PRAISE TO THE KING ABOUT THE QUEEN AND THE CHILDREN
Beginning with verse 9, we enter the second section of Psalm 45. It is the praise to the King, but about the queen. In other words, the queen becomes the praise of the King. If you would praise the King, you must say something concerning the queen, because the queen is part of the King. In the first section, verses 1 to 8, the praises are to the King about the King. In the second section, verses 9 through 15, the praises are to the King, but about the queen. In the third and last section of the Psalm, verses 16 and 17, the praises are also to the King, but about His children. Therefore, the whole Psalm is praise to the King, but the first section is praise about the King, the second section is praise about the queen, and the third section is praise about the King’s children, the princes.
Psalm 45 in its entirety is written about Christ, yet it is written from the aspect of human relationships. As a human being, you, of course, have yourself; but as a normal human being you also need a wife. Eventually, to be completed and perfected as a human being, you need children. Christ is not a bachelor; He is the King with the queen and all the children. If you would render Him complete praise, you must say something about Himself, something about His queen, and something concerning His children. His glory is not only in Himself; it is also in His queen and His children. The riches and fullness of a man are in his wife and family; likewise, the riches and fullness of Christ are in His church with all His children. Thus there are three sections of this wonderful, marvelous, unique praise of Christ: the praises about the King, about the queen, and about the royal children.
Christ’s glory is not only in Himself, but also in the church. If we would see Christ’s glory in Himself, we must read the four Gospels. If we would see the glory and beauty of Christ in the church with so many saints, we must read the Epistles. It is the church “with” so many saints, not the church “and” so many saints (2 Cor. 1:1). It is the queen with so many virgins, the queen with the King’s daughters, the queen with the honorable women. We must also see Christ’s beauty in His children, in His princes. In the book of Revelation, we have the local churches, and we also have the princes, those who will reign with Christ (Rev. 20). We see there the Lord’s beauty in His sons, the overcomers.
We have seen in the Psalms how God turned the saints’ concept from the law to Christ. We have also seen that out of Christ we have the church, the house. In the Psalms, Christ and the church are put together. Christ is here as the King and the church is here as the queen, the husband and the wife. The two are one; they are no more two, but one.
In verse 8 the church is mentioned as the ivory palaces; then in verse 9 the church is pictured as the queen. The palaces are the building, and the queen is the wife. In the entire Bible, God always uses these two figures to signify the church—the building and the bride. Even in Genesis 2 we have these two figures: firstly, the materials for the building, and secondly, a bride, Eve. Then, when we come to the end of the Bible, we have a building, a city, which is the Bride. The church on one hand is a palace to Christ, and on the other hand it is His queen. On one hand it is the house of God, and on the other hand it is the Bride of Christ.
Now let us read verse 9: “Kings’ daughters were among thy honorable women.” If you are praising Christ, you can never forget the church. This verse is a praise to Christ, but about the saints, the kings’ daughters. Spiritually speaking, we are all females before the Lord, we are all the kings’ daughters. We were poor sinners, but now we are royal, we are kingly. The kings’ daughters are the honorable women. The saints are the saints among the saints. Do not imagine that the kings’ daughters are one group and the honorable women are another. They are both one. The kings’ daughters speak of our royalty, and the honorable women of our honor and majesty. We should not be proud, but we must all realize that we are kingly and honorable. When we walk on the street, do people sense something honorable about us? We should not forget our royal and honorable estate. We are the kings’ daughters and the honorable women. This is praise about us, but it is praise to Christ. If others say, “Look at those poor Christians, what miserable beggars they are!” that is a shame to Christ. However, when people recognize or sense in us something of our royal and honorable estate, though they may not agree with us, that is a real glory to Christ.
Verse 9 goes on to say, “Upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.” The kings’ daughters are the saints, and the queen is the church. Individually speaking, we are the saints, but corporately speaking, we are the church. We are all one queen; the queen is a corporate body. She is at His right hand. Brothers, if you have your dear wife standing at your side, and I speak commendably of her, you will feel happy. The praise is about your dear wife, but it goes to you. The praise here is about the queen, but it goes to the King. When we say, “Look, look at the resplendent glory of that golden queen,” the glory goes to Christ. Every time we speak well of the church, Christ in heaven is made glad. When we say, “Praise the Lord for the church in Chicago,” or, “Praise the Lord for the church in Atlanta,” He is well pleased. Whenever we speak well of the local churches, it is a kind of praise to Christ.
(Christ and the Church Revealed and Typified in the Psalms, Chapter 7, by Witness Lee)
