Let's read from Psalm 110, the
first couple of verses. The Lord said unto my Lord. Now we know all Scripture is
given by inspiration of God. And our Lord, when He quotes
this from Matthew chapter, recorded in Matthew 22, He said that David
is speaking by the Spirit of God. The Lord said to my Lord,
to my Savior, my Redeemer, I know that my Redeemer liveth. Sit
thou at my right hand." We see the exalted Lord Jesus Christ. When He by Himself purged our
sin, He sat down to right hand of God. Until I make thine enemies
all to bow before your sovereign throne. The Lord shall send the
rod of thy strength. It's a power and purpose of God
in the Gospel. Out of Zion. out of Zion. That's his people, his church.
Rule thou, and this gospel will rule. In the midst of all opposition,
the gospel will go forth in power. And thy people will hear it,
thy people will believe it, thy people shall be willing in the
day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness. From the womb of
the morning thou hast to do of thy youth. affectually, irresistibly,
draw His people to Himself? How does He do that? Well, that
verse tells us how. And we'll come and look at this
in just a moment. Now, this psalm reveals unto
us the person of Christ, His nature, His attributes, His office
as God our Savior. God our Savior. His person, He
is Almighty King. He is the Almighty God. His nature,
He's all-powerful. He is the Holy One of God. His office, prophet, priest,
and king. And I need all three because
I'm a sinner. I need a prophet to teach me,
a prophet son of God. And He is that prophet. I need
a priest to represent me before God with a suitable sacrifice,
His blood. is suitable. And I need a king.
I need a king to rule and reign over me. A king who has all wisdom,
all authority, and all power. Who never makes a mistake. Who
does all things on purpose. He does all things for my good
and his eternal glory. I need a king like that. I need
a puppet like that. I need a priest like that. And
we have that in the gospel. The Lord Jesus Christ. In this
first verse here, The Lord quoted to put to shame and silence those
Pharisees when He asked them that question. How can He be
David's Son and David's Lord? And they could not answer Him
at all. How could He be David's God,
David's Savior, and David's Son? Well, they didn't understand
the Gospel. Well, here's how. He is both God, eternal God,
As such, He is Lord of heaven and earth, and He is the God-man. He is the Mediator. He is 100% God in all attributes
of His deity, and He is 100% man. He is both God and man in
one blessed person. The old writers called Him the
God-man. And really, we can pronounce
it in one word, God-man. The God-man. There's one mediator
between God and men, and that is the God-man, the Lord Jesus
Christ. He is the eternal God. Turn to
John chapter 1. Hold your place there. Put a
marker in there. Find John chapter 1. We certainly believe and teach,
as the Scriptures do, what we call the deity of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He is God. Notice John chapter
1. Verse 1, in the beginning was
the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with Him. Now notice down in verse 14,
and the Word was made flesh. The Word was made flesh. Our
Lord said to His disciples, you've seen Me, you've seen the Father,
I and My Father are one. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and full of truth. He is the
eternal God. He is the Word made flesh. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law. God, who inhabits eternity, Now
you think about this. God who inhabits eternity inhabited
a body of a man. A body of flesh without sin,
but a real man. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. As such, He is Lord of all. The Lord said to my Lord. Now this is talking about Christ
in His office as mediator. He is Lord of all. He's not Lord
by something we do. He is Lord by God's decree. You remember the preaching of
Peter in Acts chapter 2. Turn over there. Acts chapter
2. Acts chapter 2. God hath made that same Jesus
whom you crucified, God hath made Him both Lord and Christ. Notice, if you will, Acts chapter
2, in verse 32. This Jesus has God raised up.
We're all witnesses. We are all witnesses. That is
the apostles. Acts 2, 32 in the early church
there. Therefore, being by the right
hand of God exalted, having received of the Father the promise of
the Holy Spirit, He hath shed forth this which you now see
and hear. For David is not ascended into
the heavens, but he saith, But he saith himself, The Lord said
unto my Lord, Sit thou with my right hand, till I make thine
enemies thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God had made that same Jesus, whom
you crucified, He's made Him Lord, and He's the anointed. He is the Christ of God. And
as such, all enemies will bow unto Him. All opposition will
be crushed. under His rule and reign, until
I make thine enemies thy footstool." Turn to Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians chapter 2. We read this in Philippians 2. It talks about our Lord Jesus
Christ. He was made Himself of no reputation. You got it? Philippians 2, 7.
Took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness
of men. and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself,
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him, given him a name which is
above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, things in heaven, things in earth, things under the earth,
and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to
the glory of God the Father. Sit thou with my right hand,
till I make thine enemies thy footstool. He has earned the
right to judge all men. Now turn to Hebrews chapter 1.
Hebrews chapter 1. When he by himself, Hebrews 1.3,
who being the brightness of his glory, the express image of his
person, upholding all things by the word of his power, when
he by himself purged our sin, Hebrews 1, 3, purged our sin,
sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. He sat down
because his work was finished. He accomplished redemption for
his people. Now find Hebrews 8, 1. Now the
things which we have spoken, this is the sum. We have such
a high priest who was set on the right hand of the throne
of the majesty in the heavens. We have a high priest, my friend. And all enemies will bow to His
sovereign rule and reign. And that we can be assured of.
Now look at verse 2. The Lord shall send. The Lord,
Jehovah, Almighty God. The Lord shall send the rod of
thy strength. And this is the strength of the
gospel. Out of Zion. It's the rod of strength. Power
and purpose. And this rod of strength will
be sent out of Zion. That's His church, that's His
people, that's the redeemed. Rule thou, and the gospel will
rule, will accomplish God's purpose in the midst of all enemies. Our Lord said this, in Matthew
chapter 16, turn over there, Matthew 16. Matthew 16. Remember they asked Him, whom
do men say that I, the Son of Man am? Well, some said Elijah,
Jeremiah another prophet he asked Peter Matthew 16 16 He said to
them whom say ye that I am and Simon Peter answered and said
thou art the Christ the son of the Living God Jesus answered
and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon son of Jonah for flesh
and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which
is in heaven and I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and
And upon this rock, this foundation, Christ the Lord, the Son of the
living God, I'll build my church, and the gates of hell shall not
prevail against it." Nothing's going to stop God's purpose in
the gospel. All enemies will be crushed under
His feet, His dominion. And the Lord has chosen. Now
notice the privilege that Zion has. as the church of God, the
church of Zion. The privilege that God has given
us to have this gospel. He shall send the rod of the
gospel out of Zion, out of His church. He said to go into all
the world and preach the gospel to every creature. And this gospel that we preach
will accomplish God's purpose. It pleased God through the preaching
of the gospel to call out His people. When the gospel comes
in unto us, and given to us, and when we preach it, it'll
accomplish. He said His Word will never return
unto Him, boy. It'll accomplish His purpose
in calling out His people, calling out His sheep, and crushing the
enemy. Now notice verse 3. Now I want to take a close look
at verse 3 and 4. Thy people. Now who are these
people? Well, they're His people. It's
people given to the Lord Jesus Christ. Thy people shall be willing
in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness, from the
womb of the morning. Thou hast... You ever talk... hear about people talk about
the fountain of youth? He is the fountain of youth.
He is eternal life. He is salvation. Thou hast the
due of thy youth. He that hath the Son hath life.
Now here, here's the effect of the Gospel coming unto God's
people. Thy people shall be winning.
Now who are these people? Who are these people? Well, they're
His elect. Turn back to Psalm 65. They're His elect. All that
the Father hath given to me, our Lord said, all that the Father
hath given to me, they'll come to me. And those that come to
me, I will know why it's cast out. Psalm 65. Notice, look at
verse 4. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest. You see, election is God choosing
us. And cause us to approach unto
thee that he may dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied
with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. Blessed is that people whom He
has chosen. Had He not chosen me, I never
would have chosen Him. Thank God, our Lord said to His
apostles, He said, You didn't choose me, I've chosen you. Blessed
are thy people. Who are these people? Well, they're
chosen. They're His elect. They're His
bride. Now, I don't know why folks get
so upset with that. Do you have any problem with
a young man falling in love with a young woman And when they announce
their wedding engagement in the paper, do you ever notice what
they say in that announcement? And it's there all the time.
This young man, John Smith, is engaged to this young lady, Julie
Jones, the bride elect. Do you ever notice that? And
the Lord Jesus Christ has chosen his bride. Sovereignly chosen
her. He loved the church and gave
Himself for it. I don't know why anybody would
disagree with Him choosing a people and marrying them in that covenant
of grace, saving them by His blood and calling them out. Thank
God He has a people that He has chosen, that He has redeemed
by His blood. Who are these people? They are
redeemed. They are redeemed people. They're redeemed not with corruptible
things. They're redeemed with the precious
blood of Christ. They're bought with His blood. That's why He died. He died to
make an atonement for their sin. Not an attempt at atonement,
but an atonement. It's not an attemptment, it's
an atonement. He didn't die to make salvation
a possibility. He died for His bride, His elect. He loved the church and gave
Himself for it, and washed it and sanctified it with the washing,
the water of the Word, the Gospel. And she shall, she is saved in
Christ. God who saved us and called us
with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ. When?
Before the foundation of the world. for thy people shall be
winning in the day of thy power." Who are these people? His bride,
His elect, His chosen. Who are these people? They're
redeemed by the blood of Christ. We sing with those in revelation
unto Him who loved us and washed us from our sin in His own blood. Who are these people? Notice
this says they're a willing people. They're a willing people. Now,
they're not that way naturally. Naturally, they love darkness
rather than the light. Who are these people? They're
made willing, loving, servant of the Lord Jesus Christ through
the gospel of His grace. The gospel is the power of God
unto salvation. And notice there's something
here of a birth in here. And that's how He makes them
willing. From the womb of the morning. You see, we're made
willing in the day of His power. His power. Thou hast given Him
power over all flesh that He should give eternal life to as
many as a father hath given Him. Who are these people? They're
His bride, His elect, they're chosen of God. Who are these
people? They're redeemed by the blood
of Christ. Who are these people? They're His willing, loving,
regenerated servants. of the Lord's sinners, saved
by God's grace. Notice this. What do they know? What do they know? Whom do they
see? Notice this. They shall be willing
in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness. Now here's
how the Lord effectually, irresistibly draws us to Himself. He makes
us willing by showing us our ugliness by showing us our need
and showing us the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
shows us His beauty and our ugliness. The beauty of holiness. When
you see Him, you'll count all of your righteousness as filthy
rags. And you'll say with Paul, I count
all things but dung that I may win Christ and be found in Him
in the day of His power. What do these people know? Whom
do they see? They see Him as altogether lovely. We say with Paul, I know whom
I have believed. And I'm persuaded He's able to
keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day. Whom
do they know? They know Him as the beauty of
holiness. He's the beauty of holiness. He is altogether Lovely, and
He is our beauty of holiness. He is the Lord our righteousness. And God has given this to us
in that covenant of grace from the womb of the morning. From
the womb of the morning. He has loved us, chosen us, and
in time He calls us. Christ Himself is our spiritual
beauty. We see Him, to you who believe,
He is altogether precious to you who believe. You see what
He is saying here? In the day of thy power, thy
people shall be willing. We see Him as altogether lovely.
We see Him as the beauty of holiness. We see Him as one who has the water of life. Thou hast to do of thy youth.
He is the fountain of youth. Christ himself, where does the
dew come from? You go out on an early morning
and you look out over your yard and you see that grass covered
with the morning dew. How did it get there? Did you
have anything to do with it? Did you put it there? He did
put it there. It came from heaven. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the dew from heaven. He is the water of life,
sparkling, refreshing, life-giving. He said, Ho, everyone that's
thirsty, come unto Me and I'll give you drink. Turn to John
chapter 4. Look at this here. John chapter
4. John chapter 4. Remember the
woman at the well? And the Lord said to her, Verse
10, John chapter 4 verse 10, If thou knewest the gift of God,
and who it is that saith unto thee, Give me to drink, thou
wouldst ask of him, and he would have given thee living water. See, he's the fountain of youth.
He is the dew of youth. And the woman said, Sir, thou
hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. She's still
thinking naturally. The well is deep, from whence
then hast thou this living water? Art thou greater than our father
Jacob? Oh yeah, yeah. Which gave us this well, and
drank thereof himself, and his children, and cattle? And the
Lord said to her, verse 13, Whosoever drinketh of this water, this
natural water, will thirst again. Verse 14, But whosoever drinketh
of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the
water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up into everlasting life. He is the doer of youth. Salvation
is in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's why he says this.
Turn to John chapter 7. John chapter 7. Day, verse 37,
John 7, 37. And the last day, the great day
of the feast, the Lord stood and cried, if any man thirst,
let him come to Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the
Scripture had said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. Christ in you is a hope of glory. You see what he's saying? Now
look back to the text. Salvation is in Christ. He draws us with
everlasting. He said, I've loved you with
an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness I'll draw
you to Myself. He draws us by showing us that
He is altogether lovely. Did you ever have that time when
you were a young person like these young people here? And
you ever had that desire to something that you just had to have? You
had a desire for some special thing, something you just had
to have. Boy, you thought about it, you
sought after it, and by all means, you would try to get your desire. That's what He does with His
people. He gives us a new desire, a new heart. He makes us new
creatures in Christ, and He causes us to set our affection on things
above. He causes us to set our affection,
our heart on Him who is altogether lovely. Look at verse 4. The Lord hath sworn, and He will
not change. He said, I am the Lord, I will
not change. Therefore you sons of Jacob,
you shall not be consumed. The Lord hath sworn. Now that's
a pretty high oath. The Lord hath sworn, and He will
not change. He cannot change. And here's
what the Lord, Jehovah, Almighty God, He says of the Lord Jesus
Christ that you are a priest forever. He is our priest forever. After the order of this one,
Melchizedek. Now, let's work on this verse
here just a minute. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the
only mediator. the only Savior, the only Advocate,
the only Redeemer, the only Surety, and He's the Priest of the Most
High God by God's decree. Turn to Hebrews chapter 6. Let's
read that. Hebrews chapter 6. It's talking
about Christ in His mediatorial office as our Priest, Prophet
and King. God has sworn. Hebrews 6 verse
16. for men verily swear by the greater. An oath for confirmation is to
them an end of all strife." Now, if you go into court, you swear
by the greater. Swear to take an oath if you
are able to do so or affirm. Verse 17, wherein God, willing
more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability,
the unchangeableness of His counsel, Confirmed it by an oath that
by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to
lie We might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay
hold upon the hope that set before us Which hope as we have as an
anchor of the soul Both sure and steadfast our anchor is Christ
both sure and steadfast who entered into that within the veil Anchor
of our soul where our forerunner is entered. You remember when
He by Himself purged our sin? He sat down. Our forerunner has
entered into the very presence of God on the throne of God as
our mediator, as our intercessor. Even Jesus, the Savior, made
a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Now, stay
right there in the book of Hebrews a minute. And let me have your
ear a minute. Notice in our text here, it doesn't
say he's made a priest forever after the order of Aaron. Now,
he is the Lord Jesus. Aaron was a type of the Lord
Jesus in the fact that he represented the people with a sacrifice.
But in many ways, Aaron's a poor type of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Aaron was a type of Christ in his priesthood, but the Lord
Jesus is superior in his priesthood in every way. Now listen to me. There were many priests under
the law, right? How come there were many priests?
Well, let's read Hebrews 7, 22. Hebrews 7, 22. By so much with
Jesus made a surety of a better testament, and they truly were
many priests. Notice he's the Savior, the surety
of a better covenant. They were truly many priests
because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death.
But this man, because he continueth ever, he has an unchangeable
priesthood. You see, they were many. He's
one. The one and only. These, say
right here in Hebrews 7, those Aaronic priests, sons of Aaron
and generations following, they were sinful men. who had to offer
sacrifice for themselves and then for the others, the Lord
Jesus Christ had no sin, did no sin, knew no sin. Hebrews
7.26, For such a high priest became us, who was holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens,
who needed not daily, as those priests, to offer up sacrifice
first for his own sin. He had none. And then for the
peoples, For this He did once when He offered up Himself."
You see the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ and His priesthood?
They were many, He's the one and only. They were sinful men,
Aaron and his sons. The Lord Jesus Christ had no
sin. Now He was made sin for us at
Calvary, but that wasn't sin He committed, that was sin that
was laid on Him by God's charge. Something else. They were only
priests. They were only priests. The Lord
Jesus Christ is the king priest. Aaron never was a king. The Lord Jesus Christ, He is
king of kings. And Lord of lords, He's my priest.
He represents me before God with a suitable sacrifice for sin.
Something else about the Aaronic priesthood versus the Mechazitic
priesthood. Their priesthood had a beginning.
and had an end. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
eternal King Priest. He has no beginning and no end.
He's Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and He is
the end. Something else about the comparison
here between Aaron's priesthood and that of the Lord Jesus Christ.
They offered many sacrifices. Morning after morning, On the
Day of Atonement, year after year, turn to Hebrews chapter
10. How many sacrifices did the Lord Jesus Christ offer for His
people? Hebrews 10 verse 14, "...for
by one offering, He perfected forever them that are sanctified."
They offered many sacrifices that never put away sin. He offered
one sacrifice and put away all the sin of God's people. They
offered, that is Aaron and his sons and the generations following,
they offered the blood of others. Picture substitution, but the
Lord Jesus Christ didn't bring the blood of others, did He?
Hebrews 9, turn there, Hebrews 9, 12, what did He bring? Hebrews
9.11 says, Christ being come a high priest of good things
to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made
with hand, that is to say, not of this building, neither by
the blood of bulls and goats and calves, but by his own blood
he entered at once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. You see, they offered the blood
of others. He offered himself. Now, which is better? the Lord
Jesus Christ. He bought us with His own blood.
Their sacrifices never put away sin. It says that in Hebrews
10, 4. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats
should take away sin. Not possible. It pictured substitution,
but it pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect sacrifice.
He put away sin. It says there in Hebrews 9, verse
26, Now once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put
away sin, by the sacrifice of himself. Their priesthood never
accomplished salvation. It says that in Hebrews 10.1,
the law having a shadow of good things to come, not the very
image of those things, the shadow has no life, does it? No life
in a shadow. Can never with those sacrifices
which they offered year by year continually make the comers there
unto perfect. Their priesthood never accomplished
salvation. The sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ brought in everlasting salvation. It says this over
here in Hebrews 10. Turn over there. This is a covenant,
verse 16, that I will make with them after those days, saith
the Lord. I'll put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds
will I write them. Their sins and their iniquities
will I remember no more. Now where remission of these
is, there's no more offering for sin. Don't bring another
one. There's no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren,
boldness, liberty to enter into the holiest. How? By the blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. I say, my friend, the sacrifice
of Christ is far superior, far superior as God's lamb that takes
away the sin of God's people. The Lord Jesus Christ is a priest
like Melchizedek. Turn to Hebrews 7.1. Look at
this here. For this Melchizedek, mysterious
character, he appears one time in Scripture to Abraham, brings
an offering, doesn't make a sacrifice, he doesn't offer a sacrifice,
but he comes to bless Abraham. Hebrews 7.1, For this Melchizedek,
king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham
returning from the slaughter of the kings, he blessed him. To him also Abraham gave a tenth
part of all, first being by interpretation king of righteousness, and after
that also king of Salem, which is king of peace. It says of
Melchizedek, without father, there's no written record of
who his father was. Without mother, we don't know
who his mother was. without mother, without descent,
without pedigree, having neither beginning of days, there's no
written record of his birth, nor end of life, of his death,
but made like unto the Son of God, abideth a priest continually."
Now, Melchizedek is a most mysterious man. And we don't have much information
about him, but it's left that way on purpose because he typifies
the Lord Jesus Christ in the mystery of his priesthood as
he represents his people before God. There's none like him that
is Christ. There's none like him before
or after. None preceded him. None succeeded
him. He came once, blessed Abraham,
and that picture is the Lord Jesus Christ. There's none like
him. Christ came to bless He came
once to bless the spiritual seed of Abraham in Christ. Now, back to the text, and I'll
wind this up here. Psalm 110. The Lord hath sworn
and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever. Thank God we have a priest forever. We have a priest. When you sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Well, preachers, certainly you
don't sin. I tell you what, constantly, constantly. I'm just being honest now. Think
things that are just horrible things. Do things I shouldn't
do. I'm a sinner. But my friend, I never want to
graduate above the state of being a sinner saved by God's grace. Well, in verse 5, 6, and 7, we
have the absolute total victory of the Lord. He's going to wipe
out all opposition. The Lord at thy right hand shall
strike through. Notice, shall strike through
kings in a day of His wrath. What is the king among men? when
they have to deal with Him who is King of kings and Lord of
lords. He shall judge the heathen, and He has a right to. God's
appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness
by Jesus Christ. He's the standard of judgment.
He shall judge among the heathen. He shall fill the places with
dead bodies. He shall wound the heads over
many countries, great countries. He shall drink of the brook in
the way. Therefore shall He lift up the
head. He's exalted Christ and His people
are exalted in Him. That which is true of the head
is true of the body. He's our head and He's exalted
and we're exalted in Him. I pray the Lord will bless that
study to your heart and cause you to go back and read those
scriptures again and meditate and think upon the priesthood
of the Lord Jesus Christ. How necessary it is and how effectual
it is for us.