Year 8, Day 241: Psalms 110-111

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Psalm 110 is a psalm that speaks of the order of Melchizedek.  This is an odd term, reaching the whole way back to Genesis 14:18.  In that passage, we meet the king of Salem, the town that under David would become Jerusalem.  In Genesis, we see that the king of Salem is actually a priest of God.  This is a cool connection.  It tells us that the king of Jerusalem can also be a high priest outside of the genealogy of Aaron.

Naturally, this history points us to Christ.  He is of the genealogy of David, not Aaron.  But, as king in the line of David, he is a high priest.  Jesus is both our king and our high priest.  We don’t need a human representative; He does it all for us.

We also know that this psalm is pointing us to Jesus because of the future tone of the words.  In the day of wrath, He will rule.  He will execute judgment on the nations.  He will fill the nations with corpses and overthrow their chiefs.  Jesus will rule in the end, and His rule will be complete.

Turning to Psalm 111, we see a psalm that seems in line with Psalm 110 but pointing in an opposite direction.  Certainly, the focus is still on the greatness of God and His ability to rule.  In this psalm, though, we see a focus on God’s splendor, glory, and salvation.

The psalmist reminds us that the Lord is merciful.  He is gracious.  He is marvelous.  He does provide for us.  He is faithful.  He is trustworthy.  He is just.  He redeems us.  He upholds His own covenant.

All of this being said, I love where this psalm ends.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  Look at all that God can do.  Look at what He does for all of us.  What about Him does not cause us to be in awe of Him?

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