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This psalm was composed as a prayer on the wedding of the king.  If it was written for Solom
on (with all his weddings), it must have become like a broken record to the court musicians.  🙂

The psalm has a lengthy superscription and an extended introduction concerning its nature. The song is set “to the tune of ­Lilies’” and is called “a wedding song” (literally, a “a song of loves”).[1]

Psalm 45
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 skillful writer.
2      You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever.
3      Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
4      In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display 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 scepter of justice will be the scepter 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 honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
10     Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father’s house.
11     The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
12     The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, men of wealth will seek your favor.
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 and are brought to you.
15     They are 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.

Verses 1-9: Praise for the Righteous King
·         The lavish praise the psalmists gives to the king is not an attempt to “get it in good with big guy”
·         The court musicians/scribes/poets were the best at what they did.  Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this writer describes the king as a good king.
·         When one looks through the history of the kings of Israel and Judah, good kings were hard to come by!
·         There is also the reminder of the covenant made with David himself (verse 6).
·         Further, this excessive praise of the king begins to point us to a greater truth: this is more than just a reference to an earthly king.
·         As the King prepares to meet the bride, the musicians play beautiful music. In ancient times, a Jewish bridegroom went to the bride’s house to claim her and then took her to his own home where the wedding ceremony would happen.  Additionally, the bride and the groom would no longer be apart from each other.
·         The church is called “the bride of Christ” and Jesus, as the groom to His bride will also one day return and we will be with Him forever.[2]
·         No doubt, the king while wooing his bride told counted down the days looking forward to their wedding.  So too, Jesus reminds us in John 14:1-3:
o   “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.[3]
Verses 10-15: Advice for the Bride of the King
·         “Forget your people and your father’s house”.
§  The counsel to the bride is to be loyal to the king and the people of God.
§  This gives us some indication that the “princess” must be foreign.  Which is why many believe this is, in fact, referring to one of Solomon’s wives.  This is simply an inference.  We really don’t know.
·         She is also called to submit and give allegian
ce to the king of Israel.
o   Remember, that the king was appointed by God Himself.  As such, loyalty to the king and his people was loyalty to God.
·         Just like that bride is told to submit to the king, so we are commanded to purify ourselves and commit to the King of kings!
o   Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14
§  13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. [4]
Verses 16-17: The Benediction
·         Here seems to be part of the ceremony itself.  A blessing was (and still is) common in weddings and here is the blessing for this one:  Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
·         In an earthly sense, the kings of Judah were remembered forever through the Scriptures but ultimately, this points us to Christ when one day “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:10-11).[5]
Conclusion:
Live your life worthy of our groom.  Keep your life pure.  Make Him known to your coworkers, friends, family, and anyone God gives you chance to talk to.
May we be found faithful servants.

[1] John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-), Ps 44:23–26.
[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Worshipful, 1st ed. (Colorado Springs, Colo.: Cook Communications Ministries, 2004), 171.
[3] The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), Jn 14:1–3.
[4] The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), Php 3:13–14.
[5] The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), Php 2:10–11.