“My
heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the
king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe…Your throne, O
God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter
of uprightness; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness
beyond your companions.” -Psalm 45:1; 6-6-7 (ESV). [Read Psalm
45].
Posted
on a card above my computer are these words from Psalm 46:1 (NASB
version) as a reminder to me that in my writing I have a calling, a
gift, and I am to use my writing to help and encourage others: “My
heart overflows with a good theme…my tongue is the pen of a ready
writer.” I
pray that these devotionals written daily, poems I write, the weekly
newspaper columns I’ve written for almost 26 years now, the books
I’ve written or helped to write, and even letters or cards of
encouragement will flow from the “pen of a ready writer,” and
“overflow with a good theme.” I appreciate those of you who read
and “like” on Facebook and others who express gratitude for
something that touches you that I have written
On
this Valentine’s Day, 2016, I send love to you, and introduce you
to a special psalm that says in its added-later title that it is a
love song on the occasion of the wedding of one of the kings of
Israel. The psalm was sung in worship or at the wedding ceremony for
a king, and was used with “the lilies” tune known in those
ancient times.
Psalm
45 is a hymn celebrating a royal wedding. We don’t know
specifically which of the Israelite kings, but he was one in David’s
royal line After 2 Samuel 7:11-16, the line of David was the one
appointed through which God would bless His people and carry out the
promise to bless the whole world. The Psalm has also been taken as
Messianic. In Hebrews 1:8-9, the verses from Psalm 45:6-7 are used
to point to Jesus Christ. “But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne,
O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter
of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness
beyond your companions.”
Imagine
a wedding day for a beloved king. The ruler is described as a king
of beauty, majesty and justice. The scribe, a “ready writer,”
able and equipped to write quickly and with ease of words, described
the wedding and the reception of the king and his bride. The ruler
was one who was highly respected. He held to high ideals and had the
characteristics that gave him a noble position.
The
Messianic theme is further emphasized in Psalm 45:17 as we see a
foretaste of Christ and His kingdom, with His bride, the church, made
up of believers in all generations: “I will cause your name to be
remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you
forever and ever.” How we ought to express our love for each other
and for the Lord our King on this day of hearts, a day when we
consider the true meaning of love and rejoice in loving and being
loved. For God is love, and by loving Him we begin to learn how to
love others genuinely and deeply. - Ethelene Dyer Jones
02.14.2016
