Psalm 45
This is a Song of commitment.
In a human relationship no one ever gets to the marriage alter unless there has been a solid commitment by both parties to completely surrender their lives to each other.
The same is true in our union with our spiritual Groom. We cannot even begin to talk about the delights that wait beyond the veil until there has been the kind of change of heart that causes a reckless abandonment of all that we are into the trusting arms of our Groom.
In the natural, this abandonment or commitment comes about as a result of the bride knowing enough about her groom that she has no hesitation about committing her allegiance to him. In the same way we make that commitment to our divine Groom because of what has been revealed to us about His nature. Dr. Spurgeon long ago challenged the church to not only believe in Christ, but to know why we believe in Him. The commitment of our allegiance to Him, is based upon the revelation of his worth. He is worthy of our allegiance. He is worthy of our worship. He is worthy of our unrestrained, unashamed abandonment to His intimacy.
This is the stuff of Psalm 45.
A Brief History
Even the description of the Psalm sets it apart at the very outset as something unique. One of two wedding songs recorded in the psalms.
A special Tune – “The Lillies”
A special Choir – “Levitical – Sons of Korah”
A special purpose – “Maskil”
In it’s historical context it was a song for a very special bride and groom.
Maschil, An instructive poem or song. Not an idle lay, or a romantic ballad, but a Psalm of holy teaching, didactic and doctrinal. As a “Maschil” it was not only historical in it’s context, but it is also applicable to us in it’s content. Long after the wedding in question, the psalm was used by the Israelites as one speaking of God’s relationship with His Children, Israel. Now His church is included in that relationship with Israel and the “wasness” of the written Word of God once again becomes for us the “isness” of His applicable Word.
The interpretation of this Word is for an age gone by, but the application through the Holy Spirit is very decidedly for us right here and now. The groom written of here is a reference to Christ. The Bride is a type of His church. The Psalm is unquestionably Messianic.
Spurgeon: Some here see Solomon and Pharaoh\’s daughter only— they are short sighted; others see both Solomon and Christ—they are cross eyed; well focused spiritual eyes see here Jesus only, or if Solomon be present at all, it must be like those hazy shadows of by passers which cross the face of the camera, and therefore are dimly traceable upon a photographic landscape.
In a day when there is such a renewed interest in the validity of scriptures relating to the authenticity of a risen Christ, this Psalm speaks to us volumes. It reminds us of the nature of our risen Lord and Bridegroom and compels us to bow down once again in wonder and awe of who He is. It reminds us again of the reason we believe in who He is and it calls us back to a place of total allegiance to Him alone.
The Psalm is divided into two sections.
The Majesty of the Groom
The Message to the Bride
The psalmist makes a case the Grooms Majesty by highlighting
The Excellency of His Reputation.
The Equity of His Rule.
The Eternal Nature of His Reign
It is upon being drawn to Him and knowing Him more intimately that we come to know The Excellency of His Reputation.
2You are fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into your lips: therefore God has blessed you forever. 8All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad (Psalm 45:2,8).
The excellency of our grooms reputation is demonstrated first of all by The Majesty of His Person.
We sing that beautiful praise song, “How excellent is thy name O Lord, how excellent is thy name”. And “There is none like you, no one else can touch my heart like you do, I can search through eternity long and find, there is none like you.”
The writer begins by describing The Majesty of the Groom. Listen to his opening words.
My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Unusual introduction. Not commonly found in the Psalms.
The word “stirred” can be more literally translated as “my heart boils”, or “my heart is bursting” or “my heart seethes”(New International Commentary: Psalms). His tongue is like the pen of a ready writer. He cannot wait to get the word out about the Groom. This is the kind of emotion that ought to be ours when we recognize the true nature of our Groom. Why? Because of who He is. Because of His majesty! There is nothing in our wildest imagination that can compare with Him. Compared to Him all that is fair becomes dark.
O fair sun, and fair moon, and fair stars, and fair flowers, and fair roses, and fair lilies; but O ten thousand thousand times fairer Lord Jesus! Alas! I have wronged him in making the comparison this way. O black sun and moon! but O fair Lord Jesus! O black flowers, and black lilies, and roses! but O fair, fair, ever fair, Lord Jesus! O black heaven! but O fair Christ! O black angels! but O surpassingly fair Lord Jesus! Samuel Rutherford.
It is amazing how that we can be consumed by the activities and busyness of our day, but the moment we begin to dwell on Him, He shows up.
When the conversation is centered around other things, necessary things perhaps, and then it turns towards Him, He shows up!
Once having been drawn to Him by grace and having experienced the supernatural attraction of that Lilly of the Valley there is nothing that can contain the expression of our love for Him.
O how I love Him! How I adore Him!
My breath, my sunshine, my all in all.
The great Creator became my Savior,
And all God’s fullness dwells in Him.
Down from His glory, Ever living story,
My God and Savior came, And Jesus was His Name.
Born in a manger, To His own a stranger,
A Man of sorrows, tears and agony.
Throughout the ages we echo the Psalmists words of love for the King as we sing our songs of praise to Him. And He is pleased with that. In vs. 9 we see that the music of the strings makes Him glad. The music of our voices raised to Him likewise brings joy to His heart as we sing to Him the truth of His majesty.
“His the Lilly of the valley….the fairest of ten thousand to my soul”
Great hymns of the faith express the truth of this Psalm
Fair he was (1) in his conception, conceived in purity, and a fair angel brought the news. Fair (2) in his nativity: wraioz is the word in the Septuagint, tempustivus, in time, that is, all things are beautiful in their time, Ec 3:11. And in the fulness of time it was that he was born, and a fair star pointed to him. Fair (3) in his childhood; he grew up in grace and favour, Lu 2:52. The doctors were much taken with him. Fair (4) in his manhood; had he not been so, says S. Jerome, had there not been something admirable in his countenance and presence, some heavenly beauty, the apostles and the whole world (as the Pharisees themselves confess) would not so suddenly have gone after him. Fair (5) in his transfiguration, white as the light, or as the snow, his face glittering as the sun Mt 17:2, even to the ravishing the very soul of S. Peter, that \”he knew not what he said, \”could let his eyes dwell upon that face for ever, and never come down the mount again. Fair (6) in his passion. Nihil indecorum, no uncomeliness, in his nakedness; his very wounds, and the bloody prints of the whips and scourges drew an ecce from the mouth of Pilate: \”Behold, the man!\” the sweetness of his countenance and carriage in the midst of filth and spittle, whips and buffets. His very comeliness upon the cross, and his giving up the ghost, made the centurion cry out, he \”was the Son of God:\” there appeared so sweet a majesty, so heavenly a lustre in him through that very darkness that encompassed him. Fair (7) in his resurrection; so subtle a beauty, that mortal eyes, even the eyes of his own disciples, were not able to see or apprehend it, but when he veiled it from them. Fair (8) in his ascension; made his disciples stand gazing after him so long (as if they never could look long enough upon him), till an angel is sent from heaven to rebuke them, to look home, Ac 1:2. Mark Frank.
His excellency is further demonstrated by The Measure of His Grace.
His lips have been anointed with grace. O how much in a world of harshness and judgment do we need to hear that word Grace. The reason that I believe in Him is because His grace has taught my heart to fear.
That precious grace that appeared to me the hour I first believed.
He should have given me the blast of judgment, but He poured out into my wretched life the blessing of His grace.
We believe in Him, we trust in Him, we worship Him because He is gracious in all His dealings towards us. Not only does He impart grace as a gift that purchases our salvation, but also the words from His lips are anointed with grace. You never heard a harsh word spoken to a little child. Even at His trial those present had to confess that they had heard no evil word come from His mouth. All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips (Luke 4:22).
At the one moment in His life when He would have been perfectly justified in calling all of the angels to His aide, and in striking out in revenge, His words instead were, “Father, forgive them.” Oh, the measure of His grace.
The writer continues in this mood of bestowing excellence as he describes The Mantle of His Righteousness.
“All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad”. (Psalm 45:8).
In scripture ones garments characterize your conduct before men. The groom’s garments were fragrant. They were a picture of His righteousness.
Upon realizing and acknowledging the excellency of His person we are compelled to bow before Him in humble adoration.
The Equity of His Rule.
Not only is the Divine Groom of excellent reputation but He also rules with equity.
3Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. 4In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. 5Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king\’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. 6Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy (Psalm 45:3-7).
We marvel at His grace. We wonder at His compassion, but we never forget that He has only one kind of Kingdom in mind through all this, and that is a kingdom of righteousness. There is a sense here in which one gets the idea that in His great love for His bride He comes prepared to protect her from any possible threat. He comes at the ready to go out and do battle with any enemy that may threaten the safety of His Love. Even in this His excellency of character is magnified. In Deut. 24:5 If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.
But not this groom. He had a mission to protect His bride and He will not take rest from that mission. What battle is He ready for? The battle for Truth, Humility and Righteousness. He stands for what is right and will settle for nothing less. He, not the governments of men, carries the standard. The government is upon His shoulders. Vs. 7, He loves righteousness and He hates wickedness.
This prophecy by the Psalmist became a reality for the Jewish nation in History when because of their continuous rejection of Christ as Messiah, their denial of His sovereignty and their pursuit of evil and foreign god’s, the time came when they were brought down, and but for a remnant were utterly destroyed. The sword of judgment that was wielded against God’s own chosen people then, is the same sword which proceeds out of His mouth in Rev. 19:11-16
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. \”He will rule them with an iron scepter.\” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
“King of kings and Lord of lords.”
In the account of Jesus’ triumphal entry on His final entry into Jerusalem He rode on a Donkey. A symbol of meekness. The Bible tells us that He will come again, but this time it will be as a Majestic King upon a white stallion. When He entered Jerusalem His followers waved palm branches, a symbol of peace. When He comes again He will have the Sword of heaven and the scepter of justice in His hand, and He will once and for all balance the scales of injustice and bring every wicked deed to task.
He is concerned with truth and with humility and with justice. And if His grace does not teach our heart to fear and if grace does not lead me on and I choose to set myself against Him then I must come under the force of His judgment. God deals with everyone in exactly the same way. He is impartial. He has no favorites. He excludes no wicked person from the wrath of His judgment and He excludes no person from the reach of His grace. No matter how great the sin. The homosexual is invited to repent and receive that grace. The abortionist is invited. The adulterer is invited. The murderer is invited. The racist is invited. He invites us to come and receive His forgiveness and His grace so that we may avoid the brunt of His judgment.
Why do we believe in Him, trust Him and worship Him? Because we recognize the excellence of His reputation, and we know that we can count on the Equity of His rule.
The Eternity of His Reign
The third characteristic the Psalmist describes is The Eternity of His Reign
6Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever.
There are those that believe that the “Old Time” religion has a place in the past but that it does not work today. I love the words of that revival song. “God can do it again and again and again. He’s the same God today as He always has been.”
It is significant that the poet has set this statement in the middle of the song. This thought is also at the very center of our faith. Our God reigns. Christ is on His throne even now. Though some may question the validity of His claims and the veracity of Scripture, He still reigns. His Kingdom is forever and forever.
History Confirms the Eternity of His Reign
There are many great historical figures whose records affirm the eternal nature of Chrsit’s reign. One such leader, surprisingly enough, was Napoleon Bonaparte.
I know a man, and I tell you that Jesus is more than a man!
The religion of Christ is a mystery which subsists by it\’s own force, and proceeds from a mind which is not a human mind. We find in it a marked individuality, which originated a train of words and maxims unknown before. Jesus borrowed nothing from our knowledge. He exhibited in Himself the perfect example of His precepts. Jesus is not a philosopher for His proofs are miracles, and from the first his disciples adored Him. In fact, learning and philosophy are of no use for salvation; and Jesus came into the world to reveal the mysteries of heaven and the laws of the Spirit. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself founded empires; but upon what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him. (C.S Lewis)
C.S. Lewis further makes the option of Him being a great moral teacher obsolete with these trenchant remarks:
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish things that people often say about Him. \”I\’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don\’t accept His claim to be God\”. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman, or something worse.
You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit on Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.\”
Scripture Attests to the Eternity of His Reign.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David\’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:7)
But the angel said to her, \”Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.\” (Luke 1:30-33)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)
Our Experience Proves it.
Though history confirms the eternity of His reign and the Scriptures attest to it, it is for naught unless this knowledge is imparted to our experience by the Holy Spirit. This is what makes worship real. When we make that vow of commitment based upon the knowledge we have we must lift the veil of resistance to His control over our lives and receive that kiss of heaven that will take us beyond the threshold of mere religion into a place of transformation into His image.
The Message to the Bride.
Now that the writer has drawn attention to the Majesty of the groom, he turns his attention to the Bride who is a type of the church. What he has to say to her seems almost unnecessary. One would think that she too has seen His majesty and has been struck with wonder and awe and total surrender to Him. But sadly, it seems that the Bride of Christ today needs this very reminder or instruction that is given to our historical bride in this psalm.
The church today has given her allegiance to many things. She has succumbed to those who would come into the Groom’s household and presume to take over the control of His household. She has succumbed to the temptation of aligning herself with other strange bedfellows in order to look right and to feel right and have the necessary influence in the society in which she functions. A modern term for such compromise is “Political correctness”, while the older, more accurate term, in the context of the Psalm would be “harlotry”
This is not what the Father had in mind for His son. This is not what the Son had in mind when He purchased His bride outright and rescued her from the grip of the spiritual rapists of this world. The church today in this hour more than ever before must heed the words of the Psalmist as he writes the message for the bride.
The first thing He says is that she must renounce all others.
This is true when we come into the faith. We are called to sever those relationships. We are called to look forward to the new life and the new relationship that we have in Christ. Many times we are tempted to go back. The Israelites had that problem all the time. They saw His glory. They knew His presence. They participated in His provision, yet always they hankered after the things that were behind. And as a result today still they miss out on the relationship with the Groom.
She must forget her father’s house. This is a perfectly natural request for one who will now be joined together in one flesh with her spouse. In the spiritual relationship it is the same. God is up to something new in His church. He is preparing the Bride for His Son. He is calling her away from all of the affections and allegiances she has with anything other than the Groom Himself. It seems that there is so much attention these days on perpetuating the institution of the Church. Jesus did not come to build an organization. He came to purchase and prepare a Bride.
Do you think that Jesus cares about how someone may feel about that? Look at Luke 14:26
She Must Reverence Him alone.
Apart from Him there is nothing else that is sacred. Not an institution. Not a relationship with an organization. No set of by laws or constitution. No religious ritual. No creed or dogma. Though some of these things in themselves may be useful in aiding our worship and organizing our fellowship, they must never be revered above the worship of the Groom. When we miss the divine “kiss” because we are too preoccupied with “stuff” we have misunderstood the reason Jesus dies for His Bride.
She Must Reject the possibility of scandal.
Ezekial 33. It was because of the scandal that God changed their hearts.
Jesus wants His church to experience Him in all of his glory so badly.
He wrote a letter to a church in the New Testament which is representative of the church today. In Rev 3:17-20. A church which thought they had it all together. They thought thet really knew Him, that he was a part of their fellowship, but what they did not know was that they had become so self righteous and self satisfied, that they had forgotten His identity. And so he vacated the premises.
His words to them were, \”You say, \”I am rich, I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. Not even the real Jesus. We can make it without him. But he says, \”You do not even realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. \”I counsel you, says Jesus, to buy from me gold that has been refined in the fire so that you can become rich, and white clothes to wear (the white clothes of a consecrated life) so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes so that you can see. That you can see the true Jesus. Not a great prophet, not a great teacher, not a great miracle worker, but Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
And then Jesus gives this invitation from the outside. He says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church.
The time has come for the Bride of Christ, His church to lift the veil, purse those “lips” in anticipation of being swept off our feet into His presence.