>1. Considering the theme as revealed in verses 1 and 13, what is the reason and meaning of this psalm?
* Psalm 21:1 "O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give!"
* Psalm 21:13 "Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might."
* The title is, "For the director of music. A psalm of David."
* "in your strength... your might" -The Lord's strength is repeated in the first and last first. Thus, the Lord's strength is the reason for the psalm.
* "...rejoices... we will sing and praise your might" -The psalm is part of a joyful celebration of the Lord's victories.
* "we will sing and praise" -Singing is separated and joined with praise.
* The psalm's theme is revealed in the first and last verses, with the center, verse 7 being the pivot that makes this psalm spin. As with the psalm before, this one also is a repertoire to be reciprocated between the king and God's people, except it is after the king engaged in a successful enterprise for God's people, especially after a victorious battle.
The king - starting with David, the author of the psalm - expresses utter joy in the strength of the Lord God at the beginning and the end of this psalm. He is more than happy. He is exhilarated delight at the strength of this God, Jesus the Messiah. The jubilant celebration is full of lively songs and praise. There is a party in the house of the King of the king. Laughter and love flow through the streets. God be exalted! Oh, happy day! He has won. The war is over!
I woke up early, as usual, this Monday morning - before work, before I began considering God's words, and before I wrote BDBD - I repeated a recurring thought, "Is my blog, podcasts posts, and website having any positive impact on people's lives? Does all the effort and hard work to get the good news out encouraging and advancing people toward the heart of God?"
At first, when I read the psalm I condescendingly thought, "Good for David and Israel. David received his heart's desire. What have I got for my endeavors?" After reading and after beginning to write the Lord turned my depressed thoughts to joy. The Spirit filled me. My God is alive in me. What have I got for my endeavors? The celebrating joy performing in my heart.
Listen to the above comments on Psalm 21:1 & 13.
>2. What did David ask for that was granted? (3-4) Did Jesus ask the same? (John 17:24)
* Psalm 21:3-4 "You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked you for life, and you gave it to him-- length of days, for ever and ever."
* John 17:24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."
* "You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head." -Speaking of David's experience. Prophecy of the Christ.
* "He asked you for life, and you gave it to him-- length of days, for ever and ever." -David knew of and believed in eternal life in Christ.
* Do not be afraid to ask the impossible.
>3. What are eternal blessings? How does this reveal that this psalm is more than a celebration of battles with Israel's surrounding nations?
* Psalm 21:5-6 "Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence."
* "Through the victories you gave, his glory is great" -David gives God credit for victories. He does not brag about how great he is like many other kings.
* "you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty." -Splendor and majesty are attributed to being a king, a leader of people.
* "Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence." -Again David expresses eternal life. Here he gives a brief definition of what eternal life is for those who put there faith in the Lord Jesus, "Eternal blessing."
* King David had been given much. He went into battle leading Israel as was his direction from the Lord his God. He obeyed and the Lord granted him the desire of his heart and had not withheld the request of his lips. What did David desire? Verse 4 reveals that he desired what all soldiers pray as they go to and are in battle. He asked for life, length of days, forever and ever.
When the Lord granted his request David did not forget who made it all possible. He thanked God with a praise offering. David's confidence in the Lord was sure. He knew the Lord gave him victory, glory, and eternal blessings. (5)
I need to examine my heart. When the Lord answers my prayer am I thankful with a praise offering? Do I celebrate the Lord when I am at a worship service? Or do I just stand and listen to the music? Do I get emotionally moved when I sing? Am I a statue at worship time? Am I concerned about what others would think if I sang joyfully and clapped my hands? Does all of me celebrate including my soul and body? Heartfelt worship is the only kind the Lord desires for he said, "Love me with all your heart, soul, body, and strength." (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27)
Listen to the above comments on Psalm 21:2-6.
II. The Unfailing Love of the Most High (21:7)
>4. What does it mean to trust in the LORD?
* Psalm 21:7 "For the king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken."
* "For the king trusts in the LORD" -Jesus said, "Trust in God. Trust also in me."
* "through the unfailing love of the Most High" -"Most High" in Hebrew is "Elyon" meaning Supreme.
* "he will not be shaken." -David was promised the love of God when he was anointed king. Those who put their faith in Jesus are also promised and experience the love of God.
* Trust is the firm reliance on a person's integrity, ability, or character. It is also something committed into the care of another. (American Heritage Dictionary) Trust is linked with hope. Apostle Paul said to the fearful Roman congregation, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13) When I trust someone, I hope they will keep their integrity, ability, and word; especially when I trust them with my life and well-being.
The repertoire psalm continues with a prophet or Levitical priest proclaiming the king's trust in the LORD. Through the unfailing love of the Most High, the king will not be shaken even in life-threatening battles. David trusted in the LORD. Therefore, he could face Goliath though he was a giant military man and David was only a young lad. King David always boldly went into battle in confidence because he trusted the love of God.
I once was betrayed by someone I trusted and loved. I trusted her with my life and finances. When I later discovered that I had been deceived by a selfish and fearful person my soul was shaken. Trusting in another human again requires faith in God's love for me. Jesus taught, "Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." (John 12:36) And to the troubled and concerned disciples, he encouraged with, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." (John 14:1) I can have hope for my future when I believe in the love of God.
Listen to the above comments on Psalm 21:7.
>5. What is revealed about God's love in this verse?
* "through the unfailing love of the Most High" -Will never fail. God always loves those who love Jesus. Even if we fail and repent he will love us.
* Romans 8:37-39 "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
III. At the Time of Your Appearing (21:8-13)
>6. Does the psalm shift from past to future starting in verse 8? What future event might the second half of the psalm be looking forward to?
* Psalm 21:8 "Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes."
* "Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies" -God does have enemies. He does not make them enemies. Those choice to rebel.
* "will" -Future tense.
* "your right hand will seize your foes." -Foes implies they fight against God.
* Matthew 22:43-45 "He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?"
>7. Whose appearing is verse 9 referring to? (Ezekiel 22:20-22; Matthew 13:40-43, 47-52)
* Psalm 21:9 "At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the LORD will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them."
* Ezekiel 22:20-22 "As men gather silver, copper, iron, lead and tin into a furnace to melt it with a fiery blast, so will I gather you in my anger and my wrath and put you inside the city and melt you. I will gather you and I will blow on you with my fiery wrath, and you will be melted inside her. As silver is melted in a furnace, so you will be melted inside her, and you will know that I the LORD have poured out my wrath upon you.'"
* Matthew 13:40-43 "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."
* Matthew 13:47-52 "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. "Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied. He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
* Jesus using the illustration of the fiery furnace as foretold in this psalm and Ezekiel 22:20-22 teaches that David and Ezekiel were prophesying about his second coming, the judgement.
>8. How thorough will the cleansing be? (10)
* Psalm 21:10 "You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind."
* "You will destroy their descendants from the earth" -They will have no one left. No one will carry on their lies.
* "their posterity from mankind." -Posterity is future generations, all their descendants.
>9. How does verses 11 and 12 prophecy about the schemes of the Jewish spiritual and cultural leadership against Jesus? (Matthew 26:4; Mark 11:18, 14:1-2; Luke 19:47-48)
* Psalm 21:11-12 "Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow."
* Matthew 26:3-5 "Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. "But not during the Feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."
* Mark 11:18 "The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching."
* Mark 14:1-2 "Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him."But not during the Feast," they said, "or the people may riot."
* Luke 19:47-48 "Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words."
* "Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes" -Evil and wicked comes from the heart. Jesus called the religious leaders "white washed tombs full of dead men's bones."
* "for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow." -Fear of death. Fear of judgement. Fear of God.
* God's people have their say in this reciprocated repertoire psalm (8-12). Their voices are clearly a prophecy of the second coming of the Messiah. Therefore, the first half of the psalm is about Jesus' ascension after his death and resurrection.
The first enemy Jesus defeated was sin while on the cross. The second enemy to be defeated was death with his resurrection. Since I died with him I will also live with him. (Romans 1) "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55) When he comes again his third victory will be those who plotted against him. (11)
At the time of Jesus' appearance, he will make his enemies like a fiery furnace. In his wrath, the LORD Jesus will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them. He will make them turn their backs when he aims at them with a drawn bow. Though attacked today, I know my king will prevail. Like God's people's recital in this psalm, I will rejoice at this coming. Instead of turning away, I will run toward him. The victory is his. The victory is mine. The victory is God's.
