Through the Bible with Les Feldick
LESSON 2 * PART 3 * BOOK 46
Hebrews 1:10 – 2:4
Now as we teach, hopefully we can just teach the Word to win the lost, and also to edify and build up believers, and all of this is to bring the glory to our Lord. Again I’ve been asked if we give permission for people to use our material. Absolutely! You don’t have to call and ask us that, just as long as it’s not used for profit.
Now let’s go back into Hebrews where we left off in the last lesson, where in the closing moments I made reference to this Psalms 110:1 that is quoted so often by various authors of Scripture, so it must bear some tremendous importance. And hopefully during this lesson, we’re going to dig out at least part of that. So let’s come in at Hebrews chapter 1, and verse 13 again.
Hebrews 1:13
“But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until (now that’s the key word) I make thine enemies thy footstool?”
Now let’s go back and chase that verse down, and it begins of course with David writing it in Psalms 110:1. This is a verse that I wish everyone would commit to memory if you haven’t before, and know where it is.
Psalms 110:1
“The LORD said unto my Lord, (now I think that in just about every translation that the first LORD mention here is all capitols. The second is merely the L is capitalized, and the o-r-dis in the small case. So what you really have here is God the Father, says to God the Son) Sit thou at my right hand, (He’s not going there for all eternity, but rather just for a period of time) until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
I think the enemies here include all the satanic host, as well as all of Christ’s rejecting humanity – they are going to be finally under His foot. He’s going to have complete domination. Now let’s move from here up to Matthew chapter 22, and drop down to verse 44. This is Christ in His earthly ministry, He uses this verse in Psalms Himself. But to pick up the flow of these verses let’s begin at verse 41.
Matthew 22:41-46
“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42. Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit (that is by inspiration of the Holy Spirit) call him Lord, saying, 44. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” (now look at the next verse) 46. And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.”
They were absolutely stumped! Well what should they have known? That He was the Son of God. But by virtue of the promises made to David that He would come through the lineage of David, yes, the Scripture does speak of Him as the Son of David. But you see, that’s not what Psalms 110:1 was speaking of. That Psalms was speaking of the very Godhead, and David had nothing to do with bringing that about except through the flesh. Now let’s look at the next one which is in Mark chapter 12 and verse 35 to again to pick up the flow.
Mark 12:35a
“And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple,…”
I know I shake people up, and I don’t do it purposely, but you see everybody is so locked into tradition. All they can think of is what they’ve heard over the years and generations and what they’ve been taught and had passed down to them. Then this simple layman comes along, and says, “Now wait a moment, everything that Jesus said, He said to the Jews under the Law.” That’s when people get all shook up. They will say, “Well He went to the Gentiles.” No He didn’t, as there is not any record except for two individuals, the Canaanite woman, and the Roman centurion. Other than that there is nothing in our New Testament where Jesus ever dealt with Gentiles. He couldn’t because of His covenants. The covenants were made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And as those covenants were to come to the full, then yes, He would become the object of faith to the whole world, but not until. So here again, where is Jesus dealing with these Pharisees? In the Temple. How much access did the Gentiles have to the Temple? Almost none. Now reading the verse again.
Mark 12:35-36a
“And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? 36. For David himself said by the Holy Ghost….”
Do you see how plain all of this fits together? When Paul writes back there in Timothy I think it is, “that all Scriptures is inspired of God, and is profitable.” Well that word ‘inspired’ is probably better translated, “God breathed.” What person of the Godhead breathed the Scripture? The Holy Spirit, and then the Lord Himself gives credit, that even David wrote as the Holy Spirit prompted him to write. So all of these things must be taken into consideration. Now reading on.
Mark 12:36
“For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 37. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.”
But who had trouble with these sayings? The Pharisees. My, they couldn’t swallow any of this, but the common people not in authority just soaked it up. Then in verse 38, Jesus just sort of puts the frosting on the cake doesn’t He?
Mark 12:38-39
“And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, (in other words the intellectual elite, the Pharisees and Sadducees) which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces. 39. And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:”
But the point was made, “Who was the Lord that was invited to sit at the LORD’s right hand?” The Son! Now remember the vast majority of Israel could never accept the fact that anything good came out of Nazareth. Remember that was their saying. “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” And you remember that was the whole thrust of Matthew chapter 16, when Jesus confronted the Twelve just shortly before the crucifixion, “Whom do men say that I am?” These men had three years to witness His ministry, to witness His sinlessness. To witness His miracles and power over even the raging Sea of Galilee when He stood, and said, “Peace be still!” And what did the disciples say? What manner of man is this that even the winds obey His voice.”
Well you see this is the whole concept even in this little situation that they were to understand Who Jesus really was. He wasn’t just the carpenter’s son, but rather He was the Creator!He was the One Who that one day would satisfy all the demands of a Holy and Righteous God by taking upon Himself the sins of the whole world. He was the One Who would be raised from the dead in power and glory, and then ascend to the Father right hand, but would not sit there forever, but only, “until.” Now the next Scripture we’ll look at will be in Luke chapter 20, and let’s just drop in at verse 39.
Luke 20:39-46a
“Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said. 40. And after that they durst not ask him any question at all. 41. And he said unto them. How say they that Christ is David’s son? 42. And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, the LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 43. Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 44. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? 45. Then in the audience of all the people (of Israel) he said unto his disciples, 46. Beware of the scribes,…” (and religious leaders)
Now let’s go on over to one more, and that would be the day of Pentecost, and Peter is preaching to the Nation of Israel in Acts chapter 2. Let’s pick this up in verse 25. Because here again you see, Peter is trying to convince this great Jewish crowd gathered for the feast of Pentecost, that the One they crucified was the Christ. He was the Creator of everything. Now verse 25.
Acts 2:25-29
“For David speaketh concerning him, (Christ from the Old Testament Psalms) I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: 26. Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: (now that’s what David said. Now in verse 27, David is making a direct reference to Christ’s burial and resurrection) 27. Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life: thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. (Now Peter comes back and says) Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.”
Now those of you who have been with us when we go to Jerusalem, one of the places we stop at is David’s tomb. And indeed so far as we know that tomb is still there on Mount Zion. And so Peter is using that as an example, that David is dead and he hasn’t been resurrected yet. Now verse 30.
Acts 2:30a
“Therefore being a prophet,…”
Most people don’t think of David and the Psalms being prophecy. Oh, it’s full of prophecy. My, Psalms chapter 22 is a graphic description of the crucifixion, and we’ve already seen Psalms chapter 2 in days gone by as being an outline of the whole Old Testament program. Now verse 30 again.
Acts 2:30
“Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, (yes, Jesus of Nazareth came through the linage of David) according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;”
Now wait a minute. In those three years of Christ’s earthly ministry, did Jesus ever sit on David’s throne? Why of course not. So what’s the prophecy? He will one day! The day is coming and that’s the “until” of His sitting at the Father’s right hand. Now let’s move on into verse 31.
Acts 2:31-32a
He (David) seeing this before (through the eyes of prophecy) spake of the resurrection of Christ that his (Christ’s) soul was not left in hell, (that’s the English word that speaks of the place of the departed) neither his flesh did see corruption. 32. This Jesus…”
Now remember the setting? This is the feast of Pentecost, and Jews are in Jerusalem from all over the Roman Empire. The crucifixion has only been 50 days back and every Jew is probably talking about that last Passover and what had taken place. And here Peter is trying to convince them that this Jesus, the One that they crucified, was the Christ.
Acts 2:32-35
“This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (in other words the coming of the Holy Spirit) 34. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand. 35. Until I make thy foes thy footstool.”
Now let’s just stop and analyze this as you head on back to Hebrews, chapter 1. What is all of this emphasizing? Well, first and foremost, it emphases the fact that Christ has finished the work of redemption in that everything that needS to be done to purchase man’s Salvation was finished. And as our High Priest, His priestly work accomplished, as I pointed out in a past lesson, there were no places to sit in the tabernacle or the Temple. The priest came in day after day, and they never sat down, their work was endless. And their work carried on until the day they died, and another priest would come in and take his place. It was an endless, priestly work, but this man, when He finished the work of redemption and presented everything to the Father in heaven, now He could sit down, because it was done.
Now that’s the whole picture, but He’s not going to stay seated there at the Father’s right hand, because there’s still another segment of all the prophetic program left, and that is the 1000 year Kingdom Age. And oh, when you speak of the Kingdom Age, that also riles people up. They just can’t accept the fact that there is an earthly kingdom out there in the future. You see the liberals and moderates idea is the only kingdom is already in us. It’s just an invisible kingdom and all that nonsense, and it bugs me to hear people speak of that glorious kingdom that’s coming in that light. But listen, there is a literal kingdom coming on the scene over which this Christ, this Son, is going to rule and reign from David’s throne in Jerusalem.
So we have to understand that the Son is at the Father’s right hand, having finished the work of redemption, but only for a period of time will He sit there. Now it’s already been 1900 + years, so we think we’re getting close to when He will be ready to arise from that seated position and return and invade human history once again. But when He returns and enters into human history, He’s going to have all of His enemies subjected, as I said in the last program, with His feet on their neck. So all of his enemies are going to find themselves suddenly not in a place of blessing, but rather in a place of eternal doom.
Now let’s be careful. Who are His enemies? Well, it’s easiest enough for us to say guys like Hitler, and all of the very bad rulers in history, oh, we can readily recognize them as the enemies of Christ, but you see the enemies that we sometimes forget are those unsaved church members. We’re talking about good people, dressed in their finery, and even the attitude of so many church people.
I remember I had been invited to teach in a large church many years ago in their training hour before evening services, and we had a lot of our own class people that were members of that church so they asked us to come and attend the Sunday morning service as well. So Iris and I got to the service and found a place to sit down, and we barely noticed it (but other people told us about what had happened), but this nicely dressed couple came in saw that we were sitting in their pew and instead of just courteously asking us to move, they just in a huff turned around and went out and went home. Now what does that tell you? Were they there to worship? Were they there to praise the Lord? Were they there as a testimony? No, they were just there to fill the pew. Now like I said, I’m not judging their hearts, so don’t get me wrong, but this is too often the case.
Too many times people go to church because it’s expected of them. They go because after all, at 11:00 a.m. Sunday morning that’s where Christians belong. There’s no love for the Lord, there’s no love for this Book, and the reason?, “They’re Lost!” I guess one of the other television preachers, Dr. Stanley, follows me in one of the television areas that we’re on, and it was funny that I had made mention of this subject in my program, and he followed me right up and said almost the same thing, “That our churches are full of unsaved church members.” Well, if they’re unsaved church members, what are they? They’re are enemies of our Lord. So get it straight, lost people are the enemies of God whether they realize it or not. I’ve got one verse that I can use to Scripturally back that up. I can’t just say it from my own opinion, but come back with me for a moment to Romans chapter 8.
It’s awfully easy for us to see the rank, wicked people as the enemies of God, as we’re experiencing it even in our American politics – those that detest our Christian principles. So there’s doubt that they’re enemies of God, but we so often forget that the rank and file unbeliever is also. And they’re all going to be in that group that will end up under His feet. And then He will be able to restore the righteousness, the planet will come back as the Garden of Eden, and He will rule and reign. So let’s read from Romans 6, and drop in at verse 5.
Romans 8:5-7a
“For they that are after the flesh (lost people who may be as good as gold, but they’re lost) do mind the things of the flesh; (they have no hunger for Spiritual things) but they that are after the Spirit (they mind) the things of the Spirit. (now here it comes) 6. For to be carnally (fleshly) minded (the lost person) is death; (spiritual death) but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, 7. Because the carnal mind (the unsaved person) is enmity against God;…”
So they’re the enemies of God. Oh, they may not be active enemies, they may instead be passive, but the Scripture still puts them in that category as enemies of God. So they’re the ones that are going to end up under His feet like a footstool. So that lost person:
Romans 8:7b
“…is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Why?)
Well, just like we were in the cold war, were we Americans subjected to the Russian government? Why heavens no. Why? Because at that time they were our declared enemies, they have no control over us, and so it is with God.