The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold. … “Your sons will become kings like their father. You will make them rulers over many lands.” (Psalms 45:13; 16)
One of my favorite things about the Bible is its amazing historicity and with that, the vibrant images its pages paint on the canvas of my vivid imagination. The forty-fifth psalm is one of such that just light me up with its brilliant imagery. Being your typical girly girl (hopefully sans drama or wiles), I appreciate all forms of elegance, beauty and style, especially when intrinsic, tasteful, understated, unrehearsed, and uncontrived. That said, I thoroughly enjoy the glitz and glamor associated with genuine royalty (that qualifier is used for a reason; I am thoroughly aware that my definition may vary vastly from media and movie portrayals which are heavily influenced by focus frenzies, social trends, popular opinions and the like). In this psalm is found a mesmerizing portrayal of the coming Messianic King in all His splendor and glory. In it we get a glimpse of the immensity of His beauty, glory, gallantry, integrity, majesty, prosperity, humility, and divinity, to name a few of the mentioned traits. In my mind, this chapter’s depiction is akin to the modern world’s portrayal of Cinderella’s Prince Charming (minus any feigned charisma).
But beyond the alluring words of romanticism and royalty lie depths of truth that are as startling as they are evocative. The magnificent King portrayed in this poetic discourse wields mysteries too deep and numerous to delve into now, but suffice it to say that His centrality and magnetism are striking and unequivocal. There is however another interesting but lesser known subject depicted in these verses, and she is the person on whom we will rest our focus today.
The Princess Diaries
Suppose you were an exotic princess from a foreign land chosen to be the bride of the most powerful king of the realm, and centuries later, your life’s diaries were discovered in the archeological archives. What would those diaries reveal about you – your thoughts, emotions, fears, experiences, joys, sorrows, etc.? More importantly, what would they reveal about the king to whom you were married, and the outcome and offspring produced from that union?
The King And I
I am always blown away when I read the stories of the ancient Kings of Israel depicted in the first and second books of Kings and Chronicles. I love to read about the rise and fall of each king and his empire, especially the things that caused each to fail or succeed. It is always heartwarming to share in the victories and triumphs of the God-honoring kings, while commiserating with their mistakes, losses and life lessons learned. It is awful to relive the travesty of the wicked, God-dishonoring kings, and to observe through those spirited pages the tragedy and turmoil that marked or followed their reigns. When I start reading a narrative I know will end poorly, I often find myself groaning (or moaning) at their avoidable errors and wishing I could erase and rewrite the pages of the script with a noble, happy, and glorious ending. One commonality I have observed in all the narratives, good or bad, and without exception, is the role each king’s mother (or mother-figure such as an aunt, grandmother or nanny) had to play in their upbringing and ensuing successes or failures, seemingly regardless of the progenitor king’s disposition.
Not much is known about God-dishonoring king mothers, save the really bad ones (e.g., the famed Jezebel and Athaliah, the mother-daughter duo who terrorized their kingdom with such vileness and degeneracy that they both died violent, shameful and painful deaths – the very antithesis of dignity and royalty), but we can deduce a lot with pinpoint accuracy as we observe the byproduct(s) of their rearing endeavors. Barring divine intervention, God-dishonoring mothers will produce God-dishonoring, irrelevant offspring, ill-equipped to rule honorably and excellently. Such offspring often prove unworthy of an enduring dynasty. The women who produce these types of leaders destroy their destiny’s relevance and obviate their impact and purpose. While God’s immeasurable mercies and life’s vicissitudes ensure that exceptions occur to every tendency and trend, this unfortunate conclusion will become the likely fate of such offspring if they don’t somehow develop a different heart and mindset from those to which they were exposed.
The implications of this to modern-day God-lovers are ponderous to say the least. They are born to rule kingdoms and realms literally, figuratively or transcendently (i.e., lead on their jobs, in their homes, communities, vocations, etc., and rule spiritually through prayer and intimacy with God).
One Night With The King
Esther is a renown queen of Bible history whose singular act of heroism and national redemption started with a simple decision to remain true to herself, her heritage and her calling, untainted by the vices of personal ambition, agenda and avarice. She chose as her only adornment the simplicity of a serene, unassuming, non-jostling attitude1 when she got her once-in-a-lifetime audience with the most powerful king of that realm. I believe this courageous heart attitude rooted in a deep honor for God were the virtues that distinguished her as one of the greatest queens of all time. She wielded immense power, not by physical or military might or strategy, but by a God-like disposition of wisdom, reverence, and a purity of heart that distinctively defined her actions and outcomes. She disarmed the powerful king who later became her husband and his scheming deputy by the dignity and nobility of her character backed by God’s power, not by her alluring beauty, exotic features, shapely figure, or provocative clothing. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with being lovely, smart, compelling, fashionable, and the like, but when these endowments are used as self-serving avenues for attention-grabbing, personal gratification and other clouded intentions, they become putrid, poisonous and perverted, derailing from the original intent for which they were bestowed and destroying their potential to produce genuine greatness, impact and legacy.
I have observed that the ancient queens who (presumably) displayed similar qualities to Esther’s typically bore offspring who became God-honoring, transformative leaders. These royals enjoyed various measures of success, the latter directly correlating with the degree to which they honored and obeyed Him. While most of these queen mothers were noble mentions only (due to time and space, and because that era was largely limited in their understanding of the female as a unique expression of God’s gifts, glory and creativity, and were therefore misogynistic in tendencies), the fact that they are mentioned by name or at all speaks volumes. Detailed descriptions of such queens or queen-representatives usually uncover the Esther-like characteristics that marked these women as quiet forces to be contended with who produced remarkable and legendary kings.
Bee Queen!
The queen bee is considered all that and more in the bee kingdom (being the biologic mother of most, if not all the bees in her hive). Indeed, the activities of every hive largely revolve around protecting her productivity potential. According to Wikipedia, her primary function is to serve as the (sole) reproducer in the hive, and a well-mated, well-fed queen of quality stock can lay about 1,500 eggs per day during the spring (more than her own body weight in eggs) every day 2. Fascinatingly, the queen honey bee holds court to hundreds of male drones while being served by thousands of attendants. She is continuously surrounded by worker bees who meet her every need, giving her food and disposing of her waste3, which I suppose permit her to concentrate on the herculean task of birthing the next generation.
These behaviors leave no doubt that she is indeed the queen; her privileges and the servile nature of the other bees toward her clearly demarcate her station. Unfortunately, her prolificity and identity as the queen mother are where her similarities to humans and relevance to this discussion end. Human queens (at least the kind we seek to emulate) are not only prolific in reproduction (in all its dimensions – spiritual, biological, sociological, psychological, etc.), they concurrently manage and serve their offspring and many others besides. The queens that captivate our attention and admiration are consummate servant-leaders and multitaskers who lead AND serve their people faithfully, diligently and in multifaceted roles and spheres. They take advantage of their privileged position and platform as queen – not to promote themselves, wealth, legacy or other personal agenda (remember the sad fate of Esther’s predecessor Vashti 4 and the famously infamous Jezebel 5), but to intentionally and methodically nurture and groom offspring or others in their sphere of influence to become worthy dignitaries, having been inculcated with the foundational characteristics necessary for effective rulership. These characteristics are a true honor for and corroborating lifestyle to that of the King of Kings, a genuine heart for their subjects, and an all-encompassing attitude of excellence.6 As seen in Psalms 45, these women are intentional about raising (or influencing) kings that will rule well and leave a legacy for the upcoming generations.
The queen bee’s essence is to reproduce generations of offspring who will effectively lead and impact their world. God-appointed queens (i.e. women who, irrespective of their age, marital status and station in life know who they are {have a strong AND accurate sense of their identity}, Whose they are {they originate from and flourish in God, and are confident about His intentionality in creating them to be unique expressions of His beauty and love}, and what they are about {are entirely focused on pursuing and living their God-given purpose as a lifestyle and as God’s gift to their world}) do exactly the same. These are women of genuine royalty conferred by divinity (see Psalms 45:9-17; 144:12; Malachi 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:9) who have not lost their way in the crossroads of the popular opinion, and who are not confused about what they were created to be. The relevant queens of bible history influenced the lives of those around them with beauty, creativity and intentionality – all for the ultimate purpose of eternity; modern day queens do the same in their respective spheres of influence.
Blossoming young ladies, college students, working class women, stay-at-home moms, lonely widows, besotted aunts, doting mothers, spoiling grandmothers, busy professionals, corporate monarchs – of any age, stage, or marital status can easily qualify for and live out this dignified calling – if their hearts, minds, vision and resulting impact align with the Psalms 45 and Esther-kind of woman.
Queen of Hearts
We don’t have to wonder what constituted the Psalms 45 or Esther-kind of woman. We see her clearly in the widely acclaimed thirty-first chapter of Proverbs, which describes at length a woman well-versed in conquering hearts and other domains because she did so in an atypical fashion. While not explicitly referred to as a queen, I am persuaded she was one by virtue of several insights the chapter gives.
Careening Caliber
The prototypical God-honoring woman described in this chapter is one of such quality that her value was juxtaposed against and estimated above the worth of rubies, which were precious stones heavily used in that era for the adornment of royalty, palaces and other regalia and edifices. The comparison to this important precious stone demonstrates the fact that she was of inestimable value and highly cherished. More importantly, she understood her God-appraised worth and operated with the backing and confidence of that knowledge, totally irrespective and independent of what others thought of her.7
Captivating Character
Her chief descriptive was as “A Woman of Virtue,” “A Wife of Valor”, or in some modern versions, “A Woman of Nobility” or “Noble Character.” All renditions describe a woman more notable than the average female. She is depicted (at least in my understanding) as an over-the-top woman of class, courage and impeccable character, to name but a few of her notable characteristics.8 This was no ordinary product of biology or human progeny, but a woman who clothed herself with all that was necessary to become and accomplish all she was destined for.
Compelling Conduct
Her activities and lifestyle fell nothing short of true royalty (see Proverbs 31:13-28). While her skills were admirable on their own, the perfumery of her disposition was compelling. She was not a woman who could be ignored, even if she had come from a humble background. Her goal was not to seek attention, yet she was lauded everywhere she went. Her behind-the-scenes actions and inspirational conduct impelled an audience that unseemly behavior could only dream of.
Comportment & Carriage
If she wasn’t the queen of a geographical kingdom, she certainly was of her home, husband’s heart and esteem, and those of her children and associates. In other words, she conquered the hearts of her castle and community by her comportment and carriage. The gift of womanhood was her divine endowment, but choosing a regal carriage and comportment as a lifestyle were the wise choices she made to become the woman of impact and the genuine queen of transformative influence that she was designed to be.
A Cause Beyond Herself
This was a woman on a mission. She lived with an eternal sense of purpose and destiny, the ultimate aim of which was to impact the world around her not merely in humanistic and humanitarian terms, but for divine legacy and progeny. She was intentional about living beyond herself, her home and her span. Her actions showed that she was purposeful and intentional about living a trans-generational life with enduring impact!
You’re The Woman!
It is important to underscore and understand that every woman was born to greatly impact her sphere, irrespective of her age, marital or child-bearing status, vocation, or station in life. If you are male, my hope is that you were raised or impacted by, or are currently surrounded by females who have made indispensible contributions to your life and destiny. I encourage you to take the time to ponder their influence and to celebrate them today and at every opportunity.
If you are a female, you are a divinely-appointed queen with a whole realm to discover, conquer and rule with excellence. You are called to influence those around you with such impact that they become the best versions of themselves and are powered to rule and change their worlds. By equipping those around you with the godly influences they need to live an effective life, you empower them to succeed and rule effectively.9 YOU ARE A CORONATING QUEEN! I challenge you to study the lives of the God-honoring queens/women of renown and purpose in your heart to become one by the help of God’s transforming Spirit! You were created by a great God to have great and enduring impact that will outlive your time on earth! Young or old, single or married, lower, middle, working or upper class, advantaged or disadvantaged, (biological) mother or not – be the coronating queen you were created to be! A generation of destiny-defining, world-changing kings yet to be born, groomed or discovered are waiting for you to take your place of royalty beside the Great King … to aid and unearth their glories destinies. May the world read about and applaud your great influence and exploits in the annals of eternal history, progeny, and destiny!
Strong Live the Queen!
Dedicated with love to all reigning and upcoming coronating Queens of eternal renown!
Please email [email protected] with any questions about this article, how to know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, or anything else we can assist you with.
Bibliography