The royal psalms all mention the king, his rule, and his relationship with God. Most scholars consider Psalms 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 61, 72, 89, 101, 110, 132, and 144 as royal psalms.
Belief in God's rule is the foundation of the royal psalms (see Psalm 2). Each king in David's family line (King David's dynasty) acted as a messianic agent. This means they represented God's rule. As God's representative, kings descended from David had the obligation to practice justice, righteousness, faithfulness, and peace (Psalm 72:1–3).
The royal psalms express the hopes and dreams of King David's dynasty. Because of its corruption and failure, the dynasty seemed to come to an end (Psalm 89:38–45). Yet, hope continued for a future king from David's family line to serve as God's Christ. The royal psalms keep this hope alive for a king whose perfect obedience would guarantee the dynasty's continuation and the lasting benefits of his rule.
In this sense, one could also call the royal psalms messianic psalms. This is because they express hope in a Christ figure, the ideal king descended from David. Jesus stated that the writers of the psalms wrote about him (Luke 24:44). Other New Testament writers confirm that Jesus is the Messiah (God's chosen one).
Some of the most important connections to Christ are as follows:
Psalm 2 is associated with Israel's king, the descendant of David. Yet, it describes a global victory and rule that surpasses the time of David or Solomon's rule (see Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5; 5:5).
Psalm 45 is a wedding song for a king descended from David, maybe Solomon. It also mentions a lasting rule (45:6).
Psalm 110 is the most quoted messianic psalm in the New Testament about Christ (see Matthew 22:43–45; Acts 2:34–35; Hebrews 1:13; 5:5–10; 6:20; 7:21). This psalm contains several key prophetic elements that were later understood as references to the Messiah. It describes the privileges, universal victory, and continual royal priesthood of David and his successors.
This language might seem exaggerated or misleading, except that it finds fulfillment in Jesus. The angels stand in God’s presence (see Luke 1:19). But Christ the Son sits in a position of power and authority over everything at God’s "right hand" (Hebrews 1:13).
Passages for Further Study
Psalms 2; 18; 20; 21; 45; 61; 72; 89; 101; 110; 132; 144; Acts 2:34–35; 13:33; Hebrews 1:5, 13; 5:5–10