“Hear, daughter, and see for yourself; incline your ear. Forget your people and the house of your father. The king will desire your beauty. Because he is your Lord, worship him. The daughter of Tyre will offer gifts before you; the wealthy people will appease you.”

(Psalm 45:11-13 {verses 10-12 in English})

The language of these verses sounds a little like some of the language in the Song of Solomon, reflecting, too, the beauty and grandeur of Solomon’s kingdom. Of course, at the hight of its glory, Solomon’s kingdom was only a shadow of the splendor of the kingdom of Christ to come. So, as Jesus makes clear, he came with a sword, not to bring peace to the earth. Thus, we must never fall into the trap of loving our family more than we love the King of all Kings, lest we not be counted worthy of the name of Christ (Matthew 10:34-39).

So, pursue the King who is our Lord and worship Him, for he is worthy of your worship and of all praise. Leave everything behind for His glory and seek His ends and not your own. It is better and more glorious to pursue a life that is dedicated to Christ alone…but how often we choose the lesser and pursue the things of this earth.

Tyre is sometimes used in the Bible as an illustration of a people dedicated to the things of this world rather than the things of God. They were a wealthy trading people (2 Chronicles 2:14; Isaiah 23:9), but a people who, for much of Israel’s history, stood as enemies of God and facing eternal judgment (Amos 1:9), a place forever laid low and prevented from returning to its former glory (Ezekiel 26:14; 27:36). Such is the end of those who pursue the things of this world and not the things of God — for God (and his church) are not impressed by the wealth of men, for it pales before God.