e prophet of God, told David what God had told him, "And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever." This covenant may be called the summit of the entire Old Testament. Looking back, it takes up the promises of blessing made to Abraham and his elect seed, (Gen. 17:16) and brings them to rest on David. Looking forward, it prepares for the messianic hope that inspires Israel's faith before and after the exile in Babylon. The hope for a Messiah is culminated in the coming of Jesus Christ (Is. 9:1-7; Luke 1:32, 33, 69, 70; Acts 2:30, 31: 13:22, 23: Romans 1; 1-4; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 22:16).
             With this covenant in mind it is easy to understand why many of the psalms contain references to the Messiah. Specifically, these psalms have been entitled Messianic Psalms. Certain criteria are needed for a psalm to be identified as a Messianic Psalm. C. Hassel Bullock suggests three: when the language
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