Blog Journeys of a Lifelong Learner

The quoted text of Psalm 21 is inspired, the remarks are not. Nevertheless, these thoughts are presented as a small subset of possible meditations on the verses contained in that marvelous chapter. This psalm of David is the prayer of a king, but many parallels can and should be invoked by all of God's people.

Verse 1

O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices,
and in your salvation how greatly he exults!

The psalmist rejoices in the strength of God and exults in His salvation. An earthly magistrate rejoices in the strength of the King of Kings. The salvation of the Lord of Lords solicits exaltation on the part of a human ruler. The might of God should solicit an attitude of respect and delight. The strength of God is a blissful concept for God's people, for they know His mighty deliverance from sin. The heathen will be crushed by the mighty wrath of God, but the redeemed know God's powerful mercy. God is mighty to save His children and deserves all praise and glory.

David, the wise monarch, places his delight in the sovereignty of God, not his own position. He knows that it was only for the predetermined will of God that he was made king over Israel, and views his kingship as a sacred stewardship, not a personal empowerment for domination.

The strength of God is so prominent in his thoughts that he does not consider his own strength, knowing it to be utterly irrelevant.

Verse 2

You have given him his heart's desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

God has given the heart's desire of the psalmist. God's people know his merciful favor. While men have no legitimate basis for claiming credit for any of God's merciful deeds, they are active agents in seeking the passing of God's perfect will. The saint has desires in accordance with the will of God and is therefore granted the satisfaction of having his requests supplied. Consider the tremendous blessing of being heard in prayer.

Verse 3

For you meet him with rich blessings;
you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.

God enriches His people with many blessings. The psalmist knows the rich blessing of God. These blessings come from God, not the enterprises of man. It is a tremendous blessing to know God's favor. Seek it faithfully. God's chosen king of Israel is given a good crown. David is given his position; he does not vainly pursue power for himself, though others encourage him at times to do so.

Verse 4

He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.

The psalmist requests life of God and it is given to him. All of God's gifts are entirely good. Do you delight in them? God protects body and soul in this life and secures the soul and a glorified body in the next. The eternal heritage of God's people is of essential significance. Consider at all times the eternal implications of present actions, and adjust your practice accordingly.

Verse 5

His glory is great through your salvation;
splendor and majesty you bestow on him.

The position of the psalmist exists only on account of the remarkable gifts of God. The glory of God is manifested in and through His people. It is a good thing to know and demonstrate the glory of God. Any prominence occupied by one of God's children is a bestowed prominence. The glory of Christ must reign supreme.

The psalmist is not afraid to request great things from God, and so also the saint is bold in his communion with God, coming boldly before the throne of grace. Does your voice come before God in prayer?

Verse 6

For you make him most blessed forever; [1]
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.

The blessing of God's presence is gigantic. Nothing can replace its significance. That which brings God glory brings His people pleasure. What excites you? Are you zealous for the glory of God? God's people know fellowship with Him. The blessing of God's presence cannot be overestimated. There is no possibility of considering God's presence more valuable than it is.

Verse 7

For the king trusts in the Lord,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

The psalmist is pleased with the presence of God because he has trust in the goodness of God. He knows the steadfast love of God and rests securely in it. Do you rest in the love of God, or are you struggling? The saint has an everlasting rest in God Himself. There is no legitimate cause for anxiety on the part of the true Christian. If God has secured your position, there is no way for you to be lost! The believer's security is the trustworthiness of God, not the steadfastness of his own spiritual disciplines.

Verse 8

Your hand will find out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.

God will destroy the hiding places of His enemies. Though they pretend to hide from Him now, He sees all of their deeds and is never deceived. The enemies of God will be identified in God's judgment. They may be obscure in this life, but nothing escapes the notice of God. Are you secretly harboring thoughts of rebellion? What is the true condition of your heart? One is either a friend of God or a wicked hater of the Creator.

Verse 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.

God will surely appear in holiness and wrath. The enemies of God will be consumed. Are you certain that He will count you as ones of His own in the time of final judgment? The enemies of God must be warned of the wrath to come. The plight of the wicked is alarming and tragic! How can one remain apathetic about it? The wicked are consumed by this fiery wrath of God, but the righteous are consumed with passion for the glory of God. Will you not seek the conversion of dead sinners to faith in Christ? You were once spiritually dead and would have remained so, were it not for the regeneration of God imparted by faith in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit upon the preaching of the Word of God. Treasure the proclamation of gospel truth, for it is the means by which men are saved. The fire of God's wrath burns eternally. Will you escape it?

Verse 10

You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
and their offspring from among the children of man.

The psalmist describes the heritage of the wicked. Their descendants will be destroyed from the earth. The wicked incur the opposition of God's wrath; they do not partake of His covenant.

Verse 11

Though they plan evil against you,
though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.

The wicked plans of the godless forged in pure rebellion will be unsuccessful. None of the devices formed in opposition to God can effect the result desired by their originators. Are you following this futile enterprise? Disband it immediately and eternally.

Verse 12

For you will put them to flight;
you will aim at their faces with your bows.

Why will the heathen be unsuccessful in their pursuit of God's destruction? The power of God will overwhelm them. They may be more powerful in natural means than the righteous, but they are restrained by their Creator. God will not permit His name to be blasphemed without defense.

Verse 13

Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.

The psalmist closes with a prayer asking God to be glorified. Passion for God's glory defines His people. Zeal for the praise of God is genuine in the heart of the believer. Do you delight in the magnification of God's glory in the earth? Nothing else deserves your undivided energy. Can you honestly call the praise of God your driving passion? Pray and labor that it may be so.