Psalm 45:1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
Music has a power to touch us deeply, perhaps more deeply than any other form of communication. There are few things I enjoy more than putting on some great symphonies, or some theologically rich worship music and allowing myself to be moved. It is those moments that the greatness of God is often most experienced in my life. I am transported.
Do you remember right after the Gulf War the song on the radio titled, “I’m Proud to be and American?” That song seemed to move so many people to appreciate our country. If you haven’t noticed, that bump in patriotism has flattened!
Songs like this can move people. But music can be used to move people in a wrong direction. It can be used to manipulate groups of people. They can stir people to do things they wouldn’t normally do. Music is a power that must be respected.
The Psalms are songs of an ancient people. They were written during a period in history and in a context that is somewhat foreign from our own. Just as the song from the 60’s “We All Live in a Yellow Submarine” makes little sense to us today, so these ancient songs of worship must be understood in context.
The context for our text today seems to be a song lifting up the king. The king’s virtues are pointed out. Even the female attendants are encouraged to see the king’s attentions as honorable and something to be sought.
And as such, a song with a specific context, we shouldn’t draw too many applications for our life from these verses. We don’t have a king. We aren’t one of his attendants.
But we can see that honoring those in authority is a good thing. Maybe not in these kind of fawning and embellished terms, but in more sober and grounded terms. We must be careful to see earthly leaders, although allowed by the LORD to be in positions of power, to see them as flawed and human humans. None is worthy of the honor due the LORD.
The Arnold Journey 