To the Tune of "Lilies"

Psalm 45:9-17  ⁹Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir. ¹⁰Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention: Forget your people and your father’s house. ¹¹Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord. ¹²The city of Tyre will come with a gift, people of wealth will seek your favor. ¹³All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. ¹⁴In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her – those brought to be with her. ¹⁵Led in with joy and gladness, they enter the palace of the king. ¹⁶Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. ¹⁷I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

June is typically a month chosen for weddings.  This devotion was originally written in June, and the  text carries the wedding theme.  There are two particularly interesting details. First, Psalm 45 is set to music, specifically to the tune of “Lilies.”  This must have been a wonderful wedding song.  Also notice there is no need to feel sorry for the bride who leaves her family in order to pledge herself to her husband, for this brings her great gain—his family becomes her family. This is cause for rejoicing!

Our text brings to mind another wedding yet to come.  Revelation (chapters 19, 21, and 22) clearly describes the rejoicing that will occur when Jesus Christ returns as a bridegroom to claim his beautifully adorned bride—those redeemed through His own blood!   The sound of “a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters…shouting, Hallelujah! (c.f., 19:6)” will be the grandest of all wedding songs.

Gracious Heavenly Father, our LORD God Almighty,

Thank you for the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ that provides for us wedding garments of fine linen, bright and clean.  May we be fully prepared when the Bridegroom soon returns!

In the Name of Jesus Christ, our LORD and Savior, Amen.

 

The devotion To the Tune of “Lilies” was originally written for Monday, June 6, 2011; for Maranatha Devotional Guide, an Advent Christian Publication https://acgc.us   As the original author of this devotion, I reserve the right to update and share it on my current devotional blog Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com

Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.