Wisdom Books Psalms

A Royal Wedding Song

Discover Jesus as: King of Glory Psalms 43-45 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 412 of 730
Downloads

Lesson

Watch on YouTube

Audio Only

Teaching Notes

INTRO

Today we are talking about Psalm 45—a royal wedding psalm. According to Nelson’sCommentary, a royal wedding song celebrates human marriage in such a manner that the New Testament writer can apply it to Jesus as well. The wedding that takes place in Psalm 45 points to the King of Glory who is coming back for His bride. This psalm celebrates human marriage, but it also celebrates the glorious reign of Christ.1

To set the tone for the royal wedding psalm, Constable makes several historical observations. The king prepared for his wedding and, at the same time, relayed the counsel the bride had received as she anticipated the wedding. As the king and bride got ready, the psalm predicted the people would honor the king forever because of the descendants who would be born to him. All of this appeared to speak prophetically to the ultimate marriage feast with Christ.2 Human marriage is a beautiful picture of Christ and the body of Christ. Man is to lead his wife as Christ leads His church. The sons of Korah wrote this love song for the choir director. When the sons of Korah wrote this song, they may have had Solomon in mind. Solomon married an Egyptian princess. Solomon was also anointed as king. He was also noted for his wealth in gold. He was closely associated with the city of Tyre.

TEACHING

Psalm 45:1-2: Wiersbe said there are four ways to describe this king. In the first two verses, Wiersbe described him as the gracious Son of Man (vv. 1–2).3 Here the song described the royal groom as one full of joy and inspiration. King Saul was described as “an impressive young man” (1 Samuel 9:2). But King David was also described as handsome (1 Samuel 16:12). Interestingly enough, when Isaiah described the coming Messiah, he said: “He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at Him” (Isaiah 53:2). But these verses in Isaiah described Jesus during His suffering. The phrase, “grace flows from your lips,” means that the king was very well spoken.

Psalm 45:3–5: In these verses, Wiersbe described the royal groom as a victorious warrior.4 The king stood for the causes of truth, humility, and justice (v. 4). It is not often that a warrior walks in truth, humility, and justice.

Psalm 45:6–7a: Wiersbe next described the royal groom as a righteous king.5 Here the psalm switched from talking about a man to talking about God. Robert Chisholm said the psalmist “did not mean that the king was God but that he stood in the place of God and represented Him.”6 This human king who represented God could describe Jesus. There was clearly a Messianic direction in verse 6. The king’s scepter was called “a scepter of justice” (v. 6). In Revelation 11:15, voices from heaven said, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign forever and ever!” This sure sounds like Psalm 45:6. Hebrews 1:3 describes Jesus as “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature.” Jesus was God who came here to earth and died for us, then ended up sitting “at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” This image goes with Psalm 45:6, where the throne is forever, and the scepter of the kingdom is one of justice.

Psalm 45:7b–17: Wiersbe then described the royal groom as the glorious bridegroom.7 In verse 7b, God is presented as both God as the Father and God as the Son. Some would say the phrase, “more than your companions,” means the Son of God is superior to angels.8 Hebrews 1:5–9 repeats several of the statements made in this psalm, so Psalm 45:6–7 points to Jesus. The sons of Korah wrote about the groom getting ready for his bride.

In verses 8–9, the king was surrounded by radiant women. His bride was prepared with golden garments. In verse 10, the psalm transitions to focus on the bride. Our task, as the church, is to get the bride ready for the return of the groom. We

2 Kidner, p. 170; McGee, 2:750; Seth D. Postell, "A Literary, Compositional, and Intertextual Analysis of Psalm 45," Bibliotheca Sacra 176:702 (April-June 2019):146-63; quoted in Thomas Constable, Dr. Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes: Psalms, p. 197; available at https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/psalms.pdf.

6 Robert Chisholm, “A Theology of the Psalms,” in A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, p. 266, edited by Roy B. Zuck, Chicago: Moody Press, 1991; quoted in Thomas Constable, Dr. Constable’s Expository Bible Study Notes: Psalms, p. 198; available at https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/psalms.pdf.

need to work and make our entire being about Him. We need to get beautiful for the groom.

Constable explains the bride was to “make her husband her primary object of affection,” which would “make her even more attractive to him.”9 When you have a healthy perspective of human marriage, you will have a healthy perspective of Christ’s return. Verse 12 implies that when the bride makes the groom her priority, people will be attracted to her because she is connected to the king. The psalm concludes by describing the bride and her companions being led to the king to enter the palace with gladness and rejoicing (vv. 13–15). The people will praise the king forever and ever (v. 17).

Ross states the Apostle John had Psalm 45 in mind when he wrote Revelation 19:6–21. “As he looked forward to the marriage of Christ, the Lamb, in heaven, he recalled how the bride clothed herself with acts of righteousness in preparation for Him.”10 Revelation 19:6–8 describes the marriage of the Lamb. The bride “was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:8). Then, in Revelation 19:11–21, John described the royal groom going forth to battle in righteousness.

CLOSING

This is a neat picture. It kind of makes you wonder if we are the only reason He hasn’t come back yet. As the bride, let us begin to pray through how we begin to get ourselves prepped and ready for the bridegroom. This might mean going through one of the psalms of confession and realizing there is still sin in our lives. It might mean letting go of our parents, our friends, our neighbors, so we can focus on Him. Whatever it is, will you just ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to get ready for His return?

10 Allen P. Ross, “Psalms.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, p. 828, edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victory Books, 1985; quoted in Constable, p. 200; available at https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/psalms.pdf.

  1. Earl Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, and H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999), p. 678.

  2. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2004), p. 179.

  3. Wiersbe, p. 180.

  4. Wiersbe, p. 180.

  5. Wiersbe, p. 181.

  6. Constable, p. 198.

  7. Constable, p. 199.

Questions

  1. Psalm 44:6 says, “For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.” That verse sounds like victory and salvation comes from outside of ourselves. Where in Scripture might you find these truths? (Deuteronomy 20:4; Psalm 44:7; Proverbs 21:31; Romans 10:9–10; 1 Corinthians 15:57; Hebrews 7:25)
  2. When you read Psalm 45:2–8, do you picture these verses being about Jesus? Could the rest of Psalm 45 possibly be painting a picture of Israel after Jesus returns? Why or why not?
  3. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in Psalms 43—45 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin Psalm 45:10–11

“Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider: forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Bow down to him, for he is your lord.”

Just as a bride prepares to marry her groom, the Church must prepare to reunite with Jesus when He returns. A groom prepares and leaves his father and mother, and a bride leaves her home in order to unite together as one, as husband and wife. The Church, the bridegroom of Christ, must prepare herself to see Christ again—by being washed clean of sin and walking in righteousness, blameless before the Lord. Are you ready for Christ to return?

Are you hanging on to your past? Are you clinging to the comfort of this world, not fully committed to the Lord? To prepare for the return of Christ as a believer, you must leave behind your old ways and hold fast to the hope in Christ. Allow His Spirit to transform you into a new creation. Allow the Lord to come in and create His beauty in you. Trust that He is able. As a believer, the Lord molds you to resemble Christ. Therefore, when Christ returns, you can stand ready and prepared to meet the King of glory. You can be ready for His glory to come. Get ready because Jesus is coming back!

“Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider: forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Bow down to him, for he is your lord.”

— Psalm 45:10–11

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Ephesians 5:25–27 — “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.”
  • Revelation 19:7–8 — “Let us be glad, rejoice, and give Him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has prepared herself. She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.”