Psalm 48 "You’re Home Now!"

Great is the Lord! (v. 1-2)

Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise,
    in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

Jerusalem Walls Photo: Joshua Mitchell 2011

Beautiful in its loftiness,
    the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
    the city of the Great King.

God is in her citadels;
    he has shown himself to be her fortress. (NIV)

Great is the Lord! Psalm 48 begins and ends with its focus on the Lord. Every time we gather as the people of God, our focus...beginning, end, and middle needs to be on the nature and character of Jesus Christ! Not only is he great, but he also faithfully guides us and protects us in his steadfast love! And, “He will guide us forever”(v.14).

What the Zaphon Are You Talking About?

The Sons of Korah, as gatekeepers in the temple, often used temple/Jerusalem/Zion imagery in the nearly a dozen psalms attributed to them (see Psalm 84:5-10 “I’d Rather be a Gatekeeper!), but what is this “heights of Zaphon” thing we find here? In v. 2 there is a translation issue that needs clarification. Is the word “Zaphon” a proper noun in that it is the name of a place or is it to be understood as simply meaning “north”? Surprisingly the normally solid ESV opts for “north” and has “Mount Zion in the far north” which makes no sense geographically since Zion is not in the far north, not even the northern part of Jerusalem. The Expositors’ Bible Commentary’s technical footnotes on Psalm 48 explain it like this.

The name "Zaphon" elsewhere may be translated straightforwardly as "north." But in this context, it is best to retain it as a proper name. Zaphon was to the Canaanites what Mount Olympus was to the Greeks. The Canaanites (Phoenicians) believed that the chief God of the pantheon, El, dwelt on Mount Zaphon. The psalmist is borrowing the imagery and not the theology. Zion is the holy mountain of God. (EBC, Vo;. 5, 363)

Here... Heaven and Earth Meet

Photo: Greg K. Dueker

In the ancient Near Eastern world, there was a luminous idea of a place where a man could meet with God (Mt. Zaphon). It became more than a mythical hope at the authentic Mt. Zion (Jerusalem), as was pointed out by the late Peter Craigie, “The psalmist affirms in effect, that the aspirations of all people for a place on earth where God’s presence could be experienced were fulfilled in Mt. Zion, the true Zaphon.”[1] Yet, centuries later, at the transfiguration of Jesus, God made it clear that the meeting place between God and man was no longer a place, but a person to whom we should listen — Jesus Christ! Jesus’ disciples didn’t understand this, as seen in this dialogue between Thomas and Jesus.

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”[2]

The desire of the entire world for that place where they could meet with God was fulfilled at Mt. Zion (a symbol of the true Church today). What Jesus did on the cross was for all people. He is the fulfillment of the deepest longing of their souls.

Photo: Greg K. Dueker

The Hebrew idiom "It is beautiful in its loftiness" appears only once in the Bible (a hapax legomenon) … The theological significance of this has been well expressed by A.A. Anderson: "It is here that, in a sense, heaven and earth meet".  (EBC, Vol. 5, 363)

In the Messiah, Jesus the Son of God, heaven came down to earth and assumed all of our sins and sorrow so that we might come back to the Father—both now and forever! In Christ, we are home in a way that is more real and relational than we could ever have imagined.

They Came, They Saw, and They Freaked (v.4-5)

"For behold, the kings assembled; they came on together.

                  As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;

                        they were in panic; they took to flight."

When the kings of enemy nations came, what was the "it" at which they were looking? It seems it was Jerusalem and the Temple of the Lord in its midst. The work of God in and through his people is still a fearful sight to wicked rulers wherever/whenever they dwell. Commentators such as Craigie note that while “the world’s kings (v. 4) came to Jerusalem and saw one astounding thing (v.5); the pilgrim worshipers also came to Jerusalem and saw another thing (v. 8), though in a literal sense it was the same sight that met their eyes.” (Craigie, Psalms, 353)

Pondering His Steadfast Love (v.9-10)

“We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness.” 

Do we pause to consider the greatness of God’s love, his steadfast love, available to us because of his sacrifice on our behalf? If not, let's start today! His redemptive plan reaches the ends of the earth. His praise should flow from us as we consider all of who he is: loving, righteous, strong, eternal...

It is always good to think about his steadfast love, and since his righteous, loving character reaches the ends of the earth, his praise reaches there too. I have the feeling this passage is suggesting the future salvation of the nations. For God's mysterious love is not just for one people (it's too light a thing—Isaiah 49:6) but for all peoples of the world!

As we think about his steadfast love, it should fill and overflow from our hearts. How is the overflow of this praise/worship/love visible to the people we encounter on the road, in stores, in the neighborhood, and in our homes?

The Lord’s steadfast love (Heb. hesed) is always a good thing to think about, and we should praise him from wherever we are…not just in the places considered holy!

In my spiritual formation classes, I ask my students to take a micro-retreat of just an hour without technology and get outside and walk around and look for ways that they can see God at work around them. This is what the Sons of Korah were asking the people of God to do. They were not merely to sing God’s praises and think about his steadfast love in the Temple (v.9-10) but they were told to walk around the city and see the strength of the walls and towers as a sign of God’s active work of protection for his people (v. 12-14).

How do we engage our whole being in worship and contemplation of God? How might we allow the things that God has made or provided to us to turn our eyes and hearts back to the Lord?

He will Guide Us Forever (v.11-14) 

     Let Mount Zion be glad!
Let the daughters of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments!

 Walk about Zion, go around her,

Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash

    number her towers,
 consider well her ramparts,
    go through her citadels,
that you may tell the next generation
     that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
    He will guide us forever.

What a wonderful reminder of God’s goodness toward his people. May we seek this promised guidance, together as the people of God, both now and always! 

He is our true home, and in him, we are home now!

Here are a few other Bible verses for further reading:

• Matthew 11:27-29
• Luke 14:23
• John 14:1-3 
• Isaiah 19:23-25
• Hebrews 12:1-2
• 1 Peter 2:4-5
• Revelation 22:17
• Hebrews 2:14-18

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[1] Peter Craigie, Psalms Vol. 1 WBC, (Waco: TX, Word, 1983) 353.

[2] John 14:5-7 

Psalm 47 Celebrate by Singing Praises!

Photo by Taylor Rooney on Unsplash

I love the exuberance of this psalm! The whole psalm is like a spiritual endzone celebration
after a BCS bowl game win or after a walk-off home run in the World Series. 

Previously I have shared devotional thoughts on both the first strophe (v.1-4) and the third strophe (v.8-9). But until now I have not specifically targeted the second strophe (v.5-7), the very heart of this psalm. In this post, I will correct this omission as I briefly summarize my thoughts on each section(strophe) of this psalm and tie them all together devotionally with a contemporary application.

Psalm 47 is classified as an “enthronement psalm” celebrating the coronation of a righteous king and the beginning of his just reign. Such psalms look beyond the historical enthronement of any particular Israelite king to that of the coming Messiah, who will be the King of kings. We are quite good at celebrating inaugurations and opening ceremonies, touchdowns, goals, and home runs. If only we were so invested in the work of the Spirit!

I) The Shout of Victory (v.1-4)

"Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves."

Photo by Keith Luke on Unsplash

As I write this at the New Year, crowds of people are clapping and cheering for their favorite football teams in bowl games or playoff games. Basketball fans are clapping and cheering for their teams too. However, more importantly, there is so much to shout and applaud God for! Not the least of which is the things we have seen Him do in our lives. I am also amazed that "He chose our heritage for us." He placed us on this planet and in our families on purpose. But when was the last time we clapped and shouted to God with loud songs of joy? It doesn't take us very long to forget what awesome things he has done for us...but the more we rehearse what he has done the more we will remember his goodness and lovingkindness and be filled with abiding joy! The joy of the Lord cannot be taken away by another team’s touchdown or a referee’s missed pass interference call. This is a bigger-picture joy and celebration of the victory of the Lord God and his vindication of his people.

II) Responding in Chorus to the Assent of the King (v.5-7)

God ascends among shouts of joy,
the Lord, among the sound of trumpets.
Sing praise to God,        sing praise;
 sing praise to our King,  sing praise!
Sing a song of wisdom,
                  for God is King of all the earth.

Photo by Joshua Eckstein
on Unsplash

In verse 5 we see the king ascending to be enthroned with great shouts of joy. As a Christian, it is hard to read this without thinking of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of passion week. While the victory that set us free was unexpectedly won on the cross through the willing death of the Messiah rather than by a military or political victory, he rose from the dead on the third day, and on the 40^th day, he ascended into heaven! Oh, how we should celebrate his ascension! Christians throughout history have used Psalm 47 to celebrate Ascension Day in the church calendar. Yet this is more about living in light of his past victory and current enthronement than about celebrating one day in the year.

In verses 6-7 the psalmist uses a single Hebrew word (zāmar) five times which is translated as “sing praise!” The early Greek translation (LXX) of this verse uses the word psallo to interpret zāmar, this is no surprise since it also means to sing praises. However, the root of this word refers to the process of making music on a stringed instrument. How might such music be made? By plucking, strumming, twanging, bowing, etc. I would suggest that this call to sing praise is more than mere singing, but certainly not less.

Photo by Terren Hurst on Unsplash

So let me ask, how can we live our entire life in a way that what we do resounds with divine praise and celebration? What if all that we do strums the joyful chords of gratitude for a loving redemption, the healing notes of peace, mercy, and righteousness that flow from our being forgiven, the sustaining notes of faith and hope in the person of the Great King? Indeed, this speaks to the way we sing in our worship services and gatherings, but it also calls to us in our work situations, inviting and even urging us to work and live as an instrument of praise.

Perhaps, if you are like me, this will require some tuning and some practice!

III) The Reign of the King and

God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on His holy throne.
      The nobles of the peoples have assembled
                     with the people of the God of Abraham.
For the leaders [lit., shields] of the earth belong to God;
He is greatly exalted. (CSV)

Nations where readers of this Psalms blog live... 

I am so glad that God is not subject to the whims of any individual nations, or even to groups of nations such as the UN; rather, he is sovereign over all nations and peoples. I look forward to the still-future day when we see v. 9 come to pass in all fullness, the day when the nobles of the peoples will gather as the people of the God of Abraham (i.e., by faith)! Certainly, this would make the world a better place!

Another aspect of this passage is that it reveals that God wants to include all nations in his kingdom. Will we come and encourage others to come with us?

Photo by Larisa Birta on Unsplash

This psalm urges us to respond to the victory of our God and King by living out a life that accurately declares who our God is and by our work we participate in his symphony of goodness.

In my last post, we saw the nations raging against God (46:6), but here we see them coming in peace as the people of the God of Abraham! Don't you long for the day when world leaders come to God by faith recognizing that he alone is our great king and defender? I do.

Several things jump out to me here: 1) God reigns over all the nations, not just one of them. 2) The rulers of multiple peoples will be gathered together under the banner of the Abrahamic covenant. 3) The defenses of the earth are ultimately in God's hands—not Captain America's for Yahweh is sovereign over the earth. 4) He is highly exalted whether we admit it or not.

This psalm focuses not on the nation per se, but on celebrating and living lives of worship before the victorious king. As a result, allow me to speak briefly about the troubling issue of nationalism. 

The following is not a politically partisan statement but a biblical call to align ourselves and our faith communities with the larger purposes of the Kingdom of God rather than worldly empires.

The Smallness of Nationalism, even Christian Nationalism

While I love my country and appreciate the great diversity of countries around the world, as people of God we have higher citizenship and greater loyalty than could ever be tied to an earthly nation. Though I am not an expert in this area of socio-political theory, I think there are a few things simple enough for me to point out.

While the common history, language, and cultural heritage of a nation can be a community strength and helps maintain unity and peace for its people, it is ultimately too weak, too small, and too temporary, to become the primary focus for followers of Christ. Here are several ways that nationalism is less than God’s best for us.

• 

  Photo by Filip Andrejevic on Unsplash

  It assumes entitlement and exceptionalism and seeks its own good over the good of
  others.
• It claims a primary loyalty from its people that should be given only to Christ.
• It assumes a right of ownership over land, language, wealth, and power of which we can only be stewards.
• It belittles the sovereignty of God by taking credit for both the building up and the pulling down of nations. This is pervasive in all political factions.
• It dims our views of the imago Dei in others for it magnifies differences between the members of the select in-group and all others (out-groups).
• It gives its adherents an ample excuse for not loving their enemies.

Having said these things, it may surprise you that while I am in favor of immigration reform I am not in favor of open borders, election tampering on any level, or a weak national defense. However, these national distinctives should be used in a way that benefits citizens and sojourners alike and humbly works for the good of all. Heaven, the Kingdom of God, no matter what your view is/will be made up of every tribe, tongue, and nation (e.g., Isa 66:18; Rev. 5:9-10; 7:9-10)—not just one, or a politically select few.

While contending for righteousness in society, the American church has often not thought as broadly as it should as “world Christians” and has narrowed its focus to making the most change for its "me and mine."

So much more could be said, so many more questions could be asked and attempted to answer, and so many objections could be entertained. Yet, this post is overlong already.

Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash

I will suggest the following "rapid test" to indicate whether our hearts have been exposed to and infected by earthly nationalism, which is highly contagious. If we took a nasal swab that somehow captured trace DNA of our recent speaking, sniffing, snorting, and even breathing out forcefully, what would such a test reveal? 

For which of the following 3-Rs would we test positive?

• Passion for demanding and/or defending our own rights?
• Fomenting rebellion against some perceived political power, moral standard, or people?
• Consistently rejoicing in the reign of the King who will not show partiality but will make all things right?

Such a 3-R test is not comfortable, but it is needed if we are to heed the call to “sing praises” to our God and King Jesus Christ. One day, Psalm 47 will be fulfilled and its strains incorporated into the heavenly song! As it is written,

And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, 

                and the song of the Lamb, saying,

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the nations!
 Who will not fear, O Lord,
    and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
    All nations will come
    and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Rev. 15:3-4)

Psalm 46 A Very Present Help

The Sons of Korah whose psalms are most closely tied to Jerusalem and the Temple wrote one to be sung that would encourage a panicked people to focus on the steadfast protection of a non-slip Lord! Since the psalm is short, I will quote it all here.

Photo: Greg K, Dueker

¹God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

 

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
⁵ God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
    God will help her when morning dawns.
⁶ The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

 

⁸ Come, behold the works of the Lord,
    how he has brought desolations on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the chariots with fire.
¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah (ESV)

God is our Refuge

This psalm contains some of the most familiar phrases from the entire Book. Specifically, in verse 1,

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.

And also the admonition of verse 10a “Be still and know that I am God” are often quoted in sermons and Christian literature alike. If we know that God is our fortress, then it will enhance our ability to “be still” in trusting the Lord through tumultuous times.

Nature Gone Wild

Photo by Yosh Ginsu on Unsplash

On the surface, from a distance of at least 2500 years, the catastrophic nature imagery in the first section (v.1-3) reads like a Weather Channel "Top 10 Worst Ancient Disasters" special. It indicates that no matter how devastating of a natural catastrophe God’s people may face, our hope is in the Lord who is our refuge. This means that our hope is not in mountains to protect us from armies, nor in oceans to protect us from the navies of ambitious empires. God’s people are to look to him first and always as their mighty fortress.

Nations Run Amok

From perhaps a more historical-culturally informed perspective, we see earth and sea, mountains and waters, used as multiplied metaphors used to describe the chaotic and seemingly unstoppable advance of an enemy army like the Tsunamic waves of the sea that swallow up cities and strongholds (mountains) along the way. Peter Craigie, in his commentary, explains how the Lord both aspects of nature and nations fit, and yet there is also an eschatological element to be considered.

In the psalm, the natural implication of this creation theology is drawn out and expressed in a statement of confidence. Because God controls both history and nature, the chaotic threat which both may offer to human existence may be faced fearlessly. The very worst manifestation of chaos is merely a threat, for the Creator has mastered chaos. And yet, as Gunkel rightly observed, there is an eschatological element in the psalm, though it is implicit rather than explicit. The order of creation has been established, and yet the reality of human existence is that there continue to be manifestations of chaos. Faith in God's protection, expressed so profoundly in this psalm, is both present and proleptic, reaching forward to the time of God's ultimate conquest of chaos and establishment of peace.[1]

In verse 6a, we see the connections as “the nations raged” much as the waters “roar and foam” (v.3a) and the kingdoms tottered much as the mountains had been “moved into the heart of the sea” (v.2b). In light of these parallel images, it is likely that the context for this psalm was God’s deliverance of Judah from the Assyrian army at the time of Hezekiah and Isaiah (à2 Kings 18-19; Isaiah 36-37 for the narrative). Such was a time when Jerusalem certainly would have fallen if not for the intervention of the Lord on their behalf. The Assyrians had amassed an impressive undefeated record as they marched toward Jerusalem like a slow-motion tsunami.

Are We Fearful or Glad?

Like with the citizens of Jerusalem, our fears cry out for us to worry and hide. Yet our pride cries out that we can handle it on our own. We fight and grab and protect our own little slices of the world. Yet, in doing so we eventually become discouraged and are tempted to despair if we don’t put our faith in the Lord God.

Photo: Greg K. Dueker 2021

But what about “the river whose streams make glad the city of God” (v.4)? How does that verse fit this proposed historical setting? If this happened at the time of Hezekiah, John Philipps suggests that this river refers to the tunnel the king had built to bring the waters from the spring of Gihon (originally outside the city walls) into the city, thus giving it the ability to hold out against the Assyrian siege.

Knowing that sooner or later the Assyrian army would besiege Jerusalem, Hezekiah had taken wise and practical steps to ensure that Jerusalem had an unfailing water supply, no matter how long the siege. The spring of Gihon, located below the steep eastern hill of Ophel in the deep Kidron Valley, Jerusalem's most ancient water supply, was exposed to enemy attack. Hezekiah diverted the spring through a conduit, 1777 feet long and hewn out of solid rock, into a reservoir inside the city's walls. He then completely covered the ancient spring so that the enemy would not know it was there. Throughout the fearful siege, there was "a river, the streams whereof made glad the city of God." The psalmist tells us of this river, how impassive was its flow (46:4), and how impotent was its foe (45:5-7). 

        For all his great strength and cunning, the enemy knew nothing of this unfailing source of inner refreshment without which the city could not have lasted more than a month or two. Without that hidden river Jerusalem would have fallen, not from the strength of the foe without, but from weakness and failure within. Instead, the city had a secret river that kept it strong. [2]

Hezekiah's Tunnel with a constant flow of water
Davidbena, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This tunnel was and is quite a feat of engineering! It is very smooth inside. The two ends of this aqueduct have been excavated and visitors to Jerusalem can walk through the ankle-deep water from the spring to its other end near what was once the Pool of Siloam. I have walked through this tunnel and appreciated how refreshing it was on a hot summer day! I can imagine it was quite calming for the city to have such a hidden source of water when facing attacks from outside. Certainly, as Christians, we have access to a spiritual source of life that cannot be taken from us!

As this psalm makes clear, God is our fortress whether we are facing geologic turmoil, political strife, or both. God is still God, and his plans and purposes will be established. Everything else that we think to be solid and safe isn't. Earthquakes and invasions both have a way of shifting our stance and our perceptions regarding what is solid.

Also, if this historical setting is correct, then the “works” and “desolations” that the Lord has brought would refer to the overnight destruction of the Assyrian army (2 Sam 19:35; Isa. 37:36).

And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

A biblical faith, such as that encouraged here, acknowledges our trust in God's character and power despite the overwhelming problems we face, then it quiets our hearts and directs our gaze, expectantly, to watch God work! And it is much better for us if his name is exalted... that means that we would honor and value and lift up his character as the greatest good. If we who claim to follow him did that consistently, just think how different the world would be!

Quite A Ride

Photo by Jacob Kiesow on Unsplash

There are several different emotional / tempo shifts in this psalm...from the frantic description of natural disasters (v.2-3) to the calm and serene river of God (v.4), and then back to nations raging and desolations being wrought, ironic though they are (v. 6-9). Then back again to v. 10-11. Where are the peace and calm? They are in God...no matter what else is going on outside! In the end, the gladsome river is a symbol of the presence of the Lord himself in the midst of his people.

I am so glad, in light of the string of recent events in 2020-21 that we can hope in something more stable than the earth itself, someone more steadfast than a political party, and some place where no attack against us can prosper! Even today, we can "be still” and know that the Lord is God"! Yet have we made God our refuge and strength or are we still trying to fight our battles or pull off an epic escape by doing it ourselves?

The key to being still is trusting that there is no need for us to fear...for we are in God's hands. We are neither alone nor undefended. God doesn't promise a trouble-free life, but he is a "very present help in trouble”! And this world is not all that there is to the life that he shares with us.

With Us!

Did you notice that the promise of verse 1 is recast and twice repeated as a chorus (in verses 7 and 11) in this psalm? This chorus should ultimately inform our understanding of the psalm and the steadfast approach to life it describes. It reads, 

The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

Patrick Henry Reardon in his work on the Psalms notices this refrain and comments as to its Christological significance.

“The twofold refrain says that God is “with us” in Hebrew ‘imannu. A close look at that word shows it to be most of the name of the Messiah, “Immanuel,” which literally means “with us God.” “God with us” is, of course, Christ our Lord, abiding in our midst all days, even to the end of the world.” [3]

As we head towards the Advent season, let us find our stability and our gladness in the presence of Immanuel, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is indeed God with us! He invites all who are thirsty to come and drink!

And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. (Rev. 21:6)

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (Rev. 22:17)

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[1] Peter C. Craigie, Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 1-50, (Word: Waco, TX) 1983, 346.

[2] John Phillips, Exploring the Psalms: Psalms 1-88 (Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers, 1988), 366.

[3] Patrick Henry Reardon, Christ in the Psalms, (Ben Lomond, CA: Conciliar Press), 2000. 90.

 

Psalm 45 The True King & His Bride

Photo by Ricardo Cruz on Unsplash

1 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;

I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.
2 You are the most handsome of the sons of men;
grace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one,
in your splendor and majesty!

Psalm 45 is a royal psalm which means that it is focused upon the king, but not in a way that glorifies a political leader unduly. In this royal psalm, the psalmist helps us to see the ultimate king, the Messiah of Israel, and his bride. This work clearly arises out of the psalmist’s overflowing heart (v.1) to picture the king and his people in a marriage metaphor.

   In your majesty ride out victoriously
                                                for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
    let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!
      Your arrows are sharp
                                                                                  in the heart of the king's enemies;
                                                                                                                                        the peoples fall under you. (v.4-5)

As I mentioned, the psalmist not only describes the ideal king of Israel, his bride, and the character of his kingdom, but he also prays for the king’s God-given mission to be accomplished. Isn't that what we want in a leader—someone to actually contend for the truth, vindicate the meek, and establish righteousness for all? Yet, the hard question is whether, as he rides forth to advance these causes will we find our cause fulfilled in his, or will we find that our heart is filled with self-deception, self-esteem, and selfishness? Will we participate in his plan to establish…

• Truth—there is stability and thus reliability that comes from truth, from faithfulness to that which God has spoken.
• Meekness—those who trust that God is their defender and that he is the one who will make their name great not their own actions. It is the gentleness of a powerful faith despite difficult circumstances.
• Righteousness—is what is right and just. It is the natural overflow of loving God and loving others. Righteousness is love-motivated obedience of heart and hands that keeps us from objectifying others and twisting our attention back upon ourselves.

I love the insight of the psalmist into the character of God through the role of a godly king for the sake of his people. I am also tickled at the ironic juxtaposition of "riding out victoriously" for worthy causes that include "meekness". While he does ride out victoriously, he does it in a way we might not expect… the counter-intuitive ways that God chooses to work in our lives and in the world! He rides forth very differently than we would if we wanted to change the world!

God's great mission of reconciliation is to bring truth, meekness, and generous justice into a world that is characterized by lies, arrogant demands of individual “rights” at others' expense, and systemic unrighteousness. It would be wonderful if verse four would be our prayer today...yes, Lord, do awesome deeds! Bring truth, meekness, and righteousness in your own way! And as Christ-followers we should also make it our mission as well!

45:6-8a                     Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

 The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
                       7 you have loved righteousness
                                 and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
                                                  with the oil of gladness
                                                              beyond your companions;
                      8 your robes are all fragrant

                                                  with myrrh and aloes and cassia.

Here we see the true king loving righteousness and ruling well as a result. What does it mean to love righteousness? It means that we love God and love other people and love doing so.

His Scepter of Uprightness ↑

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER
on Unsplash

Some people might be wondering what a scepter is. It was originally the king’s spear and over time came to be the symbol of a king's authority. Here in Psalm 45, we see that the authority of God's kingdom comes from uprightness... and that is a very good and glad thing for us all!

In this royal psalm, we see the ultimate king, the Spirit-anointed Messiah, whose authority comes from uprightness, not underhandedness. We should also be able to see the close connection of the "oil of gladness" to the rightful use of authority...which is seen far too seldom in human government, business, and even in the church.

His Heart Loved Righteousness ↔

⁷ “…you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions”

Verse 7 above, is quoted in the Epistle to the Hebrews as referring to Jesus. Do you think of Jesus as glad...more so than others? He was. Could it be because when we love what is right and work for what is true it makes us more joyful rather than glummer? His mission is fulfilled in joy! So will we rejoice at his invitation to join him in this crucial work of joyful restoration?

Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust
on Unsplash

His Bride Responds With Joy (v. 10-15)

¹⁰ Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
    forget your people and your father's house,
¹¹     and the king will desire your beauty.
Since he is your lord, bow to him.
¹² The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts,
    the richest of the people.

¹³ All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.
¹⁴     In many-colored robes she is led to the king,
    with her virgin companions following behind her.
¹⁵ With joy and gladness they are led along
    as they enter the palace of the king.

¹⁶ In place of your fathers shall be your sons;
    you will make them princes in all the earth.
¹⁷ I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations;
    therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

Photo by Thomas Christian on Unsplash

In these verses, we see poetically described the call to respond relationally as the bride of the king, clothed in beauty and led forth with joy and gladness, in a way very similar to the overflowing heart of the psalmist. In life with the king, his people are not consumed with the past, for they are made new in his presence.

We, in the bride, forget the past and fruitfully lean into the king’s desire. And in such a king, there is no fear of rejection, injustice, or abuse. Rather we are seen, known, and loved.

Our Lord and King, come quickly!