Psalm 45:1-8 The Patriotism of Ancient Israel (Part 1 of 2)

I recently read a few surveys of “American things that most surprise non-Americans.” By far and away, at the top of every list was some form of American patriotism. We have American flags everywhere: on our clothing, on our cars, on our blankets, as lawn ornaments, and of course, flying high in every corner of the sky. Citizens of other countries are proud of their heritage, but Americans seem to take it to the extreme.

Or do we?

Today, we are going to read Psalm 45. The title of this psalm gives us the original music and singers, which seems normal. But then, it is specifically titled “a love song.” Sounds romantic, doesn’t it? It makes us think that we are about to get into some 'Song of Solomon' portion of the psalms. Maybe we should keep our kids from reading this too, until they are of a certain age?

Not quite. This isn’t a romantic love song, but a patriotic one. This is the Ancient Israeli version of “My Country Tis of Thee… land that I love.” The Israelites were just as proud of their nation and their king as Americans are today. We are going to read the first half of this psalm today to get a better understanding of how revered the king of Israel was among his subjects. Tomorrow, we are going to look at the second half of the psalm, which is addressed to the bride of the king. Then, on Thursday and Friday, we will look at this psalm through a different perspective.

Please read Psalm 45:1-8.

The first half of this psalm is addressed directly “to the king.” The psalmist is filled with compliments for the highest government official of the land. It is the king who is “the most handsome of the sons of men,” filled with gracious speech, and empowered to defend the nation against its enemies. Even when he rides out into the mud and much of war, the king does so “in your splendor and majesty!”

If you truly revere your king, then nothing that he does seems undignified to you. Americans have understood this point even more graphically in recent years as our two party system has created a radical divide. Supporters of one party refuse to admit the blatantly obvious errors that their party has made, while obsessing over the errors of the other party. In their mind, their leaders can do no wrong, while the leaders of the other party can do no right. And supporters of the other party feel the same!

When we love someone, it puts blinders on our eyes. War is a bloody, messy, nasty ordeal. But, in the eyes of his beloved, the great king of Israel can ride into war in splendor and majesty. He can do no wrong, for he rides into war for the right reasons: “for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness.” If righteousness is on the king’s side, then the king will surely win! He is that great! His enemies will all fall before his mighty weapons of war!

Because he is such a great defender, the king will never lose his throne; his sons will sit upon it for all future generations. He will rule justly and punish the evildoers, and there will be peace in the land. The men of Israel will honor their king with fragrant gifts, pleasing music, and even their own children. Whatever sacrifices need to be made in order to honor their king will be made willingly by his adoring subjects. Sounds like true patriotism!