THE WEDDING SONG
Opening Prayer
Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to You (Psa. 19:14).
Read Psalm 45
Psalm 45[a]
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[b] A wedding song.
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,
since God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God,[c] will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces adorned with ivory
the music of the strings makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
10 Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
Forget your people and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.
12 The city of Tyre will come with a gift,[d]
people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.
14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
her virgin companions follow her—
those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,
they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
Footnotes:
a Psalm 45:1 In Hebrew texts 45:1-17 is numbered 45:2-18.
b Psalm 45:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
c Psalm 45:6 Here the king is addressed as God’s representative.
d Psalm 45:12 Or A Tyrian robe is among the gifts
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Settle your thoughts on the wonders of King Jesus. See how he delights in his Royal Bride.We sang parts of this psalm at our wedding. I’m not sure my bride thought that I was quite the most excellent of men, but I was enthralled by her beauty.
The groom is a warrior-king who has gained great victory in battle for his people. In their eyes, everything about him is excellent—his looks, his bearing—he even smells good! People sing and write poetry about him. He is incomparable.
And the bride is a picture. After all the preparations she can’t wait to be married to him. As she approaches him, he is utterly captivated by her—in his eyes everything about her radiates beauty.
The people of God are adored by Jesus and are themselves totally bowled over by him. We find everything about him glorious. He finds us completely entrancing. The visions of the great wedding feast in Revelation 19:6–9 and the glory of the bride in Revelation 21:9–14 tell us that whatever the failings and deficiencies of the church now, one day God’s people will be stunning with glory.
Apply
Have you ever been to a joyful wedding? What made it so joyful? How did the bride and groom look at each other? Can you remember the singing?
Closing prayer
Lord, I delight myself in You, my Rock and my Redeemer.
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