UNBLOCKING THE WELL OF THE LIVING WORD

READ PSALM 41-45

SUGGESTED PATTERN Read Psalm 41-45 with your spouse or household  then re-read Psalm 45 again with spouse or household, then spend 2 mins in silence focussing on  Psalm 45:6,7 asking the Lord, the question “What does this text mean?” then 2 mins in silence asking the Lord what He is saying to you personally through Psalm 45: 6,7 and then share together with your spouse or household what the Lord has been saying. Finally one person reads out loud the devotional below and then pray for one another.  

PSALM 45:6-7 “Your throne, O God will last forever and ever; a sceptre of justice will be the sceptre of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”

I went to a wedding this summer, soon after King Charles had been crowned king and in the wedding address, the preacher said “We are living between a coronation and a wedding”. This wedding service was a picture of what will be happening at the end of the age. Jesus has been made king. He is seated at the right hand of the Father right now, but the wedding to his bride has not yet taken place.

The NIV study bible (1) says that this is a “ Song of praise of the king on his wedding day. (This king) undoubtedly belonged to  David’s dynasty, and the song was probably used at more than one royal wedding. Since the bride is a foreign princess, (v10,12) the wedding reflects the king’s standing as a figure of international significance. Accordingly he is addressed as one whose reign is to be characterised by victories over the nations. As a royal son of David he is a type (foreshadowing) of Christ. After the exile the song was applied to Messiah, the promised son of David who would sit on David’s throne.”  The writer of Hebrews also sees that Psalm 45:6-7 as a picture of Jesus Christ, and quotes it, to prove that Jesus is superior than the angels. 

The early church fathers believed that there is another indication that this psalm pointed to Christ. Bradley Jersak, in his book, (2) “A more Christlike word: Reading scripture the Emmaus Way”, says  the 70 jewish rabbis who wrote the Septuagint (LXX) translated, from Hebrew to the Greek, the notations that are written at the top of many of the psalms, “for the choirmaster” and they translated that phrase as  “unto the end”. Saint Gregory of Nyssa wrote a book (3) on the superscriptions observing that “unto the end” is like a dedication to the “telos” Christ. He believed as did others, that this song with this notation will always end up either pointing to a messianic “telos” and/ or describing the process of the disciple’s maturation in Christ.

Peter Enns (4) coins the term, a Christo-telic reading of scripture, for this type of reading. “That word comes from Christ and telos. Telos  refers to the “end” or fulfilment or completion of something. On the cross, when Jesus prayed, “It is finished” (John 19:30), he  used that word. He said, “Father forgive them” Luke 23:34 and the Father through Jesus’s own mouth  replied, “It is accomplished!” The cross represents the fulfilment of Christ’s messianic mission, the capstone in the construction of the kingdom of God he was erecting throughout his life and ministry.”

“ Unto the end” occurs as a superscription, written above about 56  of the Psalms, in the Septuagint. Psalm 45 is one of those 56 psalms that have this superscription (5), and Gregory of Nyssa and the Orthodox church today believed that Psalm 45 therefore points to Jesus.  In the Orthodox study Bible which is New King James Version, Psalm 45 is interpreted in the study notes (6) as “a prophetic description of the Word incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ (the End) and the Beloved one, is the Word himself”. Revelation 19:11-13 seems an appropriate corollary scripture from the New Testament. (7)  ^“ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.” 

Jesus Christ is King, He is the Word of God and He is preparing His bride.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ may your kingdom come! Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one, clothe yourself with splendour and majesty. In your Majesty ride forth victoriously on behalf of truth, humility and righteousness. Let your right hand display awesome deeds.

References

(1) NIV study bible, Zondervan, 831.

(2) Jersak, B. A more Christlike word: Reading scripture the Emmaus Way, drawn from page 42.

(3) Gregory of Nyssa,  Gregory of Nyssa’s treatise on the inspiration of the Psalms. translated Ronald E Heine.

(4) Enns, P. Apostolic Hermeneutics and an evangelical doctrine of scripture: moving beyond a modernist impasse.”

(5) Psalms 4-6, 8-9, 11-14, 18-22, 31, 36, 39-42, 44-47, 49, 51-62, 64-70, 75-77, 80-81, 84-85, 88, 109, 139-140.

(6) Orthodox Study Bible, 711.

(7) Revelation 19:11-13