My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 45:10-12
Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house,
and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.
The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people.
With the beginning of verse 10, our view transitions from the King/Bridegroom, to the Bride.
Instructions hearkening back to the original “leaving of your parents, cleaving to your husband” ring true in this passage, as the Bride is directed to hearken, incline her ear, and consider to forget her people and her father’s house. In our modern world (with our modern thinking), this seems so harsh, so destructive to a positive relationship with the brides family.
Consider some of the saintly women in the Old Testament that left their family behind, to be joined to a man for life.
Sarah left her family behind, following Abraham into a wilderness. left her family on the witness of a servant, without seeing Isaac, her future husband. Rachel also left her family behind, although Jacob did stay with her family for two decades. Eventually, she also left her parents and family.
Yet the bride is instructed, not only to leave her family behind, but also her people, or the tribe/nation she was associated with. Her entire identity was to be “lost” in order to find her new life with the Bridegroom.
My very own wife has experienced both these separations in a stepped process, as the very day of our wedding was the day we left her hometown and family and moved 4 hours away. Of course, we had the modern convenience of transportation to visit her family on a rare occasion, but eventually our lives pulled us farther and farther away, eventually leaving the nation we grew up in. My favorite has went through numerous cultural and national transitions in her commitment to her hubby. The passage goes on to say …
and the king will desire your beauty
Now don’t get me wrong, for I am no king, but as I have grown old with my favorite, I have caught myself staring at her, desiring her more every year we are together. My view of her beauty has evolved from seeing a gorgeous lady to a deeper realization of who this lady is. Of course I love to look at her, for she is “pertier” today than when I married her. But beyond my favorites physical appearance, and with each experience we have, my understanding of her character, personality and commitment shines through.
Is this not the very call of God on each of His people. Our identity in and with this world is to be lost in order to gain the name of Christ.
Galatians 6:14 ESV – But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
My wife and I have been together for over 40 years now, through thick and thin. Her commitment to his family is fierce and her heart breaks for every pain we go though. She goes without in order to provide, and is willing to be stretched to ease her families times of trouble. My estimation of this lady has consistently grown and my desire has only increased as she works out this principle.
This Psalm directs the Kings bride to forget her own people and family, in order to focus on her mate. Out of this commitment, the King will greatly desire her beauty. Note that transition. The Psalm speaks of the brides responsibilities of abandoning her family and friends in order for the King to greatly desire her. The King seeks full and total allegiance from His bride, and out of this loyalty or fidelity to the King, the King’s desire would increase.
As the bride of Christ, our fidelity to Him is to be absolute. Is it fair to say that as we fight the good fight to be faithful to the true King, our efforts, desires and willingness increase the Kings love toward us? Is that heresy? I think not, for even while walking with us on this ball of mud, the Savior had those He attended to more than others. His love for each of us is exorbitant, and it is hard to understand the grace He has exercised toward us. Yet, in some way that I fear I am failing at describing, our fidelity to Him does effect His desire toward each of us.
If that is so, let us seek to “forget our people and our father’s house”, in order to remember Him and His great love toward us. Let us consider His ways, and walk in them, in order for all to see that we have a Bridegroom that we love.
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.
Considering the Bible 
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