Psa 21:1 | KingComments | STEP | Psalm 21 continues the subject of Psalm 20. Both psalms belong together. They are both about God’s anointed King. Psalm 20 is a prayer for the King’s victory ( ). Psalm 21 sings of and celebrates the victory that has been won ( ). The psalm begins with the joy of the King ( ) and ends with the joy of the remnant ( ). are a psalm of thanksgiving; speaks of the example of the King’s confidence, which is followed in by the confidence of the remnant. For “for the choir director” ( ) see at Psalm 4:1. For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1. David, “the king”, knows that victory is a gracious gift from the LORD, which he owes to His power ( ). A victory is not due to his own strength or military acumen ( ). The achieved victory means that God has given him His salvation. About this “he will rejoice”. Here we also hear the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, speaking, Who is glad and rejoices in all His victories because therein becomes visible what Yahweh has done. It is here about the final victory, about the time when God has put all the enemies of the Lord Jesus under His feet ( ). Here we also hear the voice of the remnant. The Spirit of Christ works in the remnant the feelings that correspond to the feelings of Christ. In the previous psalm, the remnant prayed that the desire of the heart of the Messiah will be fulfilled ( ). That desire is perfectly consistent with the will of God. By the Spirit, the remnant now says that Yahweh has given that desire to the Messiah and has not withheld “the request of his lips” from Him ( ; ; cf. ). Having trusted in God, after His victory – which He achieved on His own, without help from others ( ) – God immediately approaches Him with rich blessings ( ; cf. ). This recalls the blessing with which Melchizedek blessed Abraham after his victory over the kings of the east ( ). It also recalls the designation by God of the Lord Jesus as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek after His victory on the cross ( ). God also gives Him a beautiful crown of pure gold on His head ( ). By this He guarantees the continuation of the kingship of David. What He gives to His Son keeps its value forever. The Son deserved and received the eternal kingship promised to Him ( ). God has also given His Messiah the long life that the Messiah desired of Him ( ). This is life with a “length of days” that has no end ( ). It is life “forever and ever”. This is the life given to the Lord Jesus in the resurrection in answer to His supplication in view of His impending death ( ). God speaks of this to David when David wants to build a dwelling place for Him. God then promises that He will give David a house and a kingship to which there will be no end ( ). The Messiah is then given glory, splendor and majesty ( ), features peculiar belonging to God ( ). They are given to the Messiah here when entering His kingdom. Yet He need not wait for the actual fulfillment in the realm of peace. For they are already given to Him by God in His glorification with God ( ). It is not seen here as a reward for His atoning death, but for His victory over His enemies, who are also God’s enemies. The greatest blessing of all is the great blessing of gladness in God’s presence ( ). speaks of rich blessings. These have to do with the place of honor He has received. Here God expands on that by saying that He has made His Son “most blessed forever”. This being made most blessed is the blessing with which He was blessed and that He is also a blessing to others (cf. ). Thus He has given us the glory that the Father has given Him ( ). This is an indescribable blessing to us. What God says to His Son here rejoices Him with joy. That joy takes its root in the presence of God. When He says “in Your presence”, He is saying that He finds the greatest possible satisfaction in the presence of the Father. His presence surpasses all (cf. ). The Messiah confirms His dedication to Yahweh by expressing His trust in Him ( ; ). We see here that the basis of all the blessings that the remnant, and we too, may share with the Lord Jesus is His dependence on God. He has always trusted that the LORD is with Him and that He will fulfill all His promises made to Him. Because of the structure of Psalm 21, is in the middle of the psalm. is a reflection of and are the reflection of . The response to the Messiah’s trust in Him is that “the Most High” upholds Him by His lovingkindness, so that He will not be shaken. Here it is not strength – that is already contained in the name “Most High” – but lovingkindness or favor. Because of His trust, the Most High looks upon Him in lovingkindness and acts with Him on that basis. This simultaneously keeps Him from being shaken. As has been noted many times, the word “lovingkindness” is the translation of the Hebrew word Adonai. That word implies that God is faithful to His covenant. We know from the New Testament that God can be faithful to it on the basis of the work of the Mediator of the new covenant, Christ, because He paid the price.

‏ Psalms 21:1

Introduction

Psalm 21 continues the subject of Psalm 20. Both psalms belong together. They are both about God’s anointed King. Psalm 20 is a prayer for the King’s victory (Psa 20:2). Psalm 21 sings of and celebrates the victory that has been won (Psa 21:1b-2).

The psalm begins with the joy of the King (Psa 21:1b) and ends with the joy of the remnant (Psa 21:13). Psa 21:2-6 are a psalm of thanksgiving; Psa 21:7 speaks of the example of the King’s confidence, which is followed in Psa 21:8-12 by the confidence of the remnant.

Reward for the King

For “for the choir director” (Psa 21:1a) see at Psalm 4:1.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1.

David, “the king”, knows that victory is a gracious gift from the LORD, which he owes to His power (Psa 21:1b). A victory is not due to his own strength or military acumen (Psa 20:7). The achieved victory means that God has given him His salvation. About this “he will rejoice”.

Here we also hear the Messiah, the Lord Jesus, speaking, Who is glad and rejoices in all His victories because therein becomes visible what Yahweh has done. It is here about the final victory, about the time when God has put all the enemies of the Lord Jesus under His feet (Psa 110:1-6). Here we also hear the voice of the remnant. The Spirit of Christ works in the remnant the feelings that correspond to the feelings of Christ.

In the previous psalm, the remnant prayed that the desire of the heart of the Messiah will be fulfilled (Psa 20:4). That desire is perfectly consistent with the will of God. By the Spirit, the remnant now says that Yahweh has given that desire to the Messiah and has not withheld “the request of his lips” from Him (Psa 21:2; Psa 20:1b; cf. Jn 12:27-28).

Having trusted in God, after His victory – which He achieved on His own, without help from others (Isa 63:5-6) – God immediately approaches Him with rich blessings (Psa 21:3; cf. Jn 13:31-32). This recalls the blessing with which Melchizedek blessed Abraham after his victory over the kings of the east (Gen 14:18-20). It also recalls the designation by God of the Lord Jesus as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek after His victory on the cross (Heb 5:10).

God also gives Him a beautiful crown of pure gold on His head (Heb 2:9). By this He guarantees the continuation of the kingship of David. What He gives to His Son keeps its value forever. The Son deserved and received the eternal kingship promised to Him (Lk 1:32-33).

God has also given His Messiah the long life that the Messiah desired of Him (Psa 21:4). This is life with a “length of days” that has no end (Isa 53:10c). It is life “forever and ever”. This is the life given to the Lord Jesus in the resurrection in answer to His supplication in view of His impending death (Heb 5:7). God speaks of this to David when David wants to build a dwelling place for Him. God then promises that He will give David a house and a kingship to which there will be no end (2Sam 7:16).

The Messiah is then given glory, splendor and majesty (Psa 21:5), features peculiar belonging to God (Psa 96:6 ; Psa 104:1). They are given to the Messiah here when entering His kingdom. Yet He need not wait for the actual fulfillment in the realm of peace. For they are already given to Him by God in His glorification with God (Heb 2:9). It is not seen here as a reward for His atoning death, but for His victory over His enemies, who are also God’s enemies.

The greatest blessing of all is the great blessing of gladness in God’s presence (Psa 21:6). Psa 21:3 speaks of rich blessings. These have to do with the place of honor He has received. Here God expands on that by saying that He has made His Son “most blessed forever”. This being made most blessed is the blessing with which He was blessed and that He is also a blessing to others (cf. Gen 12:2). Thus He has given us the glory that the Father has given Him (Jn 17:22). This is an indescribable blessing to us.

What God says to His Son here rejoices Him with joy. That joy takes its root in the presence of God. When He says “in Your presence”, He is saying that He finds the greatest possible satisfaction in the presence of the Father. His presence surpasses all (cf. Psa 17:15).

The Messiah confirms His dedication to Yahweh by expressing His trust in Him (Psa 21:7; Heb 2:13). We see here that the basis of all the blessings that the remnant, and we too, may share with the Lord Jesus is His dependence on God. He has always trusted that the LORD is with Him and that He will fulfill all His promises made to Him.

Because of the structure of Psalm 21, Psa 21:7 is in the middle of the psalm. Psa 21:1b is a reflection of Psa 21:13 and Psa 21:2-6 are the reflection of Psa 21:8-12.

The response to the Messiah’s trust in Him is that “the Most High” upholds Him by His lovingkindness, so that He will not be shaken. Here it is not strength – that is already contained in the name “Most High” – but lovingkindness or favor. Because of His trust, the Most High looks upon Him in lovingkindness and acts with Him on that basis. This simultaneously keeps Him from being shaken.

As has been noted many times, the word “lovingkindness” is the translation of the Hebrew word Adonai. That word implies that God is faithful to His covenant. We know from the New Testament that God can be faithful to it on the basis of the work of the Mediator of the new covenant, Christ, because He paid the price.