Becoming the bride of Christ

 Psalm 45:1–17 (ESV):  

1  My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; 

I address my verses to the king; 

my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. 

2  You are the most handsome of the sons of men; 

grace is poured upon your lips; 

therefore God has blessed you forever. 

3  Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, 

in your splendour and majesty! 

4  In your majesty ride out victoriously 

for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; 

let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! 

5  Your arrows are sharp 

in the heart of the king’s enemies; 

the peoples fall under you. 

6  Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. 

The sceptre of your kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness; 

7  you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. 

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you 

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; 

8  your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. 

From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; 

9  daughters of kings are among your ladies of honour; 

at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. 

10  Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: 

forget your people and your father’s house, 

11  and the king will desire your beauty. 

Since he is your lord, bow to him. 

12  The people of Tyre will seek your favour with gifts, 

the richest of the people. 

13  All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. 

14  In many-coloured robes she is led to the king, 

with her virgin companions following behind her. 

15  With joy and gladness they are led along 

as they enter the palace of the king. 

16  In place of your fathers shall be your sons; 

you will make them princes in all the earth. 

17  I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; 

therefore nations will praise you forever and ever. 

Written about Solomon, the wisest and richest king that ever lived, we can see the honour and love which the nation had for him. They see the favour of God upon him, possibly more so than his father, David, as Solomon lived in the goodness of the victories that his father had won. Although this psalm has been written to honour and commend king Solomon to his new bride, it can also clearly be applied to Jesus and his bride, the church. For a man other than Jesus cannot display these qualities as magnificently as the Son of God. So, as we read and consider this piece of writing, take into account the fact that this writer not only commends marriage between man and woman, but also commends the greater calling of us being united in love to God.

The psalmist recognises the splendour of the groom - not just in appearance, majesty or riches but in character and worth. These attributes are far more attractive than any physical beauty or financial benefit. This psalm recommends the groom to his bride by showing how he is; kind, courageous, meek, gracious, capable and honest. On this basis the writer encourages the bride to be all in on this marriage. The groom seeks her beauty and she in return will benefit from his loving, generous and kind nature. If she gives herself fully into the arms of her husband and embraces his kingdom then she will prosper as a wife. The psalmist is encouraging this marriage and shows concern and desire for this marriage to be successful as they can see the future benefit of such a union. This is true for the marriage of Solomon and his Egyptian wife as well as for Jesus and His bride, the church. 

The reality of marriage is that although it is a joyous time that people gather to celebrate, it also contains a terrifying reality for the bride. She has to leave all she has known, her family, her nation, culture, associated faiths and beliefs in order to become a wife. She has to give up what she has known in order to become a bride and then a wife. Yet as the psalmist assures, ' In place of your fathers shall be your sons'. Although the requirement for marriage is a giving up and forgetting of the previous way of life, the promise is for fruitfulness and prosperity. Is not the same true if you desire to become a follower of God and part of the bride of Christ?!

If you follow God and are ‘all in’, then you too will prosper in His kingdom. Your life will be fruitful and splendid if you live to serve and honour Jesus. Yet you too have to turn away from the things that have previously been important in your life. Things need to change and your reliance given over to the groom if you are to be a successful wife. God desires you to be part of His kingdom, but are you prepared to make the sacrifices that are required? It is tough, so you should, ‘consider, and incline your ear’. The requirement is that you 'forget your people and your father’s house’. Those that you once depended upon for love, guidance, fun and fulfilment cannot have the same level of influence any more if you are living as a follower of God. If you have decided to become the bride of Christ then your focus and your priority is your groom, Jesus. Everything else needs to be in light of that. If there are relationships that do not honour your union with God then you need to ‘forget’ them. This is painful. The psalmist recognises this, and this is why they call the bride to ‘consider’ the reality of becoming a bride. However the benefits of becoming a bride far outweigh the sacrifices that you’ll need to make, but it is still a life change and one you should be realistic about.

When you see your groom, what do you see? 

His; beauty, majesty, splendour, grace, meekness, righteousness, power, honesty, courage, victory and riches? If you decide to live your life with Jesus, you are partnering with one who has all of these attributes. Would you like to be meaningfully partnered with someone like that? If so, consider the things that you need to exchange in your life in order to become a faithful bride of Christ, and then enter into a relationship with God in, ‘joy and gladness’. A wedding is a celebration, a joyful and happy occasion. Yes it signifies difference and an ending of a previous life, but the promise is that you will leave a legacy that can impact the generations to come when you invest in your relationship with the King of heaven.