Psalm 110

Reading for August 19, 2012      Psalm 110

As I read Psalm 110, I began humming the tune of the popular praise song, Days of Elijah because it incorporates the themes of this psalm.

The movie Hotel Rwanda was released in 2004 and documented the ravages of the Rwandan civil war which ended in 1994. In 1995, worship leader Robin Mark from Belfast, Northern Ireland was feeling overwhelmed by the news of the Rwandan genocide, where an estimated one million people died. Out of his distress, God inspired Robin to write Days of Elijah, a worship song that has become much loved across the entire world. In his book, Warrior Poets of the 21st Century, Robin writes that the overall theme of the song is hope – a hope secure in the knowledge that God’s hands are on our lives and His creation. The themes of the verses: declaration; righteousness; unity and worship are expressed through Old Testament characters that represent these virtues. In essence, it is a song of hope for the church and the world in times of great trial. (Warrior Poets of the 21st Century, Robin Mark, Ambassador International, June 29, 2007, p. 145ff)

Psalm 110 is a psalm of hope because it is all about Jesus. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all record Jesus referring to its opening line, “The Lord said to my Lord” as pointing to the truth that The Messiah is not only a descendant of King David, He is also The Son of God. Thirteen times the New Testament connects Psalm 110 to the ministry of Jesus and His place of triumph, standing at the right hand of God. (Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36, 16:19; Acts 2:34; Romans 8:34; Ephesians 1:30; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 5:6, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2)

Like Robin, there are times in my life when I feel overwhelmed, as I feel constantly bombarded with news of war, violence, destruction and death. Then I recall the Bible uses the phrase, “But God” sixty times to denote that God is not finished with us. God is still working to redeem His creation from the ravages of sin and death. One day, we’ll all rejoice in the fulfillment of Revelation 11:15,

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:

“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ,

    and he will reign forever and ever.”

Amen and Amen.

Sē’lah

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What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

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Reading for August 20, 2012      Psalm 111