Dear Cornerstone brothers and sisters,
In the book of Lamentations, the Lord gives us a wonderful promise: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lam 3:22-23). Today, the Lord has new mercies for us. Wherever you are this week, take this promise to heart. The Lord’s love to his people never ceases … his mercy never ceases!! What assurance we have! What love and grace our Lord showers upon us! Today, may we rejoice in God’s unfailing goodness to us!
Today’s devotional is a reflection on the glory of Christ from Psalm 45.
Have a good week and I look forward to worshipping with you this Lord’s Day.
From the Pastor’s Desk
Mid-week Devotional
“Our King and Bridegroom”
Psalm 45:6-7a, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of righteousness; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.”
The Bible is centered upon the person and work of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament points forward to him; and the New Testament reveals him in his fullness (Luke 24:25-27, 44-49; John 5:39; 2 Tim 3:15; 1 Peter 1:10-11). The living Word is the sum and substance of the written Word. Thus, often in the New Testament we find the Apostles applying Old Testament passages to Jesus Christ; thereby highlighting the Old Testament’s preparatory nature (e.g. Matt 1:22-23; 2:17-18; Heb 9:11-14; 10:1-7).
Psalm 45 provides a good illustration of this ‘Apostolic hermeneutic.’ Psalm 45 is a royal psalm (a psalm describing the king); and its original context describes a royal wedding. Vv. 1-9 describe the royal bridegroom, vv. 10-15 describe the bride and her procession, and vv. 16-17 conclude. What is noteworthy for our purposes, however, is the New Testament’s use of Psalm 45. Specifically, Heb 1:8-9 applies Psalm 45:6-7 to Christ. In other words, the New Testament sees Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of Psalm 45. In fact, marriage imagery is common in the New Testament to describe the relationship between Christ and the church (e.g. Eph 5:22-33; Matt 22:1-14; Rev 19:6-8; 21:2, 9). And furthermore, Christ is depicted in the New Testament as the true king, the king of kings, the king to whom all the Old Testament kings pointed (Luke 1:68-71; Acts 2:25-36; Rev 19:16).
As we look back to Psalm 45 with Christ in view, what a glorious picture of our savior, king, and bridegroom is before us! Christ’s words are filled with grace (v. 2); he is filled with splendor and majesty (v. 3); he rides victoriously for the cause of truth, meekness, and righteousness (v. 4); he destroys his enemies and the enemies of his people (v. 5); his throne is eternal (v. 6); and he loves righteousness and hates wickedness (v. 7). Our Lord Jesus Christ is the fountain of grace and truth; he is the righteous one; he once and for all destroyed Satan upon the cross. Indeed he is the king of kings who graciously rules his people; and he is the great bridegroom who graciously cleanses his people and takes them as his bride!
Finally, vv. 10-11 teach us how we are to respond to our King and bridegroom: “Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear; forget your people and your father’s house, and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.” The bride is called to respond in two ways to her king: first, she is to forget all else but Him; and second, she is to bow before him. Of course, we are to respond to Christ our King in the same way. That is to say, we are to have our eyes and thoughts fixed upon him alone (Heb 12:1-2); and we are to worship and humbly bow before him alone (Phil 2:11). Today, may we see Christ in all his glory and beauty! And may we look to him and bow before him all our days!!
Robert