Saturday, May 29th, 2021
King of Righteousness, King of Peace
Did you know that the first verse of Psalm 110 is the most oft-quoted verse in the New Testament? One person counted 27 separate references. So why all the excitement, you ask?
In this Psalm there are references to the coming messiah, who David calls Lord. It is foretold that he will lead his forces on the holy mountain, he will shatter kingdoms, execute judgment, and fill the entire world with corpses!
Pretty gruesome, yes, and one can see why the Jewish people expected their saviour to be a political figure, not a spiritual figure.
But the crux of meaning occurs in that first verse, where David calls the messiah, "Lord." Also, upon closer reading, one might notice that verse four refers to the messiah as a priest: "'You are a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.'"
So that leads us to another important question: who was Melchizedek? He is first mentioned way back in Genesis, chapter 14, and seems to be distributing a holy communion: "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was the priest of God Most High. And he blessed him and said: 'Blessed be Abram of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand.'"
You can see why the New Testament writers were eager to make the connection between Jesus and the foretold messiah! But it doesn't stop there! I was surprised to learn that the name Melchizedek originates from the combination of two Hebrew words: melek which means 'king,' and tsedeq which means 'righteousness.' Additionally, Salem means 'peace.' So this Melchizedek was the King of both righteousness, and the King of peace! That sounds like someone we now know as Jesus, does it not?
Jesus himself quoted this Psalm in Matthew 22:43-45 and in Mark 12:36-37. He also highlighted that David called the Messiah "Lord" - recognizing that the Messiah was greater than David himself.
Jesus' disciple Peter quoted it on Pentecost, explaining how David prophesied the deity and ascension of Jesus in Acts 2:34-35.
Paul referred to the verse in 1 Corinthians 15:25, explaining the rule and dominion of Jesus the Messiah.
The author of Hebrews quotes it twice, in Hebrews 1:13 and 10:13. In the former he shows the superiority of Jesus the Messiah over any angel, and in the latter, uses it to explain the rule and dominion of Jesus the Messiah.
So as you worship through Psalm 110, picture Jesus himself, and remind yourself of the new Kingdom he brought to this earth. Now we can live in a kingdom of love and grace, forgiveness, and hope!
Amen!