CONCERNING CHRIST AND THE CHURCH.
Psalm 45:1-17.
The mysterious word in the title of this Psalm, ‘Shoshannim’, may refer to a six-stringed instrument, or to the scattering of roses or lilies around the nuptial bed: what we might call confetti today. The word ‘Maschil’ may be a musical reference, but also speaks of understanding. This is a song about love: but principally about the love of Christ and the Church (cf. Ephesians 5:32).
The Psalmist wrote of things beyond his natural knowledge. As a prophet, he sought diligently and inquired after the grace that was to come (1 Peter 1:10). Then he spoke and wrote as the Spirit of God led him (2 Peter 1:21).
I). Psalm 45:1-2. Seeing Jesus as He is.
The believer’s heart, in grateful adoration, is ever contemplating the goodness of the Lord. When our hearts thus bubble over in love toward King Jesus, we cannot remain silent: our thoughts must needs give expression in words. The Psalmist found his tongue to be the pen of a ready writer (Psalms 45:1), all set to make this contribution to Scripture.
Psalm 45:2 begins, “You are fairer than the children of men” This is how we first discover Jesus to be. Of all men, He alone is the flawless One (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5).
It continues, “grace is poured into your lips.” As the best of men, and our sacrifice, we receive grace from His grace (John 1:16). And grace pours forth from His lips (Luke 4:22).
In consequence, the verse concludes, “therefore God has blessed you for ever.” We receive our blessings only in Him (Ephesians 1:3). He redeemed us ‘that we might receive the blessing of Abraham’ (Galatians 3:14).
II). Psalm 45:3-5. The sword and arrows of Jesus.
Psalm 45:3. Part of the royal insignia of King Jesus is His sword. The Psalmist addresses Jesus here as “O most mighty,” and bids Him “Gird thy sword upon thy thigh” along with "thy glory and thy majesty.”
The preacher commissioned to preach the gospel hardly dare proceed without ‘the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’ (Ephesians 6:17; cf. Song of Solomon 3:8).
The Word of God, when the gospel is faithfully preached, ‘is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword… and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart’ (Hebrews 4:12). To the ‘saved’ it is the savour of ‘life unto life.’ But to ‘them that perish’ it is the savour of ‘death unto death’ (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).
Jesus holds His sword ready upon His thigh - and when He draws it, He does not draw it in vain. The Word of God will accomplish all for which He has sent it (Isaiah 55:11). Without Jesus, the preacher has nothing to say.
Psalm 45:4. When the Word of “truth” is preached, Jesus rides forth triumphantly, defeating His (and our) spiritual foes, and gathering a harvest of the souls for whom He died. Jesus’ “meekness” has already been seen in His humiliation, which took Him from heaven, through incarnation, to ‘the death of a cross’ (Philippians 2:8). Here, at the Cross, “righteousness” is established: ‘the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ’ (Romans 3:22).
The Psalmist predicts the inevitability of Jesus’ victory, and envisages the King looking back upon the results.
Psalm 45:5. In another vivid illustration, through the preaching of the gospel, the “arrows” of conviction shoot forth. They strike to the “heart.” People fall under their power.
Some will find relief by believing in the One who struck them. Others will prove themselves to be “enemies” indeed by refusing the offered salvation. They shall by and by fall under the “arrows” of condemnation (cf. John 3:18).
But there is ‘therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus’ (Romans 8:1).
III). Psalm 45:6-7. The excellency of His rule.
As part of his argument to establish the superiority of Jesus to the angels, the writer to the Hebrews says, ‘Unto the Son He says, “Your throne O God is for ever and ever”’ (Hebrews 1:8; quoting Psalm 45:6). The Holy Spirit, speaking first through the Psalmist and then through the writer to the Hebrews, addresses Jesus as God, yet distinguishes Jesus from God.
We saw in passing that God’s blessing upon Jesus is “for ever” (Psalm 45:2). Now we perceive that His throne is to be “for ever and ever” (Psalms 45:6; cf. Psalm 72:17). ‘Of the increase of His government and of peace there shall be no end’ (Isaiah 9:7). Jesus’ sceptre is a “right” sceptre.
“You love righteousness and hate wickedness” (Psalm 45:7a; Hebrews 1:9a). It is He who ushers in ‘everlasting righteousness’ (Daniel 9:24) by the shedding of His blood upon the Cross.
It is through Jesus’ sacrifice that God is seen to be both ‘just’ and ‘the justifier’ of all that come to Him (Romans 3:26). God’s abhorrence of sin is seen in sharpest relief at the Cross: but it is there also that His justice in justifying the wicked is vindicated. Jesus became sin for us, ‘that we might become the righteousness of God in Him’ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“Therefore God, even your God has anointed you” (Psalm 45:7b; quoted in Hebrews 1:9b). Jesus owns the Father as His God (John 20:17). He was equipped for the ministry to which He was called by the pouring forth of the Holy Spirit at His baptism (Acts 10:38).
The Spirit is called here, “the oil of gladness” (Psalm 45:7c) because Jesus was willing and ready above any of His fellows, whether priests or kings, to fulfil His commission (Psalm 40:8; cf. Hebrews 10:7). O that we might have the like commitment!
IV). Psalm 45:8-9. The beauty of His court.
First, there is the fragrance of His royal garments (Psalms 45:8), arising from the uniqueness of His anointing (cf. Exodus 30:37). It is a sweet Spiritual savour of grace and comfort, drawing believers to Him and making Him precious to them (Song of Songs 1:3-4; 1 Peter 2:6-7). His “gladness” arises from ‘the joy which was set before Him’ (Hebrews 12:2), which was the satisfaction of ‘seeing of the travail of His soul’ (Isaiah 53:11).
It was out of the “ivory palaces” (Psalms 45:8), the royal mansions above, that Jesus came, into this world of woe. It is to the mansions above that He will bring His people at last when He returns for us (John 14:2-3). There His servants shall enter into the joy of their Lord (Matthew 25:21; Matthew 25:23).
The King’s daughters and honourable women (Psalm 45:9) represent all true believers, born from above and adorned with the beauty of Christ. The queen in gold of Ophir is the Church, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus (Revelation 19:8). We owe our redemption not to corruptible things, but to the precious blood of the Son of God (1 Peter 1:18-19).
V). Psalm 45:10-16. The procession of the Church.
Verses 2-9 were addressed to the King. Now verses 10-16 are addressed to the queen. The queen stands for the Church (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:32; Revelation 21:2, Revelation 21:9).
The Church is addressed as “daughter” (Psalm 45:10a). She is born of God, and she is espoused to the Son of God. The instruction here is, “Hearken; consider; incline thine ear.” In other words, ‘If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear’ (cf. Matthew 13:9). We are obliged to listen to the Word of God, receive it into our hearts, and live accordingly.
The instruction is clear: “forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house” (Psalm 45:10b). When we come to Jesus, we leave behind our worldly ties (cf. Matthew 19:29). We leave behind our sinful life. And we leave behind all dependence upon ourselves. The Church is at her best when she is not tainted by worldliness.
“So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty” (Psalm 45:11a). If we have any beauty to be desired by the Lord, it is a gift of His giving: Christ ‘loved the church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it’ (cf. Ephesians 5:25-26). The King delights in the beauty of the Church, in her righteousness, which was of His own giving (cf. Matthew 15:28 - ‘O woman, great is thy faith’).
“He is thy Lord; and worship thou Him” (Psalm 45:11b). We must not forget that Jesus is our Lord as well as our Saviour. He is God, and worthy to be praised.
“The daughter of Tyre” (Psalm 45:12a) stands for the Gentiles. Tyre was the commercial centre of the Ancient Near East. She brings a gift, as did the wise men from the East.
“The rich” also come, to the church, to “intreat thy favour” (Psalm 45:12b). The Church has no favours to give, but such as she receives from her Lord.
“The King’s daughter is all glorious within” (Psalm 45:13a). Christ reigns in her heart. She is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
“Her clothing is of wrought gold” (Psalm 45:13b). She is clothed with the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“She shall be brought unto the King” (Psalm 45:14a). This is the ultimate rest for the people of God.
Her “raiment of needlework” (Psalm 45:14b) represents the sovereign grace of God, which brings her to Christ. ‘Nobody can come to Me except the Father draw them: and I will raise them up at the last day’ (cf. John 6:44).
“The virgins her companions” (Psalm 45:14c) represent the faithful members of the Church. They are pure in heart (hence, “virgins”). They are her “companions” – those who walk the walk with her. And they follow and are brought unto the King [just as Paul says, ‘Be ye followers of me, even as I am also of Christ’ (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:1)].
“With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought” (Psalm 45:15a). Jesus said, ‘I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am there ye may be also’ (cf. John 14:3).
“They shall enter into the King’s palace” (Psalm 45:15b). Jesus also said, ‘In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you’ (cf. John 14:2).
“Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children” (Psalm 45:16a). This is recompense for the queen’s dutiful leaving of her father’s house (cf. Psalm 45:10).
“Whom thou mayest make princes in the earth” (Psalm 45:16b). There shall never lack servants, saints indeed, to stand in the service of the true Church of our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the whole earth. Every one of them is of royal lineage (cf. Revelation 1:6).
VI). Psalm 45:17. The praises of His name.
In the final verse the LORD God our Father addresses Jesus.
“I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations” (Psalm 45:17a). This is the same Jesus in whom the Father is ‘well pleased’ (cf. Matthew 3:17: Matthew 17:5). This is the same Jesus who has been preached through all the ages of the Church.
“Therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever” (Psalm 45:17b).
I am reminded of the Scottish Metrical Version of Psalm 72:17 -
‘His name for ever shall endure;
last like the sun it shall:
Men shall be bless’d in Him, and bless’d
all nations shall Him call.’
Amen.
