Psalm 21 | Rejoicing in the King’s Victory

Two weeks ago we looked at Psalm 20. It was a psalm that was sung before the king went into battle. It’s a song where the people pray to God to lead the king into victory trough his power, protection, and provision. Psalm 21 was sung when the king returned from the battle in victory. It’s a song that looks back and gives thanks for answered prayer.

Psalm 21 “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. 1 O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! 2 You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah 3 For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head. 4 He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. 5 His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. 6 For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. 7 For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. 8 Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. 9 You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. 10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man. 11 Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed. 12 For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. 13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.”

Two sections

The People of God Look Backward

Looks back with thanksgiving for past victories

In the previous psalm: Psalm 20:4 “4 May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!”

Now in today’s psalm

Psalm 21:2 “2 You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.”

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Hebrew (Old Testament) 9294 I. תַּאֲוָה

1. LN 25.1–25.11 longing, desire, craving, i.e., the state having a wish or want for something for the pleasure it brings (

NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible: Follow God’s Redemptive Plan as it Unfolds throughout Scripture Psalm 20

desire of your heart. This is not a prayer for God to grant anything one desires. The blessing follows one bringing proper sacrifices and burnt offerings (v. 3), implying that the petitioner wishes to be in full communion with God, echoing

What was the king’s desire? What was his request that leads to such heartfelt joy?

To see victory in the day of battle

Psalm 21:3 “3 For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.”

David acknowledges that it was God himself who went before him in the day of battle.

Rich blessings: God’s power, protection and provision.

God confirms the king that he is indeed God’s anointed by putting a crown on his head.

To be delivered from death

Psalm 21:4 “4 [The king] asked life of you [Lord]; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.”

Hyperbolic language: forever and ever. (i.e. Long live the king)

To be exalted by God

Psalm 21:5 “5 [The king’s] glory is great through [the Lord’s] salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him.

David longs to be exalted by God himself. He is hungry for glory, splendor and majesty. These are archaic words that we don’t use when we pray. When was the last time you prayed for God to give you glory, splendor, and majesty?

Yet, this is a concept found in Scripture. Humans long for this. We look for them in the wrong places in our culture such as platforms or by creating an image in order to have a successful public opinion. It’s all about approval.

Yet Scripture offers a different path.

Isaiah 42:1 “1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.”

Matthew 3:17 “17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.””

Matthew 17:5 “5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.””

Philippians 2:9 “9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”

To be exalted by God:

It doesn’t matter what others think about you when you have God’s approval

Your life doesn’t have to be consumed with seeking the approval of others.

Matthew 23:12 “12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

John 12:42–43 “42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”

2 Corinthians 10:18 “18 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”

Scripture offers a different path…

A Commentary on the Psalms 1–89, Volumes 1 & 2: Commentary Commentary in Expository Form

David’s glory was great because God bestowed majestic honor upon him; and by delivering him in battle, God revealed how David reflected God’s glory to the people.

To experience God’s presence

Psalm 21:6 “6 For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence.”

David’s longing: God’s presence

Psalm 4:6–7 “6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” 7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.”

Psalm 16:11 “11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Psalm 27:4 “4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”

Psalm 36:8 “8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.”

David looks back with a thankful heart .He acknowledges that the reason why the Lord answered his prayer and blessed is because he trusted in the Lord.

Psalm 21:7 “7 For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.”

A Commentary on the Psalms 1–89, Volumes 1 & 2: Commentary Commentary in Expository Form

The verb means “rely on” or “be confident, secure”; its related nouns mean “quietness, security, safety, confidence” (s.v.

THOSE FOUR THINGS CAN BE SUMMARIZED INTO ONE WORD: THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS FROM THE DEAD.

The People of God Look Forward

Looks forward with anticipation for the complete establishment of the kingdom of God

Graphic 1

Graphic 2: The already and the not yet.

King Jesus will defeat all his enemies

King Jesus will reign with justice and righteousness

Main Idea: We look backward with thanful hearts when the kingdom was inaugurated when Jesus came the first time. We will look forward with joyful anticipation when the kingdom will be consummated when He returns in power and glory.

God’s people look backward with thankfulness to when Jesus came and inaugurated His kingdom. God’s people look forward with joy to when He will return and consummate it.

We look back to the empty tomb with thankful hearts. We look forward to the glorious throne

We look back with joy to the day our King defeated death. We look forward with hope to the day our King will return to fully establish His kingdom. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

How this applies to us? How does this apply to King Jesus and his people?

The already and the not yet

The Kingdom was inaugurated when Jesus came the first time, it will be consummated when He returns. We live in a tension between the now and the not yet.

Hebrews 2:5–9 “5 For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6 It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

The Kingdom was inaugurated when Jesus came the first time, it will be consummated when He returns. We live in a tension between the now and the not yet