Psalm 45:11 The king is enthralled by your beauty; honour him, for he is your lord.
The most important note in the heading to Psalm 45 is that it is A wedding song (as well as being again For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil and this time To the tune of Lilies). The psalm begins with the statement by the writer My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skilful writer. The next 16 verses then divide evenly between what he has to say to and with regard to the King and then to and with regard to his Queen. The King is the most excellent of men ... his lips ... anointed with grace, since God has blessed him for ever, etc. She is told to Forget your people and your father's house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honour him, etc. This could be David, though one assumes it is Solomon. Most importantly, this is Messiah of whom it is most true that his throne lasts for ever and ever with a sceptre of justice being the sceptre of his kingdom. Who more than he loves righteousness and hates wickedness and has been by God set above his companions by being anointed with the oil of joy? If the King is Messiah then his Bride must be the church. Given that premise, the first part of verse 11 is quite striking. We rarely think of Christ being enthralled by the beauty of the church. We wonder what beauty there is. Yet he himself is making the church beautiful as he adds daily to it and as he matures the graces of those who are his. His enthralment with our beauty is a thing to keep in the back of our minds then. Meanwhile at the forefront is this most reasonable command to honour him, for he is your lord.
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