“For the LORD Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth…. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne” (Psa 47:2, 6–8).
In literature, context is always king. Once we recognize that Psalms 42–49, the psalms of the sons of Korah, form a thoughtfully arranged unit at the beginning of Book II of the Psalter, we see that God is always King. The sons of Korah declare God to be “my King” in Psalm 44:4 [5]. After the enemy nations are subdued in Psalms 45–46, the greatness of God is celebrated by Israel and the nations in Psalms 47–48 (Psa 47:2, 6–8).
Consistent with this context, God (Elohim) is also King in Psalm 45. “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Psa 45:6). For this reason, his name is praised forever and ever (Psa 45:17; see 47:1, 6–9; 48:1, 10, 14).
…Psalm 45 comes into full view: it is an explicit affirmation of the divine nature of Israel’s Messiah, who is also praised as the fairest of men.
Two theological truths become clear when we read Psalms 42–49 contextually. First, Rashi’s identification of the “throne” as God in Psalm 45:6, offered in his polemical interpretation against the New Testament, does not fit the context. Second, identifying the “king” as God in that same verse is fully consistent with the context. At this point, the truth of Psalm 45 comes into full view: it is an explicit affirmation of the divine nature of Israel’s Messiah, who is also praised as the fairest of men (see Psa 45:2).
Because context is king, God is King. And since the Messiah is the King in Psalm 45, he is rightly understood to be God. When we grasp this Christological truth, like King David, we too will call Yeshua “Lord!”
“The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet’” (Psa 110:1).
