This Psalm was written in it's historical context as a song for a very special bride and groom. It is one of two wedding songs preserved in the scriptures. The reference to it as a "Maschil" suggests that it was not only historical in it's context, but that it is also applicable to us in it's content. Long after the wedding in question, the psalm was used by the Israelites as one speaking of God's relationship with His Children, Israel. Now His church is included in that relationship with Israel, and the "wasness" of the written Word of God once again becomes for us the "isness" of His applicable Word.

The interpretation of this Word is for an age gone by, but the application through the Holy Spirit is very decidedly for us right here and now. The groom written of here is a type of Christ. The Bride is a type of His church.

In a day when there is such a renewed interest in the validity of scriptures relating to the authenticity of a risen Christ, this Psalm speaks to us volumes. It reminds us of the nature of our risen Lord and Bridegroom of the church and compels us to bow down once again in wonder and awe of who He is.

It reminds us again of the reason we believe in who He is, and it calls us back to a place of total allegiance to Him only.

Dr. Spurgeon long ago challenged the church to not only believe in Christ, but to know why we believe in Him.
And so the writer begins by describing:
I. The Majesty of the Groom.

Psalm 45: 1. Listen to his opening words.
"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."

The word "stirred", also translated "overwhelmed" is more literally translated "my heart boils, or seethes." Or my heart is bursting. His tongue is like the pen of a ready writer. He cannot wait to get the word out about the Groom. This is the kind of emotion that ought to be ours when we recognize the true nature of our Groom. Why? Because of who He is.

There is much interest in these days about who Christ really was. Time, News Week, Us News and World report. All carrying articles concerning the rediscovery or the quest for the historical Jesus.

Thank God that when we come to know Him as our personal Savior and Lord, His Spirit indwells us and reveals to us the full measure of who He is. No measure of historical study or academic pursuit will satisfy the longing in every heart to know the truth about our Creator. Only the power of His Spirit in us may accomplish that. Jesus Himself has said, that no one. Not anybody on this earth can come to Him, receive Him, know Him, unless the Father Himself draws them.

And upon being drawn to Him, what is it that we learn about Him?

The psalmist writes firstly about:
1 The Excellency of His Reputation.

2You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever. 8All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.

The excellency of His reputation is demonstrated by:

a. The Majesty of His Person.
Vs. 2a "You are the most excellent of men"
vs. 3.

We sing that beautiful praise song, "How excellent is thy name O Lord, how excellent is thy name". And "There is none like you, no one else can touch my heart like you do, I can search through eternity long and find, there is none like you."

The Psalmist begins with the idea of speaking about his King but then as the words begin to flow he catches himself now not speaking of the King, but speaking to the King. He cannot contain himself. Throughout the ages we echo his words of love for the King as we sing our songs of praise to Him. "Lord you are more precious than silver. Lord you are more costly than gold. Lord you are more beautiful than diamonds, and nothing I desire compares with you." And He is pleased with that. In vs. 9 we see that the music of the strings makes Him glad. The music of our voices raised to Him likewise bring joy to His heart as we sing to Him the truth of His majesty. Recognizing that He is far above any other being.

His excellency is further demonstrated by:

b. The Measure of His Grace.

Vs. 2b "…your lips have been anointed with grace"

He goes on describing the reason to believe as he does. The King's, or the Groom's lips have been anointed with grace. O how much in a world of harshness and judgment do we need to hear that word Grace. The reason that I believe in Him is because His grace has taught my heart to fear. That precious grace that appeared to me the hour I first believed. He should have given me the blast of judgment, but He poured out into my wretched life the blessing of His grace.

We believe in Him, we trust in Him, we worship Him because He is gracious in all His dealings towards us. Not only does He impart grace as a gift that purchases our salvation, but the words from His lips are anointed with grace. You never heard a harsh word spoken to a little child. Even at His trial those present had to confess that they had heard no evil word come from His mouth. Luke 4:22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.

At the one moment in His life when He would have been perfectly justified in calling all of the angels to His aide, and in striking out in revenge, His words instead were, "Father, forgive them." The Majesty of His person, the measure of His grace. Notice also that measure of His excellency is also demonstrated by:

c. The Mantle of His Righteousness.
Vs. 4-8 speak of His righteousness. Vs. 8 caps the theme by describing the mantle of righteousness which speaks to all of His impeccable holiness and justice.
8All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.
In scripture ones garments characterize your conduct before men. The grooms garments were fragrant. They were a picture of His righteousness.
The kind of righteousness which is exemplified in justice, compassion, truth, humility and honor.

O, the excellency of His person. We cannot help but bow before Him in humble adoration. But then, notice that there is something else. The psalmist speaks too about:
2. The Equity of His Rule.

3Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. 4In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. 5Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet. 6Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 7You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

Yes, we marvel at His grace. We wonder at His compassion, but we never forget that He has only one kind of Kingdom in mind through all this, and that is a kingdom of righteousness. There is a sense here in which one gets the idea that in His great love for His bride, He comes prepared to protect her from any possible threat. He comes at the ready to go out and do battle with any enemy that may threaten the safety of His "beloved". Even in this His excellency of character is magnified. In Deut. 24:5 we learn that if a man has recently married, he may not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married. But not this groom. He had a mission to protect His bride and He will not take rest from that mission.

What battle is He ready for? The battle for Truth, Humility and Righteousness. He stands for what is right and will settle for nothing less. He, not the governments of men, carries the standard. The government is upon His shoulders. Vs. 7, He loves righteousness and He hates wickedness.

As His bride we are well served to follow this example. Holding fast to the standard of our Righteous Groom. Not the standard of our society, or even our government. Our standard ought to be far higher than any human order. In the human and civil order, judgment is based upon what is legal and what is right. Neither of these measures is necessarily righteous. We know that there are many acts that are "legal" yet reprehensible in God's eyes. And the measure of "right" is based upon whatever is good for you with out bringing harm to others. The problem with this is that "right" has come to mean so many different things to different people. Who decides?

Righteousness on the other hand has one absolute standard. And this is the standard which this King seeks of His Bride.
This prophecy by the Psalmist became a reality for the Jewish nation in History when because of their continuous rejection of Christ as Messiah, their denial of His sovereignty and their pursuit of evil and foreign god's, the time came when they were brought down, and but for a remnant were utterly destroyed. The sword of judgment which was wielded against God's own chosen people then, is the same sword which proceeds out of His mouth in Rev. 19:11-16 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords.
In the account of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, with that story still fresh on our minds after Easter, we saw that He entered Jerusalem on a Donkey. A symbol of meekness. The Bible tells us that He will come again, but this time it will be as a Majestic King upon a white stallion. We saw that His followers waved palm branches, a symbol of peace. When He comes again He will have the Sword of heaven and the scepter of justice in His hand, and He will once and for all balance the scales of injustice and bring every wicked deed to task.

You see, He is concerned with truth and with humility and with justice. And if His grace does not teach our heart to fear. And if grace does not lead me on, and I choose to set myself against Him, then I must come under the force of His judgment.

Family, our God deals with everyone in exactly the same way. He is impartial. He has no favorites. He excludes no wicked person from the wrath of His judgment and He excludes no person from the reach of His grace. No matter how great the sin. The homosexual is invited to repent and receive that grace. The abortionist is invited. The adulterer is invited. The murderer is invited. The racist is invited. He invites us to come and receive His forgiveness and His grace so that we may avoid the brunt of His judgment.
Why do we believe in Him and trust Him? Because we recognize the excellence of His reputation, and we know that know that we can count on the Equity of His rule.
Notice thirdly in the description of the Majesty of this glorious groom, the Psalmist describes:
3. The Eternity of His Reign

vs. 6 "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;…"

There are those that believe that the Old Time religion has a place in the past but it does not work today. I love the words of that revival song. God can do it again and again and again. He's the same God today as He always has been.
It is significant that the poet has set this statement in the middle of the song. This thought is also at the very center of our faith. Our God reigns. Christ is on His throne even now. Though some may question the validity of His claims and the veracity of Scripture, He still reigns. His Kingdom is forever and forever, as vs. 17 attests. 17I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
a. History Confirms the Eternity of His Reign
Throughout history, great civil leaders have verified that His reign is forever.
One such leader, surprisingly enough, was Napoleon Bonaparte. Her is what he wrote:
"I know a man, and I tell you that Jesus is more than a man! The religion of Christ is a mystery which subsists by it's own force, and proceeds from a mind which is not a human mind. We find in it a marked individuality, which originated a train of words and maxims unknown before. Jesus borrowed nothing from our knowledge. He exhibited in Himself the perfect example of His precepts. Jesus is not a philosopher; for His proofs are miracles, and from the first his disciples adored Him. In fact, learning and philosophy are of no use for salvation; and Jesus came into the world to reveal the mysteries of heaven and the laws of the Spirit.
Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself founded empires; but upon what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ alone founded his empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.
C.S. Lewis makes the option of Him being a great moral teacher obsolete with these trenchant remarks:
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish things that people often say about Him. "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God".
That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level of a man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman, or something worse.
You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit on Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with ant patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."

b. Scripture Attests to the Eternity of His Reign.

Rev. 11:15 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Over and over, throughout Scripture you will find the theme of the eternal reign of our Righteous King.

History speaks to His eternal reign, the Scriptures attest it, but perhaps most importantly is the fact that:
c. Human Experience Proves it.

Each of us who have been brought, by His grace, out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light, know without any doubt in our minds that He reigns here and now. We see the evidence of His present reign wherever we take the time to notice. We see Him in the heavens as they declare His majesty and glory. Someone once said that it may be remotely possible to look at this fallen world with all of it's misery and wonder if there is a God, but upon looking up to the heavens, there can be no question that He is, and that He reigns.
Even amidst the apparent universal gloom, there is not a day that goes by that we cannot see God's mighty hand at work in the affairs of men.
The old song says, "God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own. Though trials distress us, and burdens depress us, He never will leave us alone. God is still on the throne, and He will remember His own. His promise is true, He will not forget you, Yes! God is still on the throne."

So we have seen then, the Psalmist make a case for the majesty of the Groom. He does this so that he may now appeal for the allegiance of the bride.
II. The Message to the Bride.
Psalm 45:10-17 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house. [11] The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. [12] The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, men of wealth will seek your favor. [13] All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold.

[14] In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you. [15] They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king. [16] Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. [17] I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
Now that the writer has drawn attention to the Majesty and awesomeness of the groom, he turns his attention to the Bride who is a type of the church. What he has to say to her seems almost unnecessary. One would think that she too has seen His majesty and has been struck with wonder and awe and total surrender to Him. But sadly, it seems that the Bride of Christ today needs this very reminder or instruction that is given to our historical bride in this psalm.
The church today has given her allegiance to many things. She has succumbed to those who would come into the Groom's household and presume to take over the control of His household. She has succumbed to the temptation of aligning herself with other strange bedfellows in order to look right and to feel right and have the necessary influence in the society in which she functions. A modern term for such compromise is "Political correctness", while the older, more accurate term, in the context of the Psalm would be "harlotry"

The condition and the allegiance of is graphically caricatured in the poem, "The Battered Bride."
This is not what the Father had in mind for His son. This is not what the Son had in mind when He purchased His bride outright and rescued her from the grip of the spiritual rapists of this world.
The church today in this hour more than ever before must heed the words of the Psalmist as he writes the message for the bride.

The first thing He says is:

1. She must renounce all others.
   This is true when we come into the faith. We are called to sever those relationships. We are called to look forward to the new life and the new relationship that we have in Christ. Many times we are tempted to go back. The Israelites had that problem all the time. They saw His glory. They knew His presence. They participated in His provision, yet always they hankered after the things that were behind. And as a result today still they miss out on the relationship with the Groom.

She must forget her father's house. This is a perfectly natural request for one who will now be joined together in one flesh with her spouse. In the spiritual relationship it is the same.
I believe that God is up to something new in His church. I believe that He is preparing the Bride for His Son. That He is calling her away from all of the affections and allegiances she has with anything other than the Groom Himself.
How does that impact us here at Windcrest Baptist Church. Let me tell you what I believe. We are at a point in our history when for some obvious and perfectly normal circumstances, we must change our name. As we do this, I believe that the Father is bringing us to the place where we feel it is imperative to not keep any of the baggage of the past as we enter into this. We call ourselves Baptists because we cooperate with the Baptist Convention in programs and opportunities. My dilemma with this is, should we be taking a name that speaks of an institution rather than a movement. A movement is something that God has raised up. He established it 2000 years ago. The name of the movement is "Christianity" and it is named that because it professes to have total allegiance to Christ, our Groom. You may say, "Well, how will others feel about that?"

Do you think that Jesus cares about how someone may feel about that? Look at Luke 14:26
2. She Must Reverence Him alone.

Apart from Him there is nothing else that is sacred.
3. She Must Reject the possibility of scandal.

Ezekial 36:22-27. It was because of the scandal that God changed their hearts.

Oh my friends He wants us, His church to experience Him in all of his glory so badly. He wrote a letter to a church in the New Testament which is representative of the church today. In Rev 3:17-20. A church which thought they had it all together. They thought they really knew Him, that he was a part of their fellowship, but what they did not know was that they had become so self righteous and self satisfied, that they had forgotten His identity. And so he vacated the premises.

His words to them were, "You say, "I am rich, I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. Not even the real Jesus. We can make it without him. But he says, "You do not even realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. "I counsel you, says Jesus, to buy from me gold that has been refined in the fire so that you can become rich, and white clothes to wear (the white clothes of a consecrated life) so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes so that you can see. That you can see the true Jesus. Not a great prophet, not a great teacher, not a great miracle worker, but Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
And then Jesus gives this invitation from the outside. He says, behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church.

Are we listening church?

Then let us open the door and give Jesus His rightful place in our lives today.
Psalm 45:16-17 is a fitting conclusion. When we come to this place of fresh and uncompromising allegiance to the Groom, our King, "Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. [17] I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.