178.    THE MESSIAH IN DAVID'S PSALMS

"All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Psalms concerning me".

Psalms 2, 22, 69, 110

THE PSALMS.

Did you know that the Book of Psalms is the largest book in the Bible? It is made up of 150 different Psalms. A psalm is a song or prayer, many of which have been set to music. Most of the Psalms were composed by David. Remember when David was anointed how "the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him" (1 Sam. 16:13)? This meant that God would instruct him in His ways so that when David wrote he could say. "The Spirit of Yahweh %poke by me and His word was in my tongue" (2 Sam. 23:2). This is what Paul meant when he said, "All scripture (and the Psalms were part of the scripture) is given by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16). Not only did David write the Psalms, but he wrote them in a particular way. He was skilled in playing music (1 Sam. 16:16-23), and he used this ability to write the Psalms in such a way that they could be set to music and Israel could sing, and thus praise Yahweh and learn of Him.

SOME PSALMS WRITTEN ON PARTICULAR OCCASIONS.

As we read through the Psalms we see that some of them have notes at the beginning of them, called superscriptions. In particular you will note that the reason is given why certain Psalms were written. For example, look at Psalm 34, and at the beginning of it we read, "A Psalm of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed." We can look up 1 Samuel 21:10-15 and find this inci dent, and so we can see the mind of David at that time recorded in this Psalm. You can look up others, e.g. Psalm 52, and compare 1 Samuel 22:9. See if you can find any more.

THE PSALMS AND MESSIAH.

In the New Testament we find many quotations from the Psalms relating to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in fact Jesus himself said that the things written "in the Psalms concerning me" (Luke 24:44-46) "must be fulfilled". We can understand that if God inspired David to write the Psalms then in them he could foretell many things about the Messiah. Let us now look briefly at a few of these Psalms.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MESSIAH. Psalms 69, 22.

Psalm 69:4 € "They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head". These words were quoted by Christ when talking to his disciples (John 15:25). He was telling them that, because he had revealed the sinfulness of his enemies, they hated him; yet unjustly so. We may find people will hate us because we speak and do what is right in God's sight.

Psalm 69:9 € "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up". These words were recalled by the disciples when Christ drove out of the Temple those who were changing money and selling doves, sheep and oxen (John 2:14-17).

Psalm 69:21 € "They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." David's experiences that caused him to write this are paralleled with what the Jews did to Jesus when he was on the cross (Matthew 27:34).

Psalm 22 € Takes us to the crucifixion of Messiah.

Psalm 22:1 € "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" is spoken by Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:46).

Psalm 22:8 € "He trusted in Yahweh that he would deliver him, let Him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him" was spoken by the murderous crowd near the cross (Matthew 27:43).

Psalm 22:16 € "They pierced my hands and my feet". This spoke pre cisely of the way Jesus was crucified (Luke 24:40; John 20:27).

Psalm 22:18 € "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture". These words were remarkably fulfilled by the Roman soldiers  at  the crucifixion  of Christ  (Matthew 27:35  cp.  John 19:23-24).

THE RESURRECTION OF MESSIAH. Psalm 16.

The promises made to David demand that his son be a resurrected man. David was specifically told that "of the fruit of his own body" God would raise up one to sit upon his throne. He was also told that his kingdom would be "established for ever". The question then arose in David's mind € how could one of his mortal descendants live for ever? David solved the problem and realised that his seed would have to be rais ed from the dead. The Apostle Peter tells us these things in Acts 2:25-31. After quoting Psalm 16, which was written by David, he proceeds to ex plain its meaning. Significant words were to be found in this Psalm which could not apply to any man who had lived in the past: "thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see cor ruption". Though written by David, they could not apply to him seeing that he "saw corruption" (v,29).

Peter says that David was prophesying when he wrote Psalm 16, for he understood the requirements of the promise € that his mortal son should live for ever (v.30). Seeing that the tomb of Christ was empty and they had seen and heard the risen Lord, these recent events and prophecy were in agreement (v.32). God had raised His son from the dead according to the scriptures.

There is no doubt that this Psalm was the leading proof in the preaching of the Apostles, that Messiah had to be a resurrected man. The Lord had "opened their understanding". Later the Apostle Paul uses it in exactly the same way (Acts 13:34-36).

ASCENSION AND SECOND COMING OF MESSIAH. Psalm 110.

If the Lord had risen, where was he? This question faced the Apostles in their preaching. It was conclusively met by the quotation of Psalm 110:1, "Yahweh said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool". The ascension of the Lord into heaven was here foretold (cp. Acts 2:33-35).

Psalm 110 does not stop at his ascension. A limit is placed on his dura tion in heaven. He will be there "UNTIL his enemies are made his footstool". The Psalm speaks of his intervention at Armageddon and of his victory (v.2, 5-7).

THE UNIVERSAL POWER AND KINGDOM OF MESSIAH. Psalm 2

In this psalm is seen the opposition that will face the Lord Jesus when he returns and establishes his power in Zion. Nations will rage and gather themselv^ together to put down Yahweh's anointed (v.1-3). But the wrath of man is a very small thing in the path of God's judgments and He will laugh and vex them (v.4-5). Because he is God's son he has "a more excellent name" and shall inherit "the uttermost parts of the earth". He will use divine power to crush the nations (v.8, 9). Verse 9 is cited in Revelation 2:27. Here the Lord promises the same power to the saints. "He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron". We, too, can become sons of God by baptism into the name of the Son and, "if sons", then we shall be heirs of God as well (Romans 8:17).

The Psalm concludes with some good advice for rulers when Christ returns. They are called upon to submit to him or perish (v. 10-12). From the following quotations we know that some will and some will not sub mit (Micah 4:2, 3; Psalm 72:9-11).

LESSON FOR US:

When we realise that the things which David wrote in these Psalms which we have considered, were written 1,000 years before Jesus was born, we see clearly that God inspired the writing of the Bible. Man could not predict such things. If the prophecies in these Psalms have been fulfilled so accurately regarding the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then we can confidently believe that God's prophecy regarding his return to set up the Kingdom will just as surely come to pass.

With evidence such as we have seen in this lesson we are left in no doubt as the inspiration of the Bible, and therefore to the very existence of Yahweh himself.

Let us, therefore, reverence the Bible as His Word and learn the lessons He has recorded therein for us.

PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:

1. What are the Psalms and why were they written?
2. Using at least two different Psalms describe the nation's reaction to the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns and how he will treat them.

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

1. Show from the Psalms how they prophesy aspects of the life and death of the Messiah.

THE PARABLE OF SOLOMON'S REIGN                                                          

The following chart lists the ways in which Solomon's reign typifies that of the Lord Jesus Christ. As an exercise mark them in your Bible.