine author. This is the way Jesus understood Scripture, and so should we.
David was prophet and king. But there was one thing David was not. He was not a priest. Yahweh separated the executive functions of state from the priesthood. Saul was rejected from being king when he would not wait for Samuel to come to offer the sacrifice but undertook to offer the sacrifice himself (1 Samuel 13). King Uzziah was struck with leprosy when he tried to do the same (2 Kings 15). So King David could not become a priest of any order. In the surrounding nations, the monarchs had priestly power as well as kingly. There are Ugaritic psalms to that effect. But in Israel, this was not to be so. Even an earthly king was given them reluctantly, because Yahweh was truly the king. Yahweh tells Samuel that this was a rejection of His own rule and not a rejection of Samuel. This also shows that David was speaking about someone greater than himself. Not only is this person “my lord” but is a priest as well. When during the Maccabean revival of Israel, the king appropriated the title of High Priest as well, which was not well received by many in Israel. Many fled to the deserts of Qumran, while others protested. The priesthood and kingship would be united, but Judas Maccabeus and his family was not the fulfillment.
David was considered by the Jews in Jesus’ day the greatest of the kings. The books of the Kings and the Chronicles testify to that fact. The Pharisees never challenged that Jesus was a son of David. They were convinced of that. But they were not willing to ascribe the title “Son of Man” or “Son of God” to Jesus. But Jesus makes that claim. He cites the 110th Psalm to refer to Himself. In less than a week, He would be condemned to death by the Sanhedrin for explicitly making this claim and turned over to the Romans for execution. By citing the first verse, then He was also claiming verse four was equally applicable to Himself, that He was a high priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Even though He was by human reckoning the Son of David, He was far greater than David as He was in His divine nature the Son of God. He would not be an earthly king who would reign for a season like other kings and then die. He also would not be an earthly priest whose priesthood was terminated by death. The Book of Hebrews elaborates much on Christ’s eternal priesthood.
Hebrews makes extensive use of verses one and four. After Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, He ascended and sat down at the right hand of the Father. By being seated, it means that His work was complete. It also reminds us that all things are being subjected to His rule. When this work was complete, His foot would be upon the necks of His enemies. When Joshua subdued the Canaanite kings, he put his feet upon their necks and then slew them. We see this happen to king Agag. This is what is meant by footstool. The king, by putting his foot upon the necks of his enemies has the power to crush them or if he willed, to show mercy on them. Life and death is in the power of such a king. We should not miss this point. Agag would have found mercy at the hands of Saul. He begged for his life, but Samuel intervened and slew him. Yahweh had decreed that no mercy was to be shown to Agag. And Samuel was submissive to the word of Yahweh whereas Saul rejected the authority of the LORD. Either we prostrate ourselves before him in joyful submission to His will, or His authority will be demonstrated by the crushing of His feet upon our neck.
Having said this about His Royal Excellency, we must also remember that He is also an eternal priest. Without this, the picture of the king would have us shaking in abject terror. But this picture of royal prerogative is necessary to highlight the mercy of God. As Bonhoeffer notes, grace is not cheap. It is only when we realize that Jesus has the moral authority as well as the power to crush us for our disobedience and sin that we can appreciate His mercy. Truly, grace is not earned. We often think wrongly about “free grace.” We tend to see it as being a choice we make to accept or reject God’s grace in Jesus Christ. This is more called “free choice.” Whatever might be said about this free choice, we should humbly be reminded that there would be no choice at all apart from the will of God and His mercy to offer a choice in the first place. But “free grace” is rightly centered in God’s right to offer or not offer grace. God is free to kill and is altogether righteous to do so on account of our sin. But He also has the right to show grace on whoever He wills. This grace is not to be presumed upon. Agag did with Saul when he said: “Surely the bitterness is past.” Samuel then hacked off his head.
It is the most wonderful truth that God is merciful. This is shown throughout the book of Hebrews. Jesus was made a little lower than the angels (i.e., human) for the suffering of death. Jesus encapsulates the entire sacrificial system of the Old Testament. He is the priest as well as the sacrifice. The one who is the prefect Son also becomes perfect in His suffering. He who was always perfectly obedient to the Father learns obedience. He was tempted to the degree that any person can be tempted, yet did not yield to sin. He allowed his enemies (us) to put their feet, metaphorically speaking, upon His neck. He submitted to the awful death of the cross that His blood would atone for our sin. What we did to Him that day was what He has every right to do to us. Hebrews reminds us “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?”
Hebrews reminded the hearers that they had become dull of hearing. They were in danger of letting their faith slip. This should serve as a warning to us as well. We cannot afford to play fast and loose with our salvation. We do not enter into a salvation contract as equals. We don’t work out a deal with Jesus. We must come on His terms, unilaterally. He is the Lord Jesus whom the Father has appointed to be the judge of the living and the dead. The fact that he was willing to die for us has to be held in the deepest awe and reverence. What can we say about this exalted Son of God, Prophet, Priest and King who gave Himself so willingly so that all who believe on Him should have eternal life.
Let us not forget that faith and obedience are tied at the hip. Paul mentions this at the beginning and end of Romans in an inclusio, which means that the great book of justification by faith talks about a faith which is obedient. Acts mentions the obedience of faith as well. James talks about a living faith and not a dead one. It is good to know, that Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us. When we do sin, it is good to know that we can confess our sin and find forgiveness. Let us not take this for granted, for an obedient faith leads to joy. Let us have this joy, for Hebrews again reminds us that the Lord has the whip in His hand to chastise us as well. This He does because He loves us.
Let us continually have Jesus in our sights and look on Him who is the author and finisher of our faith.
