The Wedding of Weddings | Psalms: An Exile's Prayer Book | Psalm 45 | Pastor J. M. Lee

Good morning! It’s time to dive into God’s Word together. Grab your Bible and turn with me to Psalm 45. Today, we’re exploring a special passage—a wedding song unlike any other in the Psalms.

In fact, Psalm 45 paints a vivid picture of the ultimate wedding, one that marks the culmination of history: Christ, the eternal King, rejoicing in the embrace of His radiant bride, the Church.

I have entitled this sermon “The Wedding of Weddings.” Now, if you are able to, please stand for the reading of God’s inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word.

Psalm 45.

It was a busy day for Jesus. He was in the temple and He was teaching the crowds what the Kingdom of heaven is like. And per usual… the crowds were astonished by Jesus’ teachings…but …..to no one’s surprise….the religious leaders…well…they were upset. And so.. in an attempt to test Jesus… an expert in God’s Law asked Him a question:

Matthew 22:36 (CSB)

36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”

This so-called expert was deceived…. and though his head was full of knowledge his heart was cold for he had completely missed who the Scriptures were about.

Jesus answered his question by quoting the Shema. He said,

Matthew 22:37 (CSB)

37 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

And even though the lawyer knew these truths….he completely missed their application. You see… if he had fully loved God with all of His heart, soul, and mind..…he would have recognized who Jesus was and he would have loved Him. But he didn’t. Yes, this man was an expert in God’s Law….and…his heart may had been captured by good things…holy things even….…but… his love for God failed to inform and shape his life. The truth is…. his affection for God was… at best …stale …and at worst …non existent.

Tell me…Do you love God? Has that love captured your heart? Has your love for God shaped your life? If we’re honest..…for many of us our hearts are captured by lesser things. Our natural inclination is towards ourselves. We are often distracted by the issues of life. We struggle with sin. And we are often full of fear and anxiety. All of which hinder us from wholeheartedly following Jesus and divert our focus from cultivating a deep, worshipful, and adoring relationship with Jesus.

Friends…. we must ask ourselves this tough question: How can we be shaped by our love for Jesus when our hearts are often captured or distracted by lesser things?

Well…Psalm 45 is helpful….for it reveals to us the majesty of King Jesus. In fact…. since Jesus is the eternal and righteous King, He alone is worthy of our worship. And my prayer this morning is that our text will capture our hearts to truly adore and be shaped by our love for Jesus.

Let’s begin by considering the superscription…. which just so happens to be verse 1 in the original Hebrew text…and it says…

Psalm 45 (CSB)

For the choir director: according to “The Lilies.” A Maskil of the sons of Korah. A love song.

Psalm 45 is a royal psalm and was composed to celebrate the king’s wedding. Many commentators believe that this song was written for King Solomon’s wedding to the Pharaoh’s daughter, which may be true. However, well focused spiritual eyes see that the Psalmist is writing prophetically and pointing us to Jesus. In fact…Psalm 45 isn't a wedding song for earthly marriages, but a celebration for the Heavenly Bridegroom and His chosen bride.

I believe we will see this truth clearly as we explore and examine the four progressive movements of our text, beginning with movement #1:

I. The King's Greatness vs. 1-5

Psalm 45:1 (CSB)

1 My heart is moved by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

I love this verse because we are being given a rare treat as the psalmist gives us a glimpse into his artistic process as he composes this song…and it all began with good word which overwhelmed his heart. His innermost being was overflowing and he utters these words to the King…words that can only be compared to those written by the most skillful of writers. And he says to the King,

Psalm 45:2 (CSB)

2 You are the most handsome of men; grace flows from your lips. Therefore God has blessed you forever.

The King is the ideal…the supreme man. In fact….He towers above all other men. And this King ..He is great for several reasons. First….his greatness is because grace flows from His lips. The King speaks graciously because he’s full of grace.

I am reminded of John 1:14

John 1:14 (CSB)

14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:16 (CSB)

16 Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness,

When Jesus came to earth and lived among us, we saw the full glory and majesty of God. The truthfulness of God to keep his promises and His grace to save His people reached their peak when He sent Jesus. And now…. grace flows generously from His lips to uplift and to enrich His people.

Jesus….He gives us grace from his fullness. Which speaks to the truth that there is no other source of grace but in Christ. In King Jesus we find an inexhaustible supply of grace. In fact …Jesus has more grace than you do sin…rip one layer of grace off and there is another layer of grace ready and waiting! Brothers and sisters…. the fountain of God’s grace will never run dry… for Jesus gives us grace from his fullness.

Friend…wherever you are this morning…. drink deeply from the fountain of God’s grace and be assured that ..in Christ…your sins are forgiven … and through His Spirit you have been given victory over sin. We have received grace upon grace.

The King’s greatness also comes from his power in battle as a warrior. Look at verse 3

Psalm 45:3 (CSB)

3 Mighty warrior, strap your sword at your side. In your majesty and splendor—

The King is a man of great military strength…and the sword strapped to his side is not just for show. Jesus is the warrior-king who is majestic..and He is glorious..and He is ready to do battle. And when he fights…he wins…he hits his targets and He brings peace by destroying all of his enemies and ours.

Friends….Jesus is the true defender of His Church and His strength provides hope for every believer. I am reminded of 1 John 3:8

1 John 3:8 (CSB)

8 The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works.

Consider also Hebrews 2:14

Hebrews 2:14 (CSB)

14 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through his death he might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the devil—

In the long history of the church….Jesus has consistently and faithfully protected His people through the harshest of persecutions …and He has defeated every form of unbelief and tyranny…..and He will continue to do so.

Now…I don’t know about you…but it’s easy for me to look around at the world and be overwhelmed by the mess around me. How could we not be concerned by the state of things…especially with the fact that the moral fibers of our country have been completely frayed…and with …what feels like…a progressive deterioration of everything we believe in and hold dear. Watch the news for any length of time and your anxieties will have anxieties.

But friends….. Given Jesus’s demonstrated power over every earthly and spiritual force…we have no reason to fear the storms of this world and we should be encouraged to echo the psalmist's cry: Mighty warrior, strap your sword at your side…..Especially in times of darkness and evil…Brothers and sisters we should always remember that Christ is the true champion of the church and we should be encouraged to persistently pray and call upon Him to actively engage in our battles.

Next….the King’s greatness is seen in how he rides into battle…look at verse 4

Psalm 45:4–5 (CSB)

4 in your splendor ride triumphantly in the cause of truth, humility, and justice. May your right hand show your awe-inspiring acts. 5 Your sharpened arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you.

Just as the Old Testament prophesied, Jesus entered Jerusalem as our King, riding on a donkey, which symbolizes His humility and trustworthiness. Indeed, Christ’s approach to warfare aligns perfectly with His character and His mission of salvation. In essence, Jesus fights using weapons of truth, humility, and righteousness, and these divine tactics achieved ultimate victory at the cross. There, Jesus defeated sin and death through His obedient sacrifice, fulfilling God's righteousness and atoning for our sins. Friends..Jesus is the King and He is glorious and He will reign forever.

II. The King's Reign vs. 6-7

Psalm 45:6–7 (CSB)

6 Your throne, God, is forever and ever; the scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice. 7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy more than your companions.

These two verses eliminate any doubt that Psalm 45 refers to Jesus, especially since the book of Hebrews cites them to argue that Jesus is God and, therefore, superior to the angels.

These verses….they speak to the eternal rule and reign of King Jesus. And friends…this truth....the truth that Jesus’ throne is eternal… it should bring us comfort and assurance….because it confirms the reality that for everyone who has come to him in faith…we will never face a day when our savior is not reigning for our salvation.

John Calvin helpfully said this about these verses:

“As he is head of the Church, the author and protector of our welfare, he reigns not merely for a time, but possesses an endless sovereignty; … from this we derive our greatest confidence both in life and in death.” - John Calvin

The psalmist goes on to praise the king’s righteous scepter….which speaks to Christ’s motives and actions. It speaks to the truth that Jesus rules with an eternal scepter of righteoussness….and I find it interesting that the Psalmist makes a point to tell us that Jesus not only rules in righteoussness but He loves righteoussness.

Think about it like this… how often do we do what we know is right but do so without joy….we may obey but we don’t like it! My kids are great at this… they know how their Dad wants them to behave…and they may actually behave themselves but they aren’t going to be happy about it!

But Jesus…he’s not only righteouss in His actions but He loves righteoussness. I am reminded of 1 John 1:5 which says…

1 John 1:5 (CSB)

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him.

God never varies…His motives…His actions..…His character…..they never changes. He is total light. He is total righteousness. Jesus always acts consistently within the context of His character. In fact….everything that Jesus has ever said and everything that Jesus has ever done has always displayed His love for righteousness.

Now…if this is true then so is the flip side. In other words….Because Jesus loves righteousness He absolutely hates wickedness. And brothers and sisters…if you love God…you will love his standards…you will love His law..and you will hate sin…you will hate wickedness. These two convictions are inseparable…..you cannot love righteoussness and be ok with wickedness…you cannot honestly say, “I love righteoussness, but I also like sin.” You cant say that..…it doesn’t work that way.

Friends….a true love for God will always result in a total love for righteousness and a total hatred for sin. In fact…… our attitude towards righteoussness and toward sin is a litmus test that reveals to us the depths of our love for God and how close we are to being conformed to the image of Christ.

Jesus hates sin and He loves righteousness…..therefore…look back at verse 7..

…God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy more than your companions.

Not only do these two verses speak of Jesus’ divinity but they also speak of His humanity. Jesus is fully God and fully man….and as our Mediator…Jesus recognized God as His God…and lived in complete obedience to Him. Remember….Jesus was tempted in every way that we are but He did not sin. Jesus lived His life in perfect obedience to God’s Law. And because of His perfect obedience….God the Father rewarded Him with unparalleled joy. And now all …who by grace…. trust in Jesus’ and receive His obedience as their own …we share in Christ’s joy.

Friends…if you are experiencing an absence of joy in your life…. perhaps you have been running to the wrong wells. Is it possible you have been searching for joy in the wrong places? It’s true….happiness can be found in many places for a season….but …that happiness is always temporary and you will always be let down… you will always be left longing for more. But Jesus…He will never let you down….for He is the only source of lasting joy. Friend….run to Jesus this morning and rejoice in who He is and reflect in all that He has done to reconcile you to the Father!

This leads us to our third and final movement. We turn now from the greatness and military victories of King Jesus to the much anticipated wedding … which is the occasion and main focus of this Psalm.

III. The King's Wedding vs. 8-17

Now…. if we are going to fully understand Psalm 45… I think it would be helpful for us to consider how weddings were done in ancient times.

The first step was the betrothal, which was a pretty big deal back then. Unlike engagements today, betrothals were formal and often arranged by the parents of the bride and groom. They sometimes took their children’s wishes into account, but it was mostly a family decision.

Now…..betrothal was way more serious than our modern engagements. Today engagement doesn’t really hold much weight…but betrothal was an actual legal procedure with witnesses and oaths….which made the couple officially husband and wife. Remember Joseph and Mary? They were betrothed when Jesus was conceived… and Joseph knew that breaking the betrothal required something like a divorce….which he refused to do.

One key part of the betrothal was the dowry…which was essentially a commitment from the husband’s family to the bride’s family……because of this, and sometimes because of the young age of the couple, there was often a long wait between the betrothal and the actual wedding…but they were still legally joined.

But….. when the wedding day finally arrived, it was a big celebration! The bride and her friends would gather at her home to get her dressed up in her finest clothing and jewelry. Meanwhile, the groom and his friends would gather at his house. Then, there’d be a massive parade through the streets as the groom and his friends went to fetch the bride. After that, the whole group…including the bride… would parade back to the groom’s house….where they would have a huge wedding feast that could last up to a week or two, depending on how wealthy the groom’s family was.

Now…think about this…..think about how this ancient tradition highlights the joy and the celebration of marriage….also think about the commitment and the preparation involved…and consider how it applies to the joy that comes with salvation and the commitment that is required in your discipleship.

Now keep that in the back of your mind as we continue. Look back at verse 8…

Psalm 45:8–9 (CSB)

8 Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume all your garments; from ivory palaces harps bring you joy. 9 Kings’ daughters are among your honored women; the queen, adorned with gold from Ophir, stands at your right hand.

Picture the groom descending from His palace made of ivory …He is dressed in the finest of robes perfumed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon spice.

I am reminded of the old hymn, “Out of the Ivory Palaces.” Have you ever heard it? Well it describes Jesus entering this “world of woe” out of love for His bride to be. It speaks of the wedding and the feast that we are all anticipating…the marriage supper of the Lamb..…which is the wedding and the feast that we look forward to each and every Sunday as we take communion.

Consider Revelation 19:6-9 which says,

Revelation 19:6–9 (CSB)

6 Then I heard something like the voice of a vast multitude, like the sound of cascading waters, and like the rumbling of loud thunder, saying,

Hallelujah, because our Lord God, the Almighty,

reigns!

7 Let us be glad, rejoice, and give him glory,

because the marriage of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has prepared herself.

8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure.

For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, “Write: Blessed are those invited to the marriage feast of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These words of God are true.”

As followers of Jesus…we look forward to this future day…it gives us hope and as we anticipate this great day ……just as the bride prepares herself for the arrival of the groom….the church…..the bride of Christ…..we are to be preparing ourselves for His coming. How do we do that?

Well…

1. We prepare ourselves by remaining faithful to Christ in a fallen and evil world.

2. We prepare ourselves by enduring hardship in the midst of suffering.

3. We prepare ourselves by obeying God to take the gospel to all tribes, languages, peoples, and nations.

And we can only do these things if we pay attention to the psalmist instructions to the bride. Look back at v.10 -12

Psalm 45:10–12 (CSB)

10 Listen, daughter, pay attention and consider: Forget your people and your father’s house, 11 and the king will desire your beauty. Bow down to him, for he is your lord. 12 The daughter of Tyre, the wealthy people, will seek your favor with gifts.

The psalmist tells the bride to leave her people …to leave her family … in preparation for her marriage she must be willing to leave her past behind… her former name…her former ways….her former associations…and she is to cleave to her husband so that they may be one. In the same way…we are to leave our former sinful ways of living. To be a Christian is to leave behind the desire for the praise and the pleasure offered by the world….instead of being in love with ourselves…..we love Jesus …our savior..we offer him our lives and we live in reverent obedience to His will …not ours.

Spurgeon says this,

“To renounce the world is not easy, but it must be done by all who are betrothed to the Great King, for a divided heart he cannot endure.… We must come forth of the house of fallen nature, for it is built in the City of Destruction. Not that natural ties are broken by grace, but ties of the sinful nature, bonds of graceless affinity. Our halfheartedness in pursuing this separation from sin explains so much of the church’s feebleness today. Only when the whole church leads the separated life will the full splendor and power of Christianity shine forth upon the world.” - Charles Spurgeon

I am reminded of Philippians 2:12

Philippians 2:12 (CSB)

12 Therefore, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Eugene Peterson called this, “a long obedience in the same direction.” But don’t miss verse 13….you see we can only prepare ourselves…we can only work out our salvation…we can only be faithful on this journey of a long obedience in the same direction because…look at verse 13

Philippians 2:13 (CSB)

13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.

That sounds a lot like what we read in the Revelation passage doesn’t it? Look back

Revelation 19:8 (CSB)

8 She was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints.

Look back to Psalm 45:13-14.

Psalm 45:13–15 (CSB)

13 In her chamber, the royal daughter is all glorious, her clothing embroidered with gold. 14 In colorful garments she is led to the king; after her, the virgins, her companions, are brought to you. 15 They are led in with gladness and rejoicing; they enter the king’s palace.

Tell me…..who gave her permission to clothe herself in this way? God did!! While the bride must make herself ready for the marriage, her glorious clothing is not something she can acquire for herself…no! It must be given to her…those clothes were a divine gift of grace…..

Brothers and sisters…. we must prepare ourselves…but we do so knowing that we have already been purified and made clean by the blood of Jesus…you see… Jesus…the one who knew no sin… He became sin…so that..we might become the righteousness of God! And friends…it is only when we fully grasp the depths of our depravity and the extent to which God went through to save us…it is only when we fully understand and appreciate how deep the Father’s love is for us that we will experience a joy unlike any other joy.

Friends……a true love story should always result in a happily-ever-after. But let’s be honest……in this world the fairy tales often fall short….but the good news is…..for those who enter into the wedding of weddings—that eternal union between God’s royal Son and his church—we will experience a blessing that will never fade… which leads us to the fourth and final movement…

IV. The King’s Legacy

The psalmist concludes by giving a two-part blessing to the royal groom's marriage.

Psalm 45:16–17 (CSB)

16 Your sons will succeed your ancestors; you will make them princes throughout the land. 17 I will cause your name to be remembered for all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.

This blessing reminds us that Jesus calls us not only to receive the gift of righteousness by trusting in Him as our savior and submitting to Him as our Lord....but He is calling us to experience His love.

Friends....take a second and close your eyes... picture God sitting on His throne...now picture yourself standing before him. Open your eyes and tell me...what is the expression on God's face as he looks at you?

If you're like me....most of the time I picture him with a frown on his face. Why? Well...because in those moments... I am focused on myself.....in those moments I have ultimately lost sight of the truths of the gospel. I have lost sight of the fact that when God looks at me...because of my union with Jesus...God no longer sees my brokeness...he no longer sees my weaknesses....he no longer sees my sin...in fact with the same pride that He expressed when he looks at Jesus...He has when He looks at me. I am His son in whom he is pleased....and not because of anything I did...but because of what Jesus did for me. And friend if Jesus is your Lord and Savior then the same is true for you! God loves you and He wants you to experience His love and find joy in the truth that you will share in the joy of Christ's eternal glory.

What does that mean? What does it mean to share in Christ's eternal glory? Well..It means that while we live in this world broken and marred by sin...we are currently sharing in the sufferings of Christ so that we may also share in His glory for all eternity! It means that we will one day experience resurrection for ourselves....and on that day, when we stand before Jesus, we will be transformed into His likeness..we will be morally perfect...holy...and righteous.....and we will also receive a glorified body just like His. It means that for all eternity we will live in the presence of God ruling and reigning as coheirs with Christ.

In the mean time we have to ask ourselves..... Are we preparing ourselves now for this future celebration? Are we wearing the robe of righteousness that only He can give? Are we adorning ourselves with His grace, striving to be holy through His Word and prayer so that our lives bring praise to Christ? Are we working to see that the nations come to honor Him as well?

Friends....Jesus came the first time to join us to Himself in a spiritual betrothal..and soon and very soon... Jesus will come again to take us to Himself forever. Are you ready? Are you looking forward to His coming?

Jesus said,

John 14:2–3 (CSB)

2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.

Are we looking for that return? Revelations 1:7 says,

Revelation 1:7 (CSB)

7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. So it is to be.

And at the very end of the same book, we read,

Revelation 22:20 (CSB)

20 He who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

So let it be so! Let’s Pray