Psalm 110, one of the clearest messianic prophecies in the psalms, gives us a picture of a king who is both ruler and priest. This morning, the hymns we sing celebrate both of these realities as they are fulfilled in Christ. In Praise, My Soul, The King Of Heaven and O Christ, Our Hope, we declare our fealty to our mighty Lord who will “shatter kings on the day of His wrath,” singing of the tribute we bring to His feet and marveling at the glorious robes He wears on His Father’s throne. In contrast, I Know That My Redeemer Lives acknowledges Jesus as the “priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek,” who lives not only to “crush the fiends of hell” but also to “plead our cause above.” Perhaps this glorious duality is best expressed in the hymn which closes our service, William Dix’s Alleluia! Sing To Jesus:
Alleluia! King eternal, Thee the Lord of lords we own,
Alleluia! Born of Mary, Earth Thy footstool, Heav’n Thy throne,
Thou within the veil hast entered, robed in flesh our great High Priest,
Thou on earth both priest and victim, in the Eucharistic feast.
—Henry C. Haffner
Key Words: Lord, Sit, Right Hand, Rule, Priest, Judgment, Enemies
Keystone Verse: The Lord says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool. (Psalm 110:1)
Psalm 110:1-7
The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! 3 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. 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 6 He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. 7 He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head.