Meeting God's Right Hand Man - Ps 110

This morning, d.v., I hope to preach Psalm 110 for 22 mins at Holy Trinity, Lyonsdown.

I plan to say its all about Jesus. I'll put my outline bellow.

I've been greatly helped by talk with the great Dr Thomas Renz (tutor in Old Testament and Hebrew, Oak Hill College) and by his fresh translation of the Psalm and his 52 Theses towards an understanding of Psalm 110. I urge you to beg or borrow these documents: don't steal them. In my view they are worthy of publication, or at least sticking up on the web, and would be a great service to the Church of God. Thomas told me he was once tempted to write a short book on the Psalm, which is the most quoted OT text in the NT. Thomas has dropped it from the Psalms course, more or less, I think, because he decided he could not do it justice in less than two hours: students weren't getting it, and he didn't want to give more than two hours to any one Psalm. And I have 20 mins. Mmmm.

If something's worth doing, its worth doing adequately, as Richard Coekin says.

Ros Clarke also helped me with some of the Hebrew poetry, I think. We shall see what she makes of the final product!


Here is my handout:

Meeting God’s Right Hand Man - Psalm 110

Introductions

Most used OT text in NT; so this is important; so Listen!

“Of David” = written by (Mt 22:43), about, for David

Levels of meaning in the Psalms: Psalmist - (David / King) - Ideal Believer / God’s (Ideal) People - Jesus - Us

Truly fulfilled in Jesus, Great David’s Greater Son and Lord

A walk through the Psalm: what’s going on in this Psalm?

Vv1-4 addressed to God; vv5-end addressed to King Jesus

2 commands of God to Jesus of what Jesus must do:

sit (v1) and rule (v2)

What God has done / will do: vv1-2, v4

V3 what God’s people are

What Jesus is like v3, v4

What has happened / will happen to God’s enemies: v5-6

What will happen to Jesus: v7

Main points of message:

(1) King Jesus is in control of the whole world now

God’s right hand man – seated (finished work)

(2) Jesus is going to win rule of the whole world

by his priestly victory

Central verse: v4 - God has made Jesus the Perfect Priest-Warrior-Champion-King For Ever

So what for us?

Believers (God’s people): willingly confidently trust in and honour Jesus, devoted to him, obeying him

Take over the world! (Mt 28:19)

Unbelievers (God’s enemies): Be terrified and turn to Jesus and get blessings or God will execute and shatter you