Devotional Short
Note on Psalm 45: I am just as surprised as so many scholars before me about
this Psalm. It is unique in the corpus of the Psalms admitted by so many
scholars, historical critics, Hengstenberg [which is a must for all readers to
download and use, since he was what Gerhard Hasel was for Adventism, he was in
Lutheranism] at the University of Berlin. The environment and ambition of the
two scholars a century apart of each other were the same.
The Psalm is by
a master of ceremonies at a wedding of a famous king and he described the might
of the king as bridegroom and then the bride. Older Christians all interpreted
it as Messianic and the bride as Israel and the other one as the heathens. The Jewish
Targum understood it to be a Messianic King as well. It was only in the Higher
Critical period of the time of Hengstenberg that scholars he knew saw it as
Solomon and his Egyptian wife; Ahab and Jezebel; other kings of Israel and
Judah and lastly as a Persian king. In confusion I myself was swinging back and
forth between Solomon, Ahab and Jesus and when I saw the phrases talking about
him as been blessed to eternity (45:3c); “Your throne given of God is forever
and unto” (45:7a); “therefore shall the peoples praise You to eternity and unto”
(45:18b), only Jesus the Son of God, the King of Kings remained. This is no
ordinary human and the least of choices Solomon nor Ahab.
The Psalmist
describes the Wedding of Christ with His Remnant through the ages, from various
locations: from Ophir probably in Africa where Gold is mined thus allegorical
for peoples out of Africa as believers since they are just dressed with gold
from Ophir (45:10b). The whole Remnant as bride is not only from Ophir in
Africa, but just standing with gold from that region meaning participation in
the final Remnant. That cancels Solomon’s Egyptian wife. Similarly is it a
daughter of Tyre or Phoenician believer that will look for the favor of
Spiritual Israel with a gift as a wealthy lady herself (45:13). This cancels
Jezebel since she did not come to please the wife of Ahab, she was his wife. The
divine attributes of Christ is mentioned by the Master of Ceremony at the
Wedding feast in 45:3a-c. “There is grace upon His lips”.
Then in 45:4-7
is a description of the might of the Bridegroom as a Divine Warrior since in
His majesty He rides upon the Word of Truth (45:5b) and His right hand teaches
Him. His throne is given by God to Him and we know that is when the Door of
Mercy closes in Heaven after the Investigative Judgment. He learned perfection
by sinless keeping the Law of Himself as human as an example to all faithful
ones and thus His scepter of uprightness is the scepter of His kingdom (45:7b).
He loved righteousness and hated wickedness as one could see daily in the life
of Christ (45:8a). He was the Anointed of God (45:8b). He was above His peers with
the oil of gladness (45:8c).
If Solomon and
Ahab were in mind here, the Psalmist was praising polygamy in 45:10 but that is
not what the translation is saying: “Daughters of Kings are in Your favors”
meaning that the saved ones includes also daughters of Kings.
In 45:11 the
Master of Ceremony is probably talking to Spiritual Israel to consider and
incline the ear. He asked the faithful spiritual Israel to forget their origin
and roots for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Politics, patriotism,
flag-shamanism or any other earthly loyalty should be exchanged for loyalty to
the King of Kings as Bridegroom. The Bride of Christ in the great Wedding is
the earth, with all nations as the spiritual believers and the guests to the
wedding. “And the King [Christ] will desire [future form of verb] your beauty
[bride]” (45:12). This is no outward beauty but it is the contrast from what
humans were, to what they became. Any progress is beautiful and awesome and
miraculous and worthy of praise. “And bow down to Him” (45:12b).
Carpets of
beautiful woven stuff (45:15a) is the walkway or redcarpet treatment of the
faithful approaching Christ and virgins [unfallen world visitors from other
planets coming to the heavenly wedding] shall accompany the Spiritual Israel to
the Wedding. The Bride is led (45:15a), the virgins are led (45:16a) all
arriving at the palace or domain of the King (45:16b) in Heaven. Instead of the
forefathers of Spiritual Israel leading the Bride and virgins, the sons shall
be made princes by King Immanuel (45:17b). Christ’s sons are the Sons of God
and His name shall be made great and remembered in all generations (45:18a) and
He shall be praised by all since Heaven arrived (45:18b).