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Beautiful words stir my heart. I will recite a lovely poem about the king, for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet (v. 1, NLT).
Psalm 45 is described as a song celebrating the King’s marriage. Verse 1 has beautiful words that come from a skillful poet.
Some songs get stuck in our culture.
In the early ’70s and ’80s, almost every wedding ceremony I officiated used The Wedding Song, written by Noel Paul Stookey of the singing group Peter, Paul, and Mary. At a current wedding, you might hear Your Song by Elton John; and coming on strong in popularity is Shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.
I imagine that if you attended a wedding in Judea about 1000 years before Christ was born, you would hear a harpist and soloist perform Psalm 45.
It’s difficult to know the earthly king described in this Psalm, but often the Psalms foretell future events. Though Psalm 45 was written for an earthly marriage, it’s also a prophecy describing Jesus.
Verse 6 in Psalm 45 says that Jesus’s throne will be eternal, and the book of Hebrews repeats this theme …
But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness above Your companions” (Note: Psalm 45:6-7 is the same as Hebrews 1:8-9).
When we read this Psalm, we realize the bride is describing the groom.
The New Testament gives the image of the church as the bride of Christ.
For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:31-32).
In Psalm 45, we see the bride of Christ (the church) describing our Lord and Savior; this Psalm reveals several promises about Jesus and our relationship to Him.
First: Jesus will give us victory!
In Your majesty ride on victoriously, for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness (v. 4).
Second: Joy comes from purity in our relationship with Jesus!
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of joy (v. 7).
Third: We will be able to enter God’s presence!
She will be led to the King … She will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; she will enter into the King’s palace (vv. 14-15).
Only in Jesus can we find victory, joy, and the peace of His presence.
The book of Revelation prophetically reveals that the first event of our eternity with God will be a celebration called the Marriage Feast of the Lamb!
Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready … Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).
At the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, we will not sing a song by Peter, Paul, and Mary or by Lady Gaga.
I believe that we will sing Psalm 45. We should memorize it now in preparation!
We will praise Jesus forever and ever (v. 17).