Links for today’s readings:
Mar 10 Read: Proverbs 29 Listen: (2:44) Read: Psalm 45 Listen: (2:17)
Scripture Focus: Psalm 45.6-7, 9-11
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.
9 Daughters of kings are among your honored 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;
honor him, for he is your lord.
Reflection: A Strange Musical Mashup
By John Tillman
What do the cries of a threatened nation, the pleas of a drowning prophet, and the praises of a royal wedding have in common? Apparently, it’s the tune they are set to.
In college in the 1990s, as a mediocre guitar player, I was excited to learn that I could sing and play “Amazing Grace” to the tune of “Peaceful Easy Feeling” by the Eagles. It brought a unique touch to the familiar lyrics and caused a few double-takes.
A few Psalms have tunes mentioned in their headings. Some might even be non-Israelite, non “worship” tunes. “Gittith” used in Psalm 81 probably isn’t “Peaceful Easy Feeling” but it could refer to Gath or the grape harvest.
One tune, “Lilies,” seems to be shared by Psalm 45, 69, and 80. A tune named “Lilies” seems perfect for Psalm 45’s royal wedding. But the other psalms have a very different tone.
In Psalm 69, the poet is drowning in miry depths, wearing out his voice calling for help (Psalm 69.1-3). In Psalm 80, the nation is crying out for help like a rebellious lost sheep to God, their shepherd (Psalm 80.1-6). This musical mashup doesn’t seem like it would work.
Many kings got married. Most of them far too many times. Probably every single royal wedding had a wedding psalm, but only one became part of scripture. Psalm 45 is in our Bible because it pointed beyond the unnamed couple to something (and someone) greater.
The couple is celebrated, but God is praised. The moment is hyped up, but God is honored. The marriage vows are vaunted, but God’s promises are longed for. Beyond the marriage of the moment, this was about the Messiah.
New Testament authors recognized the Lamb’s Marriage Feast in this psalm and that we are the bride. We should also recognize ourselves as the lost sheep and the sin-mired singer.
I’ve never heard the tune, “Lilies,” but I feel confident that, whether celebrating a wedding or calling for salvation, it is a song of hope. Sing along with the psalmist and remember, this psalm is about us too.
We are the bride from a rebellious people, sunk in sin’s mud and mire. We are not just saved from something but for something. Our rescue has a reason and our propitiation a purpose. No matter how muddy our moment is now, our destiny is glorious.
That is a reason to sing!
Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Sing praise to the Lord who dwells in Zion; proclaim to the peoples the things he has done. — Psalm 9.11
– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime by Phyllis Tickle.
Read more: When Nations Pray — Worldwide Prayer
When nations pray, humbling themselves before him, great moves of God are more than possible—they are likely.
Read more: Miracles of Deliverance and Judgment
We pray for more than just miracles of weapons that do not prosper…We pray for the more miraculous deliverance of the hearts of evil leaders to change.
