Glorious One
reflection on Psalm 45, part 1
(Prayer room hours for this week can be found here.)
Who is like the Lord? And what is He like?
Clothed in majesty and splendor, girded with strength, arrows sharp and true. He rides forth for the cause of truth, humility, and righteousness.
Behold His glory! But take not His humanity from Him; He earned it true. He is the most beautiful of all the sons of men. Like the Tabernacle—goat hair on the outside, all gold within. Humble and lowly, splendid and mighty. To bow low is to be crowned. He showed us the way; He shows us still. Will we let Him love us? Marry us? Will we bow to Him and let Him be our Lover-Lord?
He drips with the oil of joy; His robes hold the fragrance of myrrh, aloe, and cassia. Lovely-smelling spices, though their root words show another layer of meaning:
myrrh - symbolizing suffering and death; semitic root “m-r-r” means “bitter.”
aloe - Arabic root “al’uluh” meaning “bitter and shiny.”
cassia (cinnamon) - Hebrew word “qadad” meaning “to bend, to bow, to strip.”
The manifold wisdom of God!
To walk in humility, to strip ourselves of rights as He did His,1 to prefer others, to embrace suffering, to let the pain have its way in us. To face the bitter with God, not allowing the enemy to reframe it and tempt us to become bitter. This is how the bitter experiences become sweet. These fragrant oils are pathways. They carve us; they cut deep hallows, giving us the gift of caverns inside to contain more of His compassion, gratitude, joy.
Let the carving happen. Let yourself be filleted. It will hurt beyond what you think you can take, but what you long for is upon you! You are becoming.
Becoming like the most beautiful One. Rejoice! His joy is set before you.
“For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, thinking little of its shame…” - Hebrews 12:2 (my own translation from the Greek, as I think the word “despise” is not the best translation!)
Read Psalm 45 here and ponder our Jesus!
Thanks for sharing, Lana! Love your insights about the invitation to face the bitter without becoming the bitter. Beautifully said.
I've read Psalm 45 a few times over the years and most recently thought of it, but did not read it. Perhaps distracted by the things I thought I needed, not quite yielding to the faint whisper of the call to come and engage this love song again.
And well, here it is finding me again. Thank you, Lana. Your reflection is fragrant. I feel the oil of joy in the melody of these words.
Who is like the Lord?