The Approaching King
By Walter Chantry
Psalm 45:1-9
Figurative language based upon an ancient wedding forms the backdrop of Psalm 45. To appreciate the scene God gives us there, therefore, we must understand somewhat the ancient Eastern wedding customs.
Typically, betrothal was the first social procedure leading to marriage. It was usually arranged by the parents of both the bride and the groom. This step was much more serious than our modern custom of engagement. Terms of the marriage were agreed upon before witnesses, and bride and groom were committed to each other by oath.
When the actual wedding day came, attendants of the bride would gather at her father's house. There she would adorn herself in her finest clothing. At the same time, attendants of the groom would gather at his home. He too would be dressed impressively.
The wedding procession did not take place in a chapel but on the streets of the city. The groom and his companions would proceed to the bride's house. From there she and her entourage would be escorted back to the home of the groom. At the groom's house a joyful wedding feast was held. It was not unusual for these celebrations to last seven or fourteen days when the groom was of noble birth.
Psalm 45 takes us to one such wedding procession. It begins by describing the stately spectacle of the groom coming for his bride. Verses 10-15 contain words of advice and encouragement for the waiting bride. The last two verses are a divine benediction pronounced on the newly weds.
Royal affair. This is a royal ceremony, for the groom has a throne and comes from ivory palaces! When we look beneath the surface, we find that the King is really the Lord Jesus Christ. He came to this earth 2,000 years ago to betroth the bride, paying a handsome price to purchase her for Himself. The bride, of course, is the Church. To her Jesus promised in John 14:3: "I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
With this hope in mind, the betrothed body of Christ has been preparing herself, patiently awaiting the Lord's return, for it will then be the wedding day of the Lamb and the Church. As we believers have been eagerly waiting for that day, this message will be based on that part of the psalm that describes the bride's thoughts as she watches the groom's glorious procession approaching.
The psalm begins this way: "My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer." The psalmist points out that the good news that he is about to set down in writing has to do with the King, and that he is ready to write what he is moved to say by the Holy Spirit.
The King's Excellence
Verse 2 then begins to give us the bride's vantage point, showing us how she views the splendor of her bridegroom's approach:Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.To one whose heart is filled with love, every detail of the King's person is most pleasing and most appealing. Scripture has taught us in I John 3:2 that when he appears, "We shall see him as he is." That immediate sight of Jesus then will surely compel us to express the sentiment of this text.But even before then, when, by the Holy Spirit and through His Word, we perceive insight into His return, very similar expressions of admiration overflow from our hearts. Knowing that the Son of God is drawing near, every spiritual sense within the bride is filled with delight.
Thus, we can paraphrase verse 2 to say, "Fairer are you above the sons of men; no human can come close to you."
So handsome is the Lord that a spiritual glance toward Him while He is still afar off compels us to cry out that His beauty has no equal in humanity.
Word of grace. Our paraphrase continues: "Your lips have been anointed with grace. God has, therefore, blessed you forever."
Indeed, nothing captivates the bride more than the King's speech. Although the Son of God is invested with infinite power and bears supreme manliness, He is never crude or brute-like. Jesus' conversation with His beloved is always gracious. His words charm her with gentleness and kindness.
When first the Prince of glory found the Church, she was altogether covered with the blood of her sins. She was loathsome, with nothing in herself worthy to attract His interest or love. Yet to her He spoke such words as, "Your sins are forgiven"; "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit"; and "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." The merciful and gracious relationship between Christ and his Church begins with gallant kindness from his mouth.
Christ's righteousness. We also read in verse 8:
All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.Even as the Groom approaches, we can smell the sweetness of His garments. They are full of fine fragrances, coming as they have from ivory palacesnot ivory palaces that evil kings like Ahab had built, but the pure white palaces of heaven. And giving these garments to the bride will gladden the Groom.This is really a picture of the righteousness of Christ that He has given believers. Remember Isaiah 61:10? "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." That's the wedding garment everyone must have on, according to the parable in Matthew 22, lest he is cast into outer darkness.
The King's Victory
Besides the comeliness of the approaching King, the waiting bride observes His majestic strength. Verses 3,4a read:Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness;In distinguished battle garb our Lord comes. Girded upon His side and conspicuous is His sword. His bearing is that of military grandeur, glory and majesty. Christ is mounted on a splendid steed. Of the same picture, we read in Psalm 24:8,10: "Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle...Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." Our Messiah is an august hero, fearful to behold.It is a noble cause for which the Bridegroom-Warrior enters combat. He rides "prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness".Before His coming, hostile to the bride have been forces of falsehood, pride and evil. The wicked resists the One who is King by divine right; they deny and oppose truth and righteousness. And vile is the oppression of the humble by the proud. The waiting and watching bride patiently expects a conquering King to avenge her and pierce the hearts of evil men.
Odd words. Just here a strange element enters this wedding procession. On His wedding day any warrior might well have his exploits celebrated in such words as these of verses 4b and 5:
and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; whereby the people fall under thee.If it were only a salute to His prowess as a champion in battle, such descriptions would not be unusual. But our text is more serious than this. The Messiah will slay enemies along the way during His wedding procession! He will not only look the part of a warrior in ceremonial uniform, He will ride victoriously, piercing the hearts of the enemies on His wedding march.Final conquest. The concurrence of the Lamb's wedding and the King's final conquest is spoken of in Revelation 19. We read in verse 9, "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." And then in verse 15, "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
Likewise, II Thessalonians 1:9,10 reveals that in that day the wicked "shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe." Both occur on the last day.
The King's Destiny
As she watches and waits for her Lord, the bride sees her coming King afar off with glimmers of His glory and of His triumph. Then she contemplates the King's seat of power, His home in which He will share with her forevermore. We read in verse 6:Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.As the Church awaits the approach of the Lord, she lives in an hostile environment. So, as she views the approach of her betrothed King, she anticipates the radical change that is about to take place. In His dynasty, the balance will be turned. Truth and righteousness will prevail. All wickedness will be expunged. Verse 7 declares:Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.We find this truth also in Revelation 21:27: "And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."The bride will rejoice with the Groom in this pure and utterly equitable state forever.Richness and joy. The King's palace is one "out of ivory", as we saw earlier in verse 8, and His own robes are all fragrant with pleasant spices. That verse further reveals that the Groom will be made glad by the presence of His queen, He will be pleased with His bride. Reason: We read in verse 9:
Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.Only the daughters of kings are to be found there. Having been born from above, they are of noble birth, and are honourable women. Robed with the righteousness of God, they have never defiled themselves. Furthermore, they, being dressed in a wedding gown made of the finest gold, will be "upon thy right hand". They are ready to make the marriage vow to always to love and serve the Master. She will never again be forced to part from Him whom her heart loves (Song 3:1). She will be forever with the Lord (I Thes. 4:17). It will be an everlasting bliss for all.Behold, our Lord is coming! And we are ready and waiting. o
Rev. Walter Chantry is pastor of Grace Baptist Church of Carlisle, 777 West North Street, Carlisle, PA 17013.