Here in Blogsville, I’ve set many difficult Psalms to music. They’ve included Psalms of depression, rage, retribution, and acrostics. But Psalm 45 is difficult in a new way. It is a Psalm for a royal wedding.
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It begins with an introduction, notable as the only Psalm to include the poet’s voice. (“I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”) Next is a section extolling the king’s virtues (“You are the most excellent of men… All your robes are fragrant… Daughters of kings are among your honored women…”), followed by a section about the queen’s beauty and instructions on leaving her family behind. Finally, a concluding section anticipates this royal marriage leaving a lasting legacy.
While beautiful, it poses difficulty for the congregational songwriter. It is not really about God; it is music for a wedding ceremony. Additionally, it is a wedding from a culture that extols a man’s power and a woman’s beauty. Those ideals may make for a good wedding, but not a great hymn. Yes, one can turn the Psalm into an allegory for Christ and the Church, but that feels like a cop out.
I decided to cast this as the wedding of heaven and earth, as it were. The king of Psalm 45 is certainly a foreshadowing of the Messiah, who will come to usher in a new age of heaven on earth. The queen could be interpreted as the earth and all its treasures. And their wedding could be seen as the consummation of a new age of lasting peace and justice. Yes, that is a lot of poetic license, but it allowed me to remain faithful to the Psalm (with a verse for each section of Psalm 45–introduction, king, queen, legacy), while creating a song that could be sung in a worship context.
Behold the majesty
of God’s redeeming reign!
1. My heart is stirred by a noble theme;
my pen prepares its verse.
My lungs are full, my tongue will sing
the king of heav’n and queen of earth.
Let all the people sing: Chorus
2. The nations fall before your throne,
your splendored majesty.
Anoint your realm with peace and joy;
may justice claim the victory.
Let all the people sing: Chorus
3. May all the beauty of this world
be offered to your reign,
to weave a cloth of heav’n and earth
that flows into eternity.
Let all the people sing: Chorus
4. Oh, may this union never end,
expand from land to sea.
May justice, joy, and righteousness
remain this kingdom’s legacy.
Let all the people sing: Chorus