Psalm 21
The human race is a fallen race. All mankind has rebelled against and attempted to ignore its God and Maker. The results have been catastrophic. The entire race seems bent on destroying itself through greed, suspicion, murder, cheating, acrimony, bitterness, deceit, and war. The actual results are chronicled in daily newspapers.
But God and His intentons for humanity have not been injured in the least! He still intends to have an eternally perfect humanity, a humanity He will love and care for, a humanity who will love and glorify their Maker and Lord. That beloved race is under construction right now. The Bible chronicles that work of God's immense grace and salvation.
Just after the fall, He began with a redemptive covenant, a covenant that constituted a special people, a people through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. In time He gave those special people a king, a man after His own heart, a man who would be the progenitor of the One through Whom salvation of His beloved new race would be thoroughly and blessedly accomplished. This psalm is about that king and his greater Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
See how greatly God blesses this king of His people. Beginning at verse 3, we're told that He sets a crown of pure gold upon his head, answers his prayer for life by giving him everlasting life, brings glory to him through salvation, and then, to top it all off, gives him the joy of His own glorious presence. That's ultimate joy!
The psalm, then, is really not merely a psalm of David, but also a psalm of the people, so it was therefore very appropriate for them to sing it when they gathered in the morning at the tabernacle. It's still appropriate today for the New Covenant people of God.
God's greater Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is King of His church, and we too can join in and repeat after the worship leader, "The King shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord; and in Your salvation how greatly shall He rejoice!" Our Lord Jesus Christ, even in His manhood, rejoiced to look forward to accomplishing His people's salvation. He could then and does now sing, "You have given Him His heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of His lips." (See also Isaiah 53:10-12)
The song actually describes the blessings received by our Lord Jesus Christ at His resurrection and ascension to the right hand of His Father, and the psalm is obviously a victory song, a song sung when the victorious King returns to the palace – whether in David's day or our own. But it's not a joyful song for His enemies. They cannot escape their doom. Of the victorious King it is said, "Your hand will find all Your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You." These enemies are going to meet justice at the end when all evil is cleansed away. It should remind us of David's words elsewhere (Ps. 110, Matt. 22:44), where he says, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand 'till I make Your enemies Your footstool!"
And, finally, all the people of God join together in the final chorus and they sing, "Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power!"
Do you join in this joy of your Lord, the joy of victory over sin and the Devil? Are you glad in His gladness? And are you joyfully awaiting the day when He returns to make that complete victory plain to all men and angels?
QuoteDo you join in this joy of your Lord, the joy of victory over sin and the Devil? Are you glad in His gladness? And are you joyfully awaiting the day when He returns to make that complete victory plain to all men and angels?
Maranatha Lord Jesus!
I am waiting not so patiently, with allt he sin going on in the world around us, I am looking forward to his return more than ever.[/b]
His coming will be perfectly timed!
Thank-you Pastor.
Yes Maranatha and "How long oh Lord how long?".....
His timing will be so perfect...not as we would but as He has planned from the beginning. No short cuts I am afraid. No resurrection without crucifixion.
As my dear sister in Christ, Myrnel says "the heat in the oven is getting hotter."
King David trusted in the Lord, no matter what and he was not moved (v 7). May we follow his example by the grace of God in these last days.
I am becoming more and more drawn to King David lately. He encourages me.
Love to you all.
Jenny.