The Kingdom
While Psalm 68:18 foretells the Lord ot, however does the not provide the purpose for that significant event. However, Peter, on the Day of Pentecost, alludes to Psalm 68:18 (which Paul also mentioned in Ephesians 4:8-10). The two concepts that Peter repeats from the prophecy in Psalms are: 1) Jesus ascended on high, and 2) He gave gifts to men. We find these words in Acts 2:33: "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear." When Jesus ascended into heaven, He was exalted to the right hand of God.
But what about the difference between receiving gifts (Ps. 68:18) and giving gifts (Eph. 4:8) or pouring out gifts (as was done in Acts 2)? The picture being described in these passages is that of a king who has won a great battle. As in a literal victory march, the triumphant king parades through the streets the conquered army. According to the Pulpit Commentary, the king receives "the spoils of the enemy" and he "gives them away among the soldiers and the people" (20:2: 148). F.F. Bruce made the following observation:
The original picture is of a victorious king ascending the mountain of the Lord in triumphal procession, attended by a long train of captives, receiving tribute from his subjects (according to the one reading) and bestowing largesse upon the crowds which line his processional route (according to the other reading) (82) (as cited by James Meadows in Studies in Ephesians, edited by Dub McClish) (223).
These sources, for the most part, agree. Jesus is the victorious king Who ascends into heaven, leading captivity captive. The passage in Ephesians 4:8 concentrates more on what the Lord is giving (spiritual gifts to the church), but Acts 2:33 alludes to both aspects of the ascension. Jesus received what was promised of the Holy Spirit amely the kingdom (2 Sam. 7:12-16, Dan. 7:13-14), and He therefore gives out gifts through the Holy Spirit, which those on Pentecost had already observed (Acts 2:1-4).
Explaining this verse leads into other prophecies in Psalms that are more explicit concerning the kingship of Jesus. We are reminded in Psalm 132:11 that the Lord had "sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body." But what is cited in the New Testament is not just a reminder but an actual prophecy concerning the Christ from Psalm 45:6:
"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore, God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions" (cf. Heb. 1:8).
Once a person has read this verse two or three times, he realizes that One Who is Divine is receiving His kingdom from One Who is Divine. It is an everlasting kingdom. The One giving the kingdom is the Father, and Jesus is the One receiving the kingdom. This is a great prophecy and its fulfillment is easily recognized, but there is another that is even more remarkable: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool'" (Ps. 110:1). The first thing about this prophecy is that it echoes what so many of the other passages teach. It carries with it the same thought as Psalm 45:6—except here instead of God giving the throne to God, it is the Lord giving it to the Lord. A throne is not mentioned specifically, but it is, nevertheless, present by implication, as is the reign. Jesus actually used this verse to stymie His enemies.
In Matthew 22:44, after Jesus' enemies asked several questions to trick Him into saying something that would anger the crowds, He cited this verse, and then asked them: "If David then calls Him, 'Lord,' how is He his Son?" It reminds one of the scene in the movie, To Sir With Love, when a belligerent student took some swings at "sir," cutting him once; eventually the teacher struck back with just one punch, and the student crumpled over in pain. The "fight" was over. The Pharisees and the Sadducees hit Jesus with their best punches (questions)—to no avail. Jesus asked them one which they could not answer, and the result was: "And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that moment on did anyone dare question Him any more" (v. 46).
The answer is not difficult for us. The Lord said to David's Lord (Jesus), "Sit at my right hand…" (v. 45). When Jesus ascended into heaven, He was invited to sit on God's throne at His right hand. Peter uses this passage on the Day of Pentecost to further explain what he meant in verse 33. Jesus received of the Father what was promised by the Holy Spirit (to David, concerning the kingdom promised to his descendant, the Christ):
"For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Therefore let all the house of Israel know that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:34-36).
The value of Psalm 110, although considerable if this was the only verse pertinent to Jesus, is even greater due to verse 4 because it combines another essential way in which Jesus is valuable to His people: "The Lord has sworn and will not relent, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.'" The writer of Hebrews cites this verse, applying it to Jesus (Heb. 5:6; 6:20). He goes on to say that Jesus could not be a priest on earth because He was from the tribe of Judah, which was not authorized to have priests (Heb. 7:14). Only those from the tribe of Levi could serve as priests under the Law of Moses. Therefore, the law had to be changed, which it was (v. 13). Jesus is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, then, and not a descendant of Aaron and his priesthood.
In other words, Jesus could not be High Priest while He was upon this earth. He had to wait until the law was nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14). Only when the first covenant was no longer in effect could Jesus be our High Priest (Heb. 8:6-7; 9:16-17). Likewise, He was given His kingdom when He ascended into heaven. Psalm 110 links these two events together and ties them to the same person—Jesus.
Thus, Psalms is a truly remarkable book when one reads the various prophecies of Jesus within it. God, through inspiration, had revealed bit by bit things concerning Jesus, but we do not see them all come together until we get to the New Testament. Then we understand how all of these pieces fit together.
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon
These books do not contain the prophecies that are found in Psalms, but they each are valuable in their own way. Proverbs is a book of wisdom that provides insight into the correct way in which to live. A skeptic might say that some of the things reported are what anyone might observe through natural means (rather than supernatural inspiration). Certainly it is possible with respect to some of the sayings. Someone might, through his own intellect, come to the conclusion that a "soft answer turns away wrath" (Pr. 15:1) or that the one who can control himself is better than the one who can conquer others (Pr. 16:32), but Alexander the Great never learned that lesson.
Proverbs covers so many subjects with great wisdom that it would be even more astounding that an uninspired man came up with these conclusions than that God revealed these things. One of the great ironies of Scripture is that, even when God explains how things work, people can understand it and live in total opposition to it—though they have been warned. As an example of this principle, consider that God warned Ahab through his prophet Micaiah that, if he went forth to battle, he would die. Micaiah even told Ahab how the devil would make him believe the lies told to him by the king's false prophets (1 Kings 22). With all this information, Ahab went to battle anyway—and died. Likewise, the book of Proverbs teaches: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (14:12). Yet people keep following their own "hunches" rather than the truth God revealed!
Similarly, Solomon wrote: "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise" (12:15). Yet how many people continue to trust in themselves rather than God? "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him" (Pr. 26:12). Despite these and other warnings, such as what happened to King Saul when he thought that his own wisdom was equal to God's (1 Sam. 15), some folks just never learn.
Another irony is that, although Solomon wrote of what causes nations to fall, no country yet has ever believed him. "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Pr. 14:34). One would think that people would not tolerate such sins as abortion and homosexuality, but they do and are eventually destroyed. Only God can define sin (such as in Pr. 6:16-19), but man thinks his own judgment is better than God's and that, somehow, we will be the nation that defies all of history. No one with that kind of thinking has ever been right yet.
Solomon includes material on several topics, such as marriage, rearing children, laziness, the proper and improper uses of the tongue, anger, pride, self-control, the use of alcohol, honesty, loyalty, and the value of attaining wisdom. Many of these same principles are taught in one form or the other in the New Testament. A wise person would follow these precepts.
Ecclesiastes is written from a different perspective than any other book of the Bible. The writer, Solomon, had great wealth and thus was able to do just about anything he wanted. The book is written from the idea of what a person gains from pursuing things that are done "under the sun." The author sought for meaning in his life in the things that many pursue to this day: wealth, work, sex, knowledge, entertainment. His conclusion is that all of that only leads to "emptiness" and "a striving after the wind." In other words, life without God is meaningless. The thesis of this book is later taught by Jesus in the following way: "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26).
A person can excel in the accumulation of secular knowledge, but if he does not know God, what good is it? Someone might be listed as the owner of one of the top ten Fortune 500 companies. So he is rich beyond most people's imagination; now what? Do knowledge, wealth, power, fame, success, or pleasure make anyone a better person? And when he dies, he has it no more. God is the One who provides meaning to our existence. Ecclesiastes closes with this emphasis:
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil (12:13-14).
The Song of Solomon is written to celebrate the exhilaration of courtship, romance, and love within the confines of marriage, the only rightful place that sexual expression is allowed (Heb. 13:4). Although some critics have thought that the book was too racy, most people will not have that opinion when they read it. It upholds God's plan for marriage which He instituted in the Garden of Eden. The book was obviously not written by men who have consistently departed from God's arrangement.