Heart of a Psalmist - Worshipping Christ Through The Psalms

• He is humbling our enemies- “For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet.” (1 Cor. 15:25) • He is supreme over the universe- “…and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. How he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else in this world or in the world to come.” (Eph. 1:20, 21) • We are to contemplate him- “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. “ (Col. 3;1, 2) Our thoughts are to be dominated by the reality that Christ is Lord, seated at the right hand of God controlling all events and actions. • We are to worship him- “He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers are bowing before him.” (1 Pet. 3:22) The Lordship of Christ is one of the basic foundations of true worship. “The Lord will extend your powerful dominion from Jerusalem (Zion); you will rule over your ene- mies. In that day of battle, your people will serve you willingly. Arrayed in holy garments, your vigor will be renewed each day like the morning dew.” (2, 3) Although it is originally speaking of the natural Kingdom of David and Israel, it is now through his church, referred to here as Zion, that the Messiah will extend his kingdom throughout the whole earth. There is a complete willingness among his army to follow their Messiah in the spiritual battle. ‘ …entirely cheerful readiness; ready for any sacrifices, they bring themselves with all that they are and have to meet him...they present themselves from inward impulse 4 .’ In the New Living Translation of verse three, the holy garments and dew are referring to the Lord himself. In the NewAmerican Standard Version translation, the garments and dew is referring to the army following the Messiah: “Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power; in holy array, from the womb of the dawn, Your youth are to You as the dew.” (vs. 3 NAS95) The army is likened to the dew, an immense number of fresh volunteers ready to cover the earth for his glory. It is a priestly army, wear- ing holy garments: “You are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1Pet. 2:9) It is an army of the Lord’s ‘goodness’ that extends his powerful dominion. “The Lord has taken an oath and will not break his vow; ‘You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek.” (4) If this psalm is the tallest prophetic mountain in the book of psalms, then this verse is the final and highest peak. Martin Luther called it; ‘a well-spring…a treasury of all Christian doctrines, understand- ing, wisdom, and comfort, richer and fuller than any other passage of Holy Writ* 5 .’ It is one of the rare times God swears by himself to validate his promise; ‘to fix a given state as final and unchangeable 6 ’ and to ‘make assurance a thousand times sure 7 ’. His Son was, is and always will be the eternal Priest of heaven. David was the first king in the Old Testament to unite the offices of King and Priest foreshadow- ing the coming of Jesus, our King and High Priest. David’s priesthood was different from the priests in the line of Aaron that offered animal sacrifices at the Tabernacle of Moses. David was a representation of the Priesthood of Melchizedek that was centered upon worshiping before the Presence of God; “And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly tunic.”(2 Sam. 6:14) Our offering of worship in the Melchizedek priesthood is the giving of ourselves completely to God because Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice for us. It is New Testament in nature: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Rom. 12:1,NIV) The King’s Army - II A PRIEST FOREVER - vs. 4-7- Jesus the Priest

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