When I was in state elementary school we used to sing the song:
I hear the sound of rustling in the leaves of the trees,
The Spirit of the Lord has come down on the earth.
The Church that seemed in slumber has now risen from its knees
And dry bones are responding with the fruits of new birth.
Oh this is now a time for declaration,
The word will go to all men everywhere;
The Church is here for healing of the nations,
Behold the day of Jesus drawing near.
My tongue will be the pen of a ready writer,
And what the Father gives to me I’ll sing;
I only want to be His breath,
I only want to glorify the King.
And all around the world the body waits expectantly,
The promise of the Father is now ready to fall.
The watchmen on the tower all exhort us to prepare
And the church responds – a people who will answer the call.
And this is not a phase which is passing,
It’s the start of an age that is to come.
And where is the wise man and the scoffer?
Before the face of Jesus they are dumb.
A body now prepared by God and ready for war,
The prompting of the Spirit is our word of command.
We rise, a mighty army, at the bidding of the Lord,
The devils see and fear, for their time is at hand.
And children of the Lord hear our commission
That we should love and serve our God as one,
The Spirit won’t be hindered by division
In the perfect work that Jesus has begun.
The chorus was pulled from Psalm 45. I remember us enjoying the song, but most of the people that I went to school with would call themselves Christian only in the nominal sense. They are atheists or agnostics in their daily lifestyles and thought patterns. What does this show us about an education that is moral and includes daily worship, but lacks the life-transforming relationship with the heavenly author of the psalms?
Psalm 45
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[b] A wedding song.
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men
and your lips have been anointed with grace,
since God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously
in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God,[c] will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.
8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
from palaces adorned with ivory
the music of the strings makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
10 Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
Forget your people and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
honor him, for he is your lord.
12 The city of Tyre will come with a gift,[d]
people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
her gown is interwoven with gold.
14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
her virgin companions follow her—
those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,
they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
you will make them princes throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
Questions
- What kind of royal event was this written for?
- What words show the psalmist’s hopeful wishes for the enemies of the king?
- How can Israel understand God to be their deliverer, refuge, and strength when this psalm was sung in captivity in Babylon?
- How mindful should we be of God at the timeof marriage?
- In the royal wedding of William and Kate a coupleof weeks ago, did the nations see God exalted? How would you justify your answer?
Going Deeper
Look over the Royal Wedding of William and Kate again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWMgceoDuA0 Do you think that Psalm 45 would have fit?
Plymothian 
1) This was written for a royal wedding.
2) Verse 2 shows the psalmist’s desire for the king’s enemies. “5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet”.
3) Because they remember what God had done before and they realize that God is still powerful and loving though circumstances were hard. They also had promised from God that they could look forward to and trust in the future blessing he would bring upon them.
4) We should be so mindful of the Lord when we get married. Marriage is a reflection of the relationship/community God has with us. We are referred to as His Bride, and that gives meaning to our marriages. We are committing ourselves to another. Only in a God centered marriage will we be able to honor our vows. Weddings are a time a joy and GOd deserves to be in our thoughts.
5) Will and Kate’s marriage played into a “fairy tale”, consumerism world. God’s truths still show through, and a christian can see those truths and rejoice in them. There was beauty and royalty and it did give a beautiful show of how precious weddings are and how these commitments are not to be taken lightly. But the wedding did not point the nations to God. So I do not think that the nations were to pointed to glorify God, but the christians within the nations can see God’s truth if they take the time to search them out.
What kind of royal event was this written for?
This was written for a wedding.
What words show the psalmist’s hopeful wishes for the enemies of the king?
“Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies, let the nations fall beneath your feet.”
How can Israel understand God to be their deliverer, refuge, and strength when this psalm was sung in captivity in Babylon?
God is always a refuge in a time of need for Israel, and though it may be a difficult time for Israel, nothing changes with God. He stays the same loving God.
How mindful should we be of God at the timeof marriage?
We should be extremely mindful of God in our wedding. Everything needs to be done for the glory of God.
In the royal wedding of William and Kate a coupleof weeks ago, did the nations see God exalted? How would you justify your answer?
In some ways, I think that Williams and Kate’s wedding was more humble than most royal weddings, but it was overall, about them and not God. I third of the planet had their eyes on the T.V. What a blessing it would have been if the wedding pointed toward Christ.