A friend of mine, Patrick Beard of Indigenous Outreach International, asked me about Psalm 45:10-11, which I mentioned in my book on the Council of Nicea. I love that passage, and I want to share my answer to him with you.

So, here’s the email:

Ps. 45:10-11 is for me a more emotional version of “There is no one who has given up relatives and lands for my sake who shall not receive a hundredfold in this life and in the age to come, life everlasting” (loosely quoted, I didn’t look that up).

Psalm 45:10-11 is a more positive side of “If you love father and mother more than me, you are not worthy of me.”

Those quotes from Jesus are important (of course). We must put him first, or we are not worthy of him. Even better, if we forsake everything for him, we will receive a hundredfold in this life.

But Psalm 45:10-11 is the best of all. Forget your own people and your father’s house—leave them behind to come be in Jesus’ house—and the King will greatly desire your beauty.

The picture is a feminine one, of course, addressed to daughters, and I am not a daughter. The church is a bride; I am not a bride.

Nonetheless, this represents the call of Christ to me. Leave everything behind, and enter his household, and he will not only reward you and find you worthy, he will greatly desire your beauty.

Maybe this passage, to me, is like John 15 from Christ’s lips: “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Continue in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall continue in my love.” And, “You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.”

Somehow, the picture from Psalm 45:10-11 drove that home for me. It’s an incredible thought to me that the King might not only be pleased with me, but that he would count me a friend (greatly desire my beauty).

In 1 Chronicles 27, there is a list of all sorts of officers that served King David. The office I want is found in v. 33 and held by Hushai the Archite.