Psalm 21: Triumph Through Trust – Part 1 – Psalm 21:1-7

Kings with Christ

Psalm 21 is David’s triumphant song of thanksgiving, composed for “the chief musician” for use in the worship of the nation. As Flanigan notes, it is the natural companion to Psalm 20 – if that Psalm is a prayer for the king going to battle, this is the song of praise for victory granted. Spurgeon put it well: “The next Psalm will take us to the foot of the cross; this introduces us to the steps of the throne.”

The key verse is verse 7: faith unlocked God’s favour in David’s life. The Psalm divides into two parts – verses 1-7 covering the blessings of God upon the righteous (our exalted position in Christ), and verses 8-13 covering the judgments of God upon the wicked. Both the practical principles of the Christian life and prophetic pictures of Christ are woven throughout.

This expository study covers the first half of the Psalm under three headings: the Blessings upon the Saints (vs. 1-7), the Glories of the Son, and the Judgments upon Sinners (vs. 8-13).

The Blessings Upon the Saints (Vs. 1-7)

Take note of:

The Rejoicing in God’s Blessings (Vs. 1)

“Verse 1 sets the tone for the entire Psalm – it is a time of great rejoicing. The verse announces that the king rejoices in the might of the LORD.” (Ross)

Rejoicing in God’s Strength (Vs. 1a)

1. “the king” = David’s reference to Himself. David, as an earthly king, is in view in this Psalm, but the Psalm also looks beyond David to King Jesus, who was of the seed of David according to the flesh.
2. “shall joy…shall rejoice” = David’s resolve to rejoice! Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, but we need to cooperate with His inner workings as He seeks to produce joy in our lives.
3. God’s power and might are a cause for rejoicing. God has unlimited, everlasting power and might, and He displays His Almighty Strength in so many ways. He displays it in creation, the miracle of salvation and in an innumerable host of other ways.

Rejoicing in God’s Salvation (Vs. 1b)

1. The theme of salvation moved David not just to rejoice, but to “greatly rejoice”! God’s deliverance from David’s enemies is in view in the Psalm, but in light of New Testament truth, we are right to apply it to the eternal salvation of the soul.
2. Salvation is the blessing of all blessings we can receive. To be saved from sin and Satan, to be made sons and daughters of the living God, to be born again, cleansed, regenerated, redeemed, justified, sanctified, in the future to be glorified, adopted is reason to sing!
3. Salvation is the song of the saints in glory! Rev. 7:9-10 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”

The Recounting of God’s Blessings (Vs. 2-6)

David now details the Divine blessings for which he was full of joy and thanksgiving. God had given David so much!

God had given him life (Vs. 2, 4)

1. Answered prayer is a cause for praise! God had granted David his heart’s desire; the request of his lips. “What is in the well of the heart is sure to come up in the bucket of the lips.” (Spurgeon)
2. The details of that request are found in verse 4. He had asked God for life. In the context of the Psalm, the primary reference would be to the preservation of David’s physical life from his enemies (See Vs. 8-12). However, it also applies to asking God for eternal life. Have you asked God for eternal life?
3. God answered and granted David “length of days”. David was blessed with a long life. 1 Chr. 29:28 “And he (David) died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.”
4. The verse looks beyond the blessing of David’s physical life on earth to eternal life in the afterlife – “even length of days for ever and ever.”
5. As God’s children, we have been blessed with an abundant life in Christ now on this earth, but oh what glories await us in the life that is to come. Soon we will be in one eternal day in glory! Our life in Christ starts the day we are saved and goes on into eternity, forever and ever, no end in sight!

God had given him goodness (Vs. 3a)

1. “preventest” = the word means “to precede; to go before; to meet; to anticipate; to confront” Jehovah had indeed anticipated the need of His servant and had gone before and met him for his deliverance and blessing (Flanigan). It is like the promise of Isaiah 65:24: “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.”
2. “blessings of goodness” = these are good blessings from the goodness of God. Every blessing we receive in the Christian life is because of God’s grace and goodness.

God had given him majesty (Vs. 3b, 5)

1. It was God who had exalted and crowned David as king of Israel. David had been given a high and holy position by the power of God.
2. In like manner, we have been lifted up to such a privileged position as children of the King of kings. Christ has made us “kings and priests unto God and his Father” (Rev. 1:6). We have been made children of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:16-17). We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3). We have been raised up to sit with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). Think of how low you were in that horrible pit when Christ found you. Think of where you are now in Christ!

God had given him gladness (Vs. 6)

1. David was “most blessed for ever”. God’s blessings are not temporal but eternal.
2. His gladness was overflowing (“exceeding glad”) because of God’s countenance. The countenance speaks of God’s loving grace and favour in David’s life. If God’s countenance is shining upon you, it means you are the object of His loving grace and goodness.
3. Num. 6:24-26 “The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”

The Reason for God’s Blessings (Vs. 7)

The word ‘trust’ means to “rely on” or “be confident, secure”. David had confidence in the LORD. Faith was the key that unlocked all these blessings for David. God blesses faith! “This verse is the key to the Psalm and therefore forms the transition to the next section. Not only does his trust in the LORD supply the reason why he was blessed so greatly, but it also provides the basis for his assurance in future conflicts.” (Ross) In life, there are many people you can’t trust, but you can always trust the Lord! Faith unlocks:

1. The blessing of salvation
2. The blessing of preservation
   1. David was confident that he would “not be moved”. The word means “totter, shake, move”. David would not be overthrown. His kingdom was secure because his relationship with the LORD was also secure.
   2. God’s mercy was the source of his preservation – “through the mercy of the most High”. We are saved by God’s grace and kept by God’s grace! He saves us and keeps us!

The Glories of the Son (Vs. 1-7)

The Psalm looks beyond David, the king of Israel, to David’s greater Son, Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

1. Christ possesses all the might of Deity (Vs. 1a) Col 2:9 “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”
2. Christ is the source of salvation (Vs. 1b) Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
3. Christ’s intercessions are answered by the Father (Vs. 2-3) All of His prayers avail before the throne. “The requests of our Saviour were not withheld. He was and still is the prevailing Pleader. Our Advocate on high returns not empty from the throne of grace.” (Spurgeon)
4. Christ is crowned with many crowns (Vs. 3b). The pure gold symbolises His spotless Deity. Jesus wore the thorn crown, but now wears the glory crown. The crown speaks of Christ’s Deity. It speaks of Divine Sovereignty and government. “Here is one of those lovely foreshadowings of the Son of Man, who, in that very last reference to Him in Scripture as Son of Man, is seen with a golden crown on His head (Rev. 14:14).” (Flanigan)
5. Christ was raised from the dead to die no more (Vs. 4) Rev 1:17-18 “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”
6. Christ has been highly exalted by the Father (Vs. 5-6; Phil. 2:5-11) Php. 2:9-11 “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
7. Christ is the Judge who will put down His enemies and damn to hell those who reject Him (Vs. 8-12). Acts 17:31 “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”
8. Christ is exalted at the right hand of God and one Day will rule and reign on the earth (Vs. 13) Rev. 11:15 “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Jesus shall reign where’er the sun does his successive journeys run, His kingdom stretch from shore to shore till moons shall wax and wane no more.”

Conclusion

Mediate on the Psalm!

1. Theological lessons (what we learn about God)
2. Christological lessons (what we learn about Christ)
3. Soteriological lessons (what we learn about salvation)
4. Practical lessons (what we learn about the Christian life)

Sermon 30 in Heaven’s Hymnbook (the Psalms)

Sermon Audio Id: 425262040196549