A Look at Job 28
Men have been interested in finding out the origins of all things, including themselves, and have formed their theories regarding these things. The word "origins" is defined as "The point or place where something begins, arises, or is derived". In order to try to find these origins, they have examined their environment: earth, sea, including the deepest pits and abysses, and sky. They have searched to the edge of darkness, even to the deepest darkness, the shadow of death (Job 28:3). They have looked deep into the earth. They have looked at the bottom of the seas. They have examined the air, the atmosphere, and the space above the atmosphere, as far as it is possible to see at this time. Men have looked everywhere that it is physically possible for them to look in search of the origins of man and the universe.
In all of their searching, they have found the hidden places, and starting points of the riches of the earth: the places of silver, gold, precious jewels (Job 28:1-6). Man has found this hidden wealth, cutting through rocks, even overturning mountains to their bases (v.9-10). Man has discovered the sources of every mighty river and stream on earth, and can even stop and divert them in order to extract the hidden wealth and knowledge underneath them (v. 11). Man is of the understanding that there is not much that will remain hidden from him.
However, there is a hidden place, the place of origins, that man cannot see (v. 12-14). Because he cannot see it, man does not understand, nor measure its value, as he can with gold, silver, and gems (v. 15-19). This place cannot be easily found nor accessed from any place, earth, sea or air, that contains natural life:
"It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the birds of the air." Job 28:21
In the same way that it is not in the physical heavens, it is also beyond the realm of the spiritual heavens. Even the most powerful created spiritual beings, Destruction ("Abaddon"), and Death ("Maveh") have only heard reports about it, but do not know it (v. 22).
The place, or point, of origins is beyond any place that contains creation, or created beings.
Only God knows the place and understands it (v. 23). From this place of origins, God established all of the laws and rules, all of the weights and measurements of the creation (v. 24-26) before the creation was even manifested.
God calls this concealed place of origins the place of wisdom ("chokma/chakam") and understanding ("biynah/biyn") (v. 7, 12, 20). This realm of wisdom and understanding inhabited by God, according to both the Hebrew and English meanings of the words, is a place to perceive, to discern, to understand, to distinguish, to separate mentally, to stand apart, to be separate, to teach and instruct, to perceive the intended meaning, to grasp the meaning or significnce of, to comprehend the reason, to assign a meaning to.
The place where the purpose and meaning of the creation was discerned, distinguished and separated out, became the origin of creation.
Proverbs 8 gives us a detailed description of this origin. Here is a portion below:
"The LORD possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth...When He marked out the foundations of the earth...Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman...Rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of men." Prov. 8:22-23, 29-31
When God instructed Moses to build the tabernacle after the pattern that was shown to him of the tabernacle of eternity, the workmen and women who constructed each part had been those in whose hearts God had placed "wisdom and understanding" (Ex. 31:2-11, 35:31, 36:1). From this special knowledge within them, they were able to reproduce with the finest skills, the items of the tabernacle according to the eternal pattern. In the same manner, God gave King Solomon, and those who would construct the Temple in Jerusalem, the same type of "wisdom and understanding" (1 Ki. 4:29, 7:14). They were specially gifted from this place in God, in order to accomplish a model of the eternal on earth.
To find this place of origin, God said to man, who is the only part of creation that can begin to know it:
"Behold, the fear ("yirah"-Godly fear, respect, reverence, piety, awe, honor) of the LORD, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding." Job 28:28, Prov. 8:13
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." Prov. 9:10
Finding the starting point or origin of creation, including man, lies in the underlying purpose and meaning of it in God, this purpose being the awe and reverence for God, and the turning aside from, rejection, removing, deposing of evil. Our purpose and meaning in God's will is our origin.
God encourages us all in His Word to find this place of origins where He is.
In Psalm 48, the psalmist addresses "all peoples, all inhabitants of the world". He is speaking from the place of "wisdom and understanding" (v. 3). He tells us that all men, no matter their station in life, will die like all other living creatures (v. 12), and all of their honors and wealth will not help them, nor go with them (v. 10). However, from the place of wisdom and understanding, the psalmist has seen, and declared the following:
"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me.
Selah (pause in silence to lift and exalt; weigh and value this)" (v. 15).
By looking into and from this special place inhabited by God, the psalmist was able to receive and proclaim this great truth that only the God of all creation can promise.
We, in particular, who are part of Christ, have been given access and invitation through Him, and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to this place of wisdom and understanding in the Father:
"...that the God of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling..." Eph. 1:17-18
"...we... do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord... attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father, and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Col. 1:9-10, 2:2-3
"...that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 1:4-5
Through His Word, and by His Spirit, we have access to our Father's realm of wisdom and understanding. Our words and lives should reflect this, and we can teach others.
As man has searched for, and published theories of our origins, he has looked in every place but the place where it can be found. Because of this, the various theories fall far short. The origin of the species is not found in Darwin's theories. It is not even found in Adam and Eve. Our origins are found in the thought and statement of God, Elohim, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). Our true origins are found in the hidden place that existed before beginnings: the wisdom and understanding of God.
Our Father wants us to know the place of our origins. He wants us to seek it, because it is with Him.
Our origins are in the wisdom and understanding of our Father.
"In The Beginning"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJlJ2j_mcxg
Most of us, both men and women, care enough about our appearance that we are willing to put time, effort, and money into it. We shop for and purchase clothing, outerwear, accessories, including jewelry, based upon what society and the fashion industry dictates. Once we purchase the items, we take care of them, keeping them cleaned, pressed, and ready to wear.
As well as having natural clothing, visible to the eye, we also have spiritual clothing. Perhaps some don't realize that we all have spiritual clothing, but scripture makes it very clear that we do. While our spiritual clothing is just as real as our natural clothing, we don't pay much attention to it, because we can't see it, and it can't be seen by others- or so we think.
While scripture has many references to spiritual clothing, natural clothing that has spiritual significance, and lack of clothing altogether, I will limit this discussion to three categories of spiritual clothing.
Let's start with the spiritual clothing of the wicked:
"As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; as he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, so let it enter his body like water, and like oil into his bones. Let it be to him like the garment which covers him, and for a belt with which he girds himself continually. Let this be the LORD's reward to my accusers, and to those who speak evil against my person....Let my accusers be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle."
Psalm 109:17-20, 29, a psalm of David
The malicious character of the wicked person covers him in layers of spiritual garments, from his inner tunic to his outer mantle, even to the belt that surrounds his waist. The nature of these particular garments causes the fruits of the wicked person's maliciousness to seep back into him. While the wicked man's intention is to cause harm to others, he doesn't realize that a spiritual garment is being woven around him with each wicked thought, word or deed. That garment will cause his own life to be poisoned.
The next set of garments are for those who set up a "system" of righteousness, and live their lives making sure that they maintain the appearance of Godliness and holiness, but their inward thoughts and ways fall far short. We might look upon their natural outward appearance, and admire their seemingly righteous ways, but God is not as impressed with them as we are, because He sees the heart inside a man:
"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Sam. 16:7
"All the ways of man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirits." Pro. 16:2
"Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart." Ps. 44:21
"O, LORD, You have searched me and known me," Ps. 139:1
"I, the LORD, search the heart. I test the mind (most secret parts)..." Jer. 17:10
So what do the spiritual garments of the outwardly Godly, but inwardly sinful look like?
"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags...our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isa. 64:6
The "filthy rags" as described here are, by definition, defiled by the body's unclean fluids, cast off fluids of fruitlessness, fluids that have not brought forth life, as they were purposed. The garments might be the finest white, but the stains of the sinful heart are all over them to the point that the spiritual garments have become repellant. Jesus agreed, describing this condition of the most outwardly religious people, the scribes of the Law and the Pharisees, as being like whitewashed tombs- clean and beautiful on the outside, but full of death, corruption, and uncleanness on the inside (Mt. 23:27). These unbearable religious rules of men do not bring men to God, and do not generate life, but rather death and condemnation (Mt. 16:6, 23:15).
So if the spiritual garments of the seemingly righteous are so revoltingly stained, what is the answer?
The prophet Isaiah tells us:
"...In these ways we continue, and we need to be saved." Isa. 64:5
The apostle Paul taught:
"...that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith..." Phil. 3:8-9
This brings us to the third set of spiritual garments. These are garments attained through salvation by Christ. They are garments that are produced as Jesus cleanses us from the inside, out. These garments are not produced out of our own righteousness, which doesn't exist, but only as a result of our union and oneness with Christ, and His righteousness, which is the righteousness of God:
"...that He might sanctify and cleanse her (the Church, like a wife to whom Christ is joined) with the washing of water by the word." Eph. 5:26
Because our spiritual garments reflect the spiritual condition of our hearts and minds, this is where the cleansing begins, and this cleansing is done with the washing of water (including the Holy Spirit) by the Word, both the written and Living Word, which is Christ. The process is also described this way by the LORD:
Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
Isa. 1:18
The appearance of these spiritual garments of salvation are described:
"For as many of you were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Gal. 3:27
"...that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." Eph. 5:27
"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints ("kodesh/kadesh"-apartness, holiness, separateness, consecrate, sanctify, holy, separate)" Rev. 19:7-8
These particular spiritual garments are the garments of a wife, one who is intimately joined to her Husband, Christ, so that the two become one. His righteousness becomes our own.
As you can see, there are different types of spiritual garments. We have been called to wear the beautiful spiritual bridal garments of righteousness. We should keep in mind, however, that the true spiritual condition of our hearts and minds are reflected upon these garments. Let us daily repent and renew our intimate relationship with the One who washes us clean from the inside, out, and clothes us in pure, clean, bright linen.
Our Father has clothed us in garments of salvation.
"Refiner's Fire"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y8zP34AhuU
"Create in Me a Clean Heart"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv16YUTCp9U
It is interesting that Moses used the verb "cleave" (davak- follow hard, pursue, join, keep fast), to apply to our relationship with God:
"But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day."
Deut. 4:4
"Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; Him shalt thou serve, and to Him shalt thou cleave, and swear by His name." Deut. 10:20
"For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him.." Deut. 11:22
"Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him." Deut. 13:4
"That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy life, and the length of thy days..." Deut. 30:20
"Who, when he (Barnabas) came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and had exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave ("prosmeno" Grk.-abide, dwell, hold fast, persevere, adhere to, be steadfastly devoted) unto the Lord." Acts 12:23
Scripture is strong in instructing us that our relationship to God should be one of "cleaving" to Him. Moses said that it is a matter of life and death.
We can all understand the need to cleave to God. However, surprisingly, there is another relationship in which the LORD allows, even commands, that we "cleave" to someone other than Him. It is in the relationship of husband to wife.
The LORD brought every creature of the ground and the air to Adam to see what he would name them. Whatever Adam named them, that would be their names (Gen. 2:19-20). Adam, in naming creation, also defined it.
God then creates a help meet for Adam from Adam's own flesh. The term "help meet" in Hebrew, "ezer", means not only to be a help, but also to aid, defend, surround and protect. This is a powerful, wonderful thing. About this, scripture declares:
"Therefore, shall a man leave (azav-forsake, fail, refuse, leave, abandon, neglect, desert, relinquish, destitute) his father and his mother, and shall cleave (davak- follow hard, pursue, join, keep fast) unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh (echad)." Gen. 2:24
So important is the cleaving relationship of husband to wife, that it requires a kind of "leaving" of other relationships, even those relationships that defined and named who a man was before cleaving to the wife. In fact, the very Hebrew word used for man, "adam", in verses previous to this one, changes in this verse to "iysh". Iysh means "champion, great man, high (degree). The very character and purpose of man has changed in God's eyes and Word when he cleaves to the woman. It is interesting that the man and woman involved are not described as cleaving to each other. The man is the one who cleaves to the wife. Men, does that sound unfair? There is a reason for it, however.
The New Testament reveals why the relationship of husband to wife is allowed to be characterized by the same "cleaving" that man is to have with God.
The Apostle Paul taught about the "echad" (see Gen 2:24 above) cleaving of husband to wife as a shadow and type of Christ's relationship with the Church (Eph. 5:23-24). Christ cleaves to the Church, His Bride. It is even through this echad, as a result of cleaving with the Church, that Christ sanctifies and cleanses it with the washing of the Word (v. 26). Jesus sends the Comforter (Holy Spirit) to us, who will abide in us for ever (Jn. 14:16). Thankfully, our Christ Husband has cleaved onto us, and will not let us go:
"...Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me, I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that scripture might be fulfilled." Jn. 17:11-12, 18:9
"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will be no means cast out...This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day." Jn. 6:37, 39
"...lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age...I will never leave you nor forsake you." Mt. 28:20, Heb. 13:5
Jesus cleaves to us, His Bride, like the man is to cleave to his wife. Jesus does not break the Word of God, because He is the Word.
There is a very interesting account from scripture of a king and his wife. The king, Ahasuerus ("I am silent and humble" and also now believed to mean "lion-king"), was seemingly a lax king, as Biblical kings go, even though he was the king of the world's greatest empire at the time: Media-Persia ("in the midst of purity and splendor"). He allowed his advisors and counsellors to have great authority in his realm. He even gave his signet ring, a symbol of his authority, to his advisor, Haman ("magnificent"), to do with as Haman pleased, even if it was the killing of thousands (Est. 3:10-11). If a decree was sealed with the signet ring of the king, it could never be revoked (Est. 8:8). Such was the importance of the king's seal, or signet. Imagine a king who would be so trusting, almost indifferent, with the symbol of his power! He even followed the advice of Haman, honoring a man, who turned out to be Mordecai, by putting his own royal robes on him, and allowing the man to ride the king's own horse (Est. 6:7-10). This was not a king who seemed to be tied to his possessions, or even to his own power.
On one occasion, however, this king was not lax. Through certain circumstances, the king found the evil Haman sprawled upon the couch where his Queen, Esther, was seated. The king became so stirred, and outraged, that the words with which he condemned Haman were such a powerful judgment, that they became a physical substance that covered Haman's face (Est. 7:8). That's how much power and authority is in the king's mouth. The king had Haman and his ten sons hanged (Est. 7:9-10, 9:13). The king didn't bestir himself with many things, not even his own power, but when it came to someone touching Esther, the royal bride, that was a different story.
The command for a man to cleave unto his wife is not unfair, nor unreasonable, it is prophetic. As the man, Adam, was to cleave unto his wife, even as the "lion-king" cleaved unto his wife, even more so Christ cleaves Himself to His Bride for ever.
Our Father commands us to cleave to Him, and His Son eternally cleaves to us, His Bride.
"Abide With Me"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5nbq_VEea0
"His Eye Is On The Sparrow"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7Pk5YMkEcg
This is going to be another Big Ed story. Big Ed was my father. I have written about him previously in an entry entitled "Road".
I was in my senior year of high school, preparing to take the written and road tests for a driver's license. My school offered Driver's Ed courses, but we only actually drove for one period/week. Towards the end of the course, it was time to practice parallel parking. Since there were four students in each car, we had to take turns driving, so we didn't get much time for each student to drive. It turned out that our driving teacher, I'll call him Mr. K., was a "yeller". As we would attempt to back up into the parking space at the curb, he would be yelling, "Turn the wheel, turn the wheel!", "Turn it harder!", "Straighten out!". "Stop, stop!". He especially hated it when we stomped on the brake, stopping the car suddenly, because his seat belt would pull tightly right across the area of his stomach ulcer. His yelling could really rattle you, when you were already a little nervous. After all, it wasn't as if we were trying to do badly.
While most of my driving was pretty good, I was having trouble with the parallel parking. At home, my Mom would sometimes take me out to practice driving, but she was the nervous type. Out on the road with her, it wouldn't be long before we would be turning back towards home, because she just couldn't take it. My father, on the other hand, was far more relaxed when giving a driving lesson. He was even known to fall asleep a time or two at critical moments. So, one Sunday after dinner, I asked my Dad if he would take me to practice parallel parking, and he agreed. That late afternoon, we had just driven one house up the street, when he told me to go ahead and parallel park in front of the neighbor's parked station wagon.
I completed the parking, and I don't remember it being too bad of an effort. After I finished parking, we sat and talked about it for a few seconds, and then he indicated for me to pull out, and resume driving. While we had been sitting parked, I forgot that I still had the car in reverse gear. So when I stepped on the gas to pull out, instead of going forward, we went backwards, and I hit the neighbor's car behind us. I froze in place, stunned, and then looked over at Big Ed. Being used to the yelling of from my high school driving teacher, I braced myself for the anger that my Dad would unleash. To my surprise, Big Ed began waving his hands to go forward, and said, "Hurry up, just go!" And we did. As we sped off, my Dad was sitting there in the passenger seat, laughing. When we came back in the house, my Mom asked, "How did it go?", and my Dad just answered "Fine." There were certain things you just couldn't tell my mother (although she seemed to know a lot of what was going on anyway! How did she do that?). I did go and peek at the neighbor's car the next day, and couldn't see damage. That was back in the day when cars were made out of metal.
While I don't condone Big Ed's relaxed attitude towards the rules of the road, and I don't recommend "hit and run" for solving life's little problems, that day I did form an appreciation for my father's teaching technique. I was thankful that he wasn't a "yeller", and that he knew how to keep a secret. He never mentioned the "station wagon incident" to me again, and I went on to successfully pass the driving test, including parallel parking.
Our Father in heaven is, in some ways, like Big Ed. While He doesn't believe in breaking His Law, including His command to love our neighbor (and not to hit his car), He provided a covering for us through His dear Son. Like Big Ed, our heavenly Father, through His Holy Spirit, is not a "yeller" (1 Ki. 19:12-13), even though His voice is powerful and unmistakable. For those who sincerely seek to live in His Spirit, He doesn't teach by using condemnation (Jn. 5:24, Rom. 8:1), and most of the time, things remain a shared secret between you and Him (Prov. 11:13). The tests come (James 1:2-4), and He fully expects us to pass them with flying colors, but if we fail, He will teach us again, and give us a second chance. Many times, I have been thankful for God's second, third, and fourth chances. How He continues to teach in mercy and patience (James 3:17), is something I wish I could master. As with Big Ed, I have formed an appreciation for God's teaching technique.
Our Father is a great teacher.
"One Thing Remains"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_KXsMCJgBQ
The writer of Psalm 45 is very excited. He can't wait to tell you about the revelation he has received about a very special King, and that King's royal household. He describes his psalm as a "A Song of Loves".
He starts by saying, "My heart is inditing a good matter", meaning in his inner man, in his soul, he is bubbling over, stirred up, by the "dabar" word that he has received. This word concerns the King, whom we can quickly see by the writer's description, is the Messiah. He is described as Lord (Adonai), and daughters are told to worship Him (v. 11). This is not speaking of an earthly king. These daughters are told to leave their own houses and people, and to be joined to this King's house. Even this King's adversaries, represented here as the "daughter of Tyre" (sharp stone used as a knife, adversary, to bind, to show hostility, to assault, beset and distress), will come bringing offerings, sacrifices, and tribute to Him. The prophet Zechariah tells of the time when even the enemy nations, who attempted to destroy Jerusalem, will come to Jerusalem bringing gifts and offerings to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, during the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech. 14:16). This psalm's description is very much like that prophetic word. There is no doubt that this psalmist is writing a revelation, a prophetic vision, regarding the Messiah, Jesus Christ. However, this vision also includes those who are with this special King in His household.
There are several female personifications used in this psalm as being part of the King's royal household:
The King is attended by honourable (weighed down with rare, precious jewels, building stones made of the finest marble, magnificent, rare, glorious splendid) women of royalty (v. 9). These special "women" are His surroundings, they compass Him about.
The "queen" (shegsl/shagal- the king's wife, consort, cohabitant, to gather or pour out water in buckets) stands at this King's right hand, covered in the gold ("kethem": pure gold, hidden away in treasuries, to carve or engrave, to be enscribed indelibly) of Ophir (source of fine gold, precious stones and sandalwood). The bride or queen of the King stands at His right hand. The queen, according to the Hebrew meaning of the word, is associated with the gathering and pouring out of water. She is truly glorious, but she is a hidden treasure (2 Cor. 4:3, 7), because of the treasure's very preciousness. The meaning of the "queen", associated with the pouring out, and gathering of water, is a picture of the Bride of Christ to me. The Holy Spirit fills the believers in Christ with living water:
"If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive...)" Jn. 7:37-39
Those intended to be royal brides are like Rebekah. They both draw water, and they pour out water for the benefit of others:
"Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, "Please let down your pitcher that I may drink", and she says, "Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink"- let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant Isaac. And by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master," Gen. 24:14
The believers both receive water, and pour out water. Spirit filled believers, like the queen above, are seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). Though they were once dead in sin, they received the salvation of Jesus, and became one with Him, His Bride. Also, the queen of this psalm, like the description of the city of God, New Jerusalem, is prepared like a bride adorned for her husband (Rev. 21:2), and is associated with being pure gold (Rev. 21:18, 21).
Next, we are told by the psalmist of the second "generation", who is part of the King's royal household. This generation would come after His marriage to the queen. The King's "daughter" (bath- a combination of the word for son, or first, and the word for build a house, repair a house) is glorious (kabad/ kabode glory) within (inside, inner wall). Her clothing is of "wrought gold". The term "wrought" refers to a filigree work, or plaited work, that is meant to be a setting for jewels. The gold spoken of here, is the zahab golden splendor of the heavens, even the sun, itself. This royal daughter is brought to the King in raiment of needlework, or embroidery. Similarly, as God speaks to Jerusalem, and of His covenant with her, in Ez. 16:9-14, He describes how He dressed and adorned Jerusalem. Part of the description includes gold, embroidery, and jewels. In that prophecy, the LORD remarks that her beauty is perfect, because He put His own comeliness (adorning decoration, splendor, majesty, ornament, honor) upon her (Ez. 16:14). However, she used her covenant beauty to worship idols.
This passage from Psalm 45 regarding the presence of this royal daughter, is speaking to me about those beautiful Jewish believers who will recognize and receive their Messiah (Zech. 12:10), having been blinded originally for our sake until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (Rom. 11:23, 25-27). Then having been grafted back again into the root of Christ, she once again, through the atonement and restoration of the Messiah King, walks in that glorious royal beauty of covenant that God had purposed for her from the beginning, and as described in the prophecy of Ezekiel.
Lastly mentioned are "the virgins" (pure, unspotted, bride, city). They follow (afterward, tarry, delayed, slack, remain behind, cause to delay, hesitate) after the royal daughter coming in to the King (v. 14). They are described as "companions", which can mean "fellow citizens, brothers, friends, other persons". The root of the word companions means "shepherd, pastor, company, sheep, to tend, to pasture". I do not associate the virgins mentioned at this place in the psalm as being the initial Bride of Christ. The reason I don't is because of the meaning of the word "follow" used in connection with them. Also, the queen, the wife of the King, is already established and standing at the right hand of the King when the virgins enter. These virgins are entering the King's court after that event. Jesus told a parable in Mt. 25, about a group of virgins. Half of the ten virgins are prepared to enter into the wedding with the Bridegroom when He comes, and half are not prepared. The unprepared are virgins like the others, they have lamps (light, Messiah) like the others, they even have some oil for those lamps like the others. However, they don't have enough oil, and their lamps go out, are quenched, at the moment of the Bridegroom's arrival. They are frantic to get more oil, but it is too late. Perhaps these "foolish" virgins, while waiting for the Bridegroom (Christ), lost interest, became negligent in their faith, slack in righteousness and, therefore, were not prepared when He came suddenly. In any case, they did not make it into the wedding. When they tried to get in anyway, the Bridegroom told them that He didn't "know" them, meaning He didn't perceive them, or see them. Perhaps the Bridegroom of the parable, Jesus Himself, "knows" His Bride, His Queen, by the "ore" light shining in them, which is His own light. Though the foolish virgins knew the Bridegroom, they allowed the light, the glory, the Holy Spirit, that comes from being one with Him, to be neglected, disappointed, "quenched" as they waited for Him. They missed their time, their opportunity to enter the wedding, but what happened to them afterwards? If I were one of them, after that terrible missed opportunity, I would have made sure to have gallons of "oil" continually on hand. Could the virgins mentioned in this Psalm be those "slack, remain behind, hesitating, delaying" virgins who previously missed their opportunity to enter in at the time of the wedding? Those who should have entered earlier, but were unprepared for His sudden appearance? However, having a knowledge of Jesus, they may have gotten to enter in at a later time. We don't know for sure, it is a mystery (root meaning of the word "foolish"). Perhaps this psalm is giving us a glimpse into that mystery. In any case the virgin companions following the royal daughter, who is the second generation, come in before the King with "gladness" and "rejoicing" ( a revolution of time, a circle of time, an age). Though they have hesitated, and tarried, and have even caused a delay, they have finally arrived to the King's court. I would enter with gladness ("simchah"- very joyful, pleasure, glee, joyful cries, gaiety, joyful banquets, loving pleasures) also, if I were one of them. Glad for a Savior who did not forget me and leave me outside forever, but mercifully filled me again with His Holy Spirit, and restored the joy and zeal of my salvation, and the "ore" light of His presence. In any case, with the arrival of these virgins, the glorious royal household is now complete. The arrival of the virgins, though late and delayed, marks the end of one age, and the beginning of another. There is a feast called "Simchat Torah" (Joy of the Torah/Word) that comes after the Feast of Tabernacles, when the door is shut. This feast of Simchat Torah on the eighth day marks the end of one cycle of Torah reading, and the beginning of a new cycle.
Both the royal daughter, and the virgin companions who follow after her, enter into the King's palace (palace, temple, sanctuary, heavenly temple, the holy tabernacle).
Perhaps you will draw different conclusions from the picture created by this special psalm, but to me, it does indeed paint an image of "a song of loves", the loves of a Messiah for us that made us glorious, and royal, and a part of His heavenly household.
After seeing the almost indescribable glory and splendor of this special King's royal court, the psalmist is so overwhelmed and excited that he declares that he will make the King's name to be remembered in all generations, and "therefore, shall people praise Thee forever and ever." Me too!
Our Father reveals the Messiah King's royal court to us.
"Enter His Gates"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqkW19B0d3g
"I Stand in Awe of You"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmZTz5H49zw
