Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash
My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
With Your glory and Your majesty.
4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
The peoples fall under You.
6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
8 All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter,
Consider and incline your ear;
Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;
11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor.
13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;
Her clothing is woven with gold.
14 She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;
The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
They shall enter the King’s palace.
16 Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,
Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.
By Mike Chaffin
The Sons of Korah Psalms are among the best written songs ever recorded. With this song I can confidently conclude their ability to write comes from the Holy Spirit’s leading. This is a song for their time and for the ages.
After reading this song it is apparent it was likely written for a King’s wedding. Potentially one of David’s or Solomon’s. It extols the merits of the King and encourages the bride to forget about her past and embrace her future.
However, when you read the song a second time you see it can’t fully apply to just a man and woman. This song extols virtues and actions that are far bigger. This is a song about Jesus and her bride, the church. Verse six sets up the scene.
The writer references God, and in verse seven references the Savior God sends to be King. The song continues to tell the woman to worship the King. This is a metaphor for the church, the bride of Christ, to worship Jesus. In human terms, due to the King’s status, he was served but never worshipped. Only Jesus, our Savior and King for all eternity fills the shoes the song celebrates. Hebrews chapter 1 quotes this psalm as proof of Christ’s deity.
As Christ followers we are forgiven of all our past sins. Sure, earthly consequences still might follow us, but they no longer define us. We are to let go of the past that can so easily drag us back into the sinful lifestyle and embrace our new life in Christ.
