URC Daily Devotion 25 August 2024
My heart overflows with noble words.
To the king I must speak the song I have made,
my tongue as nimble as the pen of a scribe.
You are the fairest of the people on earth
and graciousness is poured upon your lips:
because God has blessed you for evermore.
O mighty one, gird your sword upon your thigh;
in splendour and state, ride on in triumph
for the cause of truth and goodness and right.
Take aim with your bow in your dread right hand.
Your arrows are sharp, peoples fall beneath you.
The foes of the king fall down and lose heart.
Your throne, O God, shall endure for ever.
A sceptre of justice is the sceptre of your kingdom.
Your love is for justice; your hatred for evil.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness above other kings:
your robes are fragrant with aloes and myrrh.
From the ivory palace you are greeted with music.
The daughters of kings are among your loved ones.
On your right stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
Listen, O daughter, give ear to my words:
forget your own people and your father’s house.
So will the king desire your beauty:
He is your lord, pay homage to him.
And the people of Tyre shall come with gifts,
the richest of the people shall seek your favour.
The daughter of the king is clothed with splendour,
her robes embroidered with pearls set in gold.
She is led to the king with her maiden companions.
They are escorted amid gladness and joy;
they pass within the palace of the king.
Children shall be yours in place of your forebears:
you will make them rulers over all the earth.
May this song make your name for ever remembered.
May the peoples praise you from age to age.
Reflection
This is the only royal wedding Psalm in the Psalter. We don’t know which wedding it was originally written for, but it is rooted in a perception of ancient near eastern kingship. As a king holds a role which embodies national status, this Psalm is about more than good wishes for the happy couple, it is about a nation’s aspiration for itself.
The Psalm celebrates the royal couple’s beauty; This king is a glowing strong triumphant hero and his queen is beautiful, displaying wealth in her clothing. They will have children who will ensure a royal dynasty.
This Psalm expresses a society’s aspirations which it wants to see reflected in the royal household. These aspirations (glamour, domination, wealth) appear to be little different to those of surrounding kings and empires. Yet what jumps out at me is that the king is praised for the graciousness on his lips; his seeking triumph for the causes of truth and goodness and right; his sceptre of justice. While most rulers might profess to hold these values, in the context of a king who is a servant of the God of Abraham and Sarah, what do these values mean?
There are many aspects of this Psalm in relation to the perception of kingship, triumphalism and the nature of gender stereotypes, which do not resonate with my understanding of the Gospel lived today, nevertheless, it does make me wonder: what do we perceive as honourable and beautiful qualities in leadership today which we would want to sing about? What do grace, truth, goodness, rightness and justice mean for us as followers of Jesus and do we celebrate them? And what are the values we would aspire to as a society, which we would want our leaders to incarnate?
Prayer
God of Love and Justice,
You have shown us what is good and what you require of us;
To do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with you.
As we look at ourselves, each other and this world,
Help us to honour, celebrate and sing about
that which is truly honourable and worth celebrating in your eyes.
Today and all days. Amen