Psalm 45:1-17 NKJV
To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.
45 My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
With Your glory and Your majesty.
4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
The peoples fall under You.
6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
8 All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter,
Consider and incline your ear;
Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;
11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor.
13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;
Her clothing is woven with gold.
14 She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;
The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
They shall enter the King’s palace.
16 Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,
Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.
A prophecy of God’s beloved Gospel and the kingdom of Christ, made up of powerful words describing Christ’s bride, the Church, Psalm 45 reveals Christ as a king, with all of the things that go along with kingship — having splendor, being handsome, well-spoken, adorned, armored and victorious in battle. Luther writes on this Psalm:
“And David here clearly foretells that the law of the Old Testament should be abrogated. “Hearken (says he) O daughter, and incline thine ear, forget also thy father’s house (here he seems to glance at the synagogue): so shall the king have pleasure in thy beauty, and thou shall worship him;” showing, that there is no true God out [outside] of Christ; and ascribing unto Christ truly divine honor; namely, that of the first and great precept, that is adoration. And in the sixth and seventh verses, he plainly calls him God: thus making him an eternal king, the foundation of whose throne is in righteousness: who justifies all that believe in him, and takes away sin, and destroys death and hell. And no one can be an eternal king that dies not, but he that is truly and naturally God!” (Luther’s Manual on the Book of Psalms, pgs. 140-141)
Such words of adoration are a blessing to be prayed by you as a believing/baptized child of God! You are lifting up to God’s ear (confessing) the truth about His Son. The truth that you would only know and hold as your own confession because God has created eyes of faith and revealed it to you. Honestly, stop and ponder that.
All of these spiritual things, that are beyond your human comprehension, you now know, and may very well take for granted as being basic biblical knowledge, but it is not. These are spiritual things, not matters of intellect, philosophy or psychology. What an absolute blessing it is that God so ordained to have these Psalms written, that you may lift them up to His ear and confess His truths.
Let us pray: Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us always to pray according to Your most holy Word. Amen.