This post continues a series of Christ-centered devotional meditations on Psalm 45. For the previous entries, click the links below:

“My tongue is the pen of a rapid writer”: Psalm 45, the church’s love song to Christ, part 1

“My tongue is the pen of a rapid writer”: Psalm 45, the Church’s love song to Christ, part 2

“My tongue is the pen of a rapid writer”: Psalm 45, the Church’s love song to Christ, part 3

“My tongue is the pen of a rapid writer”: Psalm 45, the Church’s love song to Christ, part 4

“My tongue is the pen of a rapid writer”: Psalm 45, a love song of Christ and His Church , part 5

“My tongue is the pen of a rapid writer”: Psalm 45, a love song of Christ and His Church, part 6

Note: My reflections on this Psalm, unless otherwise indicated, will be from the Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV), simply because that’s what I had in front of me when I began writing the series.

As we come to the end (vv16-17) of this gorgeous love song of Christ, the Bridegroom; and the Church, His Bride; the voice of the singer changes a final time.

It may be understood as either the Church, singing again to Christ; or as God the Father, blessing the marriage of Christ the Son to His Bride. I have a slight preference for the latter, but will show how it could be read either way.

So, it says: Your sons will take the place of your fathers. This is looking to Christ’s rejection by unbelieving Jews, so that the Church has been filled with Gentiles from among the nations (v12).

Romans 9:5, speaking of the Jews, says: To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen (ESV). And yet, the elders of His own nation rejected Him. And so we read: some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree (Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬). The natural branches—the fathers—were the Jews who were hardened in their unbelief. The wild shoot is the Gentiles who believed in Christ, and so became the sons.

For Christ has no natural sons. And yet, believers are adopted as children of God through Him, as it is written: For you did not receive a spirit of slavery so that you are afraid again, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we call out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself joins our spirit in testifying that we are God’s children (Romans 8:15-16).

And again, we read: And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to shout, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if you are a son, then you are also an heir of God through Christ (Galatians 4:6-7).

And Christ Himself affirms: Here I am and the children God has given me (Hebrews 2:13).

So it is that Christ has “begotten” sons, born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God (John 1:13), through faith in Christ. And these sons from among all the nations of the earth; have taken the place of the unbelieving fathers, who rejected Him.

But beloved, mark well the words of St. Paul, for it does appear that a great, final ingrafting of the Jews will be manifest before Christ returns. So the Apostle concludes: Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob” (Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬). The supplanting of the fathers by the sons will not endure forever. Rather, a remnant preserved by God will come to Christ, and then there will be one flock and one shepherd (John 10:16).

Now, the voice of our passage is either the God the Father, promising to Christ these sons adopted through faith; or the Church, acknowledging that God has done this.

The song continues: You will make them princes in all the earth. Not princes of earthly kingdoms, but princes because they are sons of God in Christ; and the children God has given to Christ, the King.

And so whomever believes in Christ is a prince, is royalty—and they reign with Him even now: He also raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).

And this is true, even despite all appearances. For St. Paul says that no matter how outwardly poor and wretched the Church and her citizens may be; no matter how they are rejected, abused, and bullied by Satan and by hateful men of earth; yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37). And again, James, the brother of our Lord, says: has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom, which he promised to those who love him? (James 2:5).

And so the people of the Bride, the Church, are made princes in all the earth, by Christ, our royal Bridegroom.

And then finally it says: I will preserve the memory of your name through all generations. Therefore peoples will praise you forever and ever.

Again, this is either the Father, promising success to His Son, the Bridegroom; or the Bride, promising to publish His Name abroad throughout all generations, as He commanded: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15).

I rather believe this is the Father, because He is the one who stirs up His saints to proclaim the praises of Christ, with sincere zeal. He is the one who says, in every generation: “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace (Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬). And again, Christ tells His Church: I am going to grant a kingdom to you, just as my Father granted to me (Luke 22:29). It is the Father who has given Christ, the Bridegroom, a Bride-Kingdom, where Christ’s name is renowned among the peoples of the earth.

And so the final words of the Psalm are fulfilled in the Church, the Bride, at worship, throughout all generations, and among all peoples: and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands (Revelation 7:9).

So, can and does the Church, the Bride of Christ, bless her royal Bridegroom for raising up sons to be princes among the nations; and publish His fame throughout the world through all generations? Yes, she does. But only because God the Father has made it so: it is God who is working in you, both to will and to work, for the sake of his good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). And again: as many promises as God has made, they have always been “Yes” in him. For that reason we also say “Amen” through him to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 1:20).

And so it is best to read vv16-17 as the promise of God to sustain and enrich the Bride for Christ’s sake, for which He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and blameless in his sight (Ephesians 1:4). And yes, the Bride also sings these promises in response; but we always sing them as one who says Amen; to every Yes of God in Christ.