FAIRER THAN THE CHILDREN OF MEN

It should not surprise us that the psalmist’s heart is ‘inditing’ or ‘bubbling up’. He speaks unreservedly of the theme of the King and His beauty. C. H. Spurgeon wrote, ‘It is a sad thing when the heart is cold with a good matter, and worse when it is warm with a bad matter, but incomparably well when a warm heart and good matter meet together’.

This psalm is an expression of the heart. It reminds us of the words of another; ‘yea, he is altogether lovely’, S. of S. 5.16. Or yet another; ‘For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!’, Zech. 9. 17. And still another; ‘the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth’, John 1.14.

There can be no doubt that the King spoken of is our Lord Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews explicitly states so by quoting verses 6 and 7 in Hebrews chapter 1 verses 8 and 9.

Our relationship to Him is one of love and praise, not merely legal or abstract. While we rest on sound doctrine concerning His person and work, our knowledge of Him should reach our hearts as well as our heads.

It has been observed by many that the primary application of this Psalm is that of Israel’s joyful reunion with her Messiah in a coming day. These will be the words of a happy and grateful nation returning to the One who has loved them like no other. But as A. G. Clarke has written, ‘Meditation upon the relationship between Christ and His New Testament Bride should stir in our hearts emotions not inferior to those of the psalmist. This great theme generates glad thoughts’.

The One who is ‘fairer than the children of men’ or ‘more beautiful’ surpasses any measurement of beauty. And it should move us that our Saviour speaks in grace to sinners who are void of beauty. Furthermore, He lifts us from our absolute unattractiveness and promises that ‘when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is’, 1 John 3. 2. How our hearts should be bubbling over at the One ‘fairer than the children of men’.