Psalms 45:1-16

Psalms 45:1. My heart is inditing a good matter: speak of the things which I have made touching the King:

You know what King is referred to here, it is he, of whom the psalmist said, in the 4 th verse of the previous Psalm, «Thou art my King, O God.» «I speak of the things which I have made touching the King.»

Psalms 45:1. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Thou art fairer than the children of men:

The psalmist writes as if he had been actually looking upon him. Faith has a wonderful realizing power; and when the soul is deeply meditative, it seems to be full of eyes: «'Thou art fairer than the children of men.' Though thou art one of them, yet thou art fairer than all the rest of them. There is a beauty about thee, O Lord, that is not to be perceived in the brightest and best of the sons of Adam!»

Psalms 45:2. Grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. 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; 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.

There is no other conqueror who is equal to Christ, whether he smites with his sword his foes who are near at hand, or shoots his arrows from his bow at those who are far away. Whether the gospel is preached to us who have long heard it, or is proclaimed to the heathen in distant lands, it has the same almighty power in it to work the glorious purposes of God's grace.

Psalms 45:6. Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

Note the connection here between God and man, the very same Person who is addressed as God, is also spoken of as anointed by God above his fellows. God and yet man art thou, O blessed Jesus Christ! Thou art very God of very God, yet just as truly man, the God-man, the Mediator between God and man.

Psalms 45:8. All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. Hearken, O daughter, and consider,

Listen, each one of you who are a part of this matchless bride of Christ, ye who are part of her whom Christ has looked upon with infinite and eternal love: «Hearken, O daughter, and consider,»

Psalms 45:10. And incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house;

God's message to his people in the world today is just what it was when the Spirit bade Paul write to the Corinthians, «Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord almighty.»

Psalms 45:11. So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.

Our Saviour is our King, and he must be both loved and adored; «He is thy Lord; and worship thou him.»

Psalms 45:12. And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour.

When Christ's Church really has her Lord in the midst of her, and when she is strong in the power of his might, there will never be any lack of wealth for the carrying on of his cause: «Even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor.»

Psalms 45:13. The king's daughter is all glorious within:

Other daughters are often far too glorious without, but that is the best beauty which is inward: «The King's daughter is all glorious within:»

Psalms 45:13. Her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace. Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children,

We often see the hoary head laid low, and the ripe saint taken home to heaven; but the ranks of Christ's retinue are not thereby thinned, for the sons shall stand in the place of their sires. God be thanked for this cheering promise: «Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children,»

Psalms 45:16. Whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 44:1; and Psalms 45:1.