Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom, (45:6).

When I first finished today’s reading in Psalms, it seemed it would be a struggle to see anything that might connect these together. Was there anything to consider about Him that might relate the one to the other?

Psalm 44 begins strong, as the writer recalls the stories he has heard of his nation’s history and faith in God as their only source of strength and victory.

O God, we have heard with our ears,
Our fathers have told us
The work that You did in their days,
In the days of old.
² You with Your own hand drove out the nations;
Then You planted them;
You afflicted the peoples,
Then You spread them abroad.
³ For by their own sword they did not possess the land,
And their own arm did not save them,
But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence,
For You favored them, (44:1-3).

The psalmist then goes on to declare his own faith in God, his King, professing an absolute confidence in Him alone for salvation and victory.

You are my King, O God;
Command victories for Jacob.
⁵ Through You we will push back our adversaries;
Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.
⁶ For I will not trust in my bow,
Nor will my sword save me, (44:4-6).

And here, in the face of the nation’s tremendous affliction and suffering, he declares their innocence before Him, that they have remained loyal to His covenant, and boldly asserts in great detail that it is God, Himself Who bears responsibility for the cause of all their pain.

Yet You have rejected us and brought us to dishonor,
And do not go out with our armies…
¹⁷ All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten You,
And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant.
¹⁸ Our heart has not turned back,
And our steps have not deviated from Your way,
¹⁹ Yet You have crushed us in a place of jackals
And covered us with the shadow of death, (44:9, 17-19).

Their suffering came at the hands of their King. I was immediately reminded of the six-week Precept Ministries study that I am participating in at church, “Living Victoriously in Difficult Times.” Much of what we have studied is similar to what the writer in Psalm 44 pens. And the reality is, suffering is not always a result of sin and disobedience. Remember Job?

And actually, the truth is, suffering is a given for every believer.

For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, (Philippians 1:29).

Suffering is part of God’s plan that strengthens and develops our faith, perseverance and character.

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; ⁵ and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us, (Romans 5:3-5).

And as Psalm 44 ends on a seemingly low note, faith is there, looking to his King for help and redemption that is in keeping with His lovingkindness.

For our soul has sunk down into the dust;
Our body cleaves to the earth.
²⁶ Rise up, be our help,
And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness, (44:25-26).

And the next words we read in Psalm 45, overflow with a faith in his King that is ready to be shared.

My heart overflows with a good theme;
I address my verses to the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer, (45:1).

Psalm 45 is written in praise and celebration of the King’s wedding day; and is also viewed as a Messianic Psalm that looks forward in faith when the promised Son of David will one day sit on His throne to rule in righteousness for all eternity.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom, (45:6).

Scepter: “a rod or wand borne in the hand as an emblem of regal or imperial power, royal or imperial power or authority; sovereignty.” And in the Hebrew the scepter is “a symbol of authority of the one bearing it,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

The Scepter of His Kingdom signifies His regal, imperial power, authority and sovereignty.

And the Scepter of His Kingdom is one of uprightness, (justice and equity). In the original language, “evenness is the fundamental sense of this word. It denotes straight, as opposed to crooked,”  Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

And it was in the Scepter of His Kingdom, His rule that is just and straight, that the writer of Psalm 44, in the midst of oppression, affliction and suffering, dared to place all his faith.

Rise up, be our help,
And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness, (44: 26).

The connection between these two Psalms became clear in Jesus Christ, our Savior. No matter what is going on, no matter the suffering and oppression, He is forever on the throne, ruling by the Scepter of His Kingdom, governing in righteousness and truth.

Consider the Scepter of His Kingdom

• The Scepter of His Kingdom Magnifies His Majesty.
  • Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One,
    In Your splendor and Your majesty! (45:3).

• • • For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty, (2 Peter 1:16).

• The Scepter of His Kingdom Illustrates His Ideals of truth, meekness and righteousness.
  • And in Your majesty ride on victoriously,
    For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; (45:4).

• • • And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth, (John 1:14).
    • “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light,” (Matthew 11:29-30 KJV).
    • But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30).

• The Scepter of His Kingdom Imparts His Inheritance.
  • In place of your fathers will be your sons;
    You shall make them princes in all the earth, (45:16).

• • • …in Him ¹¹ also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, (Ephesians 1:10-11).

• The Scepter of His Kingdom Motivates our Memory.
  • I will cause Your name to be remembered in all generations… (45:17).

• • • “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you,” (John 14:26).

• The Scepter of His Kingdom Generates our Gratitude.
  • …Therefore the peoples will give You thanks forever and ever(45:17).

• • • Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ⁷ having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude, (Colossians 2:6-7).

How do we respond to the Scepter of His Kingdom?

These days feel anything but even and straight. Whether we feel as though the foundations are crumbling or that injustice is the rule of law, the Scepter of His Kingdom should bring us great comfort, hope and courage for the future. Jesus Christ will never be defeated, and He will forever rule with equity and justice, for a Scepter of uprightness is the Scepter of His Kingdom.

No matter the circumstances, we too can boldly place our faith for our future in Jesus Christ, our Savior. In Christ, we can stand assured, trusting the Scepter of His Kingdom that will keep us from stumbling, today and forever.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, ²⁵ to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen, (Jude 1:24-25).

And as we stand in Him in faith, our hearts will overflow with praise for His righteous rule and reign. We’ve all heard it said that we may be the only Bible some people ever read.

Oh Lord, may we be so surrendered to You as our Lord and King, and so filled with gratitude that our praise overflows so others may see You to find hope and salvation in the Scepter of Your Kingdom.

My heart overflows with a good theme;
I address my verses to the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer, (45:1).

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence, (1 Peter 3:15).

Let’s Grow Together!