Abstract:
Psalm 110 is a messianic psalm, because it has a Judean king as its contents. As such, it is also a royal psalm. As the son of God, every Davidic king was a representative of Gods rule over Israel. His task was to uphold justice and righteousness. In addition, every king was an instrument through which God redeemed his people from their enemies. In this way, the king was a kind of redeemer. As a sign of his authority and the fact that God chose him for a specific task, every king was anointed with oil. This made the king the messiah of God. In co ordinance with his Jebusiete predecessors, every Davidic king also was ‘n priest just as Melgisedek the king of Salem. Israel’s hope as a nation rested upon this line of Davidic priest-kings. The First Testament gives a unique significance to the concept of messiah. The Second Testament reinterprets this significance as being fulfilled in Jesus Christ. However, the unique significance that the First Testament gives to the concept of messiah can only be valued if the unique character of the First Testament and its historical context are taken into consideration.
