Psalm 21
The Joy of Messiah in His Victories and Reign
The Joy of Messiah in His Victories and Reign
Psalm 21. This is Psalm of David, and it is a natural sequel to the previous psalm. In Psalm 20 we have the desire and prayer of the godly remnant on behalf of their Messiah, and in Psalm 21 we have those prayers answered.
PSALM 21
To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
1 The king shall joy in thy strength, Jehovah; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice.
2 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah.
3 For thou hast met him with the blessings of goodness; thou hast set a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked life of thee; thou gavest it him, length of days for ever and ever.
5 His glory is great through thy salvation; majesty and splendour hast thou laid upon him.
6 For thou hast made him to be blessings for ever; thou hast filled him with joy by thy countenance.
7 For the king confideth in Jehovah: and through the loving-kindness of the Most High he shall not be moved.
vv.1-7 The Prayer of Messiah and Remnant Answered. Here we have a number of prayers, of Messiah Himself and of the remnant, which are answered. In v.1 we find that the King can rejoice in the deliverance He has received. In v.2, we find Jehovah has given Messiah “his heart’s desire”, and answered “the request of his lips”. His seen full of blessings, with “a crown of pure gold on his head”. He is viewed as risen to die no more; “length of days for ever and ever”. He is seen full of glory, majesty, and splendor. Above all, He is filled with joy, and this is a result of the countenance of Jehovah. Though Christ is seen as the glorified Messiah, He still is a man in perfect dependence; “the king confideth in Jehovah: and through the loving-kindness of the Most High he shall not be moved”. The name El-Elyon (“the Most High”) is a Millennial title of God.
8 Thy hand shall find out all thine enemies; thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee.
9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery furnace in the time of thy presence; Jehovah shall swallow them up in his anger, and the fire shall devour them:
10 Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.
11 For they intended evil against thee; they imagined a mischievous device, which they could not execute.
12 For thou wilt make them turn their back; thou wilt make ready thy bowstring against their face.
13 Be thou exalted, Jehovah, in thine own strength: we will sing and celebrate thy power.
vv.8-13 Messiah’s Victory Over the Wicked. These verses unfold the character of the warrior-judgments of the Messiah. He is seen as searching out His enemies and taking them with his hand. The judgment of Christ’s enemies is compared to “a fiery furnace” and to being “swallowed” alive. The judgment will not stop with the wicked, but will also consume their works, their “fruit”, and their “seed” or descendents. In v.11 we find that the wicked intended evil against the Messiah (Psa. 2), but they were not able to execute their plan. In v.12 the wicked have been forced to retreat. In v.13 the faithful extol Jehovah, and joyfully sing His praises.