This Week's Focus Passage

This Week’s Focus Passage: Psalm 110 ‘Jehovah saith unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand.’

This Week’s Focus Passage: Psalm 110

‘Jehovah saith  unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand.’

    

Psalm, the one-hundred and tenth, is that Older Testament chapter, or verse, or passage, which has been cited on more occasions, in the Newer Testament, than any other portion from the Older Testament. As a particular example of that reality, we turn to the passage, found in Matthew 22:41-46. Read these five verses:

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying,  What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, the son of David. How then doth David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on right hand, Till I put thine enemies underneath thy feet? If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son? And no one was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.—Matthew 22:41-46.

  

    In point of fact, Psalm 110 is the most frequently cited Old Testament text, to be found in the Newer Testament. It has been referenced to demonstrate the truth that David was not only a king and a great warrior, but he was also a prophet. This fact is supported, as well, by Peter’s remarks recorded by Luke, in Acts 2:33, when he said, with reference to Psalm 110, which Peter cites, and then, happily, applies, when he has said, in the next verse in these terms:

The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.

Peter has also informed us, just preciously, in the thirtieth verse that David also was a prophet. Yes, the sweet psalmist of Israel was a prophet. This important information is granted to the reader as almost something of simply a passing remark.

    There are, indeed, many ‘passing remarks’ that are vitally important for us to lay hold on. We are reminded of John Bunyan’s lovely, and marvelous, allegory, the Pilgrim’s Progress, that depicts, in yes, allegorical language, Pilgrim’s journey, as the subtitle informs us, A pilgrim’s journey from this world, to that which is to come. Britannica informs us, with respect to this beautiful allegory, that;

    The Pilgrim’s Progress [from this world to that which is to come], religious allegory by the English writer, John Bunyan, published in two parts in 1678 and 1684. The work is a symbolic vision of the good man’s pilgrimage through life. At one time, second only to the Bible in popularity, The Pilgrim’s Progress is the most famous allegory still in print. It was first published in the reign of Charles II and was largely written while its Puritan author was imprisoned for offenses against the Conventicle Act of 1593, (which prohibited the conducting of religious services outside the bailiwick of the Church of England).—Encyclopedia Britannica.  

In his ‘journey from this world to that which is to come,’ our Pilgrim meets with a great bounty of individuals along his way, each of them attempting to give him advise and direction. Much of this direction was in the manner of that which is popularly called, in our day, misinformation. Many of the directions constitute what we may think of as ‘waymarks.’ We find references to waymarks in Jeremiah 6:16, where we may read the following words of instruction, from God through Jeremiah;

Thus saith Jehovah, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls: but they said we will not walk therein.    And we are advised, in Proverbs 22:28, Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.

There are two particular ‘landmarks,’ or, ‘waymarks,’ in our thoughts upon the third verse of this 110th Psalm, namely, Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power—(KJV), along with, John 6:44, No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him, and I will raise him up in the last day.—(ASV-1901). These two ‘waymarks,’ or, ‘signposts,’ along the way, positioned by God to be conspicuous at the very right time in the elect sinner’s path, are such as sincerely posit the absolute sovereignty of Jehovah-God in the salvation of His chosen people.  

    Each of these passages, or verses, teach regarding the absolute sovereignty of God in the salvation of man. ‘Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power,’ not the day before, nor the day after, but on the very day of the power of God. We take this power spoken of, as that power exercised by God the Holy Spirit, that power of regenerating grace; that power of which Ezekiel has spoken of in Ezekiel 36:26ff. In that covenant promise, Jehovah has told us, unequivocally, in powerful words:

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put with-in you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances and do them.

This is nothing less than a description of the all-powerful, regeneration grace of God sovereignly given to the elect sinner, making him willing in the day of that power, to come to God. And as John wrote of Christ’s words, No man can come to me, except the Father draw him. The Father gives the chosen one a new heart, within it a new will, making him willing to come to Him, and then He draws him to Himself. No man will be willing apart from the regenerating grace of God, turning him around by giving him a new heart, and a new Spirit. This is nothing less that the new birth; that birth of which Jesus spoke to the Pharisee, Nicodemus, recorded in the third chapter of John’s gospel account. Jesus told Nicodemus that, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Upon Nicodemus asking, How?, Jesus tells him, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. You must be born again, and that is the sovereign work of our Sovereign God.

David Farmer, elder

Fellowship Bible Church

service-times-bg

Join us Sunday at 

10:30am