“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!” Psalm 110:1-2 ESV
Reflection: how is Christ victorious kingdom reflected in your life?
Most Christians are waiting for the return of Christ, longing for His kingdom to finally be established. In the meantime, it seems as if we have to endure much suffering in the world. The enemies of God are everywhere, as the world seems to be getting darker by the day. We can even see God’s enemies clothed as Christians at times, but inside full of lawlessness and hatred. Jesus was not afraid of calling the religious out, such as when he was saying ““Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27-28 ESV. So, we may wonder, when will His kingdom finally be established? Or has it already?
David wrote this beautiful prophetic psalm 110 “in the Spirit”, about this future King, Messiah, and His eternal kingdom. But as we will see, there is something very different about this kingdom, about the King, and about the people of the kingdom. So let’s dig in a bit deeper into this psalm, as there are so many treasures here.
The psalm starts out with “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!” Psalm 110:1-2 ESV. In any kingdom, the king rules, right? He is the supreme ruler above all in his kingdom. But this kingdom is different. Did you notice who the King will subjugate with might in this kingdom? Only the enemies of the kingdom. So what about the rest, the people of the kingdom? David writes “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.” Psalm 110:3 ESV. In other words, the people of the kingdom are there freely, by choice, following the king. It is a willing people. But why? Why do they follow this king willingly, even into battle “at the day of your power”, as David writes?
This King is not like any other king. David continues “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.””Psalm 110:4 ESV. Not only is he establishing an eternal kingdom as King of kings, speaking of His authority and power, Christ is also an eternal Priest for His people, which speaks more of His heart, leading and ministering His people. Famous Bible commentator, Matthew Henry, wrote about God’s people being a “willing” people, that Christ is not ruling His people by might. Let’s read.
“Christ’s people are a willing people. The power of the Spirit, going with the power of the world, to the people of Christs, is effectual to make them willing. They shall attend him in the beautiful attire of holiness; which becomes his house for ever. And he shall have many devoted to him. The dew of our youth, even in the morning of our days, ought to be consecrated to our Lord Jesus. Christ shall not only be a King, but a Priest. He is God’s Minister to us, and our Advocate with the Father, and so is the Mediator between God and man. He is a Priest of the order of Melchizedek, which was before that of Aaron, and on many accounts superior to it, and a more lively representation of Christ’s priesthood. Christ’s sitting at the right hand of God, speaks as much terror to his enemies as happiness to his people. The effect of this victory shall be the utter ruin of his enemies. We have here the Redeemer saving his friends, and comforting them. He shall be humbled; he shall drink of the brook in the way. The wrath of God, running in the curse of the law, may be considered as the brook in the way of his undertaking. Christ drank of the waters of affliction in his way to the throne of glory. But he shall be exalted.”
But we are still left with this question, when will this happen?
While we see this reference to a day, “the day of your power” indicating perhaps a final battle, setting up the kingdom is ongoing. If you remember that, when Jesus came into this world the first time, they were waiting for a ruler, a king, that could establish his kingdom on earth. So when Jesus came as a humble servant, they did not understand the battle and the kingdom. Jesus said “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” John 18:36b ESV. Not the world, with its evil and corrupt system. The kingdom is being set up in our hearts, as Matthew Henry writes:
“What then are we? Has the gospel of Christ been to us the power of God unto salvation? Has his kingdom been set up in our hearts? Are we his willing subjects? Once we knew not our need of his salvation, and we were not willing that he should reign over us. Are we willing to give up every sin, to turn from a wicked, insnaring world, and rely only on his merits and mercy, to have him for our Prophet, Priest, and King? and do we desire to be holy?
To those who are thus changed, the Saviour’s sacrifice, intercession, and blessing belong.”
So how can we reconcile what looks like a rapid increase of lawlessness in the world, and the fact that Jesus is establishing His kingdom, making His enemies His footstool? The world (system) will implode, at some point. It is not too difficult to see that. But we have to remember, and remind each other that the glorious, eternal Kingdom of Christ is not of this world (system), as things get more and more difficult to follow Christ in this world. Jesus warned us about the end times, ““Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”Matthew 24:9-14. So we pray, “Let your kingdom come”, to be established in our hearts, until we finally will see Him, our eternal King and Priest, face to face.