WORTH CELEBRATING
Opening Prayer
Lord, Your majesty overwhelms us.
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.
Meditate
“Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention” (Psa. 45:10). Be thankful that God delights to speak to us. Ask him to help you be a good listener to him today.
Think Further
This is a royal psalm, a song for the occasion of the wedding of a very special royal couple. The outward splendor is evoked throughout, as is the depth of the love expressed in poetry evocative of the Song of Songs. It describes the wedding as a pivotal event for the couple and the kingdom whose future is bound up with the children they will have (Derek Kidner, Psalms 1–72, 170). Because of the theological significance of the wedding and the function of the Davidic king within God’s order, this wedding song is undoubtedly Messianic, pointing forward to Christ (Heb. 1:8,9). Jesus himself tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like a king arranging a marriage for his son and that the consummation of all things will be announced by a solemn proclamation that the bridegroom is coming (Matt. 22:2; 25:6).
Notice the necessity of wedding preparation and how the bride is led to the king (14,15). This is taken up further in the New Testament, where there’s shared responsibility for being prepared for the coming of the King and grave risks associated with being unprepared (2 Cor. 11:2; Matt. 25:3–10).
It is important to recall that the interpretation of history—God’s big story—as the preparation for a royal wedding ceremony is pervasive throughout the Bible. We are people with a glorious destiny (Rev. 19:7,9; 21:1,2), a destiny that is worth celebrating now, too. In these days of easily fractured relationships and decline in marriage itself, it’s easy to lose sight of the richness of what awaits us. It’s about a covenant of deep passionate love and unfailing commitment between God and his people coming into all of its never-ending fullness.
Apply
Slowly read Revelation 19:4–10 out loud several times. What word or phrase sticks out? Chew it over. Meditate on it during the rest of the day.
Closing prayer
Lord, Your people joyously await the day when the ultimate marriage will take place in the heavens, and we will remain with You forever.
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