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).