Psalm 45 falls into the category of "royal psalms", psalms connected to the kings of Israel. Traditionally, many references to the Messiah, the ultimate Davidic king, have been seen in the royal psalms, and that is true of this one in particular.
The occasion for Psalm 45 seems to have been a royal wedding. The psalm speaks to both the king (vv 2-9) and his bride (vv 10-15), reminding them of the special privileges and responsibilities that go with occupying the throne of David.
To the king, the psalmist declares that "God has blessed you forever," a reference to the Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7:16). The king will be successful in battle as long as he is fighting for the cause of "truth and meekness and righteousness." In meekness he should rely on God, the true King.
The message to the king points to an ideal of what the king of Israel should be. The king is God's representative on earth, and he should be carrying out God's will, upholding righteousness (vv 6-7).
The bride is apparently from another nation, and the psalm instructs her to "forget your people and your father's house" (v 10), to follow the example of Abraham and Ruth.
The psalm concludes with God's promise that "I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever" (v 17). This is a reaffirmation of God's promise to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3).
This psalm can also be read in reference to the Messiah. What is an ideal for a human king is a description of the Messiah. This psalm is quoted in Heb 1:8-9 as part of a chain of scriptures that the author of Hebrews claims are statements made by God the Father about Jesus the Son. Specifically, Hebrews 1 quotes Ps 45:6-7:
"Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions."
Early Christians noticed two divine figures in these verses, the God being addressed in verse 6 and the God who anoints that first God in verse 7. They recognized this passage as an affirmation of the deity of Jesus.
If verses 2-9 of the Psalm can be seen as words about Christ, verses 10-11 can be seen as words about the Bride of Christ. Like Abraham, Ruth, and the queen, Christians are called to be loyal first to the King and to submit to Him.
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