A song to Jesus
Psalm 110
1The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.
2The Lord shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion: rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies.
3Thy 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.
4The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5The Lord at Thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath.
6He shall judge among the heathen, He shall fill the places with the dead bodies; He shall wound the heads over many countries.
7He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall He lift up the head.
What fascinates me in this is the use of “my Lord.” “My” distinguishes between “my Lord” and “The Lord.” Here, 1000 years before the incarnation of the Son of God, David knew of the two Persons of the Godhead, “The Lord” and “my Lord.” Did all the prophets know this? Possibly, yes they did. We also see in the usage of “my” a relational intimacy David had with the Son of God. As intercessor, Christ was truly David’s greatest friend and confidant. And He can, should, and must be as intimate to us, as well.
“The Lord” is here described as greater than “my Lord,” in that He sets “my Lord” on His right hand, language that speaks of favor and delegated authority, and then gives Him the will of the faithful people and the dew of youth. “The Lord” ordains “my Lord” as a special priest-king, “The Lord” gives Him the power to strike down kings in wrath and to judge and wound. And finally gives refreshing all along His way in His crusade against Satan.
This song holds very significant theology within it. It not only indicates two distinct Personalities within the Godhead, but it also shows a hierarchy. And of course, Jesus used this psalm to befuddle the so-called “learned” masters of the law as recorded in Matthew 22.
It gives the picture of an almost fairy-tale like scene of victory and vanquishing of enemies, so much a perfect victory that they never again raise their heads. It also reveals an irreversible oath to bless “my Lord” with a role and position unique in all history. He becomes a high priest, sanctified and holy, higher than the highest priest on earth; greater than Abraham, the holiest man since the flood, the progenitor of a plan to redeem humanity.
Yet, I would say that more significant than its theology is its prophetic nature. Why does its prophetic aspect hold more significance? Because it says what Christ did in the fulfillment of prophecy, more than what He was in theology. God is a person of action; He doesn’t just sit there, the icon of dead worship. He is always on the move, and we have to continuously work to keep up with Him.
This does not play down theology, the study of God and His character. But it exalts prophecy as a foundation for faith. What good is a knowledge of God if we don’t have grounds to believe it? The fulfillment of prophecy provides that foundation.
Why am I going here? What is the hidden motive? Why make such a to-do and slice hairs? Because, we are called to exalt Christ. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” (Jn. 12:32). We are called to study Jesus and all that pertains to Him throughout both Old and New Testaments, in nature and in day-to-day providences. But isn’t exalting His every word and deed doing the same as all the worshipers of false gods since the beginning of the fall of man? I use the word “embellish” because it has such a connotation of deceit, adding characteristics to a person that really aren’t there. Didn’t those devotees also embellish their pagan deities with great powers? And after hundreds or thousands of years of adding to the list of powers of a certain imaginary god in order to appease and please it, that deity looked pretty invincible and worthy of perfect faith and the highest worship.
Are we “embellishing” Jesus with similar imaginary characteristics when we magnify and exalt Him? Is all the praise in the Bible simply repeating what the neighboring heathen did for their gods? This question could become a central point of doubt, one that could be very damaging especially in the time of trouble, and very especially so in the time of Jacob’s trouble when the intercession of Christ isn’t creating a barrier of grace between us and the infinitely just Father.
Why can we say, without any doubt, that we are not embellishing Jesus when we say He was born of a virgin, fought and was victorious over the devil, healed, walked on water, was transfigured, had a special death, resurrected and ascended to the right hand of the Father, that a world of libraries could not contain all the books that could be written of Jesus, and on and on? How is this any different from what all the other religions have done to their heroes? Because of prophecy. Long before Jesus came as a man, the way was prepared and a strong foundation laid by prophecies, some old, some from the dimmest antiquity.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.” (Gen. 3:15).
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Gen. 49: 10).
“The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken.” (Deut. 18:15).
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Is. 9:6, 7).
“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles…. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law. … Who is blind, but My Servant? or deaf, as My Messenger that I sent? who is blind as He that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s Servant? Seeing many things, but Thou observest not; opening the ears, but He heareth not. The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honourable.” (Is.40:1-4, 19-21).
“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands.” (Is. 49:16).
“For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant…. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.” (Is. 53:2,7-9).
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people … and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks…And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself…And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease….” (Dan. 9:24-27).
“Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the Man whose name is The BRANCH; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the Lord: 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.” (Zech. 6:12,13).
“And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the Man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.” (Zech 13:6,7).
Is this prophetic exalting of Jesus the same as what the papal Hierarchy did, who, through the ages, truly embellished the biblical accounts with a mountain of lies? Did they do in their canonical writings as the Holy Spirit led the inspired writers of the Bible, thus ranking the Church’s traditions on a par with the sacred scriptures? Was their pagan spirit like that of the holy men of old?
No, the chief difference being that their exaltation was not based on the previous Bible writers. Their embellishment came from the methods of classical Greek philosophy and mythology. No only were the principles of righteousness uncommunicated in the still-life images and icons of the Church, but the faith-creating prophecies of the Messiah/Saviour were conspicuously absent throughout the Dark Ages. We should spurn the Church’s traditions and the apocryphal books they accepted into their Bible. By mixing truth with error they came up with the greatest insult cast upon God’s character, a method calculated by Satan to deceive the whole world, even the very elect.
The sure foundation for serving Christ and worshiping and praising Him can be found in the prophetic writings that sounded out His arrival eons prior to His incarnation and earthly ministry. We can search for and dig and find out the Almighty unto perfect knowledge of Him. We are free to exalt Him and the beauty of His holiness without fear of “embellishing” imaginary qualities of character.
“For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.” “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” “Search the scriptures; for… they are they which testify of Me.” (Col. 1:19;2:3;Jn. 5:39).
“As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so He that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” (Jn. 6:57).
1The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.
2The Lord shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion: rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies.
3Thy 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.
4The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.
5The Lord at Thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath.
6He shall judge among the heathen, He shall fill the places with the dead bodies; He shall wound the heads over many countries.
7He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall He lift up the head.
What fascinates me in this is the use of “my Lord.” “My” distinguishes between “my Lord” and “The Lord.” Here, 1000 years before the incarnation of the Son of God, David knew of the two Persons of the Godhead, “The Lord” and “my Lord.” Did all the prophets know this? Possibly, yes they did. We also see in the usage of “my” a relational intimacy David had with the Son of God. As intercessor, Christ was truly David’s greatest friend and confidant. And He can, should, and must be as intimate to us, as well.
“The Lord” is here described as greater than “my Lord,” in that He sets “my Lord” on His right hand, language that speaks of favor and delegated authority, and then gives Him the will of the faithful people and the dew of youth. “The Lord” ordains “my Lord” as a special priest-king, “The Lord” gives Him the power to strike down kings in wrath and to judge and wound. And finally gives refreshing all along His way in His crusade against Satan.
This song holds very significant theology within it. It not only indicates two distinct Personalities within the Godhead, but it also shows a hierarchy. And of course, Jesus used this psalm to befuddle the so-called “learned” masters of the law as recorded in Matthew 22.
It gives the picture of an almost fairy-tale like scene of victory and vanquishing of enemies, so much a perfect victory that they never again raise their heads. It also reveals an irreversible oath to bless “my Lord” with a role and position unique in all history. He becomes a high priest, sanctified and holy, higher than the highest priest on earth; greater than Abraham, the holiest man since the flood, the progenitor of a plan to redeem humanity.
Yet, I would say that more significant than its theology is its prophetic nature. Why does its prophetic aspect hold more significance? Because it says what Christ did in the fulfillment of prophecy, more than what He was in theology. God is a person of action; He doesn’t just sit there, the icon of dead worship. He is always on the move, and we have to continuously work to keep up with Him.
This does not play down theology, the study of God and His character. But it exalts prophecy as a foundation for faith. What good is a knowledge of God if we don’t have grounds to believe it? The fulfillment of prophecy provides that foundation.
Why am I going here? What is the hidden motive? Why make such a to-do and slice hairs? Because, we are called to exalt Christ. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” (Jn. 12:32). We are called to study Jesus and all that pertains to Him throughout both Old and New Testaments, in nature and in day-to-day providences. But isn’t exalting His every word and deed doing the same as all the worshipers of false gods since the beginning of the fall of man? I use the word “embellish” because it has such a connotation of deceit, adding characteristics to a person that really aren’t there. Didn’t those devotees also embellish their pagan deities with great powers? And after hundreds or thousands of years of adding to the list of powers of a certain imaginary god in order to appease and please it, that deity looked pretty invincible and worthy of perfect faith and the highest worship.
Are we “embellishing” Jesus with similar imaginary characteristics when we magnify and exalt Him? Is all the praise in the Bible simply repeating what the neighboring heathen did for their gods? This question could become a central point of doubt, one that could be very damaging especially in the time of trouble, and very especially so in the time of Jacob’s trouble when the intercession of Christ isn’t creating a barrier of grace between us and the infinitely just Father.
Why can we say, without any doubt, that we are not embellishing Jesus when we say He was born of a virgin, fought and was victorious over the devil, healed, walked on water, was transfigured, had a special death, resurrected and ascended to the right hand of the Father, that a world of libraries could not contain all the books that could be written of Jesus, and on and on? How is this any different from what all the other religions have done to their heroes? Because of prophecy. Long before Jesus came as a man, the way was prepared and a strong foundation laid by prophecies, some old, some from the dimmest antiquity.
“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.” (Gen. 3:15).
“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.” (Gen. 49: 10).
“The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken.” (Deut. 18:15).
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon His kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” (Is. 9:6, 7).
“Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth; I have put My spirit upon Him: He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles…. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for His law. … Who is blind, but My Servant? or deaf, as My Messenger that I sent? who is blind as He that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s Servant? Seeing many things, but Thou observest not; opening the ears, but He heareth not. The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honourable.” (Is.40:1-4, 19-21).
“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands.” (Is. 49:16).
“For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant…. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.” (Is. 53:2,7-9).
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people … and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks…And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself…And He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease….” (Dan. 9:24-27).
“Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the Man whose name is The BRANCH; and He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the temple of the Lord: 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.” (Zech. 6:12,13).
“And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends. Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the Man that is My fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn Mine hand upon the little ones.” (Zech 13:6,7).
Is this prophetic exalting of Jesus the same as what the papal Hierarchy did, who, through the ages, truly embellished the biblical accounts with a mountain of lies? Did they do in their canonical writings as the Holy Spirit led the inspired writers of the Bible, thus ranking the Church’s traditions on a par with the sacred scriptures? Was their pagan spirit like that of the holy men of old?
No, the chief difference being that their exaltation was not based on the previous Bible writers. Their embellishment came from the methods of classical Greek philosophy and mythology. No only were the principles of righteousness uncommunicated in the still-life images and icons of the Church, but the faith-creating prophecies of the Messiah/Saviour were conspicuously absent throughout the Dark Ages. We should spurn the Church’s traditions and the apocryphal books they accepted into their Bible. By mixing truth with error they came up with the greatest insult cast upon God’s character, a method calculated by Satan to deceive the whole world, even the very elect.
The sure foundation for serving Christ and worshiping and praising Him can be found in the prophetic writings that sounded out His arrival eons prior to His incarnation and earthly ministry. We can search for and dig and find out the Almighty unto perfect knowledge of Him. We are free to exalt Him and the beauty of His holiness without fear of “embellishing” imaginary qualities of character.
“For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell.” “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” “Search the scriptures; for… they are they which testify of Me.” (Col. 1:19;2:3;Jn. 5:39).
“As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so He that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” (Jn. 6:57).
posted by David | 5:05 AM
2 Comments:
The quotation below you made from Zechariah have been so precious to me, especially knowing that he got wounds when he came to save me, Thanks David “And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends.
I want also to add a word from the Bible having known he was wounded by my falling short of expection then we need to abide in Him.
ABIDING IN CHRIST: "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love." John 15:10
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world....We love Him, because He first loved us....For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous." 1 John 4:17-5:3.
Daniel Nsubuga
Uganda
Daniel,
You have the science of salvation. You also have prophecies that provide for that science.
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