3. God’s Terrible Majesty! Psalm 45:4-5

Text: “And in Thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand (God’s sword hand?) shall teach Thee terrible things.  Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fall under Thee.”

Psalm 45:4-5.

Good morning, God-delivered Christian!  Only a most terrible and Holy and majestic Lord God could have ever been powerful enough to free and deliver you and I from our vile and Eternally detested sins.  Only a truly majestic and Holy Lord Jesus could shed His own sinless Blood to make a Sacrifice Eternally adequate to redeem our sinful souls!   Oh the terrible majesty of His excellence and grace!  Praise God for condescending to come from Heaven to save sinful wretches such as we!  Glory to the Lamb Who is worthy of praise!

Dictionary Definition: Majesty – “(noun) the greatness and glory of God; grandeur; dignity; elevation of manner or style; royal state; a title of Monarchs (His, Her or Your Majesty; Their or Your Majesties); a representation of God (sometimes Christ) enthroned...”  (The Chambers Dictionary, page 969)

Verse 4. “And in Thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness...  God’s majesty is an Almighty all-glorious majesty of Absolute Holiness and Divine Perfection, that cannot be attained by any other being, creature, or inanimate thing.  Were we mere sinful mortals to even glimpse the Face of God the Father – I believe we would burn up in an instant, as one would when exposed to the glare of an unshielded atomic reactor!  God’s Holiness shines brighter than the sun, and burns fiercer than a million fiery stars.

“No man/woman hath seen God (God the Father) at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.”  (John 1:18)

“Not that any man hath seen the Father, save He which is of God (Jesus Christ), He hath seen the Father.”  (John 6:46)

Moses once asked the Lord God, “...I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory (majesty)...”  The Lord answered him, “...I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the Name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.  And He said, Thou canst not see My Face: for there shall no man see My Face and live...I will put thee in a cleft of a rock (cave), and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by: and I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts: but My Face shall not be seen.”  (Exodus 33:18-23)

God’s majesty, His Holiness, His truth, and His absolute righteousness and wrath against all sin – makes Him a consuming fire to sinners who are not covered in the precious Blood of Christ Jesus the Lamb of God.

“Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire.”  (Hebrews 12:28-29)

“Blessed is he/she whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (by Christ’s Blood).  Blessed is the man/woman unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”  (Psalm 32:1-2)

The Lord Jesus Christ is unto us, ‘His people’ as a full thickness lead shield that protects us from being utterly and instantly consumed by the pure MAJESTY and Holiness of our Father Lord God.  We are covered by Christ’s Blood, just as a house is covered by fully paid Home Insurance!  Praise God!  In Christ Jesus, we are fully covered against Eternal loss!

“For God (the Father) so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth (believes/trusts and keeps right on believing/trusting) in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)

“He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he/she that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the Son of God.”  (John 3:18)

Verse 5. “Thine arrows are sharp. God’s arrows of Divine truth are fired from the mouths of His ordained preachers/teachers of Bible truth.  They are fired indiscriminately by the preachers/teachers – but God has Eternally ordained which hearts they pierce with conviction sin.  God’s arrows are sharp because they are honed with His truth.  That is why we have often heard the adage: ‘The truth hurts!’

“And when He (the Spirit of God) is come, He will reprove the world of sin (our sin), and of righteousness (Christ’s Righteousness), and of judgement (God’s final judgement of all who continue on in their sin).”  (John 16:8)

Verse 5. “...In the heart of the King’s enemies. Our Captain aims at men’s hearts rather than their heads, and He hits them, too; point-blank are His shots, and they enter deep into the vital part of man’s nature.  Whether for love or vengeance, Christ never misses sin, and when His arrows stick, they cause a smart not soon forgotten, a wound which only He can heal.  Jesus’ arrows of conviction are sharp in the quiver of His Word and sharp when on the bow of His ministers.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 215)

God’s Sovereign grace is shot out to hit the target He has set in Eternity – the inner circle centre of ‘His people’s' elect hearts.  His Gospel arrows, shot out by faithful men/women whose motivation is to partake in Christ’s great Harvest of precious souls, ALWAYS hit the mark God aims at, in the souls of His elected people.  There is no hiding from His bolts.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: and I give unto them Eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man (not even ourselves!) pluck them out of My hand.  My Father, Which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.  I and My Father are One.”  (John 10:27-30)

Verse 5. “...Whereby the people fall under Thee. There is no standing against the Son of God when His bow of might is in His hands.  Terrible will be that hour when His bow shall be made quite naked and bolts of devouring fire shall be hurled upon His adversaries; then shall princes fall and nations perish.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 215)

Thought: When we present God’s truth from His Word.  The Lord Himself shall at all times reveal either His condemning majesty to His enemies, or His matchless, and at all times Sovereign grace to ‘His people’.  Eternal Salvation is of God’s giving alone!

2. The Primary Weapons of Our Warfare! Psalm 45:3

Text: “Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most mighty, with Thy glory and Thy majesty.

Psalm 45:3.

          “For the Word of God is quick (alive) and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12.

Good morning, Spiritually armed Christian!  The true, regenerate (Spiritually-quickened and made Spiritually alive) Christian, is called to be a Spiritual swordsman for Jesus Christ!  You and I who, to any degree, fit the definition of genuine, Bible-believing Christians, MUST seek to become such a Spiritual swordsman and swordswoman, if we are to fulfil a ‘...reasonable service’ to the Lord God Who has redeemed us from sin, by His Sacrifice for us at Calvary’s Cross.  There is no place in God’s army for the Spiritually unarmed soldier!

“Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.  For we wrestle not flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against Spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore (a conclusion), having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness (Christ’s righteousness); and your feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereonto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”  (Ephesians 6:11:18)

The Belt of Truth:  Going into temporal battle wearing army uniform trousers which have no strong belt to hold them up – would not be advisable in any person’s guidance book for military engagement.  Those trousers would be falling down around one’s ankles in no time flat; hindering any agile movement required by the soldier; a major hindrance to any positive fighting or engagement with opposing military forces.  It makes good common sense for temporal armies to be fitly attired when going into serious conflict with opposing forces.

The Spiritually armed Christian must be, at all times, clothed in the power of God’s revealed truth.  The Lord God’s words must be spoken, if we are to overcome our Spiritual foes.

The Lord God told Moses: “Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”  (Exodus 4:12)

The Breastplate of Righteousness:  Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed (put to our account) to us when we are granted faith to believe and receive Salvation in Christ alone.  We have no righteousness of our own – but Christ’s righteousness covers our hearts.

“Blessed is he/she whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (by Christ’s righteousness).  Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity...”    (Psalm 32:1-2)

The Shoes of Peace:  Again, being adequately shod with good-fitting, strong-soled, boots/shoes is a must for soldiers serving in the armed forces of any temporal army.  It is said, ‘An army marches on its stomach' (with proper provisions), but where the rubber hits the road – if an army is to march at all, it must have good shoes/boots with which to march.

Spiritually speaking, we Christians must at all times have our minds filled with the ‘...preparation of the Gospel of peace...’, marching forth with God’s message of reconciliation between sinful man, and a thrice Holy Lord God.  True Christians march to the tune of Eternal peace for the immortal souls of mankind.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Romans 5:1)

The Shield of Faith: Down through the historical ages of armed conflict, mankind has found tremendous benefit in wearing a shield upon the arm with which to fend off piercing thrusts from  opposing army’s spears and swords.  The Roman legions used their huge shields wisely and well, as they succeeded in the military conquest of most of the then known world.

Spiritual ‘shields’ are more vital, due to them being ‘shields of faith’, because, ‘...without faith it is impossible to please Him (the Lord God).’  (Hebrews 11:1;6)

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (or the Wicked one and his demons)”  (Ephesians 6:16)

True Christian faith is ‘...the gift of God not of works, lest any man/woman should boast.’  God grants us this great ‘shield of faith’, for He calls us to do Spiritual battle with all evil.  (Ephesians 2:8-10)

The Helmet of Salvation:  Eternal Salvation from sin and all its manifestations in our fallen lives, is found in one place only – in Christ Jesus, and through His Sacrifice of full Atonement for sin, made for ‘His people’ at Calvary’s Cross.   Praise God for His Salvation!

“Neither is there Salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  (Acts 4:12)

“For the life of the flesh is in the Blood: and I (God) have given it to you (God’s elect people) upon the altar (the Cross of Christ Jesus) to make an Atonement (at-one-ment between sinful man and a Holy Lord God) for your souls: for it is the Blood (the sinless Blood of Jesus Christ) that maketh Atonement for the soul.”  (Leviticus 17:11)

Christ Jesus, the Son of God, grants us His Salvation as a helmet to protect our mind from all doubt and despair; to pay the penalty for our sins; and to grant us Eternal peace of mind with God.  Praise His Holy Name!

“Thou wilt keep him/her in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he/she trusteth in Thee.” (Isaiah 26:3)

The Sword of the Spirit:  God’s inspired Word is the true Christian’s faithful and powerful sword – he/she can do no effective Spiritual warfare without it, for “...faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

Thought: Now, prayerfully, take up your Spiritual armour, and set the battle in array!

Psalm 45: Heart Love for King Jesus! 1. The Condition of a Believing Heart Psalm 45:1-2

Text: “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn shall be exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in Thy Salvation. There is none as Holy as the Lord: for there is none beside Thee: neither is there any Rock like our God.”

1 Samuel 2:1-2.

Good morning, Heart-loving Christian!  The Lord God Jehovah, in Christ Jesus, has overwhelmed you and I with His Divine and indescribable love.  He has taken us from the dunghill of our sins, washed us in His own sinless and priceless Blood; set us up in His great Salvation; empowered us to live for Him; and our hearts are flowing over with love for Him.  Hallelujah!  No love like the love of the Living Lord Jesus Christ!  We love you, Lord Jesus!

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Psalm 45: “Special singers are appointed for so Divine a hymn.  King Jesus deserves to be praised not with random, ranting ravings, but with the sweetest and most skilful music of the best trained choristers.

“Subject: Some here see Solomon and Pharaoh’s daughter – they are short-sighted; others see both Solomon and Christ – they are cross-eyed; well-focused Spiritual eyes see here Jesus only, or if Solomon be present at all, it must be like those hazy shadows of passers-by which cross the face of the camera and therefore are dimly traceable upon a photographic landscape.  ‘The King,’ the God Whose throne is forever and ever, is no mere mortal, and His everlasting dominion is not bounded by Lebanon and Egypt’s river.  This is no wedding song of earthly nuptials, but an epithalamium for the Heavenly Bridegroom and His elect spouse.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 213)

Blessed are the eyes that see Jesus.  “But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.  For it became Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many (not ALL!) sons unto glory, to make the captain of their Salvation perfect through sufferings.  For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren.”  (Hebrews 2:9-11)

A truly believing heart will immediately cry the ‘Amen!’ to these truths from God’s Word.  We do so, because the Lord God has granted us genuine faith to believe and receive His Eternal promises, without doubt, so-called ‘higher criticism’; or blatant unbelief.  Praise God for the ability to be ‘heart-loving Christians’!

“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”  (1 Samuel 16:7)

Let us ask ourselves, dear Christian: ‘What is the true condition of our hearts today?’

Verse 1. “My heart is inditing a good matter.  It is a sad thing when the heart is cold with a good matter, and worse when it is warm with a bad matter, but incomparably well when a warm heart and a good matter meet together.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 213)

When our hearts (not the blood-pump organ in our chests, but the very essence of our being!) are made right with our Holy Lord God, by being born again in Christ Jesus, the very mention of the Name of Jesus should cause us to yearn for His nearness, and long for the sweet fellowship of His matchless Presence.  Let us ask ourselves, Christian, is this the condition of our individual hearts today?

“It is reported of Origen (184-253 AD), Saith Erasmus (1466-1536), that he was ever earnest, but most of all when he discoursed of Christ.  Of Johannes Mollias, a Bononian (of Bologna, Italy), it is said, that whenever he spake of Jesus Christ, his eyes dropped, for he was fraught with a mighty fervency of God’s Holy Spirit; and like the Baptist, he was first a burning (boiling or bubbling), and then a shining light.”  (John Trapp 1601-1699)

What was this ‘good matter’ the Psalmist was inditing (composing, setting forth in writing)?

Verse 2. “Thou art fairer than the children of men. In Person, but especially in mind and character, the King of saints is peerless in beauty.  The Hebrew word is doubled, ‘Beautiful, beautiful, art Thou.’  Jesus is so emphatically lovely that words must be doubled, strained, yea, exhausted before He can be described.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 213)

“Thus he begins to set forth His beauty, wherein is the delightfulness of any person; so is it with the soul when God hath made known to man his own filthiness and uncomeliness through sin, and that only by Jesus sin is taken away; oh, how beautiful in this face, the first sight of Him!”  (Richard Coore, in ‘Christ Set Forth’ (1616-1687)

Verse 2. “...Grace is poured into Thy lips. In John’s Gospel, the first chapter, we are clearly taught that God the Father, in Eternity called Christ Jesus, His Eternal Son, ‘the Word’.  He was with God the Father ‘...in the beginning..’; He was God the Son in Eternity; ‘...all things were made by Him...; In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.’  Hallelujah!  Lord, we believe!  Please take away our unbelief!

In verse 14 of the first chapter of John’s Gospel, we are taught that, ‘The Word was made flesh (the incarnation of Christ as Jesus, God in bodily form!); and dwelt among us (the disciples) (and we beheld His glory {with their own human eyes!}, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.’  Wow!  See how it all comes to unite together in the Word of God?  Thank you, dear Lord God, for revealing Thy Word to us!

“Sanctify them (all who will believe) through Thy truth (Jesus Christ!): Thy Word IS Truth.! (John 17:17)

Verse 2. “Grace is poured into Thy lips.  One word from Himself dissolved the heart of Saul of Tarsus and turned him into an apostle (an eye-witness of the risen Christ!)...oftentimes a sentence from His lips has turned our own midnight into morning, our winter into spring.”  (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 214)

Thought: Reminding ourselves of Christ’s grace, poured into our hearts, should cause worship, and praise, and thanksgiving, to pour out from our lips in Eternal gratitude.