DrIBEX Ideas

From Awake O Harp, to be published in February.

The Book of Psalms is ultimately a message about the Messiah, our Lord Jesus. We find Jesus here because he found himself here. As he walked with two of his disciples on the day of his resurrection, Jesus ‘expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself ’ (Luke 24:27). Later that day he appeared to other disciples and said: ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me’ (Luke 24:44).

All of Scripture is about Jesus the Messiah, His ineffable Person and His saving work, and that includes the Psalms! The above passages indicate that it is not just individual verses that are about Him (one author calls these individual “prophecies” the tips of a very large iceberg!), but the OT as a whole is also about Him!

But where do we find our Messiah in the Psalms? There are more prophecies and allusions and types of the Messiah in the Psalms than in any other book of the Old Testament! Some of these, as we shall see, are so very detailed and precise that they appear to be the descriptions of those actually viewing the events instead of foretelling them hundreds of years before. Below is a suggested list, although I do not intend it to be exhaustive.

Psalms Reference — New Testament Fulfillment

Ps. 2:7 God declares Him to be His Son. Matthew 3:17
Ps. 8:6 All things will be put under His feet. Hebrews 2:8
Ps. 16:10 He will be resurrected from the dead. Mark 16:6, 7
Ps. 22:1 God will forsake Him in His hour of need. Matthew 27:46
Ps. 22:7, 8 He will be scorned and mocked. Luke 23:35
Ps. 22:16 His hands and feet will be pierced. John 20:25, 27
Ps. 22:18 Others will gamble for His clothes. Matthew 27:35, 36
Ps. 34:20 Not one of His bones will be broken. John 19:32, 33, 36
Ps. 35:11 He will be accused by false witnesses. Mark 14:57
Ps. 35:19 He will be hated without a cause. John 15:25
Ps. 40:7, 8 He will come to do God’s will. Hebrews 10:7
Ps. 41:9 He will be betrayed by a friend. Luke 22:47
Ps. 45:6 His throne will be forever. Hebrews 1:8
Ps. 68:18 He will ascend to God’s right hand. Mark 16:19
Ps. 69:9 Zeal for God’s house will consume Him. John 2:17
Ps. 69:21 He will be given vinegar and gall to drink. Matthew 27:34
Ps. 72:1–19 He will be a worldwide king. Revelation 19:11–20:6
Ps. 109:4 He will pray for His enemies. Luke 23:34 
Ps. 109:8 His betrayer’s place will be filled by another. Acts 1:20
Ps. 110:1 His enemies will be made subject to Him. Matthew 22:44
Ps. 110:4 He will be a priest like Melchizedek. Hebrews 5:6
Ps. 118:22 He will be the chief cornerstone. Matthew 21:42
Ps. 118:26 He will come in the name of the Lord. Matthew 21:91