Slices
Prepare
Recall the weddings you have attended. Pray for those couples who have stayed together and for those who have separated.
Bible passage
For the director of music. To the tune of ‘Lilies’. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song.
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skilful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,
since God has blessed you for ever.
3 Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
clothe yourself with splendour and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a sceptre of justice will be the sceptre of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces adorned with ivory
the music of the strings makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings are among your honoured women;
at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
10 Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
Forget your people and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
honour him, for he is your lord.
12 The city of Tyre will come with a gift,
people of wealth will seek your favour.
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.
14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
her virgin companions follow her –
those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,
they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
Explore
It is perhaps surprising to come across a psalm celebrating a royal wedding. The life of the king was important in the nation of Israel.
The psalm reminds the king of his responsibility as God’s appointed and anointed leader (vs 2,6,7) and of the need to reign with truth, humility and justice (v 4). The king’s bride is also addressed (vs 10–15). She is reminded of the need for all other relationships to be realigned as a new family is formed through marriage (v 10; see Genesis 2:24). The gift of children is expected and celebrated (vs 16,17).
I am writing this as the news of the death of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh has been announced. He was married to Her Majesty, the Queen, for 73 years. What a good, long royal marriage! The writer to the Hebrews quotes verses 6 and 7 of this psalm (Hebrews 1:8,9). But however good a human monarch may be, they will always fall short of perfection. In God’s great plan of salvation, he will send his Son as the King of kings and in the fullness of time his people, the church, will be the King’s bride (Revelation 19:7,8).
Respond
‘Lord Jesus, thank you that you are my Lord and King. Help me to live out this reality in beauty and honour, that others may come to know you. Amen.’
Deeper Bible study
Ask God for a clear and vibrant vision of the majesty of Jesus.
We find ourselves in a very different world from that of Jeremiah. We’re transported into the scene of a royal wedding, a national event, throbbing with pageantry, enthusiasm and noise. The king is noble, skilful, excellent and mighty. He exudes splendour and majesty (vs 1–3). And just look at the bride’s wedding dress (vs 13,14)! A match made in heaven. Yet the king isn’t merely a poster boy for the monarchy. He also has responsibility for the moral, ethical and legal life of the nation. He is exhorted to fight for the cause of ‘truth, humility and justice’ (v 4). The future’s looking good for a stable and prosperous reign.
Contrast this with a parallel event, the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday. There are crowds, but they’re not marvelling at Jesus’ handsome features, his military bearing or his sturdy mount. Nevertheless, the cry rings out: ‘Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.’1 Though gentle and humble in approach, his majesty shines through. Soon, in the city he will speak God’s truth, he will humbly accept his fate and he will turn the injustice of a trumped-up trial and crucifixion into the triumph of the resurrection.
There are many pictures of Jesus but, unsurprisingly, no photographs. Each picture is therefore a personal interpretation. So how do you see him? If God is one of us, then how does he appear to you? How is he like you and me? How is he different? How does your picture of him influence your relationship with him? How does his majesty shine through for you? Do you feel the optimism and confidence in him that the crowd in the psalm obviously shared? Is the future looking good?
Use the words of the song ‘Majesty, worship his majesty’2 as stimulus for a period of personal worship.
1 Luke 19:38 2 Jack Hayford, 1981; there are many performances available on YouTube
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: 2 Samuel 6,7; 1 Corinthians 4
Pray for Scripture Union
SU Chile ask us to pray that they can find an appropriate strategy to work with children after the face-to-face restrictions of the past months.
