Eternal King And Righteous Groom
BRD REFLECTIONS
Jeremiah 40 and 41; Psalm 45 (NIV)
(Charis Lim, Secretary, Pastor-Parish Relations Committee; Chairperson, Wesley@Cathay, Prayer & Praise)
READ:
The following passage from Psalm 45:6-9 (ESV) stands out for me:
6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; 7you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; 8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; 9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honour; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
OBSERVE:
Psalm 45 provides us with a powerful picture merging the imagery of royalty and marriage. It tells a beautiful story of a royal wedding of a King and His bride and points to the future wedding of the Messiah and the church as His heavenly bride. Though the initial picture is of a royal marriage, the text portrays a loving relationship that exists between Jesus and His bride, the Church. The Psalmist makes two pronouncements concerning this. In verses 6 & 7, the Psalmist declares the eternity and righteousness of God’s rule. It is inevitable that all earthly kings would eventually lose their crown, however the King above all kings rules forever in righteousness. But He is not just an Eternal King, He is also a Righteous Groom. In verses 8 & 9, the Psalmist describes a groom who has meticulously prepared himself. The Psalmist says, “your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia”. These are the burial spices that the women brought to the tomb on Easter morning. And yet these are also the same spices present at the royal wedding depicted here. What does this all mean?
Evidently, this marriage is only made possible out of death and with death comes this fragrant incense that makes glorious the imagery of this beautiful wedding. This is congruent with what the apostle Paul describes in Ephesians 5:25 when he says that Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. Why? In order that He might present to Himself a glorious church, a beautiful bride, without spot or blemish. It’s amazing that Christ not only prepares Himself but He also prepares His bride, clothing us with His fragrant robes of righteousness in gold of Ophir.
APPLY:
As His bride, Jesus Christ is blending our lives with His and giving us all His royalty and all His privileges. And He promises to present us—His bride, to His Father as one washed clean of every wrinkle. Very often though I have forgotten the privileges I have. I have failed to reckon with it and have taken for granted how tremendous it is to be able to stand, clothed in His righteousness and dressed in fine gold that He has provided. This Psalm sings of Christ’s royalty, Christ’s eternity and Christ’s relationship with His church culminating in Christ’s praise. Without this praise of Jesus Christ, worship would be impoverished. Like the Psalmist, may God put a song of praise on my lips to worship the Eternal King and Righteous Groom who gave His life for me so that I may have life and life everlasting!
DO:
We just cannot praise God enough and yet we tend to do so little of it.
I will reflect on these questions:
- Have I taken for granted all that the Lord has done for His church in giving us a place of honour as His bride?
- What honour and praise can I personally give to the Righteous Groom for what He has done?
- Is there a song of endless praise that I can sing to my Eternal King today?
PRAY:
Lord Jesus, You are our Eternal King and Righteous Groom, and we long for You like a bride longs for her husband. Thank You that we should be given the place of honour in becoming Your bride. Thank You for clothing us in Your own righteousness that we might dwell with You forever. Place a song of praise upon our lips today and may we give You all the honour and glory due to Your name, forsaking all others and keeping ourselves only unto Jesus, our Lord and King.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
