PSALM 45 (FROM CAC'S NOTES)
PSALM 45 (FROM CAC’S NOTES)
Note that “sons of men” (verse 2) is sons of Adam, not of Enosh. He has companions who love what He loves and hate what He hates. That is, they are morally suited to Him, so that they can share the anointing.
Then verse 8 seems to bring in the fragrance of His sufferings. All His garments — all the features of love which He [p. 313] wears — are fragrant with the sweet odour of His having been in death. There is not an office which He fills, or a service which He renders, or a glory that attaches to Him that does not derive peculiar fragrance from His having lain in death. The King has been the Sufferer. He takes the kingdom, and the queen and all that attends on her, on that ground.
Now if palaces are provided for Him it must be on the same principle, so that they are “ivory palaces”; every bit of the material for them secured at the cost of death. The elephant is a great animal, but it is through its death that ivory is obtained. If a palace for Christ is to be secured it must be through death being brought in on our members which are upon the earth — those things which are native to our flesh. We have the opportunity of living as other people do, and gratifying the desires of the flesh or the mind. But if these things are refused and death brought in upon them in the power of affection for Christ there is a bit of ivory to make Him a palace. Which would you prefer, a little bit of gratification for self, or a palace for Christ? Let every true companion of His answer!
Then out of ivory palaces there “Stringed instruments” speak of hearts attuned to minister to His joy. All stringed instruments are delicate in their adjustment: they tend to get out of tune and to fall below the proper pitch. With what jealous care we need to keep our hearts! Because we are playing in the presence of “the chief Musician”: how soon His ear detects a note that is not up to normal pitch!
Then it is noticeable that the last half of the psalm brings in the side of what is for His pleasure in His saints. It brings in the subjective side. “Daughters” are prominent, “Kings’ daughters”, then one who is pre-eminently the “daughter”, then “the daughter of Tyre” and “the virgins, her companions”. “Kings’ daughters” would suggest the high estate of the saints as of royal lineage. They are suitable to the King as having a lineage which corresponds with His own: they are come sounds of music.
born of God. “Ye are of God, children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4: 4). John’s epistle gives us the features of the royal lineage.
Then the queen would speak of Jerusalem as the city of the great King (Isaiah 60, Isaiah 62). Now the bride, the Lamb’s wife, is a city. What Jerusalem will be the assembly is now — “The holy city, Jerusalem”. The city is “pure gold, like pure glass” (Revelation 21: 18). The “gold of Ophir” would refer, I think, to the glory of new covenant conditions. The ministry of the Spirit subsists in glory, the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory. There is now an abiding character of things which subsists in glory. In having the Spirit and righteousness we stand in gold of Ophir. It is what is brought to us through grace in the new covenant.
But this involves a breaking, even in mind, with our own people and our father’s house. Whatever status we have naturally, or whatever links of affection, all is to be forgotten in the joy of being for Christ. We recognise natural relationships, but they do not hold us. Our beauty in the eyes of Christ is a separatedness to Him. He is thy Lord (Philippians 3).
Verse 12 is a hint of the Gentiles coming in to recognise the place the saints have.
Then “all glorious within” is like John 14 - John 17. Her clothing wrought gold would be in advance of verse 9; it is now what is wrought of God (like 2 Corinthians 5). We are invested with what is divinely wrought: there is a beginning of a good work and it will be completed unto Jesus Christ’s day. How much can be incorporated in the city? The gift of the Spirit and righteousness are the beginning, but then there is, “During many days were they fashioned” (Psalm 139: 16). “Wrought gold” would be Ephesians 3: 14 - 21.
Then “raiment of embroidery” is the working out of righteousness in detail. It is done stitch by stitch. Everything that is right as of the Spirit as life, and as in the spirit of Christ.
“The virgins behind her, her companions” would refer to other companies of saints to follow as in Revelation;
[p. 315] the cities of Judah (Isaiah 40). In verse 16 we get sons: all the features are to be perpetuated in sons. We are children of Jerusalem above.