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.
You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever. Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.
Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy. All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad. Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father’s house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, men of wealth will seek your favor.
All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you. They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king.
Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
This Psalm is so obviously written to celebrate the wedding of the Messiah King to His bride the Church that it’s hard to find anything worthwhile to add. But for what they’re worth, here are a few tidbits you may have missed.
For those of you looking for additional proof that the Messiah has been viewed as Deity right from the start, check out the 3rd paragraph above. Speaking to the Messiah, the writer says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom,” and then follows with “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
In all three cases in this passage, the Hebrew word translated “God” is “Elohim.” With one exception (Psalm 82), this word is used only of Deity. The Messiah-King is called God just as His Father is called God. The writer of Hebrews quoted this passage, saying that its author was God the Father and that He was addressing His Son as God. (Hebr. 1:8-9) What greater authority could there be in confirming the deity of Jesus?
And since the bride represents the Church, we’re told to forget the past and look only to the future. The King is enthralled with our beauty; we’re to honor Him for He is our Lord. On this matter, Paul admonished us to follow his example. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3:13-14) The past belongs to this world, our citizenship is in Heaven where a glorious eternity awaits us.
Reading this Psalm is a great antidote for discouragement. The end is in sight. The battle has been fought, the winners declared, and the Day of Victory appointed. All that stands between us and the greatest wedding celebration ever, is a little time. And you know what? No matter what happens today, we’ll be closer when we go to bed tonight than when we woke up this morning. Maranatha!