Psalm – Psalm 45-47

After reading today’s passage, I was actually looking forward to writing today’s posting because in my mind, many of these words have already been turned into hymns or songs that we all have sung and loved.  But horrors of horrors, when I tried logging into the blog, I was brought to an unknown website!

It was definitely not our CloserDayByDay.info website but something else.

We have been hacked!!

So after a painful hour of restoring the webiste and changing the password (make sure you keep your passwords safe and change them regularly … and do not simply download everything that comes your way), I am back to where I was one hour ago… about to start writing about today’s…

Bible Passage:  Psalm 45-47

Weddings!  Don’t you love weddings?  The flowers and decorations.  The sisters all beautifully dressed up.  The brothers all… er, dressed up better than usual.  The anxious look on the bridegroom.  And how radiant the bride looks.

We just had a wedding recently and in July we will be having another special wedding (well… all weddings are special in the Lord).

Why am I so excited about weddings?

Well, Psalm 45 is an anthem for the King’s wedding.  We are not sure for whom it was written for but there are parallels to the Song of Solomon which suggests one possibility.  However, if we read carefully, the psalm looks beyond earthly matrimony to the ultimate holy matrimony – the one between the King of kings and the Lord of Lords and His bride – the Church.

When you attend a wedding, what comes to your mind?

Some of you have the gift of expressing yourself in words.  Perhaps you are like the Psalmist who exclaimed in Psalm 45:1..

My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Indeed, not just for when they witness a wedding… but for many writers today, the incidents that surround us and events in the world await interpretation.  Writers who are able to express themselves in words and other media, to the glory of God.

When I read the words of the Psalmist – I really envy those who have the gift to be able to express themselves in words and song.  And if you have this gift and want to use it for God’s glory – please let me know because there is much to be done for the rest o this year.

When you read Psalm 45 – is there a verse that causes you to think of a hymn that is in our Hymnal?

I could not find a great video on it but hear it and then tell me which verse reminds you of this hymn?

Does that sound familiar?  Yes… it is Hymn 97 – Ivory Palaces.

How about the verse in Psalm 45 that is related to this?  Yes!  It is Psalm 45:8!

Psalm 46 takes a different angle.  No more of God as the King Bridegroom.  Now we see God as the Refuge of His people.

Sometimes when I read Psalm 46, I can almost imagine the thundering sound of the galloping horses and the marching armies as they bear down on God’s people – maybe even beseiging the city of God – Jerusalem.

But for Israel – hope, courage and defiance springs from the defenders because they know for certain that God is with them.  Read this psalm and see how the scene builds up to its climax and then suddenly – silence…. “Be still, and know that I am God!”

Psalm 46 can be read in 3 parts that expands on the opening verse which declares…

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.

Yes!  God is our refuge, strength and help.

• God’s protection provides reassurance in the midst of a chaotic and tumultous world (46:1-3)
• God’s presence gives us an immoveable defense in a hostile world (46:4-6)
• God’s peace deserves not just our worship and praise, but also that of the whole world (46:8-10)

And when you read Psalm 46, do you notice 2 lines of chorus that follows the 6th and 10th verse?  For each of these, it ends with a term Selah.  Do you know what it means?

The term “Selah” is used 71 times in Psalms and 3 times in Habbakuk.  No one is exactly sure what it means but I like this explanation best…

The root word from which Selah is thought to have come from means “to lift up”.  That has led some to believe that Selah marks a climax in the music in which the singers and musicians are to “lift up” their praise to God.

It may be somewhat similar to what is stated in Psalm 47:1

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

Have you attended an event at the National Stadium where there is a large crowd?  National Day celebrations? Or perhaps a football game?  You know how thunderous the applause and shouts of an audience can be when they are excited and especially when a goal is scored or when the fireworks display goes off.

This is how the climax in our praise and worship of God should sound like.  Psalm 47 envisions that the whole world is clapoing and shouting in praise to the Lord with a loud, deafening roar!  After all, this is our God who deserves our praise – He is the Lord Most High, the great and awesome King who rules over all the earth.

When we worship God in Church, do we do that?

Sometimes I do think we are too soft in our worship.  We do not sing aloud.  We do not praise aloud.

But our God deserves this.  After all, He is our Refuge, a mighty Fortress!

Yes!  That is Hymn 154 – A Mighty Fortress is Our God (of our English Hymn Book).  And the Bible verse that inspired this?  Psalm 46:1

Psalm 46:10 is also another familiar verse to us.  I found this short video clip that is very good at reminding us to be still!

Did that set you thinking?