A Life in Exile

We often get confused in reading our English translations of the Bible over the word Lord. Sometimes, it’s in all caps LORD, while at other times, it’s with a capital L and lowercase ord (Lord). When they’re used in the same sentence, it’s difficult to determine what it means. This is a good time to look in the front of your copy of the Bible to remember why this happens.

LORD

The divine name of God, YHWH, is most often rendered in English translations with the use of capital letters to distinguish it from Lord, which is Adonai in Hebrew. Adonai means Lord or Master. The understanding of Adonai is clear-cut, as it means what we understand as someone who has power, authority, or influence over another.

LORD or YHWH is not just a simplistic application of the meaning of lord, as with Adonai. The use of LORD to convey the Tetragrammaton YHWH, seems insufficent to us, as God spoke this name to Moses. We know it in English when he said, “I Am.” It expresses his being. “He will be.” This is an expression of the eternal nature of God. He is overall, has always been, and will always be. This is the ultimate expression of supremacy.

The LORD says to my Lord.

Thus our focal verse for today comes from Psalm 110. I chose this Old Testament verse because it is referenced several times in the New Testament. God must want us to understand its meaning because he allows it to be repeated in New Testament teaching. I am going to share the entire psalm, though the first verse is our focus.

This is the declaration of the Lord to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”

The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion. Rule over your surrounding enemies. Your people will volunteer on your day of battle. In holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn, the dew of your youth belongs to you.

The Lord has sworn an oath and will not take it back: “You are a priest forever according to the pattern of Melchizedek.”

The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his anger. He will judge the nations, heaping up corpses; he will crush leaders over the entire world. He will drink from the brook by the road; therefore, he will lift up his head. (Psalm 110 CSB)

Even by the time of Christ, this was widely known as a psalm of David, so David would have been speaking. Let’s switch the words out in the first verse to use the Hebrew words we’ve discussed.

This is the declaration of YHWH to my Adonai: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Thus, God the Father (YHWH) is speaking to David’s Lord (Adonai). This reveals that God is speaking within the Trinity—Father to Son. He’s not speaking to King David but to David’s Lord, the Messiah.

How Jesus uses this verse.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus has just shared the parable of the wedding banquet, which made the religious leaders uneasy, because they got the message that they might not be let in after making excuses, so the king would allow all kinds of people into the hall in their stead. This parable really riled them up.

The Pharisees try to catch him out with a question about paying taxes, and the Sadducees follow up with a question about the resurrection. Jesus comes back eventually with a question for the Pharisees:

“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “David’s.” (Matthew 22:42)

That’s when Jesus wants to show how little they understand Scripture and the true nature of Messiah:

He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet’?

“If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how, then, can he be his son?” No one was able to answer him at all, and from that day no one dared to question him anymore. (Matthew 22:43-46)

Mark records (in Mark 12:37b) that a large crowd was also listening that day, and they heard what he said with delight. I love that—delight. These, who had been browbeat by the religious leaders for failing to live up to the Law and traditions, were happy to see the leaders finally getting some payback of their own. And to make it even better, Jesus warned them to beware of the scribes, because they were seeking the praise of men over that of God.

By quoting this verse, Jesus is telling his followers that God the Father (YHWH) was speaking to him, the Son of God.

Lord of lords.

Post-resurrection, with the understanding provided by the Holy Spirit, Peter and the writer of Hebrews use this verse to show they get it and to proclaim Christ as one with the Father.

In his famous sermon at Pentecost, Peter stands up and Old Testament Scripture pours from the mouth of this former fisherman to show the crowd what they, as Jews, should have known all along. Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised from the beginning of time. After explaining the prophecies and story of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah, Peter moves to his exaltation.

Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:

The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.’

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (Acts 2:33-36)

The same psalm Peter heard Jesus quote to the religious leaders to prove his divinity is the one he now quotes to thousands at Pentecost. Jesus is the Son of God—Lord Adonai.

Then moving to the powerful book of Hebrews, which is all about the supremacy of Christ, providing hope and encouragement for those facing persecution and discouragement, we see this verse once again in the very first chapter.

Just like Peter, the writer is overflowing with Old Testament verses to prove the place of Christ in the Universe. Higher than angels is he.

Now to which of the angels has he ever said: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool? (Hebrews 1:13)

David foretold it, Jesus confirmed it, and his followers proclaim it. Jesus Christ is Lord. He is my Lord, Adonai, and I pray he is yours, for there is none like him.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Learning from the Past post, click HERE, or start the series from the BEGINNING.