Psalms 21

Psalms 21:1

Psalm 21: Thanksgiving for VictoryThere is a close link between this Psalm and the preceding one. There we heard the people praying for victory for the king as he went off to war. Here the prayer has been answered, and these same people rehearse the victory with the Lord. First they review the thrilling way in which God gave success (vv. 1-7). Then they anticipate the final subjugation of all the king’s foes (vv. 8-12). Finally they extol the strength and power of Jehovah (v. 13). The Sweet Taste of Victory (21:1-7)21:1-4 The king rejoices in the way the LORD has just revealed His strength as the God of battle. He overflows with exultation when he thinks of Jehovah’s timely intervention. God has given him the victory he craved, the success for which he prayed. Jehovah went out to meet him with the blessings of triumph and prosperity. The Most High set an imperishable crown of pure gold upon his head. In response to the king’s request for preservation God gave him lifeyes, length of days forever and ever. This latter expression probably means long life in David’s case, but it is literally true of the endless resurrection life of the Messiah. 21:5-7 This passage takes on added beauty when we see them as referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s saving help has given Him great honor. By raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His own right hand, God has crowned Him with glory and honor (Heb_2:9). Yes, the Lord has made him most blessed forever and a blessing to all the world! Seated in the highest place, Christ is filled with joy in the presence of His Father. It was His undivided trust in the LORD that brought Him to this place of honor. And it is the mercy of the Most High that will insure His perpetual exaltation. The Doom of the King’s Enemies (21:8-12)21:8-10 At this point the people address the king directly. (In the previous section they had been speaking to the Lord.) If we identify the king as the Messiah, the passage describes the doom of Christ’s enemies at the time of His Second Advent. His right hand will ferret out all His enemies; none of those who hate Him will escape. The instrument of their destruction will be fire; He will be “revealed from heaven . . . in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2Th_1:7-8). He will also destroy their offspring from off the face of the earth, and their descendants from the human race. 21:11, 12 This plot to thwart Christ from taking the reins of universal government (also described in Psa_2:2-3) will fail dismally. The rebels will retreat in terror when God fires at them point-blank! Praise the Lord (21:13)In the closing stanza, the LORD is exalted because of the way He has revealed His own strength. Songs of praise burst forth because of God’s power unleashed to deliver His own and to put down all His enemies. It is the song of Israel’s remnant, praying for the exaltation of the Messiah and acknowledging Him at last as Lord of all.