Well, this is a different kind of psalm, isn’t it? No laments. Not even a strong sense of prayer. Instead it is a love song that glorifies the king and his bride.
But which king? Which bride?
The text does not say, but in retrospect we know.
The king is Jesus, great David’s greater Son,
the King of kings and Lord of lords! He
is arrayed in splendor. St. John
describes Him this way in the Revelation:
“Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on
it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12
His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has
a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a
robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14
And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following
him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with
which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He
will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of
lords.” (Revelation 19:11-16 ESV) He is
powerful and majestic, and He has set his heart on His bride, His true love,
the Church.
Again we turn to the Revelation: “Then came one of the seven angels who had
the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, ‘Come,
I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ 10 And he carried
me away in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem
coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God, its
radiance like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.” (Revelation
21:9-11 ESV) Notice the beauty and glory
of Jerusalem, which is not a city, but represents all of the redeemed. It is not a glory that dwells within, but one
that radiates when shone upon. Jewels
sparkle in the light, and the church shines in the light of Christ! As Paul says while speaking of marriage, “…
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he
might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27
so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or
wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians
5:25-27 ESV)
In the psalm the bride is called upon to
forget her father’s house and her people.
As Christ’s bride we are exhorted to forget what was past and press on
in Christ. We are to break with our
sinful past, to no longer conform to the pattern of this world and be
transformed by the Spirit of Christ. Our
old sinful securities and comforts are set aside in the presence of the King
who not only loves, but also defends His people. What is more, our hope for the future is cut
away from our past as well. “In place of
your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.” In place of your past you are given a future,
as Peter testifies, “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born
again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven
for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Peter 1:3-5 ESV)
When we see the church, we often see a mess
of division, frustration, infighting, and bickering. Psalm 45 is what Christ sees. Remember, O Church, that you are beautiful. You are washed in Baptism. The light of God’s Word shines upon you. Have confidence in your future, for King Jesus
has fought for you, won the victory, and claimed you as His own.
Lord Jesus, let me see the glory you have given me, and let me shine your
light on others. Amen.
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