Live like you are spoken for.

Psalm 45 is a royal psalm that celebrates the wedding day of Israel’s king. The writer is overcome with ecstatic emotion, praising the king, while giving necessary advice to the newly wedded queen.

The superscription of the psalm (the small heading above verse one) says that this is a love song.

vv. 1–9—The king is praised for his appearance, action, and attitude.

—The writer is so overjoyed that he can barely complete a sentence. But then words flow like a pen in the skilled hands of a scribe as he describes the king:

—The king is more handsome than all the sons of men; gracious in his speech; he is a warrior king who, in splendor, fights for truth, humility, and justice.

—The king is God’s agent on the earth. His throne represents God’s throne. The king is anointed as the one who will represent God’s rule on earth (See Exodus 4:16). This anointing is also a special anointing for the king’s wedding day. His garments are perfumed, and music flows from his luxurious palace.

—There is a royal court present to witness the momentous event.

vv. 10–15—The writer now addresses the queen, giving her urgent advice as she stands beside her king.

—”Hear” means to listen to the words and live them out.

—The queen is to forsake her people and her family. She is to show allegiance to only her king, bowing down to him in honor. As she does, the king will find her loyalty attractive.

—The king’s people are the queen’s people. His riches her riches. People from all over will approach her to flatter her and seek favors.

—As the queen prepares for her triumphal entry, she is adorned in a magnificent gown. She and her bridal party enter before the king with enthusiastic joy.

vv. 16–17—The writer pronounces a blessing on the king, declaring that the king’s descendants will rule throughout the earth and that his name will be remembered throughout every generation.

—There is some irony in this passage. The king’s name will be remembered, but we do not know the king’s name. The author could have deliberately omitted the king’s name. However, this also allows this passage to function prophetically.

The New Testament reveals that Jesus is the name of this king. In Hebrews 1, the author tells us that Jesus has inherited a superior name than that of the angels. He then gives a biblical account of how this is possible by citing numerous Old Testament Scriptures, including Psalm 45:6–7. However, Jesus is not simply God’s agent upon the earth; He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His nature. Jesus is God. The kings of Israel functioned as imperfect types, anticipating the arrival of the perfect king whose name is Faithful and True (see Revelation 19). As the passage looks to Jesus, it also looks to the church—the bride of Christ. The church will be adorned as one without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:25–27) and presented to her king (2 Corinthians 11:2) just as God presented Eve to Adam.