Psalm 21

Spurgeon has called Psalm 21 the fit companion of Psalm 20.  Psalm 20 anticipates what this Psalm regards as realized.  We can call it the thanksgiving psalm after the battle for which the prayer was made in Psalm 20. 

We need to identify those mentioned in the psalm.  The king in this psalm is David and the Lord in this psalm is Jesus.  The king, or David, is writing to the Lord throughout the whole psalm - David is speaking to Jesus throughout the whole passage.

There is a shift between verses seven and eight because David is praising the Lord for His answers to David's requests, then speaks of the Lord's future actions. In verses 1-7 we see David praising the Lord for what He has done and in verses 8-12 we see David praising the Lord for what He will do.  David sings as a prophet. In these latter verses we see Christ subduing His enemies during the day of the Lord.  In the final verse David joins in with all in exalting the Lord. 

Verses 1-7:  David praises the Lord for what He has done…

v. 1  David returns from battle rejoicing greatly in the strength and salvation of the Lord.  The Lord was the source of His victory, not his own might, nor his armies.   

v.2  David was granted his heart’s desire.  This seems to refer to the prayers offered for victory in Psalm 20.  The Lord did not hold back David’s request but answered it by granting him victory.  This victory brought tremendous joy to David’s heart.

v.3  David sings to the Lord that He has given David good things…cf. 59:10:  “My God in His lovingkindness will meet me; God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes.” The Lord allowed David to look victoriously over his enemies.  In 2 Sam. 12:30 we see David taking the gold crown of an Ammonite king after fighting against the Ammonites.  The crown was placed on David’s head.  Was David referring to this?  I don’t know…  We do know that any spoil that David and his kingdom received was from the Lord. 

v.4  This may refer to David asking that the Lord preserve his life in battle.  The Lord did grant that request.  The Lord also swore to David, His chosen, and servant, that He would establish his seed forever.  (2 Sam. 7:13, 16, 29; Ps. 89:4) 

v. 5 The Lord’s salvation and deliverance put David in a place of high honor.  The Lord placed splendor and majesty on David. 

v.6  The Lord heaps high favor upon David throughout eternity.  God’s blessings are eternal.  Throughout his psalms, David expresses the joy and gladness he experiences from being in the presence of the Lord.  Psalm 16:11 is one of my favorite verses, written by David-“In Thy presence is fulness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.”  A great Spurgeon nugget regarding the Lord's presence - "This is the purest stream to drink of, and we should choose no other."

v. 7 David trusted in the Lord.  The Lord placed His favor upon David because He loved him and David was not shaken. 

Verses 8-12:  David praises the Lord for what He will do…

At verse 8 we move to David praising the Lord for what is yet to happen.  He has just rejoiced over his present victories and the blessings and favor that the Lord bestowed on him.  Now he sings praises to the Lord for what is yet to happen…when Christ finds out all His enemies and passes judgment on them.  This will occur during the day of the Lord.  This is going to be a time of fiery judgment from heaven.  He will swallow up all His enemies in His wrath.  His enemies are those who hate Him.  He will make His enemies like a fiery oven.  v. 9

Malachi 4:1-“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root or branch.” 

According to verse 10 the Lord’s enemies have evil offspring as well.  All will be destroyed.  Verse 11 tells us that they intended evil against the Lord.  They actually devise a plot.  We get a bit of a clearer picture in Psalm 2.  

Another great Spurgeon nugget for you in regards to verse 12 - "For a time the foes of God may make bold advances, and threaten to overthrow everything, but a few ticks of the clock will alter the face of their affairs. At first they advance impudently enough, but Jehovah meets them to their teeth, and a taste of the sharp judgment of God speedily makes them flee in dismay. The original has in it the thought of the wicked being set as a butt for God to shoot at, a target for his wrath to aim at. What a dreadful situation!" 

Verse 13:  All praise the Lord for His strength…

David ends the psalm as he begins it, by praising God for His strength…not only David rejoices, but he says all (we) who experienced His strength will sing praises for His power.  

Spurgeon’s remarks on verse 13:  "Be thou exalted, Lord, in Thy strength.  We will sing and praise Thy power.”

A sweet concluding verse. Our hearts shall join in it. It is always right to praise the Lord when we call to remembrance His goodness to His Son, and the overthrow of His foes. The exaltation of the name of God should be the business of every Christian.  For a time the saints may mourn, but the glorious appearance of their divine Helper awakens their joy. Joy should always flow in the channel of praise. All the attributes of God are fitting subjects to be celebrated by the music of our hearts and voices, and when we observe a display of His power, we must extol it. He wrought our deliverance alone, and He alone shall have the praise.

The Psalms truly are a great place to enlarge our view of God.  Just from these twin warfare psalms we learn that God

• answers
• protects
• helps and supports
• remembers offerings
• accepts
• grants
• fulfills
• saves
• is powerful
• is to be the object of our trust
• provides happy strength
• doesn't withhold
• blesses with good things
• gives life
• crowns
• gives splendor and majesty
• makes joyful those who are in His presence
• provides an anchor with His love
• will search out His enemies
• is wrathful
• will destroy His enemies
• is in control
• is powerful
  
• will have the final, victorious outcome

"Be Thou exalted, O LORD, in Thy strength; We will sing and praise Thy power."