Psalm 110: David, a New Melchizedek

Today’s reading is Psalm 110.

David Before Jesus

If you’ve been reading along with us for the past years in the psalms (or listening to Text Talk), you know full well how I believe Jesus can be found in every psalm, not just the ones labeled “Messianic.” The way to find Jesus, though, is not just to overlay Him on any old phrase in a psalm that sounds like Jesus. Rather, we need to see the psalm in its original context and meaning. Then we find the thread leading to Jesus.

I admit, Psalm 110 tests my theory on this. Especially since Jesus Himself suggests David is talking about the Messiah and not about himself. Maybe this psalm strictly looks to the future hope of Israel in the Messiah, the new David. Maybe it has no anchor in David as the anointed of God. Maybe, as an exception to what I said yesterday about inspiration, the Holy Spirit really did just take over David on this one and prompt him to say things he would never think himself because he couldn’t possibly know them.

Maybe…but what if it isn’t. What if Psalm 110 is actually a psalm about David before it is about Jesus? What if David had a lived experience that prompted this psalm? What if it was a psalm, as so many others, anchored in David’s limited experience pointing too the Messiah who would experience it in full? How would that possibly be the case with this psalm?

A Priest-King in Jerusalem

Our psalm is clearly divided into two portions. The first half builds on the LORD’s oracle to “my Lord” the king (vss. 1-3). The second half builds on the LORD’s oath to “my Lord” the priest (vss. 4-7). The psalm presents a priestly king or a royal priest.

Interestingly, we’ve heard of someone like this well before the nation of Israel came on the scene. In fact, we read about one such ruler in the Promised Land in Genesis 14:18-20. His name? Melchizedek. That’s right. The king who is also a priest is none other than the fellow mentioned in this week’s psalm. We are so used to talking about this based on the Hebrews author’s exposition of it and the point that Jesus is a priest from an order different than Aaron, we don’t even think about what this would be saying about David in it’s original context. The psalm was not so much saying David was a priest but from a different order than Aaron, as it was saying David was a king who was also priest–just like Melchizedek. The point was not for David to take up work in the tabernacle. Rather, the point was he represented God to the people and the people to God. Frankly, that is something we see in the Psalms again and again–David leading the people into God’s presence to worship through his poems and songs. When they worshiped through these writings, they were the Lord’s anointed people, coming into the Lord’s presence through the mediation of the Lord’s anointed king.

From Melchizedek to David

How does this line from Melchizedek to David get drawn?

In Genesis 14:18-20, when Abraham and his 318 soldiers and defeated a confederation of four kings, Melchizedek came out to bless him. Melchizedek was the king of Salem, which according to Psalm 76:2 was Jerusalem. Additionally, he was priest of God Most High. Abraham met this man whose name meant “king of righteousness” or “my king is righteous” who was also a priest.

In Joshua 10:1ff, the Israelites pursued their conquest of the Promised Land. Once again, they faced a coalition of kings. This time, the ring-leader of the coalition was the king of Jerusalem named Adoni-zedek. Two things to note. First, while that is slightly different from the more ancient Melchizedek, it is practically the same. The new name means “lord/ruler/master of righteousness” or “my lord/ruler/master is righteous.” It is, for all intents and purposes, the same name. This strongly indicates a hereditary role of the one sitting on the throne of Salem/Jerusalem was a ruler of “righteousness” or was a king who was a priest. Granted, by Joshua 10, the ruler was no longer truly righteous like his ancient counterpart. This is, of course, the reason his life needed to be cut short and another take his office.

When David became king in Israel, though Jerusalem had been defeated by Joshua years ago, they had been unable to drive the Jebusites out of the city. In 2 Samuel 5:6-11 and 1 Chronicles 11:4-9, David’s army under Joab defeated the Jebusites allowing David to set his throne in Jerusalem. David lived in the stronghold of those ancient priest-kings and called it “the city of David.” In the telling of the Chronicler, the next two chapters show David’s mighty men who volunteer freely to fight with him and under him. Further, they tell of the victories these armies have over other kings and city-states. David’s enemies are being made his footstool as his people volunteer to fight for him. Finally, I can’t help but notice in both versions of David’s victory over Jerusalem, the paragraph ends by saying, “And David became greater and greater, for the LORD, the God of hosts, was with him” (2 Samuel 5:10; similarly 1 Chronicles 11:9). That’s not exactly the same as the LORD being at David’s right hand (Psalm 110:1, 5), but pretty close.

Do you see what has happened? David has been given, by God, the throne in Zion (see Psalm 2). Historically, that was the throne of the Melchizedek/Adoni-zedek line of rulers who were also priests. The victory itself by the blessing of the Lord was a message from the LORD to David. He was placed on the Lord’s holy hill in Zion. He had taken the place of the ancient Melchizedek. He was the Lord’s Son (Psalm 2). He was the Lord’s anointed. He was the Lord’s king. He was also the Lord’s priest. David didn’t fulfill this role by taking up work in the tabernacle. But we do see him offering sacrifice at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite on the location that would eventually be the place of the temple in 1 Chronicles 21. David, the priest-king after the order of Melchizedek.

From David to Jesus

As David fulfilled in part so many of the qualities of God’s Son (again, see Psalm 2), he did not exhaust these qualities. Jesus, however, does. David, and his dynasty, did exceed Saul. He represented the people before God and God before the people in a way Saul never did. However, even David was not the complete fulfillment of the royal priest or priestly king.

Even the way Jesus argued from Psalm 110 and how the Jews reacted demonstrated they all expected a greater fulfillment to Psalm 110 than David himself. That greater fulfillment is the Messiah. That Messiah is Jesus.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 110.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 110 admonish you?

Psalm 60: For Instruction

Today’s reading is Psalm 60.

The heading for Psalm 60 contains lots of information. The ESV transliterates one section saying the psalm is “According to Shushan Eduth.” We may have uncovered another top 40 hit of the ancient world. “Shushan” is a form of the word translated “Lilies” which is also part of the heading of Psalms 45 and 69. “Eduth” means “testimony” or “witness.” The title of Psalm 80 uses almost the exact same phrase where one of Asaph’s psalms claims to be “According to Lilies. A Testimony.”

Additionally, the heading says this psalm was written during or memorializes the battle when Joab struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt. We read the historical record of this event in both 2 Samuel 8:13 and 1 Chronicles 18:12. However, the surrounding historical record presenting only victory does not at all sound like events producing this psalm’s tragic lament. As we track the historical record, we see the chain of command. According to the Chronicler, Abishai defeated the Edomites. However, keep in mind Abishai reported to Joab his brother to whom the psalm gives the credit. Both men reported to David the commander in chief and king. Therefore, the historian of Samuel can equally give David credit for the victory. The discrepancy between 12,000 in the psalm versus 18,000 in the historical records possibly shows a scribal error in one of the texts. However, it may be different authors relying on different accounting methods. For instance, 12,000 may refer to a single battle, while 18,000 refers to the entire campaign. 1 Kings 11:15-16 recalls a six-month campaign in Edom.

However, the part of the heading most intriguing to me is “For Instruction.” In Deuteronomy 31:19, God inspired a song for Moses. He specifically told Moses to teach it to the people. Again, in 2 Samuel 1:17-18, David wrote a lament regarding the death of Saul and Jonathan. He specifically claimed “it should be taught to the people of Judah.” Here we find a psalm labelled with the same concept. Psalm 60 is for instruction. It is to be taught. It is to be learned. I don’t know precisely why David felt the need to include this in the heading. All psalms were for instruction. But this one highlights the fact. While Psalms comfort us, excite us, intrigue us, entertain us, even sometimes shock us, they also must educate us. David wanted readers to learn the psalms and learn from the psalms.

Of course, such a use of psalms gets taken up in the New Testament. Singing instructs. Twice, Paul encourages his readers to address one another (Ephesians 5:19) or teach and admonish one another (Colossians 3:16) through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. In the Ephesian letter, singing as instruction among Christians and churches contrasts with the foolish drunken gatherings of the pagan world around them. While those in darkness gathered for their debauched parties with drunken songs, songs which no doubt encouraged more and more sinful behavior, Christians gathered together to sing to one another songs full of the will and wisdom of God. We still gather to learn songs and to learn from one another through singing.

Remember, Psalm 60 is for instruction. But not only that. Singing among us, while it stokes the emotional flames, is also for instruction.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 60.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

What in Psalm 60 provokes or encourages you to praise God?