Listen, O daughter, give attention and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house; then the King will desire your beauty. Because He is your Lord, bow down to Him. The daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; the rich among the people will seek your favor. The King’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is interwoven with gold. She will be led to the King in embroidered work; the virgins, her companions who follow her, will be brought to You. They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; they will enter into the King’s palace. In place of your fathers will be your sons; you shall make them princes in all the earth. I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever.
Message: The King's Glorious Bride
Time: The psalms were written by many different people across a period of a thousand years in Israel's history. They are thought to have been compiled and put together in their present form by some unknown editor shortly after the captivity ended about 537 B.C.
What the Lord is Saying:
To Cleave, One must Leave
This is an interesting passage, that I am growing to understand more and more. Verse 10 begins with, "Listen, O daughter." This could be the father of the bride speaking to his daughter, specifically addressing the daughters soon to be marriage and how she is to prepare and conduct herself as she begins that new life. "Incline your ear" which means these words are very important; listen carefully. We often walk through life with a big helping of junk food, primarily enjoying what brings immediate satisfaction, but this is a reminder to stop and prepare. Think seriously about the relationship and the union that you are embarking on here with your mate. "Forget your people and your father's house." Do not pine after that which you have left. When two become one, they leave father and mother and are united together. They begin a new life. Their focus is to be on each other. The daughter is told to not hold onto the past and her past surroundings and life. It can be normal because that past is comfortable and familiar. But, a daughter is now to focus on her husband and become familiar and comfortable in his presence. Often, the best thing 2 people can do that are married is not to live in the same town as their parents or nearby, but to begin to make a home for themselves that is unique.
Respecting the husband
"Then the King will desire your beauty" or then your husband will desire you. I wonder; wives often can't understand why their husbands are not more present with them, but are they present with their husband or are they living some place else? So, in response to leaving your current world, the King will desire you. The Bible is full of references of the new life we have in Christ. We are born again; killing the old man; a new creature, the old is gone. In the same way, a daughter leaves her world, forgetting her old home, and devotes herself to her new husband. She secures his affection.
"He is your Lord, bow down to Him" means that the wife is to show proper respect to Him. These are words and actions that we normally use to describe our relationship with God or Jesus, but more intentionally here, they refer to the wife and her new allegiance to her husband. The tone of these words should spark in us not simply a leader/pupil mindset but more the union that should occur between husband and wife. The husband is to understand his role. This is tough because our culture has wandered so far from this type of wife/husband relationship.
Tyre was a city of great extent and splendor, and extensive commerce. It abounded in luxury and wickedness. There are no signs of the city today. This verse says Tyre will come with a gift; the rich among the people will seek your favor. I think the idea is our desire in life is for the good things, luxury, splendor, abundance. And the Psalmist is explaining that the result of having a proper respect toward your husband will bring great merit and outcomes to your life. Jesus said, "I did not come to be served, but to serve." Again, we must train ourselves according to God and His word; this is the best way, not societies way of every person for themselves. I was driving down the road yesterday and just looking at cars and reminding myself of the passenger seat that is present in every car. We are not meant to be alone, but to have someone with us.
Presenting the bride
Every marriage ceremony is the same: the father escorts the daughter down the aisle with the looking utterly beautiful, presenting herself, not to everyone, but to her future husband the best that she knows how. There is preparation; there is time spent getting ready. And it is always the same, the bride walks down the aisle ("Here comes the bride"). As this verse says, The King’s daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is interwoven with gold. I remember this in my own life. I was indeed starstruck like never before. It was indeed glorious. With Pamela that moment represented her well, as soft and gentle. It is easily the greatest gift that I have ever been given. And yes, it should remind me of the way I am to present myself before Christ. He is to receive my best.
But it is more than just a father and a bride, it is the bride's companions. We call it the wedding party, but what happens is amazing in our weddings. The men are all up front and then the wife's companions walk down the aisle one by one. She will be led to the King in embroidered work; the virgins, her companions who follow her, will be brought to You. Yet, here, it speaks of them following the bride. But, it is still the same idea. But they come in the same beautiful way, presenting themselves with glory and splendor.
Let's celebrate
The wedding is often an entire day of activity, but it can also be a celebration over several days. Obviously, some culture mark it with longer celebrations, but it is an event of joy and gladness and rejoicing. They will be led forth with gladness and rejoicing; they will enter into the King’s palace. The honeymoon is meant to consummate the marriage. Maybe in those times there was an immediate entrance to the new husband's home and palace.
The King's Distinction
As the focus of this Psalm is on the King and What he is receiving, here it points out that rather than his fame or celebrity or distinction being derived from his position, wealth, or performance, instead what will set him apart will be his sons (or his children). This should focus us on what is most important -- our children. In place of your fathers will be your sons; you shall make them princes in all the earth.
And then here more specifically, I see that the wife is speaking and saying that her actions will cause the King to be remembered. I think this is important. The wife has a lot to do with the greatness of the husband. I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever. But, this also could be talking about the man presenting the one that is over all, the Messiah because the people will give thanks forever and ever. I think it could go either way.
Promise: It is all about the presentation.
