Psalm 110 also highlights the importance of the God’s
oath to David. Alden shows a chiastic structure within the psalm:
A. v. 1 The Lord installs the king
B. v. 2 He is sent out to
conquer
C. v. 3 The day of power
D. v. 4 The Lord swears a solemn oath
C.1 v. 5 The day
of wrath
B.1 v. 6 He goes
out to conquer
A.1 v. 7 The Lord installs the king
Hence, the center of the psalm is the oath sworn to
David.
It is also important to note the psalm’s reference to the
priestly role of the Davidic king: “You are priest for ever after the order of
Melchizedek” (Ps. 110:4). While David’s priestly status is not discussed in 2
Samuel 7, it is clearly demonstrated in 2 Samuel 6. There David offers sacrifice
(v. 13), wears an ephod (the garment of a priest, v. 14), pitches the sacred
tent and sacrifices in it (v. 17), blesses the people (v. 18), and distributes
bread to the people (v. 19). In this last activity, David is like Melchizedek,
who was also a bread-bringing priest-king in Jerusalem (cf. Ps. 110:4). (Michael
Barber, Singing in the Reign: The Psalms and the Liturgy of God’s Kingdom [Steubenville,
Ohio: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2001], 53-54)
Psalm 110 was probably an enthronement psalm of the
Davidic king. The superscription attributes the psalm to David, who may have
sung this psalm on the day of Solomon’s enthronement. Since David himself
referred to King Saul as “my Lord,” there is no problem in seeing the opening
statement, “The Lord says to my lord,” as an address to his newly enthroned
son. This is made even more likely by the fact that David made his son king
while he was still alive (cf. 1 Kings 1:29–48).
However, within the larger context of the exile
experience and the affliction of Israel in the preceding psalms, Psalm 110
represents the triumphant return of the Davidic king. With this messianic
enthronement, the hope for the restoration of the kingdom can finally be
realized. In response to the laments of Psalms 108–09, which spoke of the
continued affliction of the righteous by the wicked, Psalm 110 proclaims: “Sit
at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool.” (Ibid.,
127)
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