Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions. (Psalm 45:6-7)
The Hebrew word that is translated as “God” is אלהים elohim. There are other instances where this same Hebrew word is translated as “judge, ruler” or even “master.” For instance, the Almighty said to Moses, “See, I have made you as God (elohim) to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1). In the role of God’s anointed judge, Moses spoke to Pharaoh with authority and the power to override the dictates of Pharaoh’s hardened heart. Obviously Moses was not to be considered as God but was appointed by God as His representative. Even though he was flesh and blood, the Almighty bestowed this title upon him as he administered God’s justice upon Egypt.
The point of addressing this is to accentuate the fact that these verses are speaking of God’s anointed King, the Messiah (the Hebrew word, משיח Mashiach, literally means “anointed one”). It is His throne that will endure forever; He holds the scepter of righteousness in His hand to rule over the nations with justice, truth and mercy (Isaiah 16:5). Earthly monarchs oftentimes attain their thrones through politics and power struggles which tend to ignore law, order and decency. Through the ages, unpopular rulers have commonly governed by brute force and tyranny, subjecting the masses to oppression and misery. The Lord’s anointed, King Messiah, will not resort to that which He hates — wickedness — in order to claim His throne. All His judgments and deeds are just, upright and beyond reproach.
As a result, the psalmist declares that, rather than the people being dismayed by His rule, they will respond with resounding joy and gladness. In fact, as evidence that He is the true Elohim, the Father has anointed Him in a way that distinguishes Him from all others. Let’s put it this way; Yeshua is not one of many messiahs, as some have claimed — He is the promised Messiah. As it is written of Him, “Behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! … To Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14). May it come speedily and in our days!
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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