Psalm 110:5 Yahveh at your right hand has beaten kings to pieces in the day he was enraged. Psalm 110:6 He judged among the nations, He has filled them with corpses, has beaten the head over the great land to pieces. Psalm 110:7 From a brook along the road he drinks, so he lifts up his head.
in the day he was enraged
Commentaries on this passage are usually quick to describe it as a picture of the last-day wrath of God. I don’t think so. To me, it is a picture of the confidence the Messiah will have as he goes forth to conquer, because Yahveh at his right hand has judged the nations in the past, leaving heaps of corpses in his wake.
Jesus will reign. No nation can oppose him forever.
Psalm 110:4 Yahveh has sworn, and does not repent, ‘you are a permanent priest, according to the order of Melchizedek.’
a permanent priest
Our Messiah is a permanent priest. That means that the atoning work that he did for us is permanent, and cannot be undone. It means ouyr forgiveness lasts. Praise God for what he has done through his Son — our permanent priest!
Psalm 110:3 your people, free-will offerings in the day of your power, in the splendor of holiness. On the holy hills at sunrise, the dew of your youth belongs to you.
free-will offerings
The free-will offerings are those who choose to side with the Messiah. Have you ever considered that your choice to come to Christ and make him Lord of your life is an offering to him? You cannot really offer him anything else but your life. All that you have came from him. All that you will ever be is a result of his grace as well. If you have any power, it will be a reflection of his power. If you have any holiness, it will be as a result of his sanctification.
Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. Yahveh affirmed to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ Psalm 110:2 Yahveh will extend the rod of your strength from Zion; rule in the midst of your enemies.
There are three persons identified by name in this psalm. First, there is David. He is the king in Jerusalem. Second, there is the God of David: Yahveh. Third, there is David’s Lord, the coming Messiah. David reveals that his Lord will rule in the midst of his enemies. That has proven to be true throughout history. But David also reveals a mission expansion. The Messiah’s reign will extend geographically from Zion. Yahveh also promises that the enemies will be conquered, Those opposing him will be his footstool. Either they will join him, or they will be destroyed by him.
Psalm 109:30 I thank Yahveh loudly with my mouth and in the midst of many I praise him, Psalm 109:31 because he stands at the right hand of the poor person, delivering him from those condemning his throat.
in the midst of many
The drama is gone now. All the complaining to God in prayer about the betraying enemy is over. But David is still praying loudly and praising God in the midst of many. God was his refuge in the time of trouble and is now his deliverer who deserves praise. Have you been delivered? See you in church!
Psalm 109:26 Help me, Yahveh my God; deliver me, according to your covenant faithfulness. Psalm 109:27 They will know that this is your hand; that you, Yahveh, have done it. Psalm 109:28 They curse, but you bless. If they rise to attack, put them to shame, and your servant will rejoice. Psalm 109:29 Let my accusers put on blushing, and be covered with shame like a robe.
put them to shame
David had been a mighty hero, but now all he was feeling was the shame brought on by his accusers. He asked his God to help him. He wanted to pass that shame on to the people who deserved it. He could have ordered his own soldiers to attack his enemies. But he realized that doing that would keep the spotlight on him. Instead, he asked God to intervene so that everyone would know that victory came from his hand.
Do you have shame that you want to pass on to those who are causing it? Go to God in prayer.
Psalm 109:21 But You, Yahveh my Lord, Do to me for your name’s sake, because of your good covenant faithfulness, rescue me. Psalm 109:22 For I am poor and needy and my heart has been pierced inside me. Psalm 109:23 I have faded like a shadow when it is stretched out, I have been knocked off like a locust. Psalm 109:24 My knees have become feeble from fasting and my body has lost its fatness. Psalm 109:25 And I — I have been a disgrace to them; they see me, they shake their head.
they shake their head
David’s enemies have done their worst, and he is left in a deplorable condition. When they look at him, they shake their heads, wondering why they were ever afraid of such a man. He’s harmless, they think. But David will not rely on his own power. He has a Lord, and his Lord will act for his name’s sake.
Psalm 109:14 May the violation of his fathers be remembered by Yahveh and the failure of his mother not be blotted out. Psalm 109:15 May they be before Yahveh continually and may he cut off their memory from the land. Psalm 109:16 Because he has not remembered to practice covenant faithfulness and pursued the poor and needy and the smitten of heart — to kill them, Psalm 109:17 He loved cursing, so may they come back to him and he has not enjoyed blessing so may it be far from him. Psalm 109:18 He puts on cursing like his robe, it poured in like water into his insides and like oil into his bones. Psalm 109:19 May it be to him like clothing — he covers himself with it and for a belt — he puts it on. Psalm 109:20 May this be the payoff of my accusers from Yahveh and of those speaking evil against my throat.
the return of death and cursing
David had enemies, and those enemies made his death their objective. They called down curses upon him every chance they got. Now, David asks God to return all that death that his enemies caused, and all those curses they swore — to the betrayers. He is not seeking revenge for his sake, but he is asking God to be faithful to his covenant, in which he promised to bring down death and suffering to all those who forsake his Law.
Here is a declaration of trust in God who will not allow injustice to continue. He will act, and those who do not repent of their evil works will suffer the consequences. God will win. He will either win by restoring the sinner or destroying the sinner.
Psalm 109:6 Appoint someone wicked over him, may an opponent stand at his right hand. Psalm 109:7 When he is judged, let him be found wicked and his prayer a failure. Psalm 109:8 May his days be few; may another take his post, Psalm 109:9 May his children be orphans, and his wife a widow. Psalm 109:10 May his children go astray continually, begging and sifting through the rubble. Psalm 109:11 May a money-lender take all he has and foreigners plunder all his work. Psalm 109:12 May no one show him covenant faithfulness; may no one show compassion to his orphans. Psalm 109:13 May his line of descendants be cut off; may another generation blot them out.
justice from him
This imprecatory psalm can be misread. It can sound like David is seeking revenge. In reality, he says what he says here because he has decided not to seek revenge. Instead, he is turning his betrayer over for God to deal with. He wants the world to know that he has been wronged and that he trusts God to bring justice. No matter how long it takes, David is going to wait and let God deal with his problem.
It is not enough for us to seek vindication. We must find justice so that our great God gets the credit. We must seek justice from him.
Psalm 109:4 In response to my love they harbor animosity toward me, and I just pray! Psalm 109:5 They repay me evil instead of good, And hatred instead of my love.
just praying
David reveals the heartache of praying through a situation that takes a very very long time to change. We would all like our prayers to be answered immediately — to see a sudden dramatic change that shows us how powerful and faithful our God is to us. But we need to be prepared for a long period of testing. Our faith is real, and our God is real, but there is more at stake than just his reputation. He is building a kingdom of people who are willing to stay with him for the long haul. He is creating an empire of faithful warriors. Are you willing to “just pray” for a while?
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