3. Vindication: The King-Priest Is a Conqueror (vv. 5-7). All of the “royal psalms” contain predictions about battles and victories for God’s King (2:7-9, 12; 18:16-19, 31-34, 37-42; 20:1-2, 7-8; 21:8-12; 45:3-5; 61:3; 72:8-9; 89:22-23; 132:18). Today is the Lord’s “day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:1-2) when He is calling sinners to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:18-21). But there will come a day of wrath, “the day of the Lord,” when Jesus the Lamb of God will begin to “roar” as the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5-6), and judgment will fall on the world. This is the victory the Father promised in verse 1 and also in 2:5, 9. The psalmist describes stacks of corpses on the battlefield with nobody to bury them. Even allowing for poetic license, the picture is not a pretty one–but consider what John (the apostle of love) wrote in Revelation 14:17-20 and 19:11-19 (and see Isa. 66:24). The word in verse 6 translated “heads” (kjv) or “chief men, rulers” (nasb, niv) is singular in the Hebrew. It could be a collective noun or it may refer to the last great world ruler, the Antichrist or Beast (Rev. 13:1-10) whom Jesus Christ will destroy at His coming (2 Thess. 2:1-2; Rev. 19:17-21).

The image in verse 7 is difficult to decipher. The niv margin reads, “The One who grants succession will set him in authority,” meaning that Christ will win the victory and receive the promised throne. But it is necessary to alter the Hebrew text to get this meaning. The picture is obviously not to be taken literally, for a King riding out of heaven on a horse doesn’t need a drink of water to keep going. The warrior David, who knew something about battles, is saying, “Nothing will detain Him, detour Him, or discourage Him as He attacks the enemy. Like every good soldier, He will linger only long enough to get a sip of water, and then He will raise His head and continue the chase.” We remember that before His crucifixion, Jesus refused to receive the narcotic drink, but tasted death to the full on the cross (Matt. 27:34). Gideon and his men also come to mind (Judg. 7:4-7), for their fitness for the battle was tested by the way they drank at the river.

Jesus Christ is exalted and enthroned in heaven! One day He will come and conquer the Devil and his armies and establish His kingdom on earth! Hallelujah, what a Savior!