When I was a kid, seemingly I got to go to a lot of wedding banquet. I remember that the things I learned is to behave right. I hope I did not disappoint my parents in that regard. There is going to be a marriage feast, but the participation to the feast depends on our “manner” before the feast. Let’s read the psalm and find out about it.
Commentary:
Psalm 45:1. The psalmist was inspired to write this psalm. He compared his inspiration with a simile—a pen in the hand of a ready writer. He went on to complete a picture of a blessed king, his reign, and his wedding.
Psalm 45:2. This king is said to be fairer than all men. He is blessed by God; his blessings are evidenced by his graceful words. The old hymn “Fairest Lord Jesus” echoed the essence of this verse.
Psalm 45:3-5. The king would battle his enemies and triumph over them. Because of him, the earth will have truth, meekness, and righteousness. This imagery comes alive in the prophecy told by Apostle John in Rev 19:11-19.
Psalm 45:6-7. He will rule forever and ever. As in Rev. 19:20-21, no one would match his accomplishment on earth. His rule would be marked by its justice.
Psalm 45:8-10. What follows is a description of a royal wedding. This sequence is consistent with the sequence in the prophecy. After the Christ rids the earth of wickedness, there is the marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 21:2).
The chosen bride in here is told to forget, which means to stop loving, her root or the origin of a previous life. Who is the bride? The church is likened to be the wife of Christ in the NT (Eph. 5:23). When our Lord saves us, we are a new creature. The old has passed away; new things have come (2Cor 5:17). Of course, if we keep loving the past, we will never enter into the new life that our Lord has prepared for us. The Lord has saved us for heaven bounds, so we should stop living in our old miry clay. Let stand on the rock, leave our past behind, and start our heavenly climb.
Psalm 45:11. The beauty of the bride is not evident to the king until she is loyal to him. God desires not sacrifice but obedience (1Sam 15:22). Whatever we have is from God. That includes wealth, health, talents, and beauty. None of them, therefore, is valuable to God, but God desires our love and devotion.
Psalm 45:15. The marriage takes place only when the bride is ready. She is heart ready—willing to let go of her past. She is costume ready—adorning herself with precious garments. The garments can be likened to our new behavior in Christ. We have to be Christ like in our behavior (Rom 13:14).
Psalm 45:16. Echoing verse 10, the verse tells us that we can have a new heritage. Only when we give up the old, the new things can come. Likewise, in order to live the spiritual life, we have to stop loving the world.
Meditation:
The marriage of the Lamb will come. That is a certainty. The uncertainty is who will be present. All God’s people should have that concerns and live in a way that will ensure our presence at the marriage feast.
We are the church and the wife of Christ. Let’s start living like the bride in this psalm. Get ourselves ready in heart, body, and soul. Walk in a way that pleases our Lord inside out. Be loyal to Him to win His praises.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you will bring on the marriage. Let us trust in your will and make ourselves ready for the marriage. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.