Psalm 45:1-9
English Standard Version (ESV)
45 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;
I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of (B)a ready scribe.
I address my verses to the king;
my tongue is like the pen of (B)a ready scribe.
2 You are (C)the most handsome of the sons of
men;
(D)grace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 (E)Gird your (F)sword on your thigh, O (G)mighty one,
in (H)your splendor and majesty!
(D)grace is poured upon your lips;
therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 (E)Gird your (F)sword on your thigh, O (G)mighty one,
in (H)your splendor and majesty!
4 In your majesty (I)ride out victoriously
for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
let your right hand teach you (J)awesome deeds!
5 Your arrows are sharp
in the heart of the king's enemies;
the peoples fall under you.
for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness;
let your right hand teach you (J)awesome deeds!
5 Your arrows are sharp
in the heart of the king's enemies;
the peoples fall under you.
6 (K)Your throne, O God, is
forever and ever.
The (L)scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
7 (M)you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore (N)God, your God, has (O)anointed you
with the oil of (P)gladness (Q)beyond your companions;
8 your robes are all fragrant with (R)myrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces (S)stringed instruments make you glad;
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
(T)at your right hand stands the queen in (U)gold of Ophir.
The (L)scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;
7 (M)you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore (N)God, your God, has (O)anointed you
with the oil of (P)gladness (Q)beyond your companions;
8 your robes are all fragrant with (R)myrrh and aloes and cassia.
From ivory palaces (S)stringed instruments make you glad;
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor;
(T)at your right hand stands the queen in (U)gold of Ophir.
Many of us may
think that if we had a leader like David we would be happy to follow the king
and give him praise. We may think that
since he was a man after God’s own heart nothing could go wrong. If we think that, then we have not really
read the scriptures because that is far from the truth. David was a man after God’s own heart because
he had a repentant heart. David knew who
was in control and he kept that close to his heart but David was far from a
perfect king. He had many wives some of
which he obtained in questionable manners.
He even had one of his mighty men set up for failure, failure that ended
in death, not because the man had done anything wrong but because he was trying
to cover-up his own sin. No, David wasn’t a perfect king but he was an honored
king by both man and by God.
David taught us to
honor our king even when our king is not honoring us. King Saul was seeking out David to have him
killed yet David, time after time, spared Saul his life. You would have thought that David would have
reasoned the opposite of what he did.
God had delivered Saul into the hands of David but David always honored
the king and let him live.
There are some
cruel leaders in our world today and I don’t have an answer as to why this
is. One thing I do know is that we need
to honor the person that God has placed over our care no matter how wrong we
think he is. God has placed our leaders
in positions for reasons beyond our understanding. Maybe they are there to teach us to seek God
more, or maybe it is to teach them to seek God more. As Christians we need to trust that it is not
all about us but it is all about God.
People from many countries read this blog so I urge you, wherever you live,
to honor your leader. If you have no
good words to say about your leader then choose to say nothing at all except to
our Father in Heaven. Pray for your
leaders, that God would give them the wisdom to run your country in a manner
that is pleasing to God. If they do not
believe in God, then pray that their eyes would be open. Pray for your nation that they will know
God. And pray for your own strength to
speak words of wisdom wherever you are.
Mostly, recognize that God is your true leader, the kingdom of your
earthly leader is short but God’s reign is forever and ever. I have a friend that taught me a big
lesson. She came from a country that was
oppressed, a country where the leader turned on her own family and she was
forced to seek asylum in another country.
When that leader died, I asked her if she was happy and she said that
she was sad because he was a human being and she felt for his family. He had harmed her personally yet she still
realized he was God’s creation. What a
lesson for all of us to learn, honor those who may not honor you because they
were placed on this earth for a reason, they are God’s creation. Seek
Him and His wisdom so that you, like the man who wrote this Psalm, can honor
God through praise of your leader.
Seeking Him with
all my heart,
Sheila
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