Psalms

Blessed Is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord

Lesson #9 for March 2, 2024

Scriptures: Psalm 2; 22; 23; 89:27-32; 118:22-23; John 10:11-15; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 7:20-28.

1. If you have had any questions about the inspiration of the Bible, then this lesson should convince you that God was active from the beginning to the end.
2. The Psalms present and represent the future life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ so well that it is amazing.

[From the Bible study guide=BSG:] The Psalms testify about Christ’s person and ministry. Almost all aspects of His work in the plan of salvation are seen in the Psalms. In various ways, Christ’s life and work are prefigured and predicted in them, often with remarkable accuracy.

The topics revealed in the Psalms include Christ’s deity, His Sonship, His obedience, His zeal for God’s temple, His identity as the Good Shepherd, His betrayal, His suffering, His bones not being broken, His death, resurrection, ascension, priesthood, and kingship. It’s all there, as predicted many centuries before Jesus came in the flesh.

No wonder, for example, when talking about His ministry, Jesus pointed back to the Psalms when speaking to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:44). He wanted them to find in the Psalms evidence for who He was.

Some of the psalms that have a typological fulfillment in Christ include Psalms 24, 45, 72, and 101 (the ideal King and Judge), as well as Psalms 88 and 102 (prayers of the suffering servant of God).

In all the Psalms, through the psalmists’ laments, thanksgivings, praises, and cries for justice and deliverance, we can hear the echoes of Christ’s prayer for the salvation of the world.?Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Sabbath Afternoon, February 24.^†‡§

3. In many places in the Psalms and also in the New Testament, we see Jesus pictured as the Shepherd of His people. This was true not only of His relationship to the Israelites in the Old Testament but also to all of His faithful followers in the times of the New Testament. Many Psalms represent this truth; Psalm 23 is one of the best known.

Psalm 23:1-6: ¹ The LORD is my shepherd;

I have everything I need.

² He lets me rest in fields of green grass

and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water.

³ He gives me new strength.

He guides me in the right paths,

as he has promised.

⁴ Even if I go through the deepest darkness,

I will not be afraid, LORD,

for you are with me.

Your shepherd’s rod and staff protect me.

⁵ You prepare a banquet for me,

where all my enemies can see me; [What was he talking about?]

you welcome me as an honoured [sic-Br] guest

and fill my cup to the brim.

⁶ I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life;

and your house will be my home as long as I live.—American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation* (2nd ed., Psalm 23:1-6). New York: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible].^‡

4. An understanding of how ancient Israelite shepherds cared for their flocks and related to those flocks is a marvelous picture of how God wants to relate to us. The shepherd called his sheep, and they came to him. Even when they were mixed with a lot of other sheep belonging to other owners and when the shepherd called them, they would separate themselves and follow him. (See Psalm 78:52-53.)
5. This idea is clearly suggested in the New Testament in John 10:11-15. That image is carried all the way to the point where Jesus said He would die for His sheep. This image is expanded by saying that Jesus would become a sacrificial Lamb to die for His people. Remember that the very best lambs, the perfect lambs, were the ones chosen to be sacrificed. (John 1:29) Doesn’t it seem like a waste to offer the very best lambs as sacrifices? That is certainly counter to the ideas of evolution!
6. Psalm 22 is an amazing portrayal of many of the aspects of the life and especially the death of Jesus. Were these words written about 1000 years before the coming of Jesus coincidently used by Jesus? Or, was this a prophecy?

Psalm 22:1-18: ¹ My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?...

⁷ All who see me jeer at me;

they stick out their tongues and shake their heads.

⁸ “You relied on the LORD,” they say.

“Why doesn’t he save you?

If the LORD likes you,

why doesn’t he help you?”…

¹⁶ An evil gang is round me;

like a pack of dogs they close in on me;

they tear at my hands and feet.

¹⁷ All my bones can be seen.

My enemies look at me and stare.

¹⁸ They gamble for my clothes

and divide them among themselves.—Good News Bible.*^† [Ellen White said that many of the details of the life of Christ were revealed to Enoch, to Abraham, to Moses, and to David.]^‡

7. Psalm 118:22 clearly points to His rejection by the Jewish leaders.

Psalm 118:22: The stone which the builders rejected as worthless

turned out to be the most important of all.—Good News Bible.*^†

8. We cannot begin to comprehend the feelings that must have gone through the mind of Jesus as He recognized that He was being rejected by His own people. (See John 1:11.) This was prophesied clearly in places such as Psalm 42, 88, and 102.
9. Let us not forget that these passages probably represented events taking place in the life experience of David himself. But, they are also clearly prophetic for the life of Jesus. Compare Psalm 22:1 and Matthew 27:46.

Psalm 22:1: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?—Good News Bible.*^†

Matthew 27:46: At about three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”—Good News Bible.*^†§

10. If you carefully read the inspired records, it is very clear that by His death, Christ was demonstrating the consequences of sin.

[From the writings of Ellen G. White=EGW:] Upon Christ as our substitute and surety was laid the iniquity of us all. He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us from the condemnation of the law. The guilt of every descendant of Adam was pressing upon His heart. The wrath of God against sin, the terrible manifestation of His displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of His Son with consternation. All His life Christ had been publishing to a fallen world the good news of the Father’s mercy and pardoning love. Salvation for the chief of sinners was His theme. But now with the terrible weight of guilt He bears, He cannot see the Father’s reconciling face. The withdrawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man. So great was this agony that His physical pain was hardly felt. [See Isaiah 59:2.]

Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father’s acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 753.1-2.^†‡ [See Philippians 2:10-11; GC 542-543.]^‡

11. The imagery mentioned in Psalms 22, being attacked by strong bulls, roaring lions, and dogs, is just a hint of what Jesus went through during those final hours. The image is even more impressive when we recognize that Jesus could have spoken a word and destroyed all of His enemies. Instead, He prayed for them, even the ones who were nailing Him to the cross.
12. But, this suffering Messiah-Shepherd will eventually be seated beside the throne of God in heaven and become the foundation for our salvation.

Ephesians 2:20-22: ²⁰ You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself. ²¹He is the one who holds the whole building together and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord. ²²In union with him you too are being built together with all the others into a place where God lives through his Spirit.—Good News Bible.*^†

13. As we have noted above in the quotation from Ellen White, Jesus suffered the second death. That second death is what the sinners will die in the end, recognizing what they could have enjoyed in the everlasting kingdom, and recognizing at the same time that they personally have separated themselves from God. While we recognize that the Father and the holy angels were close beside Jesus on the cross, He could not perceive their presence. Meanwhile, the Devil was doing everything he could to convince Jesus that His death would separate Him permanently from His Father.
14. Young Jewish males spent much of their time in school memorizing portions of Scripture. Jesus, of course, did not attend the rabbinical schools. Is it possible that He memorized the book of Psalms? Very likely! We do not know how much Jesus as a human being understood His relationship to the Israelite people of the Old Testament. Jesus on the cross was ultimately demonstrating the truth about God’s wrath. God’s wrath is simply His sadly turning away in loving disappointment from those who do not want Him anyway, thus leaving them to the inevitable, deadly, and awful consequences of their own persistent, rebellious choices.
15. As we know from the Old Testament, Satan did everything he possibly could to get the children of Israel to rebel against God’s guidance, His care, and His work as their Shepherd.
16. Clearly, the human component of the Davidic covenant failed. But, God’s covenant never failed; God’s forgiveness and His love for His children throughout the universe will never fail. Notice these words.

Colossians 1:20: Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son’s blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.—Good News Bible.*^†

Ephesians 1:7-10: ⁷ For by the blood of Christ we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven. How great is the grace of God, ⁸which he gave to us in such large measure!

In all his wisdom and insight ⁹God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. ¹⁰This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.—Good News Bible.*^† [We must understand that the plan of salvation includes the entire universe! What will it do for them?]^‡

Ephesians 3:7-10: ⁷ I was made a servant of the gospel by God’s special gift, which he gave me through the working of his power. ⁸I am less than the least of all God’s people; yet God gave me this privilege of taking to the Gentiles the Good News about the infinite riches of Christ, ⁹and of making all people see how God’s secret plan is to be put into effect. God, who is the Creator of all things, kept his secret hidden through all the past ages, ¹⁰in order that at the present time, by means of the church, the angelic rulers and powers in the heavenly world might learn of his wisdom in all its different forms.—Good News Bible.*^† [What could the angels standing around the throne of God learn about Him from us? They can see how God has dealt with rebellion in His children!]^‡

17. These are some of the clearest passages in Scripture, suggesting that the plan of salvation involves the entire universe. The beings throughout the universe are learning about God from us. What they are seeing is God’s unbelievable forgiveness and care for rebellious people.
18. But, the sufferings and death of Jesus is not the end of the story. As we know, He arose and returned to His position in heaven. This is spelled out in considerable detail in Psalm 2; 110:1-3; 89:4,13-17; and Psalm 110:5-6. Notice especially Psalm 2:7.

Psalm 2:7: “I will announce,” says the king, “what the LORD has declared.

He said to me: ‘You are my son;

today I have become your father.’”—Good News Bible.*

19. What does this passage mean? When Jesus arose and returned to heaven, as a human being, He was seated at the right hand of the Father. That is the side of favor. This is a new experience for the beings in the rest of the universe. Christ had given up His omnipresence and taken on His human form. He will maintain this link to the human family for the rest of eternity.
20. In ancient times, the utter defeat of an enemy was represented by the fact that the king of the conquering nation would sometimes place his foot on the neck of the conquered king of the defeated nation. This is what is implied by talking about Christ, conquering and making His enemies into a footstool.
21. And what is Christ doing now in the heavenly sanctuary? While this is not the main focus of this lesson, Zechariah 3:1-5 and Daniel 7:9-27 make it very clear that Christ rises to take on His role as the King of the universe. He does that through His priestly ministry as represented in Zechariah 3, refuting Satan’s claims against God and against His faithful people.
22. It is important to notice in this context that it is not the Father who is accusing His faithful people. It is Satan! Those accusations of Satan are answered by Christ.
23. One further representation in this lesson that we need to notice is found in Psalm 110:4.

Psalm 110:4: The LORD made a solemn promise and will not take it back:

“You will be a priest for ever [sic-Br]

in the priestly order of Melchizedek.”—Good News Bible.*^†‡

24. It is very clear in the Old Testament that God designed the Israelite government to have separations of powers. No king was ever to be priest or to function as priest. And no priest was ever to be king. There was a further separation of powers when a prophet spoke out against both priest and king.
25. But, when Jesus came, since He was from the tribe of Judah, the tribe of the kings, He was not of the Levitical line. Instead, He was in the priestly order of Melchizedek. What does that mean? Remember that Genesis 14 tells us that Melchizedek was not only a king but also a priest, but not an Israelite!
26. Christ was not to be an earthly priest who would eventually die and end His ministry. He was to be a priest forever to match His kingly rule forever.
27. Furthermore, unlike the earthly priests who had to offer sacrifices for themselves before they could minister to or for the people, Jesus Christ was holy, faultless, sinless, and could offer Himself as the sacrifice for the sins of all men. (See Hebrews 7:20-28.)
28. In other words, Jesus will become not only our Savior and Priest, but also our eternal King.

[EGW:] By His humanity, Christ touched humanity; by His divinity, He lays hold upon the throne of God. As the Son of man, He gave us an example of obedience; as the Son of God, He gives us power to obey. It was Christ who from the bush on Mount Horeb spoke to Moses saying, “I AM THAT I AM.... Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” Exodus 3:14. This was the pledge of Israel’s deliverance. So when He came “in the likeness of men,” He declared Himself the I AM. The Child of Bethlehem, the meek and lowly Saviour, is God “manifest in the flesh.” 1 Timothy 3:16. And to us He says: “I AM the Good Shepherd.” “I AM the living Bread.” “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.” John 10:11; 6:51; 14:6; Matthew 28:18. I AM the assurance of every promise. I AM; be not afraid.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 24.3-25.0.^‡

29. This study should raise some significant questions in your mind.
30. [BSG:] How has God demonstrated His unwavering faithfulness to His covenant despite the people’s unfaithfulness? What reassurance does that bring to God’s struggling children today?
31. How does Christ’s unique and superior priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek strengthen the certainty of salvation for God’s people?
32. The Gospels show that many Messianic promises in the Psalms were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. How does this demonstrate the veracity of God’s Word? Why must we resist any and every sentiment that tends to weaken our trust in God’s Word?
33. What great consolation can we get from Christ’s words, “ ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth’ ” (Matt. 28:18)? How do we apply this promise to our own experience??Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* for Friday, March 1.^‡§
34. Clearly, it has been demonstrated in this study that Jesus Christ is the center of the entire biblical record. Jesus is portrayed as the good Shepherd, the suffering Messiah, the Son of David, the King eternal, and the heavenly Priest. These ideas are clearly presented in Psalms and are perfectly reflected in the ministry of Jesus.
35. It should be obvious that the writers of the Psalms, writing over a period of a thousand years, said some amazing things about the future Messiah King. (See Table 1.)

[BSG:] [Table 1:] Jesus Is the Yahweh [sic] of the Old Testament?He Is God!

?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 119.^‡§

32. Human beings have never been able to fully comprehend the idea that Jesus could be fully human and at the same time fully divine. To think that the Creator Himself, who has existed throughout eternity, took upon Himself humanity and as a human died for us is unfathomable to human minds.
33. The book of Psalms mentions many aspects of the life and ministry of Jesus. (See Table 2.)
34. These tables would suggest something that other scholars have said as well: The Psalms was probably the most widely quoted Old Testament book in the New Testament.
35. As we know, the sufferings and crucifixion of Jesus were a major theme, even back in the book of Psalms. (See Table 3.)
36. These incredible parallels between the Old Testament and the New Testament do not begin to mention all the other possible references in the Old Testament, for example, references in the book of Isaiah.
37. But, of course, the crucifixion of Jesus is not the end of the story. (See Table 4.)
38. But, Jesus’s suffering is not all that is represented in the Psalms.

[BSG:] Jesus’ ministry of atonement in heaven is of no less importance than the atoning sacrifice He accomplished on Mount Calvary. Thus, it’s no coincidence that, among New Testament writers, Psalm 110 is the most quoted, or alluded to, passage from the Old Testament. Case in point, Psalm 110:1 is used 17 times in the New Testament: Matthew 22:44; Matthew 26:64; Mark 12:36; Mark 16:19; Luke 20:42–43; Luke 22:69; Acts 2:34, 35; 1 Corinthians 15:25; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 13; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:12, 13; Hebrews 12:2; Colossians 3:1; while Psalm 110:4 is quoted a total of four times: Hebrews 5:6; Hebrews 6:20; Hebrews 7:17, 21.?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 122.^†‡

39. How many of these passages were used by Jesus in His explanations to the two friends on the road to Emmaus? (See Luke 24:13-35.) Wouldn’t you like to hear that?
40. Let us summarize by talking about the different attributes of God which are mentioned in Psalms which are appropriately applied to Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

[BSG:] The heavenly ministry of Jesus, along with our understanding of His work on our behalf, is central to our daily spiritual experience as Christians. Hebrews states with confidence: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 6:19, 20, NKJV, where it quotes the end of Psalm 110:4).?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 122.^‡§

[BSG:] [Table 2:] The Life and Ministry of Jesus

?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 120.^‡§

[BSG:] [Table 3:] Jesus’ Suffering and Passion

?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 121.^‡§

[BSG:] [Table 4:] Jesus’ Exaltation After His Resurrection

?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide* 122.^‡§

41. Psalms describes God’s character. Many of those aspects of God’s character are applied to Jesus by the writers of the New Testament.

[BSG:] Attributes of God’s Character in the Psalms Applied to Jesus in the New Testament

To further understand how the Messianic perspectives provided in the Psalms relate to Jesus, let’s examine the following examples from the Psalter and their New Testament applications:

• The goodness of the Lord can be “tasted” or experienced personally: Ps. 34:8 (1 Pet. 2:3)
• Jesus forgives sins: Ps. 103:2, 3 (Luke 5:21, 24)
• He is the Life: Ps. 36:9 (John 1:4)
• He is the Rock: Ps. 18:2, Ps. 95:1 (1 Pet. 2:6, 1 Cor. 10:4)
• He is righteous: Ps. 129:4, Ps. 145:17 (1 John 1:9, 1 John 2:1)
• He is omnipresent: Ps. 139:8 (Eph. 1:23, Matt. 18:20)
• His kingdom is eternal: Ps. 145:13 ( 7:14, the Son of Man)
• His Word dwells in the believer: Ps. 119:11 (Col. 3:16)?Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide*^‡§

42. Psalm 24:7-10 is a portrayal of the reception that Jesus received, and will receive, when He returned/will return to heaven.

Psalm 24:7-10: ⁷ Fling wide the gates,

open the ancient doors,

and the great king will come in.

⁸ Who is this great king?

He is the LORD, strong and mighty,

the LORD, victorious in battle.

⁹ Fling wide the gates,

open the ancient doors,

and the great king will come in.

¹⁰ Who is this great king?

The triumphant LORD—he is the great king!—Good News Bible.* [Compare Early Writings pages 190-192.]^‡

43. Try to imagine how that reception took place. Imagine the entire universe celebrating Christ’s victory as a result of His life, death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. That must have been a celebration beyond our wildest imaginations.
44. But, there will be another celebration like it. That celebration will take place when Christ returns to heaven the second time in company with His faithful followers to live with the heavenly host forever!
45. This study undeniably represents the harmony of the entire Bible. There is no way to explain what we have seen in this lesson except that God did it. Furthermore, God has the ability to predict hundreds of years in advance things that were/are going to happen. What a mistake it would be not to trust a God like that!

©2024, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. ^†Bold type is added. ^‡Brackets and content in brackets are added. ^§Italic type is in the source [sic-Br]=This is correct as quoted; it is the British spelling.

Last modified: January 21, 2024                                                                                      Email: Info@Theox.org