Walking Down the Aisle of Salvation (Psalm 45)

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.

The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.

Therefore God, your God, has anointed you

with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.

~ Psalm 45:6-7

A man dressed in lavish quilts and garments stands at the throne of eternity. He, who oversees what lies beyond man’s understanding. He, who “love[s] righteousness and hate[s] wickedness” (v. 7). He, whose reign is boundless and “endures forever and ever” (v. 6). He, who alone holds the “royal scepter of equity” (v. 6). He, who exclaims for those whose voices do not reach. He, who leads and provides.

That very man, with a sturdy, authoritative exterior, is none other than our groom: Christ. In Christ—the governor of justice and love—we are set free from the shackles of “the King’s enemies” (v. 5). In this manner, Psalm 45 paints a picture of a loving, righteous King who guides his princess to salvation—away from turning the wrong corner. In “bow[ing]” and submitting ourselves to the King (v. 11), we become his bride who by walking down the aisle wittingly “follow” the path of righteousness (v. 14). That righteousness gained by walking hand in hand with the Son of Man renews us in “beauty”—a beauty which sanctifies us and allows us to become one with the Messiah—finally “enter[ing] the palace of the King.” It is in this extraordinary placement of faith that we are dignified—through Christ alone.

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Daniela Doyle is a freshman at Columbia College, hoping to double major in Economics and History. She loves catching up with friends after a long and arduous week of work on Law Bridge.