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Psalms 44-45

Thursday Evening Bible Study

March 3, 2016

Introduction

Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid to die? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved? Target 3300 words Video = 75 wpm

The English word psalm comes from a Greek word that means “a poem sung to musical accompaniment”, or in particular, “stringed instruments”.

The Hebrew name is tehillim, which means “praises.”

The book of Psalms is the hymnbook of God’s people.

It’s also the “Him” book as well. It’s all about Jesus.

The writer of Hebrews quotes from Psalm 40:8 when he writes,

(Hebrews 10:7 NKJV) Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ”

The author was talking about Jesus.

We’re going to see a lot of Jesus in the Psalms.

Soul Music

Music touches the soul. It’s “soulish” in nature. It touches the emotions.

We’re going to find every kind of emotion possible expressed in the Psalms.

For every sigh there is a Psalm.

For most of us, this is what makes the Psalms so wonderful. We can identify. We can relate.

If we were honest, even darkest most depressing Psalms describe the very things we go through day by day.

It is my prayer that as we continue on this journey through the Psalms, we won’t just look at these songs academically, with our mind, but that we may also grow as worshippers.

Psalm 44 - Forsaken

To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation Of the Sons of Korah.

A Contemplation

The Hebrew word is maskiyl, which means a “song or poem of contemplation”, a “thinking” song.

Psalm 32 was also a maskiyl. There are 13 of these in the Psalms (32, 42, 44, 45, 52, 53, 54, 74, 78, 88, 89, 142)

It’s a song that’s designed to make you “think”.

:1 We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, The deeds You did in their days, In days of old:

:2 You drove out the nations with Your hand, But them You planted; You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out.

:3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them.

:3 it was Your right hand

Joshua and the Israelites did conquer the land of Canaan, but it wasn’t because of their great military prowess or the kinds of weapons they had.

They conquered because God helped them.

Before they conquered their first city, they camped in an area known as Gilgal, and they circumcised all their soldiers.

For a week the men were in pain and vulnerable to attack, yet they did this in obedience to God.

Think of the first city they conquered – Jericho.

It is not a brilliant military strategy to march around a city blowing horns.

Yet when they followed God’s lead, the walls fell down and they won the victory.

After they conquered the first couple of cities, several cities banded together to fight against them. The Israelites put the opposing armies to flight …

(Joshua 10:11 NKJV) And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the Lord cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.

God fought for His people.

Lesson

Bible Courage

The Psalmist is talking about the historical stories that they had heard through the years and how these stories gave them courage.

Hundreds of years after Joshua, Judah was facing a coalition of armies from Ammon, Moab, and Edom. King Jehoshaphat responded to the threat by praying and asking God’s help. Listen to part of his prayer:

(2 Chronicles 20:6–7 NKJV) —6 and said: “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You? 7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?

Jehoshaphat knew the Scriptures and the history of God’s help for His people. He trusted God.

God responded and saved the nation.

We get that same kind of courage when we read and study the Bible.

Read about God’s great deliverances in the past. It will help you remember that God is able to deliver you as well.

You will be reminded that you are not the only person who has gone through a difficult time.

And if God has delivered others, we ought to take hope that God will deliver us as well.

:4 You are my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob.

:5 Through You we will push down our enemies; Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us.

:6 For I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me.

:7 But You have saved us from our enemies, And have put to shame those who hated us.

:8 In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. Selah

:8 In God we boast all day long

The Psalmist is not putting his trust in his weapons of war.

He’s trusting in God.

:9 But You have cast us off and put us to shame, And You do not go out with our armies.

:9 But You have cast us off

The Psalmist now spends time talking about their current situation.

As far as he can tell, it seems as if God is not helping them at all.

God no longer goes out with their armies.

Sometimes this sense of God’s abandonment comes as a result of God’s people turning their back on Him.

God promised blessing for His people if they would walk in His ways, but He also warned them that if they would turn their backs on Him, things would get difficult.

(Leviticus 26:17 NKJV) I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when no one pursues you.

:10 You make us turn back from the enemy, And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.

:11 You have given us up like sheep intended for food, And have scattered us among the nations.

:11 like sheep intended for food

Sheep were not raised to be eaten.

They were raised for their wool.

Yet from time to time a sheep may be slaughtered for food, or for sacrifice.

The Psalmist feels as if they are like sheep being led to the slaughter by their shepherd.

:12 You sell Your people for next to nothing, And are not enriched by selling them.

:12 are not enriched by selling them

Whether you are selling a sheep or a slave, you would expect the seller to get something from the sale.

Yet the Psalmist sees no benefit to God for the difficulty they are going through.

:13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and a derision to those all around us.

:14 You make us a byword among the nations, A shaking of the head among the peoples.

:15 My dishonor is continually before me, And the shame of my face has covered me,

:16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the enemy and the avenger.

:17 All this has come upon us; But we have not forgotten You, Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant.

:17 But we have not forgotten You

Even though difficulty may be a result of disobedience (Lev. 26:17), that is not the case here.

The Psalmist claims that the people have not gone astray from God or His ways.

:18 Our heart has not turned back, Nor have our steps departed from Your way;

:19 But You have severely broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death.

:19 in the place of jackals

jackals – tanniyn – dragon, serpent, sea monster

Though some translations have “jackals”, “wild dogs”, or “desert” here, The old King James has “dragons”, and that might not be such a bad translation.

There are times like the Psalmist is describing that indeed seem to be demonic at times.

:20 If we had forgotten the name of our God, Or stretched out our hands to a foreign god,

:21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.

:22 Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

:23 Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arise! Do not cast us off forever.

:23 Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord?

It seems as if God must be asleep. The Psalmist is crying out for God’s help.

:24 Why do You hide Your face, And forget our affliction and our oppression?

:25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; Our body clings to the ground.

:26 Arise for our help, And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.

:22 Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long

Lesson

Reasons unknown

Sometimes the difficulties we go through are not easy to figure out.

They may not be because of disobedience on our part.

Keep in mind that Job went through great difficulty, and even though his “friends” kept claiming that he must have done something bad to deserve it, Job couldn’t think of a thing he had done wrong.

And even God in the beginning of the book clearly stated that He was going to show the world how a godly man would endure suffering.

There may be times in God’s wisdom where it is necessary for us to suffer.

It’s hard during these times because we will ask that haunting question, “What did I do to deserve this?”

And maybe, like Job, it has nothing to do with God punishing us, but perhaps for God to display His grace in our lives, or for Jesus to shine more clearly from our lives.

Paul described this unexplainable suffering as a way for Jesus to shine through.

(2 Corinthians 4:7–11 NKJV) —7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

If we are “clay pots” or “earthen vessels”, sometimes God wants to display the treasure of Jesus that’s in us.

And the only way for people to see what’s inside us is to break those clay pots.

Paul saw this very thing in his own life:

(2 Corinthians 12:8–10 NKJV) —8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

It was the times that Paul felt the weakest that he realized that Christ was the strongest in his life.

Difficulty and weakness may not be a bad thing.

Paul quoted our passage as a way to reassure us of Christ’s love for us.

(Romans 8:31–39 NKJV) —31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You can survive the difficulty you are going through.

God hasn’t forsaken you.

God has not stopped loving you.

Psalm 45 – Wedding Song

: To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Contemplation of the Sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

Set to “The Lilies.”

Shoshannim – shuwshan – “lily”

This may refer to a type of instrument, or it may refer to the name of the tune.

A Contemplation of the Sons of Korah.

Again, the Hebrew word is maskiyl, which means a “song or poem of contemplation”, a “thinking” song.

A Song of Love

love – y@diyd – one beloved, beloved

This is a word very closely related to the name of David which means “beloved”

Some translate this phrase “a wedding song”

There have been various suggestions as to who wrote this Psalm and when it was written.

Some have suggested is was written by David for his son Solomon’s wedding to the daughter of Pharaoh.

It could be written from a purely prophetic point of view.

Either way, it’s a song for a wedding.

Illustration

New Wedding Vows

During the wedding rehearsal, the groom approached the pastor with an unusual offer “Look, I’ll give you $100 if you’ll change the wedding vows. When you get to me and the part where I’m to promise to ‘love, honor and obey’ and ‘forsaking all others, be faithful to her forever,’ I’d appreciate it if you’d just leave that part out.” He passed the minister a $100 bill and walked away satisfied. It is now the day of the wedding, and the bride and groom have moved to that part of the ceremony where the vows are exchanged. When it comes time for the groom’s vows, the pastor looks the young man in the eye and says: “Will you promise to prostrate yourself before her, obey her every command and wish, serve her breakfast in bed every morning of your life and swear eternally before God and your lovely wife that you will not ever even look at another woman, as long as you both shall live?” The groom gulped and looked around, and said in a tiny voice, “Yes.” The groom leaned toward the pastor and hissed, “I thought we had a deal.” The pastor put the $100 bill into his hand and whispered back, “She made me a much better offer.”

In our wedding, we’ll talk about the Groom first. He’s a king…

45:1-9 The Groom

:1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Poets will know what it’s like from time to time to have words just pour out from your heart.

:2 You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever.

:2 You are fairer than the sons of men

The Psalmist loves this king. This king is no ordinary guy.

If you want a hint, notice how our translators have capitalized words like “Your” and “You”.

:3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, With Your glory and Your majesty.

:4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.

:5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; The peoples fall under You.

:5 Your arrows are sharp

This is a Warrior King who is on a horse (v. 4) with bow and arrow, but also with a sword (vs. 3) at His side.

:6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

:7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

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

Some have suggested that the Psalmist is simply saying that the king is sitting on the throne that God gave him. Others have said that since the word for God (elohim) can be used for judges or rulers, that he’s simply calling this king a ruler.

Or…

Lesson

The Deity of Christ

We don’t have to actually guess about this.

The writer of Hebrews tells us exactly who this is. In Hebrews 1, the author is making a point to show how Jesus is much better than the angels:

(Hebrews 1:5–9 NKJV) —5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”?

Who is the “he” that is speaking about the Son? It’s the Father, God Himself saying these things.

6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” 7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.”

Angels are simply “ministers” or “servants”, but the Son was someone who was worshipped by the angels.

Then he quotes our Psalm…

8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

Here’s where the writer of Hebrews quotes our Psalm.

Again, who’s speaking here?

In our Psalm the word “Son” (Heb. 1:8) isn’t used, but it could be talking about David speaking of his own son Solomon.

Yet in the context of Hebrews, it’s still God the Father calling Jesus the Son “God”.

Some churches do not think that Jesus is God.

Yet here in Hebrews, God the Father is calling Jesus the Son “God”.

Though this passage may have been written originally for an historical event such as Solomon’s wedding, we know that it is speaking prophetically about Jesus.

:7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

:7 righteousness… anointed You with the oil of gladness

anointed – mashach – to smear, anoint, spread a liquid

The title “Messiah” means “anointed one”. Kings and priests were anointed with a special ointment made of olive oil, myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, and cassia (Ex. 30:22-25).

When David was a boy, years before he actually became king he was anointed to become king by the prophet Samuel:

(1 Samuel 16:13 NKJV) Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

Because of this we see that this “anointing” was a symbol of the work of the Holy Spirit on a person.

gladness – sasown – gladness, joy, exultation, rejoicing

Lesson

Joy from righteousness

Weddings ought to be times of joy.

Video: Funniest Wedding Fails Ever

Because the king loved good things and hated bad things, God has given him the oil of gladness.

Jesus was a happy fellow, more so than anyone else. His joy came from his love for what is good.

Sin brings sadness. Holiness brings gladness.

There may be pleasure in sin for a season (Heb. 11:25), but ultimately it brings darkness and depression.

(Hebrews 11:25 KJV 1900) —25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

Sometimes we go through God’s chastening because we’ve been doing something sinful, something stupid. And the chastening isn’t exactly fun:

(Hebrews 12:11 NKJV) Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

When we learn to complete the workout the chastening gives us, the result is good things, righteousness, which is a “peaceable” thing in our life.

With this prophecy about Jesus, God has anointed Jesus with “joy” because of His love of righteousness.

Don’t choose the wrong things. Choose the right things.

:8 All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia, Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.

:9 Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

:9 Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women

Think about the parable of the ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom to arrive (Mat. 25).

It sounds a little like a wedding procession.

Video: JK Wedding Entrance

45:10-17 The Bride

The Psalm moves from talking about the Groom to talking about the bride.

:10 Listen, O daughter, Consider and incline your ear; Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;

:10 Forget your own people

Lesson

Leaving and cleaving

A marriage is supposed to be based on “leaving” and “cleaving”. You are to leave your family and close relationships and cleave to your spouse. This principle comes from:

(Genesis 2:24 NKJV) Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

This doesn’t mean that you never talk to your parents, but it means that they are no longer the most important relationship in your life, as your spouse is supposed to be.

Marriages get into trouble when other people become more significant than the spouse.

With Jesus as the “groom” and the church as the “bride”, the principle of leaving and cleaving still applies.

As we are joined to Christ, we too need to leave the old behind.

It’s not that we necessarily stop talking to anyone who is not a Christian. God wants to use you in their lives. But it means that they no longer have the place in your life that they once had. Jesus is to take that place.

(Luke 14:25–27 NKJV) —25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

:11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him.

:11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty

greatly desire – ‘avah – (Hithpael) to desire, long for, lust after (of bodily appetites)

The idea seems to be that if the bride will forsake her own people (vs. 10), then the king will desire her beauty.

For those of us who have chosen to forsake the world and follow Jesus, God considers us beautiful.

Lesson

Commitment and Love

Though there is a very real sense that Christ’s love for us is unconditional, you see here that passion is related to commitment.

When a couple of are committed to each other, and forsaking all others, you have the fertile ground for passion.

It doesn’t even matter if you don’t think you are worthy of being desired or loved.

Some gals have this crazy notion that they aren’t very beautiful. Some of the most beautiful women I know think these kinds of silly things.

Yet in reality with Jesus it really doesn’t matter whether or not YOU think you’re beautiful, because He thinks you are.

(Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV) The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Your beauty, your value, is related to who you are committed to.

Illustration

Whose Hands?

A football in my hands is worth maybe $30. A football in the hands of Peyton Manning is worth millions.

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19. A basketball in Stephen Curry’s hands is worth millions. It depends whose hands it’s in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $10. A baseball in Mike Trout’s hands is worth millions. It depends on whose hands it’s in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches. Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in Jesus’ hands will feed thousands. It depends whose hands it’s in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse. Nails in Jesus Christ’s hands will produce salvation for the entire world. It depends whose hands it’s in.

Illustration

“The Touch of the Master’s Hand”

By: Myra Brooks Welch

Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer

Thought it scarcely worth his while

To waste much time on the old violin,

But held it up with a smile.

“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried,

“Who will start bidding for me?

A dollar, a dollar”—then, “Two!” “Only two?

Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?

Three dollars, twice;

“Going for three—“ But no,

From the room, far back, a gray-haired man

Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then wiping the dust from the old violin,

And tightening the loose strings.

He played a melody pure and sweet

As sweet as an angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer

With a voice that was quiet and low,

Said what am I bidden for the old violin?

And he held it up with the bow.

A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?

Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?

Three thousand, once; three thousand twice;

And going, and gone!” said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,

“We do not quite understand

What changed its worth?” Swift came the reply:

“The touch of the master’s hand.

And many a man with life out of tune,

And battered and scattered with sin,

Is auctioned off cheap to the thoughtless crowd,

Much like the old violin.

A “mess of pottage,” a glass of wine;

A game—and he travels on.

He’s “going” once, and “going” twice,

He’s “going” and “almost gone.”

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd

Never quite understands

The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought

By the touch of the Master’s hand.

By yourself you may indeed be worthless or ugly. But if you’re in His hands, you have great value. Your value comes from the fact that He values you. Your value comes from the price He paid for you.

(1 Peter 1:18–19 NKJV) —18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

If you were bought at an auction for 100 million dollars, would you consider yourself valuable? Yet God has paid a far greater price for you. He’s paid for you with the blood of His own Son.

Jesus is so in love with you that He laid down His very life for you.

:12 And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; The rich among the people will seek your favor.

:13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold.

:13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace

The word “palace” isn’t in the Hebrew. It’s simply “is all glorious within…”

Some translations have suggested that this is talking about how beautiful the bride looks while she’s getting dressed inside her bedroom.

The NKJV hints at the “palace”.

Others have suggested that the wedding dress might have been lined with gold.

But I like the way the old King James puts it, “all glorious within”.

within – p@niymah – toward the inside, within, faceward

Lesson

Inner beauty

In America, we put great importance on looking good.

Illustration

In the United States, we seem to place a great emphasis on how a person “looks” … on the outside.

The U.S. Cosmetics Industry had a revenue of $60 billion dollars in 2015, or about $200 per person.

Compare that to 1914, when per capita spending was about 40 cents per person each year.

Peter tells us we ought to put importance on other things:

(1 Peter 3:3–4 NKJV) —3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

It’s not a bad thing to take care of your appearance, whether you’re a guy or a gal.

Illustration

Like the family that was getting ready to go to church. The 3 yr. old walked up to the mother and said, “What are you doing, Momma?” “I’m trying to fix my hair” replied the mother. The child studied the mother for a minute and then replied, “Try again”.

Yet if you’re going to do something to be more “beautiful”, be sure you are focusing on the inside first.

What we ought to be doing though is putting more attention to what we look like on the inside than we do the outside.

(Proverbs 31:30 NKJV) Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

:14 She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors; The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.

:15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; They shall enter the King’s palace.

:16 Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons, Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.

:17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.

:17 I will make Your name to be remembered

The Father is promising the Son that He will be praised for ever.

All this imagery of a groom who is a reigning warrior King and His bride wearing wedding garments is also found in another part of the Bible.

First there’s the bride:

(Revelation 19:7–8 NKJV) —7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Then there’s the groom:

(Revelation 19:11 NKJV) Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

Lesson

The Perfect Marriage

I think it’s good to know people who have good marriages. It’s helpful to have a good example you can learn from.

Yet to be honest, there is only one perfect marriage, and it’s the one we should learn from most.

(Ephesians 5:22–27 NKJV) —22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.

To be honest, the church isn’t always very submissive to her husband.

What makes this marriage perfect is the husband, not the wife.

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

For our passage, some of the lessons of a perfect marriage is …

Joy from doing the right things.

Leaving and cleaving.

Love based on commitment.

The focus on inner beauty.

Songs

Thy Throne Oh God

A C#m D E F#m E D

Thy throne oh God will last forever,

E F#m E D /E

Will last for-e-----ver.

A C#m D E F#m E D

For in Your hand, are truth and righteousness

E F#m E B Dmaj Gmaj7 Dmaj7 Gmaj7

You reign with righteousness, forever, forever.

C Em F G Am G F

Thy throne oh God will last forever

G Am G D /E C#m D/E E

will last for-e---ver, forever, forever

A C#m D E F#m E D

You love what's right, despising evil,

E F#m E D /E

You have loved righteousness,

A C#m D E F#m E D

Therefore your God, pours gladness over you

E F#m E B Dmaj7 Gmaj7

A gladness none has known

C Em F G Am G F G Am G D /E

A C#m D E F#m E D

Thy throne oh God will last forever,

E F#m E B

Will last for-e----ver

DM7 GM7 DM7 GM7 DM7 GM7 DM7 GM7 DM7 F#

Forever, forever, forever, forever, forever

(DM7=Dmaj7, GM7=Gmaj7)

Thy Throne Oh God / Words & Music by Kelly Willard / © Unknown / ThyThron.doc