Messiah the Mighty One appearing as King and Bridegroom

This, writes one, is “an epithalamium”, that is a wedding hymn between Christ and the church. Notice its title is a “Song of loves”, which gives it a direct affinity to the Song of Songs of Solomon. Indeed, Solomon’s epic poem is built upon this foundational song of his father, David.

David, in v. 1, writes from a full heart. The phrase, “inditing a good matter”, literally means, “to boil up”, bubbling up an ebullition of feelings or content. This is the result of contemplating the glory and majesty of Christ. David becomes the pen of a ready writer, as he is moved by the Holy Spirit to compose this eulogy of the greatness and the blessedness and beauty of the church.

The first half describes Christ, and the second the beauty and desirability of the Church dressed in His finished work and reflecting His glory. She is to forget her father’s house, and separate herself from the world and anything that would distract from her duty and love to her bridegroom and king. Anything that steals our hearts, loyalty and love to Christ is to be shunned. 

Pastor Jeff O’ Neil

Recommended Tune: Praetorius

Psalm 45 – First Version (Common metre)

¹My heart brings forth a goodly thing;
My words that I indite
Concern the King: my tongue’s a pen
Of one that swift doth write.

²Thou fairer art than sons of men:
Into thy lips is store
Of grace infus’d; God therefore thee
Hath bless’d for evermore.

³O thou that art the mighty One,
Thy sword gird on thy thigh;
Ev’n with thy glory excellent,
And with thy majesty.

⁴For meekness, truth, and righteousness,
In state ride prosp’rously;
And thy right hand shall thee instruct
In things that fearful be.

⁵Thine arrows sharply pierce the heart
Of th’ en’mies of the King;
And under thy subjection
The people down do bring.

⁶For ever and for ever is,
O God, thy throne of might;
The sceptre of thy kingdom is
A sceptre that is right.

⁷Thou lovest right, and hatest ill;
For God, thy God, most high,
Above thy fellows hath with th’ oil
Of joy anointed thee.

⁸Of aloes, myrrh, and cassia,
A smell thy garments had,
Out of the iv’ry palaces,
Whereby they made thee glad.

⁹Among thy women hon’rable
Kings’ daughters were at hand:
Upon thy right hand did the queen
In gold of Ophir stand.

¹⁰O daughter, hearken and regard,
And do thine ear incline;
Likewise forget thy father’s house,
And people that are thine.

¹¹Then of the King desir’d shall be
Thy beauty veh’mently:
Because he is thy Lord, do thou
Him worship rev’rently.

¹²The daughter there of Tyre shall be
With gifts and off’rings great:
Those of the people that are rich
Thy favour shall entreat.

¹³Behold, the daughter of the King
All glorious is within;
And with embroideries of gold
Her garments wrought have been.

¹⁴She shall be brought unto the King
In robes with needle wrought;
Her fellow-virgins following
Shall unto thee be brought.

¹⁵They shall be brought with gladness great,
And mirth on ev’ry side,
Into the palace of the King,
And there they shall abide.

¹⁶Instead of those thy fathers dear,
Thy children thou may’st take,
And in all places of the earth
Them noble princes make.

¹⁷Thy name remember’d I will make
Through ages all to be:
The people therefore evermore
Shall praises give to thee.