Latest / Reformed Thinking / Your Throne, O God, Is Forever: The Glory of the King (Psalm 45) | Charles Spurgeon

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Your Throne, O God, Is Forever: The Glory of the King (Psalm 45) | Charles Spurgeon · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking. Today we are undertaking a deep
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dive into Psalm 45. We are.
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And for this, we're focusing on an incredible, very detailed
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exposition by Charles Spurgeon in his work The Treasury of
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David. Right.
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And this is a song that I think for many people gets relegated
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to just, you know, historical commentary about Solomon.
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But Spurgeon gives it an entirely different reading.
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That's absolutely right and our mission really in this deep dive
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is to get a better insight into this majestic Christ centered
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Psalm. Spurgeon just sets aside any
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idea that this is mainly about King Solomon.
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He does. For him, it is solely about
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Jesus Christ, the Eternal King, the heavenly Bridegroom, and
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that mystical saving union he has with his elect spouse, the
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Church. Spurgeon even gives the Psalm a
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very specific title, which is key.
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He calls it an epithalamium. Which sounds a bit formal.
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It does, but it's not some modern romantic song.
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It's a magnificent, very formal wedding song, so when you apply
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it here, it means this whole piece is a celestial canticle of
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everlasting love. Written for the King and his
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Church, it completely rejects any lesser or carnal or
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sentimental interpretation. And understanding that
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designation epithelium is really the key to grasping the
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structure, isn't it? It is.
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The song moves in a sequence, almost like acts in a drama.
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We begin with the psalmist's own intense inspiration, and then we
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see the King's matchless person. Then it moves into his righteous
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warfare, this display of divine sovereignty.
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After that, there's a very detailed charge delivered to the
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bride, the church, which are really the conditions of this
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celestial marriage and. Then finally, it all concludes
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with the resulting eternal fame and glory of both the King and
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his bride. So our aspiration for you, the
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listener, is to apprehend this high Christological reading of
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Psalm 45 pretty quickly, thoroughly.
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We want you to grasp the the inseparable connection between
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the King's absolute glory and the necessary required holiness
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and separation of the Church. So let's unpack this by starting
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right at the beginning, verse one and the four significant
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titles attached to this sacred song.
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The first thing you notice is just the density of these
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titles. Each one seems to under score
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the deep and solemn nature of the text we're about to study.
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OK, so the first one is Shoshanim.
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Shoshanim. It's traditionally interpreted
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as upon. Lilies.
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Lilies That immediately brings to mind purity, delicacy,
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beauty, Spurgeon argues. This is a political title.
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Yeah, he says, it's pointing to the poem's quality that it's so
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choice, so cure, so matchless in its beauty, that the words
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themselves should be arrayed like golden lilies.
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Far out shining, even Solomon in all his glory.
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Right. And that idea of purity is the
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spiritual meaning we have to hold on to now.
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Commentators might debate if it signifies a specific tune or or
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even an instrument with six strings.
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Which is a fascinating historical rabbit hole to go
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down. It is, but the spiritual
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resonance is what matters here. It connects the Psalms quality
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to the required purity of the church, which, as you know, is
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often symbolized by the Lily. The title sets an expectation
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for unmatched quality and devotion from the very start.
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Do you see the instruction for the Sons of Korra?
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And this wasn't just some random choir.
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The Sons of Korra were the trained, highly disciplined
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choristers of the temple. So what does that tell us?
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Well. It's a powerful statement about
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worship. It signifies that King Jesus
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merits prays not with unprepared, lukewarm or, you
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know, ranting efforts, but with the sweetest, most skillful
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music. Delivered by the best trained
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minds and voices, yes. If we are going to sing of
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Christ, it cannot be with a devotion that costs us nothing.
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So the point is on on sanctified affections married to
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discipline. An acceptable song, or
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acceptable worship in general isn't just about having tuneful
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voices or warm feelings. No, it's about purified hearts
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and serious preparation. It really raises the standard
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for our devotional life. Absolutely.
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The discipline is part of the requisite worship.
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If the content is divine, the presentation must strive for
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excellence. And that, that leads us right to
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the third title, Mashil. Which defines this as an
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instructive ODE. An instructive ode.
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That distinction is essential. It confirms this is wholly
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teaching. Serious theology deliver
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beautifully, not a simple romantic ballad or some idle
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lay. So if it's instructive, it
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follows that it has to be spiritually understood.
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Right. It demands serious reflection on
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this Mystic union of Christ and the Church.
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And tying it all together is that final title, a song of
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loves. A title that forcefully rejects
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any worldly or carnal sentimentality.
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This is about the highest everlasting love fit for the
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contemplation of angels. OK, so now we get to the preface
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itself, verse one, which speaks directly to the author's
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internal state. My heart is indicting a good
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matter. And the good matter is concise
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but infinite. It's the king.
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The entire composition is for his honor alone.
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But the way the author describes the writing process, the word
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indicting, that's where we find the intensity.
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The Hebrew word is rakash. Rakash, yeah, it's a word that
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suggests something that overflows or boils up or bubbles
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for. Like a pot boiling over.
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Exactly. It denotes the writers immense
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warmth, his fullness, this internal pressure of hark.
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It results in a spontaneous but controlled glow of utterance.
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Think of it as the ebullition, the boiling over of the inmost
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soul when it's so filled with affection that it just can't
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hold the words back. So this song is the opposite of
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some cold, calculated, or frigid attempt at poetry.
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It's hot with sincere devotion. It is, but that's a fascinating
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tension though, isn't it? If it's boiling up from within,
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how does that square with the previous command for skill and
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discipline from the Sons of Korah?
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Well, the psalmist continues. I speak of the things which I
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have made. And that's the crucial
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connection, the internal fervor, the Rakash informs.
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The good workmanship things which I have made refers to the
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composition itself. We're not to offer the Lord that
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which costs us nothing. Right.
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Mere emotion or careless delivery isn't enough.
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Good matter demands deep meditation, careful shaping and
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excellent workmanship. The heart must boil, but the
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product has to be shaped gold. So it's not just about
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spontaneity, but about channeling that spiritual
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intensity into a crafted, thoughtful expression.
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And that leads to the final phrase.
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My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
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And this speaks not just to speed, though of course the
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tongue is faster than the pen. It signifies exactness,
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elaboration, and skillfulness of expression.
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So even when he's filled with his overwhelming enthusiasm, the
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writer manages to speak correctly and deliberately.
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Yes, writing something worthy of eternity.
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This is that rare moment when inspiration and discipline skill
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meet perfectly. It really is the standard for
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all spiritual communication. That's a wonderful principle for
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you, the listener, to consider. Let your heart be warmed by the
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subject of Christ, but then let your resulting expression,
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whether that's in prayer or speech or service, be careful,
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deliberate and skillful. So having established the
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writers readiness, the transition into verse 2 is just
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abrupt and powerful. The preface stops and the king
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is addressed directly thou. It's as if the psalmist's
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intense meditation suddenly caused the object of his
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affection, the king, to just materialize before him.
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I think so, and this realization gives rise to immediate
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adoration. Thou art fairer than the
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children of men. This is the celebration of
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peerless beauty. And as we see in the original
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Hebrew, this phrase is often doubled for emphasis.
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Isn't it like beautiful? Beautiful art thou?
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It is. The doubling is needed because
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common language just fails. His peerless quality transcends
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physical appearance. It resides supremely in his mind
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and character. Right.
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If you look at the loveliest men and women in history, even the
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Saints, they all have a flaw. Their loveliness is through
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grace. But in Jesus every feature of a
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perfect character exists in harmonious proportion without
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any stain. Spurgeon makes the point that
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the beauty of Christ gains A ravishing flesh of glory when
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it's viewed specifically in this conjugal union with the Church.
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It's the context of the Bridegroom that intensifies our
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appreciation of his inherent perfection.
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Exactly. The love of the church is the
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lens through which His glory is most vividly appreciated by us,
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and following right on the heels of His beauty is the perfection
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of His communication. Grace is poured into thy lips.
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Which marries the perfection of his person with the perfection
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of his eloquence. Where does this grace come from?
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Well, grace has been poured upon Christ in the most copious
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manner possible, because the Father willed that all fullness
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should dwell in Him. He is the ultimate.
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Fountain and this fullness flows out in super abundance from his
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lips to cheer and instruct and enrich his people.
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The source makes a fascinating contrast here, comparing Christ
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speech to Moses speech. Moses's words did but drop as
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the rain. But Christ's words are a
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cataract of grace. That analogy is so instructive.
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Moses's law and teaching were measured and necessary, but
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Christ's words are overwhelming in their sufficiency and their
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ability to bring life. You just have to think of the
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illustrative power. One simple, direct word from him
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dissolved the hardened heart of Sola Tarsus on the road to
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Damascus. And turned a persecutor into an
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apostle. A single sentence of promise or
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forgiveness can turn a believer's deepest midnight into
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mourning. His speech is entirely life
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giving, unlike any other human pronouncement.
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It's a torrent of truth and love.
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And all of this is given a firm justification in the final
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clause of the verse. Therefore God hath blessed thee
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forever. Now this is a point of
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theological debate which is worth a moment.
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It is some interpreters like Calvin.
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They read this as Because God hath blessed thee forever.
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Meaning what exactly? Meaning his rare endowments, His
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unparalleled beauty and copious grace are gifts from the Father,
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which then ensure that his people are blessed through their
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union with the Christ who possesses those gifts.
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But taking the traditional translation as Spurgeon does, it
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reads more like a reward, yes. The Father blesses the Mediator
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for all His gracious laborers with eternal blessedness, which
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He fully deserves. In either case, whether it's
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cause or effect, the result is the same for the Church.
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The result is security. It is whom God blesses forever.
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We should also bless forever. But practically, for you, the
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listener, this means that every blessing Christ possesses, His
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eternal happiness, his favor with the Father, all of that is
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communicated to us through our mystical union.
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Since the King is permanently and eternally blessed, our
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standing in him is fixed and cannot be shaken.
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That is the great security this verse offers.
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The tone now shifts dramatically from the gentle adoration of the
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Bridegroom. We move instantly to the mighty
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warrior king. Verse 3 is a declaration, almost
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a prayer, from the loving Spirit jealous of the Redeemer's honor.
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Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty.
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A loving spirit, longest to see the Redeemer put forth his power
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against error, against oppression, against spiritual
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death. The command is for the king to
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arm himself. And the sword is universally
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understood here as what? The sword of the Spirit, the
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word of God. It's sharp and strong, capable
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of both cutting, getting through falsehood and piercing the
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hearts of men. So the Church, in effect prays
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for this manifestation. The command for the king to take
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up his weapon represents the necessity of importionate prayer
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for Jesus to come forth to the spiritual conflict.
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It's a profound mystery, isn't it?
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Jesus already possesses all authority, yet the Church is
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required to call him to battle to pray for the manifestation of
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his inherent authority in the world.
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Without him, we're lost against our spiritual enemies.
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Right. But when we pray, we are asking
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him to use the instrument He has already perfected, the gospel
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for conquest. He is addressed as O most
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Mighty. This isn't some empty formality
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given to mortal rulers. This title is wholly deserved.
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Oh absolutely. Jesus is the truest of heroes,
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Mighty to save and mighty in love.
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And this armament is done with thy glory in thy majesty, so the
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weapon isn't carried in secret or in plain clothes.
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No, it's girded on with royal splendor and dominion.
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Love rejoices to see the Beloved arrayed in the vestments of his
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exaltation, ready to execute his sovereign will.
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Next, the king is entreated to ascend his chariot of triumph in
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verse 4, And in thy majesty ride prosperously.
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This refers to the advance of the Gospel, the triumphal car of
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truth. And this is where we get that
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truly memorable image of the three noble chargers drawing the
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chariot because of truth and meekness and righteousness.
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Those are the virtues. The cause is fought for, the
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very nature of his his campaign. Yes, let's pause on those 3 for
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a second. Why these three?
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Because they define His Kingdom in opposition to the world, the
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argument is stark. The cause of the true, the
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humble, and the good cries out for Christ's advocacy.
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And if Christ does not intervene, what happens?
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Well. Truth is ridiculed, it's cast
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down. It's called a lie.
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Meekness is oppressed, trodden under foot and seen as weakness.
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And righteousness is slain, condemned and pushed out of the
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society. Exactly.
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These three principles are the very core of Christian witness,
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and their defense requires the King's active, mighty presence.
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So it's not just a battle for territory, it's a campaign for
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character. The result of this righteous
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campaign is immediate and spectacular.
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By right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
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I love that phrase. Jesus requires no external
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teacher or advisor for strategy. His own might, his right hand,
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will execute the divine judgment and reveal the terrible,
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devastating overthrow of his foes.
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So the terrible things are the judgments and the wonders he
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work. Both in conversion and in
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conquest, yes, the psalmist prophecies that the king himself
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will witness the devastating result of his own divine
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working. And may we, the Church, also be
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instructed in what he can perform by seeing him achieve it
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speedily. The image of the King's mastery
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is then completed in verse 5, demonstrating he is a master of
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all weapons, striking near and far with equal force.
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By Narrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies.
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He uses no blunted shafts. Everything he does is effective
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and well aimed, but you have to notice the target.
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In the heart of the King's enemies.
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Yes, aiming at men's hearts rather than just their heads or
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their outward behavior. And these arrows are entirely
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his. He makes them, he shoots them,
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and he ensures they penetrate and enter the heart.
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They are the arrows of conviction.
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They are wounds that only He can inflict and wounds that only He
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can heal. When the gospel pierces A
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hardened soul, it is Christ's arrow at work.
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And what is the ultimate effect of this wounding, whereby the
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people fall under thee? They are stricken down as though
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pricked in the heart by the Holy Spirit, leading not to death,
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but to submission and conversion.
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Nations tremble and turn to Him when He shoots abroad His truth.
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There's no standing against the Son of God when his bow of might
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is in his hands. It's a stunning paradox.
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The fierce warrior king uses his terrible power not for
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indiscriminate slaughter, but for the purpose of conviction
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and submission, securing new citizens for his Kingdom.
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The warrior's work secures the realm, and now we behold the
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King on his eternal throne. Verse 6 pivots to this
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indisputable testimony of Messiah's inherent deity soaring
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past all human kings. Thy throne, O God, is forever
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and ever. The adoration just can't be
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restrained. The psalmist calls the Messiah
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God. This is God reigning God to be
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adored and reigning everlastingly.
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It's a central article of faith concerning the Messiah.
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If he were a mere creature, no matter how glorious, his Kingdom
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would be temporal. And our Savior, being God and
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eternal, secures our happiness in two ways.
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First, it assures us of sovereign grace and 2nd, of
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eternal love. That's right, only a throne on
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which God Himself sits can truly endure forever securing our
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place in His Kingdom. And his rule is perfectly just
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The scepter of thy Kingdom is a right scepter.
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His monarchy is lawful. It's established not by conquest
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alone, but by right. His rule is founded in justice.
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The law governing it is right, and every resulting outcome,
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whether it's vengeance or grace, is right.
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That perfect justice is a crucial comfort.
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He's neither a usurper nor an oppressor.
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We can trust his governance without suspicion.
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All the just rejoice in the government of this king who
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reigns in righteousness. And moving to verse 7, we see
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the foundation of that rule in his character and consecration.
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Thou lovest righteousness and hatist wickedness.
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So Christ is not neutral in the great spiritual contest.
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Not at all. His love is balanced by an
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equally warm and perfect hatred for sin.
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This dual qualification, perfect affection for holiness and
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perfect aversion to iniquity is absolutely necessary for a
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sovereign judge. His entire life proved this.
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It did. His death, by which he put away
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sin and brought in everlasting righteousness, sealed the fact
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that he accessed the great champion of moral perfection.
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And for us, the challenge is clear.
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We are called to imitate both his love and his hatred.
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Lukewarmness is not an option in His Kingdom.
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This perfect moral standard leads directly to His reward,
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which is vital for understanding his dual nature.
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Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of
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gladness above thy fellows. And here is that necessary
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distinction, addressing the deity in manhood point directly
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in verse 6. He is O God.
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But in RE-7 he is anointed by thy God.
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Signifying His perfect submission and obedience as the
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Mediator, The God man Jesus and His human capacity as Mediator
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willingly own God as His own God.
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And because of his perfect spotless obedience in life, he
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is rewarded with superior higher joy, the oil of gladness above
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his fellows. His fellows being the Saints who
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share sacred fellowship with him.
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The anointing is God Himself consecrating the man Christ
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Jesus at the heavenly feasts. It's the ultimate reward for his
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pains, the joy set before him for which he endured the cross.
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And he receives a higher and fuller measure of gladness than
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any St. can know. The joy of the head guarantees
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the joy of the body, the Church. This anointing results in a
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glorious sensory effect described in verse 8.
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All thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia.
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This is the Imperial fragrance distilling from the King's
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robes. He is delightful to every
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spiritual sense, fair to the eyes with His beauty, gracious
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to the ear with his eloquence, and sweet to the spiritual
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nostril with this fragrance. And the spices mentioned, myrrh,
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aloes and cassia, were among the rarest, most costly and varied
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sense of the ancient world. The specificity is key.
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It signifies that all sweetnesses and excellences meet
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in Jesus. Myrrh was often associated with
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death and burial, aloes with preservation, and cassia with
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royal robes. So it suggests that even the
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garments of his humiliation are now fragrant with eternal glory.
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I think so, and note the word all.
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Not just some robes, but all his garments are fragrant.
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This points to the fact that everything he has to do with is
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perfumed by his person. All his offices, prophet,
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priest, king, and even his two natures are equally sweet and
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glorious to the believer. And this fragrance emanates from
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his eternal abode out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have
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made thee glad. That image suggests a setting of
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imperial splendor, a palace adorned with ivory and gold,
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which is where Christ now dwells and reigns.
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This is the place where He is made glad in the presence of the
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Father and the company of His Saints.
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The source suggests that the they who make him glad might
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actually be the King's daughter, as mentioned in the next verse,
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His people themselves. Which is a beautiful thought,
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but regardless, the realization that our King, our well beloved,
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is full of joy on his eternal throne that gives gladness right
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now to the souls of his exiled people waiting for his return.
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The King's happiness is the source of the Church's comfort.
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With the King's glory established, we now turn to the
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Queen, the Church, starting with the introduction of her retinue
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in verse 9. King's daughters were among thy
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honorable women. These King's daughters are the
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virgin souls, the lowly and pure in heart, his maids of honor.
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Right. Every believer, having been
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adopted by God, is spiritually a King's daughter, esteemed as a
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familiar friend. Near the throne.
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And then the focus shifts to the Queen herself.
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Upon thy right hand did stand the Queen and gold of a fear.
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The church sharing His honor stands at the place of love,
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power and high favor. Her clothing is crucial.
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The gold of Ophir signifies the best material, the purest known.
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This clothing represents imputed and imparted righteousness, so
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justification and sanctification.
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Christ bestows nothing inferior upon His beloved Church.
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And that's a critical distinction for you, the
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listener. The imputed righteousness is the
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rock gold of Christ's perfect life that covers us.
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That's justification. And the imparted righteousness
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is the golden effects of the Spirit working holiness within
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us. Sanctification.
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Both are necessary for the Queen to stand at the King's right
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hand. The source also gives a warning
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here. The heavenly husband will not
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tolerate his wife being insulted or maltreated.
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The persecution of His beloved people will be swiftly and
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ultimately avenged. This sets the stage for the
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essential precept directed to the Bride in verse 10.
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Hearken O daughter and consider an incline lane ear.
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This isn't casual advice. This is a solemn, life altering
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instruction. It's a man's active, diligent
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attention. You see three steps.
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Hearken faith comes by hearing consider, confirmation comes by
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contemplation and reasoning on the truth, and then incline
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thine ear. Which is a complete bending of
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the will and focus. Yes, and the command itself,
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which forms the necessary condition of being affines to
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the king, requires renunciation. Forget also thine own people and
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their father's house. OK.
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What does that mean practically? Is this about cutting off
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natural family ties? Spurgeon says no, not natural
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ties of affection, but the ties of the sinful nature and the
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bonds of graceless affinity. So the Father's house here is
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symbolic. It is.
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It is the House of our nativity, the House of sin, where we were
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shaped in iniquity. It's the carnal mind which is
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enmity against God. So we must come forth from that
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House of fallen nature which is built on the city of
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destruction. This requires forsaking evil
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acquaintances, neutral companions, and most difficult
22:08
old habits and beloved sins. The king will not endure a
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divided heart. It's an exchange.
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Then we part with folly for wisdom bubbles for eternal joys,
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misery for bliss, and idols for the living God.
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It is, and the text acknowledges the difficulty.
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The unlearning, the forgetting of the old ways is often more
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difficult than learning the new. It requires the bending of the
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whole soul and the assistance of divine grace to accomplish that
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separation. And this separation is directly
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linked to the King's affection in verse 11.
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So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty.
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Wholehearted love and exclusive devotion is both the duty and
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the bliss of this Mystic marriage.
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Jesus delights most in the Church's beauty when that beauty
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is not marred by worldliness. That is a startling connection.
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If the King is God, infinite and lacking nothing, how can the
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human purified self become something he greatly desires?
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It implies that worldliness, that mingling with the Father's
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house grieves his spirit. His satisfaction comes in seeing
23:07
the genuine reciprocal love of his bride expressed in Holiness
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So. When the church follows him
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without the camp bearing his reproach.
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Then her beauty, the beauty of sincere sanctification, becomes
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the object of his intense desire.
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It suggests that no great and lasting spiritual awakening can
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happen until the professed lovers of Jesus prove their
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affection by coming out from an ungodly world.
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And this commitment is simultaneously a recognition of
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his non negotiable authority, For he is thy Lord, and worship
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thou him. His condescending grace, the
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fact that He chose us and cleanses us, does not lessen His
23:41
authority. In fact, it enforces it.
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Our Savior is also our Ruler. The yoke He places upon the neck
23:48
is easy because He is loving, but it is still the York of our
23:51
sovereign Lord. And.
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When the Church undertakes the separation and pursues holiness,
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there is a visible magnetic result in the world described in
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verse 12. The daughter of Tyre shall be
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there with a gift. And Tyre was synonymous with
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worldly wealth and commercial pride.
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So when the church abounds and genuine separated holiness, she
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will suddenly know no lack of homage from the surrounding
24:12
world. Her glory attracts the heathen,
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leading them to honor her Lord through willing gifts.
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This reveals a critical principle for missions and
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evangelism. The strength of missions abroad
24:23
lies at home. A holy church is a powerful
24:26
church. The commerce of the world
24:27
represented by Tyre shall willingly send revenue, not as
24:30
forced levies, but as spontaneous gifts.
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And listen to the specific target of this homage.
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Even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor.
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That is counterintuitive in many modern churches, where sometimes
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the rich are pandered to in order to secure funding or
24:45
approval. It is exactly the wealthy are
24:48
one to the faith, not by accommodating your follies, but
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by faithfully testifying against their sins, by presenting the
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uncompromising beauty of a separated life.
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They will come humbling themselves to beg for the
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church's favor, to ask for spiritual blessings.
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The church should dispense favors as a queen, not become
25:08
the hireling of the great. Her authority is spiritual,
25:11
earned by holiness, not temporal wealth.
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Having received the charge of separation, the Bride is now
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described in her ultimate glory, beginning in verse 13.
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The King's daughter is all glorious within.
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This addresses the core value we were just discussing.
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Her glory is not outward only, not the external show of rituals
25:29
or public piety. Her choices, charms are her
25:31
inward desires, her secret character, the truth and the
25:35
wisdom in the hidden parts. The Lord regards the inner man
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first and foremost. She is of royal dignity, a
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King's daughter, and renewed in nature, glorious within.
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And that word all is significant.
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It signifies entireness and completeness.
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Just as the bridegroom's garments were all fragrant, the
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Bride is all glorious within. It means no mixture of ill
25:56
savor, no alloy of unholiness. The Church shall be presented
26:00
without spot or wrinkle, perfectly transformed
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internally. Her outward presentation,
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nonetheless, is equally magnificent.
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Her clothing is of wrought gold. Which brings us back to the idea
26:11
of the best material and the best workmanship.
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Spurgeon is firm on this. This is the righteousness of
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Christ, a vesture labored out by our Lord for his people.
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It's a masterpiece of holy art, the only garment suitable for
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one so honored by relationship to the Great King.
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And this leads directly into the description of the triumphal
26:29
nuptials in verses 14 and 15. She shall be brought unto the
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King in raiment of needlework. The celestial marriage shall be
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openly celebrated. The raiment of needlework
26:38
symbolizes the finest embroidery, representing the
26:41
Church's perfection when fully sanctified by the Spirit.
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And importantly, she's brought to the King.
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That reminds us that she does not come of herself, but only
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through the sovereign, active grace of the Bridegroom.
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And she is not alone in this procession.
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The Virgins, her companions that follow her, shall be brought
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unto thee. These are the pure hearted
27:01
servants, the King's daughters, who love and serve the Church
27:04
for her Lord's sake. They are pure in heart, pure in
27:07
company and pure in walk. There are those who followed the
27:10
church without the camp bearing his reproach.
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And they shall share in her eternal bliss.
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And the procession is 1 of unmitigated triumph.
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With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought.
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They shall enter into the King's palace.
27:24
Joy becomes a marriage feast, the Saints themselves will
27:28
experience gladness, and the angels will ring the halls of
27:31
the New Jerusalem with rejoicing.
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They shall enter the King's palace, their eternal peaceful
27:35
abode, where Jesus reigns in state forever.
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And if there was such joy in the process of being brought, Can
27:41
you imagine the joy of the entering and the abiding?
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The sorrows of time will be forgotten in the triumph of
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eternity. Moving to verse 16, we see the
27:48
continuity of grace in the future of the Kingdom.
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Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children.
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This addresses the fear that the Church might fail.
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The ancient Saints, the fathers, they pass away, but the line of
28:00
grace never becomes extinct. A spiritual seed fills the
28:04
vacant places. So the true apostolical
28:07
succession is maintained by the spiritual birth of new believers
28:10
in every generation. That's right.
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And the King's authority extends through them.
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Whom thou mayest make, Princess, in all the earth.
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That's a radical concept. It is.
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Servants of Christ are kings in their own right, gaining more
28:22
than regal honors by evangelizing and spreading the
28:25
truth. Jesus is the Kingmaker
28:28
distributing immortal crowns. The promise is that the whole
28:31
earth shall eventually be subdued for Christ, and those
28:33
who share in that spiritual conquest shall reign with Him.
28:36
And the Psalm closes with Jehovah's own guarantee of
28:39
eternal renown for the Prince of Peace in verse 17.
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I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations.
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This is God speaking, promising eternal fame and continuous
28:48
progeny for the Messiah. Human fame is fragile.
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Names renowned in one generation often fade quickly in the next.
28:56
But the laurels of Jesus shall ever be fresh, His renown ever
28:59
knew. Messiah's fame is not left to
29:02
human guardianship or fickle memory.
29:04
God's Providence and grace ensure that the memories of
29:07
Gethsemane and Calvary, his suffering and his conquest, glow
29:11
with an inextinguishable light. And what is the standing
29:14
response of humanity to this guarantee?
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Therefore shall the people praise thee forever and ever.
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Perpetual praise is a standing and growing debt to Him who
29:23
loved us and redeemed us by His blood.
29:26
Every benefit we receive enlarges our obligation, and
29:29
every year in eternity will swell the volume of music to Him
29:33
who lives and was dead and is alive forevermore.
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So what does this entire majestic deep dive into
29:39
Spurgeon's exposition of Psalm 45 offer us?
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What do we take away? Well, it presents us with a
29:44
unified high vision of Christ, the simultaneous deity, and
29:47
manhood is our mediator, establishing the righteous
29:50
eternal reign that secures our eternal happiness.
29:53
It ensures that the king is mighty enough to save and just
29:55
enough to govern. It does, and it lays out the
29:58
strict, uncompromising requirement for the Church, for
30:01
the Bride. Spiritual separation, the
30:04
necessity of forgetting the Father's house, is the only path
30:07
to possessing the purity and holiness that the King seeks.
30:11
And this brings us back to that most fascinating theological
30:13
point. The source asserts the Church's
30:16
internal glory, her sincere secret character and hidden
30:19
wisdom as the magnet that draws the King's desire.
30:22
Yes. So if the King is God completely
30:25
fulfilled, infinite in his own joy and fragrance and glory,
30:28
lacking absolutely nothing, yes, what exactly is it about the
30:32
finite purified inner self of the Bride that causes the Divine
30:36
King to greatly desire that beauty?
30:38
It suggests the infinite value God places on seer, hidden
30:41
worship and the genuine transformation of the heart.
30:44
He is looking for a reciprocal reflection of his own holiness,
30:47
finding treasure in the inner character not as a necessity for
30:50
himself, but as the crowning demonstration of His grace
30:53
working in humanity. That is a weighty thought for
30:55
anyone contemplating their own devotion.