Psalm 109 — 110
To sit at a ruler's right hand was a great honor (1 Kings 2:19; Matt. 20:21). When Jesus ascended to heaven, the Father honored Him by placing Him at His own right hand, a statement repeated frequently in the New Testament. (See Acts 2:33–34; 5:31; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Peter 3:22). Jesus is "far above all" (Eph. 1:21; 4:10; Col. 2:10; see Phil. 2:9–11). When the Son was exalted and enthroned at His ascension, the Father made three promises to him, that He would defeat His enemies (v. 1), extend His kingdom (v. 2), and give Him a victorious army (v. 3). Note that in verses 1–3, the key phrase is "I will," the Father speaking to the Son, but in verses 5–7, the key phrase is "he will," the psalmist speaking about the Son. To use the enemy soldiers as footstools meant to defeat and humiliate them (Josh. 10:24; see 1 Cor. 15:24–25 and Eph. 1:22), and this victory is described in verses 5–7. See also the Messianic promises in Psalm 2. Both David and Solomon extended the borders of the kingdom of Israel, but when Messiah establishes His kingdom, with Jerusalem as the center (2:6), the whole earth will share in the glory and the blessing (72:1–11; Isa. 2:1–4; Mic. 4:1–3). Today, the Lord has enemies who oppose Him, but He is sovereign and rules from His throne even though they refuse to submit. When our Lord was here on earth, the powerful ministry of the apostles brought defeat to the devil (Luke. 10:17–20), and today His church has victory through Him as we pray, share the Word, and depend on the Spirit.
would tell his enemies that Jehovah was fighting David's battles. "Magnify your mercy!" was David's cry (vv. 21, 26). He wanted the Lord to be mindful of his needs, for he was "poor and needy" (vv. 22–25; 70:5; 86:1). He had a broken heart and he felt as if his life was fading away like the shadows of evening. As the sun sets, the shadows grow longer and longer and then vanish. Like a locust hanging on clothing, his grip on life was feeble and he could be shaken off at any minute. Imagine the future king of Israel comparing himself to a fragile insect! David asked the Lord to send him a blessing every time his enemy cursed him and to bring shame to the enemy but joy to His servant. Finally, David promised to praise the Lord and give glory to Him when all these trials were ended, and he did. After David had been made king over all Israel, he brought the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem and sought to honor the Lord (2 Sam. 5–6). God did help David, in His own time and His own way, and so He will do for us.