“Beautiful words stir my heart. I will recite a lovely poem about the king, for my tongue is like the pen of a skillful poet. You are the most handsome of all. Gracious words stream from your lips. God himself has blessed you forever. Put on your sword, O mighty warrior! You are so glorious, so majestic! In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds! Your arrows are sharp, piercing your enemies’ hearts. The nations fall beneath your feet. Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else. Myrrh, aloes, and cassia perfume your robes. In ivory palaces the music of strings entertains you. Kings’ daughters are among your noble women. At your right side stands the queen, wearing jewelry of finest gold from Ophir! Listen to me, O royal daughter; take to heart what I say. Forget your people and your family far away. For your royal husband delights in your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord. The princess of Tyre will shower you with gifts. The wealthy will beg your favor. The bride, a princess, looks glorious in her golden gown. In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king, accompanied by her bridesmaids. What a joyful and enthusiastic procession as they enter the king’s palace! Your sons will become kings like their father. You will make them rulers over many lands. I will bring honor to your name in every generation. Therefore, the nations will praise you forever and ever.”
Psalms 45:1-17 NLT
The way we praise God says a lot about our relationship with him. A lot of classic worship is built around doctrine alone. It seems God in a clinical way in which he is worshipped only through a stringent format of gospel presentation and high theology. On the other hand, modern worship seems to eschew such decorum altogether. Instead it treats God as a lover with whom the church is passionately enthralled. Often this has no doctrine at all. The descendants of Khora present a more balanced tone for their worship. In it, pre-incarnation, they mention the idea that God is praising God, and they speak of his great works based in his character. At the same time, they also speak of God as one speaks of an icon. The King is not just a figurehead or official. He is a celebrity worthy of passionate praise. This gives us an air of David’s dance that angered his wife and the theologians of his court. Our praise should be similar. It should intentional and calculated in doctrine, but also passionate and emotional in adoration. God and his plans ought to move us the way a young girl is moved by an icon at a concert. Certainly our relationship with him ought to move us moreso than these things often do, even in our worship.
JOSH McGARY.COM 