Psalms 45:3–6

However excellent the King — indeed, because of His moral perfection — men have opposed Him in their hostility. They will not submit to His claims as King. His throne, therefore, can only be reached through the judgment of His enemies. So the godly man appeals to the King to gird on His sword for the day of battle. Not only is the King morally perfect, He is all powerful — a "mighty One."

This King is glorious, and God owns Him. Even so, the world does not welcome Him in peace to His throne with its homage. No: He has to conquer His kingdom, as David had to. So the next three verses speak of the putting down of His enemies. Truth, and the cause of meek (or suffering) righteousness, demand the judgment He comes to execute. He has shown grace and men have rejected it: only judgment remains… So the "grace poured into His lips" gives way to a sword.

The theme of Psalm 45 is the King. He is not viewed here as in Psalm 21, where He has experienced a great salvation. He is shown coming out with His sword girded on His thigh to establish His kingdom. This psalm is the divine answer to the cry of the distressed remnant in the psalm before it: they own Him as "King" and beg Him to arise and "ordain salvation for Jacob" (Ps. 44:4).

With the girding on of the sword, the day of His humiliation is past; the time to put on His glory and majesty has come. He comes out in His majesty, as the One mighty in battle. He will ride out victoriously, because He fights the forces of evil for the cause of "truth and meekness and righteousness." He will maintain the truth, avenge the oppressed, and establish righteousness. In this world's wars, earthly kings pay little attention to truth; the meek are crushed, and too often might prevails over right. Here, however, is One who wars not simply to gain land or fame, but to establish what is right and to bless the meek of the earth.

It is a question here of the Kingdom and of putting down foes, and that is done by power and by judgment. So He appears, as in Revelation 19, as the girded One. He does not wear the towel, as He does now to serve His saints. He wears His sword on His thigh, so that His right hand may teach Him awesome deeds. It is strange that anyone should suppose His kingdom will come in by the quiet means of His gospel.

Like David, He is "a man of war." It is true that He will come to Zion, lowly as in former days, riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zech. 9:9). It is just as true that He will gird His sword on His thigh, a valiant Man, in His majesty and splendour, and that His right hand will teach Him awesome deeds (Ps. 45:3-4). He will sit as Overcomer on a white horse, followed by the armies of heaven.

Very soon, the Lord Jesus as the true David, the warrior King, will appear to bring all His foes into submission. He is seated now at God's right hand until His foes are made the footstool of His feet. With this in view comes the divine call… Men have had centuries in which to repent of what they did to Jesus. All who have repented and turned to God have received forgiveness and the richest of heavenly blessings in Christ. But God will shortly bring judgment on the world that so dishonoured His Son, and His King will be the instrument of that judgment.

With the girding on of the sword, the day of His humiliation is passed; the time to put on His glory and majesty has come. He comes forth in His majesty, as the One mighty in battle. He will ride out victoriously. He will fight the forces of evil on behalf of "truth and meekness and righteousness." He will maintain the truth, avenge the oppressed, and establish righteousness. In this world's wars, earthly kings care little for truth. They crush the meek, and might often beats right. Such means never win a prosperous kingdom or a lasting throne. But here is One who wars, not to gain land or fame, but to establish the right and bless the meek of the earth.

He rides out victoriously, "for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness." That is, He rides in order to establish truth, meekness and righteousness in the earth. Truth stands against what is false and unreal — against the devil's lie. Meekness stands against pride and self-sufficiency. Righteousness stands against all that is lawless, and out of right relations with God. Once truth is shown, man must take his true place in meekness before God, and so God's rights are fully established. He who rides forth in majesty to bring these things to pass is Himself the Righteous One. He is the Truth. He is meek and lowly in heart.

When God must pour out judgment on a rebellious world, the right hand of the Lord Jesus will teach Him awesome things. For people will watch His great conquests with awe and wonder. Revelation speaks of the sword of His mouth, but Psalm 45:5 adds to this the sharp arrows by which the people fall under Him. So when the Lord rises to judge His enemies, there will be both short range and long range warfare.

The kingdom of Christ will be brought in by power and judgement. It is useless to hold on to the idea that the Gospel will bring the whole world under Christ peacefully… This is not Gospel progress, but unsparing judgement of enemies. David and Solomon together are a picture of Christ in His reign. The first was a man of war. He was always shedding the blood of his enemies. As a result his son came to a peaceful throne, and could reign in rest and glory. So it will be in the day to come… Then peace will follow on a righteous ground.

Truth, meekness and righteousness were all seen in their perfection in Jesus… Men took advantage of His meekness. They insulted, rejected and abused Him, and mocked Him when they had nailed Him on a criminal's cross… His walk on earth did not appear to prosper. He was cut off and had nothing. But He will ride out victoriously when He comes forth out of heaven to put down all evil and bring in God's blessings on earth.

The oil makes the nail drive without splitting the board. The word never enters the heart more kindly than when it falls most gently: "ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness." Be as rough with your people's sins as you can — only be gentle with their souls. Do you take the rod of reproof into your hand? Let them see that love, not wrath, gives the blow.

The theme of Psalm 45 is the King. He is not seen as in Psalm 21, after He has experienced a great salvation. He is shown coming forth with His sword strapped to His thigh, to set up His kingdom. This psalm is God's answer to the cry of the distressed remnant in the psalm before it. They own Him as "King" (Ps. 44:4), begging Him to arise and "command deliverances for Jacob," and to show favour as of old.

Revelation speaks of the sword of His mouth. Psalm 45:5 adds the sharp arrows by which the people fall under Him. So when the Lord arises to judge His enemies, there will be both short-range and long-range warfare. He can overcome from any distance as easily as at close range.

In verses 3, 4 and 5, He is pictured as He comes forth to lay low every enemy. It is very similar to the picture presented in Revelation 19. He is everything and man is nothing — it is "Your glory," "Your majesty," "Your right hand." His arrows never miss their target. The people fall under Him, and victory is achieved.

It is a question here of the Kingdom and of putting down foes, and that is by power and by judgment. So He comes forth, as in Revelation 19. He is girded, not with the towel He wears now to serve His saints, but with the sword on His thigh, so that His right hand may teach Him terrible things. Strange that anyone should suppose His gospel will bring in His kingdom by quiet means... Israel would not have Him reign over them when He lived here on earth. Man was not willing, and will not be willing until He establishes His power on earth as in heaven.

When He comes forth in His majesty, as the One mighty in battle, He will ride out in triumph. He will do battle with the forces of evil on behalf of "truth, and meekness, and righteousness." He will maintain the truth, avenge the oppressed, and establish righteousness. In this world's wars, earthly kings pay little heed to truth. The meek are crushed, and too often might wins over right... Here is One who wars, not simply to gain territory or fame, but to establish the right and bless the meek of the earth... The peoples will fall under Him, and the King's enemies will be struck down to rise no more.

If we read Psalm 45, we notice that it speaks of the King in His beauty going forth to conquer in irresistible might. When we read Psalm 102, we see the same One in humiliation on earth... a man in affliction, His heart struck down and withered like grass... Nothing is before Him but death, and death in the prime of life. Of whom is all this written? Of whom is it true? Of Him who had no beginning. Of Him who is the Creator... He is truly the coming conqueror in Psalm 45, the sufferer to death in Psalm 102.

But He is glorious as well as gracious. His arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies... He will be triumphant over all who hate Him, even as He is tender to all who hear His voice and love Him. This also must be declared of Him, so that we may know that His grace to us is not weakness.

No Jew then, or now, could doubt that the psalm speaks all the way through of the Messiah. He brings in His kingdom on earth and keeps it there, together with the godly Jewish remnant. The psalm shows Christ as King, not as Head of the church... But the one reason for quoting it is to prove that God recognises the Messiah as God. It is not men only, nor angels, nor Jews nor Gentiles. It is "God," the divine title. It does not speak of a special earthly relationship, but of essential nature, in contrast with the creature.

Verse six is quoted in Hebrews 1 and applied to the Son of God. That clearly proves that He is the great subject of our Psalm. The Speaker in the first chapter of Hebrews is clearly God, and it is He who says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever." Critics and others who deny the Scriptures have tried to explain away the truth that this Psalm speaks of the Messiah. They apply it to Solomon instead. But could anyone ever address Solomon as God?

The angels are made spirits. The Son is not made anything at all. He is addressed as God, and, unlike the thrones of kings on earth, His throne is for ever and ever... The thrones of men come to an end, because they have no righteous foundation. The throne of the Son lasts, because His rule will be in righteousness.

His sceptre is the sign of royalty, and it is a right sceptre. The word "right" means right — plain, level, upright. It is surely a sceptre of righteousness. How are the nations of the world governed today?... We see plenty of evidence of deceit, corruption, greed, the lust for power, violence and many other such vices at every level of power. People pay little attention to the ways of God, and unrighteousness prevails. With Christ on the throne, fairness and justice will be the great mark of the age.

Very severe judgments will bring in the next age. So in this Psalm we see the Messiah strapping His sword on His thigh and sending His arrows into the heart of the King's enemies. The Psalmist is given a glimpse of the scene that Revelation 19 describes more fully. There the Rider on the white horse comes out to tread the winepress of the fierce wrath of Almighty God. These judgments settle the throne of God among men for good, and a sceptre of uprightness is wielded.

Here is the Messiah in judgment, taking the throne. He had already proved that He loved righteousness and hated iniquity — was fit to govern. He is hailed as God. Yet His disciples (the remnant) are called His fellows.

This quotation, in contrast, shows us God and man united in Him. He is true God, with an eternal throne. He is also true Man, anointed by God with the oil of gladness above His fellows, as His righteous reward. Here Immanuel is found in the full meaning of His name.