#3 Holy Wit – Bible Study The King Who Rules, Reigns, and Intercedes (Behold Your King: Christ in the Old Testament – Psalm 110) Scripture Reading (NKJV): Psalm 110:1 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” Psalm 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Psalm 110:3 Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.” Psalm 110:5 The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. Psalm 110:6 He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. Psalm 110:7 He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head. Psalm 110 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+110&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 1. The Lord Speaks to David’s Lord Psalm 110 opens with one of the most theologically explosive sentences in Scripture: “The LORD said to my Lord.” David, Israel’s greatest king, speaks of someone greater than himself. This is no poetic flourish. It is a deliberate confession that the Messiah is not merely David’s son, but David’s sovereign. Jesus Himself presses this point in the Gospels, forcing His hearers to reckon with a Messiah who cannot be explained by mere human descent. The Old Testament here openly anticipates a King who is divine, enthroned by God Himself, and exalted above all earthly authority. Psalm 110:1 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+110%3A1&version=NKJV Matthew 22:41–45 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A41-45&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 2. A King Enthroned at the Right Hand of God To sit at the right hand is not a posture of rest but of authority. In the ancient world, the right hand was the seat of power, judgment, and rule. This Messiah does not wait passively for history to unfold; He reigns now while history is being brought into submission. The kingdom is advancing even as opposition remains. This psalm shatters the idea that Christ’s reign begins only in the future. His enemies are real, but their defeat is certain. Psalm 110:1 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+110%3A1&version=NKJV Hebrews 1:3 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+1%3A3&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 3. The Willing People of the Messianic King Unlike earthly tyrants who rule by coercion, this King commands a people who follow willingly. They are not dragged into service; they present themselves freely. Their strength is not merely political or military, but moral and spiritual. The Messiah’s kingdom advances through transformed hearts, not forced allegiance. Even here, the Old Testament anticipates the church — a people made willing by grace. Psalm 110:3 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+110%3A3&version=NKJV John 10:27 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+10%3A27&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 4. A Priest Forever, Not Like Aaron Here the psalm introduces something utterly foreign to Israel’s categories: a king who is also a priest. Under the Mosaic Law, kings came from Judah and priests from Levi — the roles were strictly separated. Yet Psalm 110 declares a priesthood older and greater than Aaron’s, rooted in Melchizedek. This priest does not offer repeated sacrifices; He stands forever, mediating eternally. The Old Testament itself signals that the Levitical system was provisional, pointing beyond itself to a perfect priest. Psalm 110:4 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+110%3A4&version=NKJV Hebrews 7:23–25 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+7%3A23-25&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 5. The Warrior Who Will Judge the Nations The psalm closes not with sentiment but with certainty. The Messiah is patient, but He is not passive. The same King who intercedes as priest will one day judge as ruler. Mercy and justice are not competing themes; they are unified in His reign. Scripture refuses to let us domesticate the Messiah into a comforting symbol. He is Savior now — and Judge in due time. Psalm 110:5–6 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+110%3A5-6&version=NKJV Acts 17:31 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+17%3A31&version=NKJV ________________________________________ 6. Christ Before the Gospels Psalm 110 demolishes the idea that Christ is a late invention of the New Testament. Long before Bethlehem, Scripture spoke of a divine Lord, reigning King, eternal Priest, and coming Judge. The apostles did not retrofit Jesus into the Old Testament; they recognized Him there. The Messiah of Psalm 110 is not awaiting relevance — He already reigns. Psalm 110 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+110&version=NKJV Romans 1:3–4 (NKJV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1%3A3-4&version=NKJV ________________________________________ Reflection Questions 1. Why does David’s reference to “my Lord” challenge purely human views of the Messiah (Psalm 110:1; Matthew 22:41–45)? 2. How does Christ’s present reign at the right hand of God shape the way you interpret current events and opposition? 3. What does it mean for you personally that Christ is both King and eternal Priest (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:25)? 4. How should the certainty of Christ’s future judgment affect both your hope and your holiness? ________________________________________ Prayer Points 1. Thank God that Jesus Christ reigns now as King at His right hand. 2. Praise Christ for His eternal priesthood and continual intercession for His people. 3. Ask for grace to live willingly under His rule rather than resisting His authority. 4. Pray for confidence and peace rooted in the certainty of Christ’s final victory. ________________________________________ For further study (NKJV): Hebrews 1:13 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+1%3A13&version=NKJV Hebrews 5:5–6 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+5%3A5-6&version=NKJV 1 Corinthians 15:25 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+15%3A25&version=NKJV ________________________________________ #HolyWitBibleStudy #GordonMcGinnis #ChristInTheOldTestament #Psalm110