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No.5.
Adam, and the Mystery of Christ.
pp. 109, 110
We have seen in our previous study, that the eighth Psalm is concerned with "The
secrets of the Son", and we therefore compare its teaching with the exposition and
development of "the Mystery of Christ" as set forth in the epistles of Paul, THE steward
of the mysteries or secrets of the New Testament.
(1) "O LORD our Lord." Here two Divine titles are used, namely "Jehovah" and
"Adonai". These are employed in Psa. 110: 1 "The LORD said unto my Lord" which
fact the Saviour Himself referred to, to substantiate His claim to deity as we see in
Matt. 22: 41-46. Further, just as we have seen Psalms 8: and 45: are quoted in
Heb. 1: and 2:, so we read in Psa. 110: "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My
right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool", a passage also quoted in Heb. 1:
concerning "The Son"; and incidentally providing another means of identifying "The
enemy and the avenger" of Psa. 8: It is manifest that Psa. 8:, not only looks back
to the first Adam but forward to the second man, the last Adam, and so provides a basis
for the mystery of godliness, namely that God was manifest in the flesh (I Tim. 3: 16),
another aspect of "The secret of the Son".
(2) Another facet of this great mystery is the twofold excellency of His name and
glory "in all the earth", "above the heavens". This, too, we shall find is enlarged upon by
Paul in Eph. 4:
(3) The reference to "babes and sucklings" suggests that we are in the presence of
one of the mysteries of the Scriptures, for this passage is quoted in Matt. 21: 16, the
babes and sucklings recognizing the Son of David, the leaders of the people being blind.
There is also a particular reference in Matt. 11: 25, where in the consciousness of His
rejection by Israel, the Son of God said "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed
them unto babes". In more than one epistle the Apostle has echoed this truth in reference
to the mysteries and secrets of the Scripture.
(4) "What is man that Thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that Thou
visitest him?" Here the stoop from heaven's highest glory to man's lowly estate is
indicated--a blessed aspect of "The Secrets of the Son".
(5) The twofold relationship of the Saviour with the Angels, "a little lower" in
Heb. 2:, "above" in Heb. 1:, is suggested here in Psa. 8:
(6)
"Thou hast put all things under His feet." This, as we have observed is
interpreted by the Apostle in I Cor. 15:, Heb. 2: and Eph. 1:, of the universal
sovereignty of the ascended Christ.