Psalm 45
At this time of year many people think of the baby in the manger and it is good to reflect on the beautiful story of the nativity.
However, Jesus Christ did not remain a baby but became the mighty King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Saviour of the world, and the Bridegroom of his church..
So often we can focus in on the wonderful meekness and humility of Jesus (the suffering servant of Isaiah 53; the crucified Messiah) and yet neglect His power and majesty as the mighty conquering King!
Through the blood of the cross He defeated him who had the power over death and having risen entered the holy of holies and presented once and for all His holy sinless blood on the mercy seat as a propitiation (turned away God's wrath) for the sin of man.
We are now going to consider Jesus Christ as the conquering hero and Jesus Christ the victorious bridegroom.
We must never forget that Jesus Christ defeated sin and death and has the keys of death and hell, and he is able to save them to the uttermost that come to Him.
Psalm 45
To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.
45:1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore, God hath blessed thee for ever.
3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.
4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth, meekness, and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach these terrible things.
5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.
6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
9 Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house.
11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour.
13 The king's daughters are all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.
15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace.
16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore, shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.
To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.
This is a delightful psalm bursting with royalty and nobility, power, and majesty.
Shoshannim (lilies) might refer to the tune, a poetical title or even a musical instrument. Behold the lilies of the field even Solomon praised.
The sons of Korah were the specially appointed and trained singers for this, and other psalms and we are also trained to sing as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
King Jesus ought to be praised by a specially chosen holy people!
Psalm 45 is a didactic psalm i.e. Maschil is a psalm that teaches us (about the power and majesty of God).
There is going to be royal wedding and you are going to take part in it ...as the Bride!
It is also love song and more specifically a wedding (nuptial song) about the forthcoming marriage of Christ the bridegroom and His bride the church of Jesus Christ.
Oh, the mystical union of between Christ and His church! Jesus is the King who set His love upon a bride of low estate, paid all our debts for us when we had no means to pay, exalts us to exalted position (seated in heavenly places) and bestows the wealth and honours of eternal life upon us. What a magnificent Bridegroom!
v.1 Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks! The writer’s heart is bursting with praise to the divine King and Bridegroom. His pen is guided by the passion in his heart. Is your heart full of passion for your King today?
v.2 Although Jesus has no physical beauty lest we desire him for the wrong reasons.
He has a surpassing beauty of spirit and nature. Only that which is truth, only that which is wise and gracious, only that which gives glory to His father pours forth from those anointed lips. Never a wasted or unnecessary word only that which is fitting like apples of gold in settings of silver, fell from the lips of the Son of God. Jesus Christ is a great high priest after the order of Melchizedek without beginning or ending of days. Father God has blessed Him forever!
v.3 Get ready for battle with the sword of the spirit, for the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart[1]. In the wilderness Jesus defeated Satan with the word of God and at the end of time He will destroy His enemies with the breath of His mouth. O most mighty, there never was anyone else who was able or worthy to this title, the one who defeated Satan, death, and hell by His death on the cruel cross and now has the keys of death and hell. O most mighty Jesus Christ. The Lamb of God is the only one worthy to open the scroll in the book of revelation.
v.4 When Jesus preached the Gospel He rode on the Word of Truth and meekness and righteousness not only proclaiming these but living them out before the very eyes of men. The glorious eternal Gospel was His chariot to bring salvation to fallen man. The Gospel prospered turning some peoples’ worlds right way up! Jesus the right hand of God brings salvation to the humble but a terrible and everlasting condemnation to the unrepentant wicked. There is no hiding place from the Son of God.
v.5 His words are arrows and never miss the mark! No one can stand against Him and survive. We are also His arrows in His quiver for he fires us out at the lost so that as we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ by His spirit, he pierces their hearts with conviction of sin of righteousness and judgement! Some enemies fall convicted leading to salvation others refusing to repent to eternal condemnation. We were once His enemies but now are of His royal household!
v.6 This most mighty warrior is none other than God Himself, God the Son, Jesus Christ, the eternal word made flesh, He who was in the beginning was the eternal Word and was with God and was God. It is Him who has an eternal throne not like any earthly king but a divine and everlasting Kingship. Jesus Christ is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Praise his holy name. he who was once a babe in a manger shall rule the nations with a rod of iron.
His rule, His sceptre is the only right and lawful rule that is fitting to stand for eternity.
v.7 Here is the Father’s heart he hates evil in all its forms and disguises but loves that which is truthful, pure, and holy and because this was what was Jesus lived and loved, He was anointed by the Holy Spirit without measure! Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and He received joy without measure and yet there was another joy was that was set before Him (of seeing you and I saved) He endured the humiliation and suffering of the cross. he who gives most receives most joy!
v.8 Jesus Christ is our Great High Priest who offered His sacrifice to God for our sins.
the high priest in the old testament had special garments and was anointed with an exclusive holy and precious oil representing the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ was anointed not with the symbol but with the real thing, the fragrance of the Holy Spirit. Christians also have a measure of this aroma to those who are being saved but we are the stench of death to those who are perishing. Even the name of Jesus is as ointment poured forth! He is now at the Father’s right hand the ultimate dwelling place.
v.9 Whether we are high or low rank in society Jesus Christ has appointed all women who believe in his name to royalty and like Queen Esther, you have been born-again for such a time as this! That is to be willing to sacrifice your life for the salvation of those people who are appointed unto salvation. We do this by telling and living the gospel to them and before them. The Queen is the Bride of Jesus Christ and stands beside Him in the place of honour at the Father’s right hand. The purest gold is for those to whom Jesus has imputed and imparted His righteousness so that we might stand before God as part of the royal family.
v.10 We were formerly of our father the devil. The world, the flesh and the devil constantly besiege us in this life. When we go to heaven, we might lose relatives and friends forever because they have rejected Jesus Christ the only name given under heaven by which we might be saved. The Lord will wipe away the tears from our eyes.
It is our obligation to take the Gospel to our families, friends, and enemies but the response is their responsibility!
We must not be like Lot’s wife looking and longing for the former sinful things or like those who fell in the wilderness longing for the things of Egypt. We are washed with the holy and precious blood of the Lamb do not return like a dog to its vomit! In heaven we will put the past completely behind us, but we can start today! Forget the former things and press on toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus.
v.11 As we forsake all that is ungodly so will become increasingly pleasing to our King Jesus and greatly desire us for the beauty of us being willing to give up everything for Him! At the end of day who do we want to please? He is our Lord and is the only one worthy of our worship! Why should Jesus play a secondary role to anyone or anything (idols) in our lives?
v12 Even the Gentiles will come to recognise Jesus as King of Kings and will bring their wealth to Him. We who were aliens and strangers to covenants and promises to Israel have become joint heirs through Jesus Christ. The costliest gift we can give to God is ourselves our very lives and the control of them. We are now rich through and in Jesus Christ and can ask for His favour!
v.13 The Bride of Christ is cleansed by the blood, washed by the water of the word, and is clothed with His robe of righteousness (the quality of which can only be represented by the purest refined gold). The Bride is now beautiful on the inside and the outside.
v.14 The Bride’s garment was carefully designed and put together and when she makes her entrance she will be accompanied by her companions (the angels who have protected and ministered to the Bride). All the heavenly host will be at the wedding.
v.15 What a wonderful and joyful spectacle the almighty and majestic Jesus Christ the Bridegroom with His Bride, the church radiant and shining, transported by the Holy Spirit, surrounded by the angels of God entering into the Father’s household. And we will be there and part of it!
v.16 Some of Jesus ancestors brought glory to God, David, Solomon, Judah etc. etc. but a special portion is given to the New testament church in that we shall rule as princes on the earth [2].
v.17 How can we fail to remember Him and give the glory due to His name, Jesus Christ.
The most mighty One. The Messiah of God. The One who died that we might live
Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Death could not hold the Lamb of God. He is risen and having offered his blood as a once and for all sacrifice sat down at the Father’s right hand. Soon He is coming for his bride.
Even so come Lord Jesus.
Amen
That same baby in the manager is now the risen Lord seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. This is why the Christmas story is so very wonderful.
Amen
Personal prayer