1 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.
Psalm 110 is another messianic psalm, a psalm that teaches us about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus used this psalm Himself to teach about the identity of the Christ. The Pharisees knew that the coming Christ would be the son or descendant of David. And they were content with a human monarch, one who would be as great and victorious as David. But Jesus opened their eyes to something more.
“What do you think about the Christ?” He asked. “Whose son is he?”
They said to him, “The son of David.”
He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?
45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”
This passage not only teaches about the Christ, that he is superior to David, that He is, indeed, David’s Lord. It also tells us something about Jesus as the Christ. That He sits at God’s right hand means He is in glory, for one thing, but also that He is given a position of high honor in God’s presence. As the writer to the Hebrews says,
After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Four encouraging things come from Christ’s presence at God’s right hand in glory. For one thing, for Him to receive this honor means that He succeeded in His mission. He has conquered sin and death. He made “purification for sins” and we are forgiven!
Secondly, He is in God’s presence, where he intercedes for us (Romans 8:34).
Third, He is at God’s right hand until God puts “[His] enemies under [His] feet.” Satan and his minions have been defeated, but they are not yet under Christ’s feet. They torment us, but not forever. They will be defeated. This explains our struggles today, while giving us a tremendous hope for the deliverance that is to come. Christ rules in the midst of His enemies (v. 2)!
And, finally, in light of the various prophecies that brought Christ into God’s presence, we can be fully assured that He will complete His work, that God will finalize His plan, and we will join Father, Son and Spirit together in glory one day. We will “will offer [our]selves freely on the day of [His] power, in holy garments (v. 3)”.