The theme of Psalm 45 is the King; yet not viewed as in Psalm 21, when He has experienced a great salvation, but shown as coming forth with His sword girded upon His though for the establishment of His kingdom. This psalm is the divine answer to the cry of the distressed remnant in the preceding: they own Him as “King” (Psalm 44:44Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. (Psalm 44:4)), imploring Him to arise and “command deliverances for Jacob” (verses 23-26), and to show favour as of old. The experience of the remnant meanwhile is (in language quoted by the apostle Paul in Romans 8:3636As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (Romans 8:36)), “For Thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter” (Psalm 44:2222Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. (Psalm 44:22)).
The Spirit of God is at His accustomed work in the Psalm. He is our ready writer when it is a question of the glories of Christ. The departing Lord said of Him, “He shall glorify Me.” And herein is a test for our souls: —anything that tends to the dishonor of the One at God’s right hand is not of the Spirit; and the glory of Christ is His great theme and sacred charge.
But though the Spirit is inspiring here (as in all other scripture), the Psalmist’s own affections are engaged: he tells us that his heart is overflowing with a good matter, and to him it is a source of delight that the Spirit should use his tongue as His pen. And so full is he of his theme that in ver. 2, &c., he seems to see the Blessed One before him and bursts out rapturously, “Thou art fairer than he children of men, grace is poured into Thy lips: Therefore God hath blessed Thee forever.” (See Isa. 33:1717Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off. (Isaiah 33:17).) The grace of His lips came out throughout His wondrous path here: He was full of grace and truth; and even enemies had to confess, “Never man spake like this man “; while others marveled at the gracious words that proceeded out of His mouth.
It is a question here of the Kingdom and of putting down foes; and that is by power and by judgment. Therefore is He seen coming forth, as in Rev. 19, the girded One; not indeed with the towel as now to serve His saints, but with His sword upon His thigh that His right hand may teach Him terrible things. Strange that any should suppose that His kingdom will be introduced by the quiet means of His gospel: the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms (and surely the N.T. also) render their united testimony of judgment, and judgment only, as His path to His throne. Israel were not willing in the days of His flesh that He should reign over them; man was not willing; nor will they be willing until His power is established in the earth as in the heavens. He will not wait for a message from men such as the trees in Jotham's parable said to the bramble, “Come thou and reign over us” (Judg. 9): man's heart is such, He would wait in vain for that.
David sets Him forth as the warrior King. David's day was one of warfare and subjugation of enemies; as Solomon's day, on the other hand, was one of peace and joy for Israel, the throne being firmly established. The Davidic type is seen in our Psalm in verses 3-5; the Solomonic in ver. 6., &c. (the latter phase being more fully declared in Psa. 72) Having established His kingdom by judgment, He takes His seat upon this throne; not then His Father's throne as now, but His own throne as King in Zion. The Spirit uses this in Heb. 1 to demonstrate His divine glory, showing there that the One through whom God has now spoken is “Son,” “God,” “Jehovah.” I suppose “thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity” would refer particularly to the days of His flesh. He was ever this in the midst of a godless and God-hating world. He obeyed then; in Psa. 45 He rules.
He has “companions” in His kingdom; but He exceeds them all. Grace may raise high its objects, whether heavenly or earthly: but in all things He must have the pre-eminence. We do well to remind our hearts of this. His grace may bring us into a wondrous place of relationship and association with Himself, but reverence and godly fear become us in the presence of it. Some such thought seems implied in verse 11, “He is thy Lord, and worship thou Him.” Whatever grace may do, still He is the Lord. (Compare John 10:23, 2423And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. 24Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. (John 10:23‑24), and note the Lord's important transition from “Father” to “God”).
The Queen is here seen by his side, sharing His earthly glories; and such will Jerusalem be in the day that is approaching. “As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.” For that day He will “make Jerusalem a praise in the earth” (Isa. 62:5-75For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. 6I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, 7And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. (Isaiah 62:5‑7).) We must not confound the Queen here with the Bride, the Lamb's wife, in Rev. 19. There are heavenly things, and there are earthly: the vision of John sets us in the heavens; our Psalm directs us to Judea.
The Queen stands at His right hand “in gold of Ophir.” Gold is typically expressive of divine righteousness, and Israel shall yet know the blessing of this. The apostle's sorrow of heart concerning God's people after the flesh was that they were going about to establish their own righteousness, and not submitting themselves to the righteousness of God. But in the coming day of glory all will be changed; the filthy rags of human righteousness shall be abandoned; and she shall say, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed use with the garments of salvation. He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” (Isa. 61:1010I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)). Zech. 3 gives us a picture of this: Joshua the high priest is seen standing before the angel of Jehovah clothed in filthy garments, picture of Israel's condition before God. The filthy garments are removed, a change of raiment is given; and a fair miter is put upon his head. Now Joshua and his fellows are distinctly said to be men of sign (Zech. 3:88Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. (Zechariah 3:8).); and here we have a picture of how (after the glory) Israel shall be given to know the blessing of full justification—standing before God, not in human righteousness, but in that which is of God by faith. In Jer. 23:66In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Jeremiah 23:6) the King is called “the Lord our righteousness” (Jehovah Tsidkenu); and in Jer. 33:1616In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness. (Jeremiah 33:16), Jerusalem is called by the same name. Does not the wife bear the husband's name?
On that day she shall forget her own people and her father's house; all that in which flesh might glory in no more. One in Phil. 3 had much in which he might glory after the flesh. It was no mean thing to be a circumcised man of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; but he had learned to count all things but Christ “loss” and “dung.” Verse 16 seems to show the same thing—the fathers and all fleshly advantages gloried in no more; but grace and its work for them the alone subject of boast. “Mercy” will be their glad theme in that day (Rom. 11:3232For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. (Romans 11:32)). Then shall down-trodden Jerusalem be an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations, and sought after by all the ends of the earth. “The daughter of Tire shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favor? “The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.” “Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces or wealth of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.” “They shall call thee the city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.” “Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name forever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory; Amen and Amen.” (Isa. 60:11, 1411Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. (Isaiah 60:11)
14The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 60:14). Psa. 72:18, 1918Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. 19And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. (Psalm 72:18‑19)). W. W. F.