We welcome you to Stone's Hill today!

A typical Stone's Hill service has:

* music (so feel free to sing out);

* some announcements (things that are upcoming that you can be a part of);

* a message out of the Bible (God speaks to us through his Word);

* and an opportunity for you to respond to the message (either immediately in the case of a decision that needs to be made OR in the future as you live out the message in your daily life.)

So relax and enjoy your morning! We're so glad you are here!

MESSAGE TEXT
Psalm 45:1-17
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INTRODUCTION
Few aspects of the life of a community are as cloaked and as covered with ritual and ceremony as is a wedding. All of you who are married can think back to your wedding day and what a special time that was, and as varied as the cultural expressions of weddings are, there are still some common themes that we see in almost every culture. One of those common themes is that the bride dresses up in an outfit that is unusual and spectacular, glorious and beautiful. Never does a woman look so beautiful as she does on her wedding day. And the groom is all smiles in his handsome best!
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I have been intrigued this week as I’ve studied Psalm 45. It’s a royal wedding! We don’t have kings in America like this, but Great Britain does. Wedding of William and Kate is about the best idea of a royal wedding we have. Typically, I’m not a fan of all the royal hype. I'm not sure I care about what Megan and Harry had for breakfast. Or that William and Kate’s wedding was 38 million in 2011 – most of that going to security. Only a select group of people could attend it. I definitely didn’t stay up til 2 AM to see the coronation of King Charles.
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Psalm 45 is a royal love song written back in 1000 BC or so. You get a VIP pass not only to the wedding but the words spoken between and over groom and bride on their wedding day. And it includes an ornate dress and bridesmaids and perfume and cologne and gifts and guests and music and an elaborate palace. At the beginning, you have a groom who is “the most handsome of all” grooms(45:2). At the end, we smell fragrant perfumes, see opulent ivories, and hear delightful music[1] with a gorgeous bride and bridal party. Multi-sensory delights.
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As we look at Psalm 45, it brings us right into the profound mystery of marriage – the grandeur, mystery, and joy of it. The Psalm not only celebrates a wedding, but also highlights the virtues of a godly husband and a virtuous wife. In verses 2-9, we have the address to the bridegroom king. In verses 10-12, the writer gives an address to the bride, and then in verses 13-15, the glory of the bride at her wedding. The final verses talk about their family.
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As we study it, a vivid portrait of the ruggedness of maleness and the beauty of femaleness comes into view. The King-Groom is a warrior against chaos. She really likes his lips (v.2) and his hands (v.4). And the way this is all expressed reveals some of the core things in the heart of every man. The Queen-Bride is stunning and the center of his attention – something that all brides want to be to their grooms. And the way it’s expressed reveals what is in the heart of every woman.
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EXPOSITION
Psalm 45 is a beautiful poem prepared on the occasion of a royal wedding, evoking all the sights, sounds, movement, splendor, and emotion of such an important occasion. It works on three levels.
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Solomon and His Bride. It was the marriage of Solomon and a princess from another country (1 Kgs. 3:1). If Solomon is the unnamed king of the psalm, even though he was a “man of peace” (1 Chron. 22:9), the military role was still a part of his job description.[4] A song for Solomon and his Bride. Feel the romance of it.
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You and Your Bride/Groom. Next level, it shows you what is important to every married couple – things we may not say out loud, but we think and feel in our hearts. It’s a song for your marriage. What is written about reveals what is going on in the heart of a man and a woman. We’re going to talk about what he isn’t telling you wife and what she isn’t telling you husband. Don’t miss the subtle hints as to what men and women value and hope for in marriage. What he or she is not telling you, but the story of the wedding in Psalm 45 does.
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Christ and His Bride. Final level, it is a messianic psalm. It serves as a prophetic wedding picture of the bride of Christ being taken into the palace of the Lord. The words “O God” indicate in verse 6 and the use of verses 6–7 in the first chapter of Hebrews in reference to Jesus Christ show this.[5] The writer of Hebrews said, “Uh, wait a minute, Psalm 45 is a love song to Jesus.” Psalm 45 is a meditation on the authority and on the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sacred Romance. Solomon’s Romance. Your Romance. God’s Sacred Romance.
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PROPOSITION
Couples often have a special song or piece of music that plays an important role in their relationship, which they typically refer to as ‘our song’. It speaks to their relationship in some meaningful way. Psalm 45 is a song for you to sing over your marriage and family.
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A Handsome KING-GROOM (1-8)
Verses for a King-Groom (v.1-8) – what every man wants to be but doesn’t say it out loud.
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A Beautiful QUEEN-BRIDE (9-15)
Verses for a Queen-Bride (v.9-15) – what every woman wants to be but doesn’t say it out loud.
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A Continuing ROYAL LINE (16-17)
Verses for the Prince or Princess (v.16-17) – what everyone is longing for – A King of Kings with a Forever Throne
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INVITATION
One day the redeemed are going to be presented to the Lord Jesus as a bride proceeding down the aisle toward her groom. The queen in gold marches toward the King with great fanfare. And what a glorious sound - tambourines, trumpets, stringed instruments! Behind her, as far as the eye can see, is her assembly - an army of virgins, all dressed in white, singing, dancing, praising with great joy. The bride is leading the whole procession - and they’re coming to meet the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As the Queen Stands Before Her Bridegroom, The Wedding About to Begin, the Voice of a Third Party Is Heard! The queen in gold is honored, favored, greatly adorned. And now she stands at her Beloved’s right hand, the marriage about to be performed. Jesus came out of grave with an engagement ring on his finger. When it comes to the time for the marriage supper of the lamb, his hope is that you’ll say “I do.”