The story is told, from a time long ago, about a prince and a peasant girl who fell in love. This prince was a man who literally had the world at his disposal. Nothing about this man was common, and it would not be exaggerating to say that he was the perfect catch. The peasant girl, on the other hand, was nothing more than common, and at best it would be said that she was average. At worst, it was said that she was just plain ugly. There were times when she was moody, and cranky. She rarely ever lived up to her full potential to achieve all that she could. In fact, to look at her from the eyes of anyone else you would have never believed that this prince fell in love with this young girl. Yet, to see her through the eyes of the prince you would believe that she was, “to die for.”

This prince determined that he could not bear to live without her, so he asked her to be his bride. No one expected this, and the angels in heaven even listened as she accepted his proposal. The prince promised his bride that he would come back for her soon, and the peasant girl vowed to wait faithfully for his return.

You would expect at this point that the bride would always be thinking about the coming wedding, but instead she rarely even mentioned it. You would think that every waking moment would be lived out in anticipation, and preparation for the coming of her prince, but by the way she lived you wouldn’t even know that she was the bride of a perfect prince. More often than not, you could not even tell the difference between the bride and any of the other peasant girls in the village. There were even times when she could be seen flirting with the other men of the village, and many speculated and questioned what she was doing when no one was watching.

Can you imagine a peasant girl fortunate enough to have a prince such as this, offer her his eternal love? You would expect her to be overwhelmed by his love, and filled with a sense of gratitude that she was fortunate enough to be loved by him. You would think that she would be careful to remain pure in expectation of the return of her royal groom. Instead, to look at her you might wonder if she even remembered that she was engaged at all.

Is it possible for a peasant to forget about her prince?

Is it possible for a bride to forget her groom? That is a question that the Church of our day needs to answer because the story of the prince and his peasant bride is not a fairy tale or some story from medieval times. It is a story about the Church, because the Church of Jesus Christ is what the Word of God describes as the Bride of Christ. To be quite honest, much of what is passed off today as the Church of Jesus Christ appears to have forgotten about the Groom that we are committed to. This relationship is beautifully described throughout the pages of the New Testament. Understanding this relationship should give believers a better understanding of our future in Christ.

It’s clear that one “greater than Solomon” (Matt. 12:42) is present in this beautiful psalm, and that one is Jesus Christ, the King of Kings. If this were merely a secular love song, why would it be given to the chief musician to be used in the worship of the Lord at His sanctuary? That would be blasphemy. Solomon was not a warrior and certainly an inspired writer would not address Solomon as “God”. Hebrews 1:8-9 marks it as a messianic psalm, so whatever may have been the historical use of this psalm, the ultimate message is about Jesus Christ and His bride, the church (Eph. 5:23ff.; Rev. 19:6-21; 22:17). 

Do we really believe what we say we believe about Jesus is really real?

Worship and Wisdom, Psalm and Proverbs

Psalm 45, The Message

A Wedding Song of the Sons of Korah

45 My heart bursts its banks,
    spilling beauty and goodness.
I pour it out in a poem to the king,
    shaping the river into words:

^2-4 “You’re the handsomest of men;
    every word from your lips is sheer grace,
    and God has blessed you, blessed you so much.
Strap your sword to your side, warrior!
    Accept praise! Accept due honor!
    Ride majestically! Ride triumphantly!
Ride on the side of truth!
    Ride for the righteous meek!

^4-5 “Your instructions are glow-in-the-dark;
    you shoot sharp arrows
Into enemy hearts; the king’s
    foes lie down in the dust, beaten.

^6-7 “Your throne is God’s throne,
    ever and always;
The scepter of your royal rule
    measures right living.
You love the right
    and hate the wrong.
And that is why God, your very own God,
    poured fragrant oil on your head,
Marking you out as king
    from among your dear companions.

^8-9 “Your ozone-drenched garments
    are fragrant with mountain breeze.
Chamber music—from the throne room—
    makes you want to dance.
Kings’ daughters are maids in your court,
    the Bride glittering with golden jewelry.

^10-12 “Now listen, daughter, don’t miss a word:
    forget your country, put your home behind you.
Be here—the king is wild for you.
    Since he’s your lord, adore him.
Wedding gifts pour in from Tyre;
    rich guests shower you with presents.”

^13-15 (Her wedding dress is dazzling,
    lined with gold by the weavers;
All her dresses and robes
    are woven with gold.
She is led to the king,
    followed by her virgin companions.
A procession of joy and laughter!
    a grand entrance to the king’s palace!)

^16-17 “Set your mind now on sons—
    don’t dote on father and grandfather.
You’ll set your sons up as princes
    all over the earth.
I’ll make you famous for generations;
    you’ll be the talk of the town
    for a long, long time.”

TRUTH:  Jesus Christ is King.  We are the bride of Christ as believers gathered as His church.  “A procession of joy and laughter, a grand entrance to the King’s palace” is a metaphor of all who believe being escorted into God’s Presence on that day of the return of the Groom for His Bride.  Are we ready?

Proverb 17:17-20, The Message

It’s stupid to try to get something for nothing,
    or run up huge bills you can never pay.

¹⁹ The person who courts sin marries trouble;
    build a wall, invite a burglar.

²⁰ A bad motive can’t achieve a good end;
    double-talk brings you double trouble.

WISDOM:  Our behavior reveals our true identity in Christ.  Are we courting sin or the Savior?  What or Who are our motivations for living life? 

Do we really believe what we say we believe about Jesus is really real?

Abba Father, Lord and Savior,

We are reminded today that You are coming for your Bride, the church of believers, who love and live expectantly for your return.  Are we preparing for the “wedding” well, Lord?  Lord, help us to grow in our intimate love for you, not looking away at anyone or anything else but You.  Help us to point others to You.  Bring us all together in unity as we wait expectantly for you.  May what we say we believe be reflected in our behavior today.  We are the Bride.  You are the Groom, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Why turn away from life eternal with you?  There is no one like you!  And thank you for loving me–the mess with a message of your mercy and grace.

In Jesus Name, Amen