Psa 45:14 | KingComments | STEP | Now the bride is addressed directly ( ). The first thing that is said to her is to listen. God has something to say to her. Any change begins with listening. What is said, she must “give attention”, in the sense of consider, and incline her ear to it, tune her ear to it. It is namely about something important: God tells her in what way she can show her beauty, so that the King’s desire will go out to her. She will be attractive to Him in her beauty if she forgets her past. The faithful remnant is to forget the sins committed by the people in the past ( ). The judgment for it, borne by the Messiah, has caused a break with the past. Her full devotion to Him will be proof of that. Everyone who repents knows this. He breaks with the past and starts a new life. With respect to the past, there is nothing the remnant can boast about or claim a right to. Through their unfaithfulness they have forfeited all right to the promise. We see this presented in Ruth, the Moabitess. As a Moabitess, she has no right whatsoever to stay in the land, let alone inherit it ( ). However, she leaves her people and makes herself dependent on grace. This brings her into connection with Boaz, a type of the Lord Jesus, giving her all that he possesses ( ). The connection with Christ breaks all the natural connections that were there and establishes entirely new ones (cf. ; ; ). “Your father’s house” refers to the strong earthly bond that is present in the family relationships. This too must be given up when it comes to the connection with the Messiah (cf. ). The King’s desire is determined by the attachment to Him at the expense of every natural connection. When He notices this, He will desire her beauty ( ). The beauty of Jerusalem can begin to shine, “when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning” ( ). Instead, the Bridegroom has given her the adornments of a bride ( ; cf. ). For us, it means that we walk in such a way that the Lord finds His joy in it. That is what we do when we break the connection with natural relationships. It is also what Christ has done. The old connections have been removed by His work on the cross, through which He formed new ones. Any boasting in the flesh must be given up. Paul says: “Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know [Him in this way] no longer” ( ). The acknowledgment of this will be seen in submission to His authority or to His being Lord. The bride’s awe for her Bridegroom is evident in her bowing down to Him, which is to give Him the due respect. This attitude of awe should also characterize the wife toward her husband in our day ( ; ). The bride will receive from “the daughter of Tyre”, that is, the inhabitants of Tyre, “a gift” ( ). Tyre was the richest city in the Near East at that time. This city, as well as other rich nations, will bring their contributions to Jerusalem (cf. ; ). They will do so in order to thereby seek the “favor” of the bride. Israel or Jerusalem will then no longer be despised and trampled upon, but will be recognized as the city on which they depend for every blessing. The bride is “the King’s daughter”, meaning she is of royal descent ( ). “All glorious within” means ‘inside’, that is in the interior of the house where she is. It means that she is not yet visible to everyone. In the house she is “all glorious”, for “her clothing is interwoven with gold”. Her wedding clothing is artfully embroidered of gold thread. There is nothing that recalls her past. Her appearance has the radiance of the glory of God (cf. ). She is ready to meet the Bridegroom. Then the bride is “led to the King in embroidered work” ( ; cf. ) to be united with Him (cf. ). In her entourage are the “virgins, her companions”. In them we can see a picture of the cities of Judah ( ), which come to honor the King. What a contrast there is between the treatment of the King when He was crucified and this scene. Now honor is brought to Him. The whole world will rejoice over this connection. The book of Song of Songs will be fulfilled. The whole wedding procession enters the King’s palace in joy ( ). Now the bride with her entourage comes to the King. All who are with her are received as it were as king’s daughters. This cannot but work the utmost joy with them. There is great joy in all. This is expressed in the bride’s companions. They too are full of joy for the grace that was given to all. The church, too, will be made stand in the presence of Christ “with great joy” to the glory of God ( ; ). Then the call will sound through heaven: ““Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride [lit wife] has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright [and] clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” ( ).

‏ Psalms 45:14

The Bride

Now the bride is addressed directly (Psa 45:10). The first thing that is said to her is to listen. God has something to say to her. Any change begins with listening. What is said, she must “give attention”, in the sense of consider, and incline her ear to it, tune her ear to it. It is namely about something important: God tells her in what way she can show her beauty, so that the King’s desire will go out to her.

She will be attractive to Him in her beauty if she forgets her past. The faithful remnant is to forget the sins committed by the people in the past (Psa 103:12). The judgment for it, borne by the Messiah, has caused a break with the past. Her full devotion to Him will be proof of that.

Everyone who repents knows this. He breaks with the past and starts a new life. With respect to the past, there is nothing the remnant can boast about or claim a right to. Through their unfaithfulness they have forfeited all right to the promise.

We see this presented in Ruth, the Moabitess. As a Moabitess, she has no right whatsoever to stay in the land, let alone inherit it (Deu 23:3-6). However, she leaves her people and makes herself dependent on grace. This brings her into connection with Boaz, a type of the Lord Jesus, giving her all that he possesses (Rth 1:7-17 ; Rth 4:9-10).

The connection with Christ breaks all the natural connections that were there and establishes entirely new ones (cf. Gen 12:1; Mt 10:37 ; Mt 12:48-50; 2Cor 5:17). “Your father’s house” refers to the strong earthly bond that is present in the family relationships. This too must be given up when it comes to the connection with the Messiah (cf. Lk 9:59-60). The King’s desire is determined by the attachment to Him at the expense of every natural connection.

When He notices this, He will desire her beauty (Psa 45:11). The beauty of Jerusalem can begin to shine, “when the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning” (Isa 4:4). Instead, the Bridegroom has given her the adornments of a bride (Isa 61:3; cf. Gen 24:53a).

For us, it means that we walk in such a way that the Lord finds His joy in it. That is what we do when we break the connection with natural relationships. It is also what Christ has done. The old connections have been removed by His work on the cross, through which He formed new ones. Any boasting in the flesh must be given up. Paul says: “Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know [Him in this way] no longer” (2Cor 5:16).

The acknowledgment of this will be seen in submission to His authority or to His being Lord. The bride’s awe for her Bridegroom is evident in her bowing down to Him, which is to give Him the due respect. This attitude of awe should also characterize the wife toward her husband in our day (Eph 5:33b; 1Pet 3:6).

The bride will receive from “the daughter of Tyre”, that is, the inhabitants of Tyre, “a gift” (Psa 45:12). Tyre was the richest city in the Near East at that time. This city, as well as other rich nations, will bring their contributions to Jerusalem (cf. Isa 60:5-7; Rev 21:24 ; 26). They will do so in order to thereby seek the “favor” of the bride. Israel or Jerusalem will then no longer be despised and trampled upon, but will be recognized as the city on which they depend for every blessing.

The bride is “the King’s daughter”, meaning she is of royal descent (Psa 45:13). “All glorious within” means ‘inside’, that is in the interior of the house where she is. It means that she is not yet visible to everyone. In the house she is “all glorious”, for “her clothing is interwoven with gold”. Her wedding clothing is artfully embroidered of gold thread. There is nothing that recalls her past. Her appearance has the radiance of the glory of God (cf. Rev 21:10-11). She is ready to meet the Bridegroom.

Then the bride is “led to the King in embroidered work” (Psa 45:14; cf. Eze 16:10 ; 13) to be united with Him (cf. Gen 2:22). In her entourage are the “virgins, her companions”. In them we can see a picture of the cities of Judah (Isa 40:9), which come to honor the King. What a contrast there is between the treatment of the King when He was crucified and this scene. Now honor is brought to Him. The whole world will rejoice over this connection. The book of Song of Songs will be fulfilled.

The whole wedding procession enters the King’s palace in joy (Psa 45:15). Now the bride with her entourage comes to the King. All who are with her are received as it were as king’s daughters. This cannot but work the utmost joy with them. There is great joy in all. This is expressed in the bride’s companions. They too are full of joy for the grace that was given to all.

The church, too, will be made stand in the presence of Christ “with great joy” to the glory of God (Jude 1:24; Eph 3:20-21 ; Eph 5:27). Then the call will sound through heaven: ““Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride [lit wife] has made herself ready.” It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright [and] clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev 19:7-8).