Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 110

Psalm 110 is a messianic psalm the clearly speaks of Jesus. It is the most quoted psalm in the New Testament, which tells us of its importance. Verse 1 is quoted most often.

Psalm 110:1

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

How comforting is that? Jesus is at the right hand of God and the day is coming when those who oppose Him shall be His footstool.

Psalm 110:2-3
The LORD sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies!  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.

Jesus is coming back.

Psalm 110:4
The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”

Jesus is not only King; He is a priest. Our King and our Priest.

Psalm 110:5-6
The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.  He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth.

God’s wrath is coming. When Jesus returns, He will execute judgment among the nations. Today being Halloween, this verse is scarier than any other horror story you could ever read or tell. His judgment will fill the nation with corpses.

Psalm 110:7
He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.

When we look at the state of the world today, it’s difficult not to think evil is winning. But it is not. Why doesn’t God do something drastic to halt the moral decline of our culture? The answer is found in 2 Corinthians 6:2 where Paul tells us that “now is the day of salvation.” We are still living in that day; we are living in an age of grace. Until Christ returns, man has an opportunity to repent and turn to Jesus for salvation. But when Jesus comes back and the full wrath of God is unleashed, then those who do not have His blood cloaking them in His righteousness, will be lost for all eternity.

Today is the day of salvation. Don’t take another breath without having Christ as your Lord and your Savior. The next breath you take may be your last. That, my friends, should scare you.

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 97

Psalm 97 is a look forward to the day when Jesus comes back to usher in eternity. When He returns, the victory will be clear. Until that great day, we can rejoice in fait, and this psalm reminds us of God’s sovereign and powerful being.

Psalm 97:1-6
The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.  Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.  Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side.  His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles.  The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.  The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.

The Lord reigns. We can be glad. Though we think the world is out of control, it is not. God is still on His throne. One day; all people will see His glory.

Psalm 97:7-8
All who worship images are put to shame, those who boast in idols-- worship him, all you gods!  Zion hears and rejoices and the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments, O LORD.

The idols of man are shameful things. Our perverted hearts have caused this. Sex and money are the obvious ones in our day. Our culture has made both of them gods and we have allowed them to be what rules us.

Psalm 97:9-11
For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.  Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.

We must hate evil. We must shine light upon the darkness.

Psalm 97:12
Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.

In Christ Jesus, we are made righteous. That should be enough to make us rejoice. That should be enough to praise His Holy name until He returns. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. The mountains will melt like wax before Him. There is no power greater than Him. Praise His Holy Name.

Studies in the Psalms - Psalm 96

Psalm 96 is a great psalm of worship and praise to our God. It looks forward to the day when Jesus will return and will reign over all the earth. In this psalm are no small number of verbs that instruct us on how we are to live as His bride, awaiting the day of the marriage of His Church to its betrothed, King Jesus.

Psalm 96:1-3
Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!  Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.  Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!

We are to sing to the Lord. We are to bless Him. We are to declare His glory to all the world.

Psalm 96:4-6
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.  For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.  Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

All the gods of the peoples are worthless idols. This not only includes the gods of other religions, such as Buddha, it includes the gods of modern man, such as money, sex, and power. But great is our God, who is to be greatly praised and feared above all others.

Psalm 96:7-9
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!

Ascribe, bring offerings, come into His courts, and worship and tremble before Him.

Psalm 96:10
Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Say among the nations that our Lord reigns. Tell the world that God has established it and it shall not be moved. When Christ returns, we will finally see true justice.

Psalm 96:11-13
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;  let

the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy  before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Be glad and rejoice. Jesus is coming back. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness. This is good news. We must sing to our God. We must so loud that the whole earth sees the folly of following false idols and turns in joyful faith to Jesus. Then, and only then, will we have justice.