Sunday Devotional 21st August 2022
by Bruce Billington
We are continuing to explore the knowledge of God as expressed in the Psalms. This week we will look at Psalm 45, a beautiful wedding Psalm. It is written by the sons of Korah.
This Psalm depicts God’s relationship with His Son Jesus the Messiah and also His Son’s own relationship with us – His bride. But before bringing something warm and beautiful into this Psalm the writer begins with a subtle warning.
Psalm 45:3 – Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, In Your splendor and Your majesty!
Jesus, God’s heavenly and earthly King, is girded with a sword. This should bring a degree of caution or godly fear to us all. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, works to draw people into His will and His ways. He seeks to have them submit to His authority through persuasion not coercion.
But every age has those who are rebellious and disobedient. The warning given here is that Jesus is not unarmed. The Lamb is also a Lion. Don’t mess with the Lion, lest He should strike out, not with meekness and kindness, but with aggression. Those who are not “for Him” may well hold Him in contempt and deride Him, as they will also do to His followers (us). But we are promised that, as the head of the Church, He is the author and protector of our welfare, forever and ever.
Satan’s campaign against God’s truth and righteousness is raging across the earth today. As believers, we have been commissioned to fight in the army of our Lord (2 Timothy 2:3–4). Our orders are to resist Satan and his forces, standing steadfastly them. We have been equipped with the armour of God to defend us and with the sword of the Spirit—God’s Holy Word—as our weapon (Ephesians 6:10–17). We do not fight for the victory, but from the victory of Christ on the cross.
Ultimately in great glory and majesty, Jesus will come to earth again as a mighty warrior. He will crush His enemies with His mighty, double-edged sword, the very Word of God itself. Every knee of every nation will bow before Him and confess Him as Lord (Philippians 2:8–11).
This Psalm then begins to reveal more about the eternal love of God for His Son and His Kingdom, and the love of His Son for His church/bride.
Psalms 45:6
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the sceptre of Your kingdom.
Psalms 45:7
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.
Psalms 45:8
All Your garments are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made You glad.
Jesus is the only King who loves righteousness and hates wickedness (Hebrews 1:8–9).
It seems that the Psalmist here cannot restrain His adoration for the Lord. In his outcry of worship and praise he extols the fact that our God reigns on a throne with a Kingdom that will never pass away.
This great King (Jesus Christ) is not neutral. He clearly sees what is right and what is wrong. He loves righteousness and hates evil or wickedness. We must take great hope in this. Imagine if it was the other way around!! Our call is to imitate Him by embracing the same passion.
During His time on earth Jesus proved the truth of these words. His immense sacrifice unto death put away sin and brought in the reign of righteousness, (the Kingdom of God) even though it is not fully established yet.
Verse 8 – the eloquence of the Messiah is expressed wonderfully by Charles Spurgeon.
The divine anointing causes fragrance to distil from the robes of the Mighty Hero. He is delightful to every sense, to the eyes most fair, to the ear most gracious, to the spiritual nostril most sweet.
The excellences of Jesus are all most precious, comparable to the rarest spices; they are most varied, and to be likened not to myrrh alone, but to all the perfumes blended in due proportion. The Father always finds a pleasure in him, in him he is well pleased; and all regenerated spirits rejoice in him, for he is made of God unto us, “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.
What a Saviour we serve.
God bless you.
Bruce Billington