Psalm 21

Updated
2001-05-26; 14:33:14utc

God is addressed in this psalm. The question is, who addresses Him? "The king" who speaks is referred to in the third person, as if someone else speaks about him. In some Asian cultures it is not uncommon that someone uses the third person singular when speaking about himself. The use of the word "I" is deemed improper. It is, therefore, quite possible that David speaks here about himself. In a sense, though, he also speaks about God, because God, and what God has done for him is the subject of this psalm. Yet, at the same time David reveals some very interesting features about himself. We read just as much about God as about David in this psalm.

The use of the third person singular gives to this psalm the character of importance and royal dignity. The person speaking knows himself to be subjected to the authority of God, but he speaks as someone who has honor and dignity, and as one possessing royal power. Those features are inherent to his relationship with God. This is what makes this psalm so closely related to the previous one. In Psalm Twenty the subject of the psalm learned how to enter into fellowship with God; here this fellowship has become a daily reality, which has elevated the psalmist to royal dignity. The Apostle John reveals this in his doxology in Revelation, when he says: "To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father-- to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen."^¹ In the final analysis, this psalm is, of course, a prophecy about our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This explains the fact that David speaks, simultaneously, about himself and about someone else.

A sinful man rejoices about power, as if it is something that originates from within himself. A person, who loves God, rejoices in God's power, and he acknowledges and recognizes that that which he possesses has its origin in a source outside himself, in the power of God. It ought to be a cause of endless rejoicing for us that Jesus said: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."² The power of Jesus is a power unto Himself as well as unto our salvation; that is reason enough for us to say: "O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength."

We may rejoice and shout ecstatically before God at the discovery of who He is. David has made this discovery by the gifts God has bestowed upon him, and, in this psalm, he makes an inventory of those gifts. God has granted him the desire of his heart and has not withheld the request of his lips. God heard his prayers. Our heart often knows better what we need than what we are aware of ourselves. Every human heart longs for God, but not every human being knows this, or acknowledges this. God gave to David that which he needed most. The fact that he was able to express his deepest needs in words is an indication of the greatness of his character. As we said, the desire of our heart and the request of our lips are not always the same. The fact that God not only fulfills David's heart desires, but also gives him the request of his lips, and answers his prayers indicates how far David had advanced in his fellowship with God. This is what Jesus meant when He said: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you."³ When God begins to answer our prayers in this way, He wants us to know that He trusts us, and it is up to us not to misuse this trust.

At this point David interrupts himself with a "Selah." The use of this word has thrown Bible scholars for a loop. Most of them agree that they do not know for certain what the meaning of the word is. New The Unger's Bible Dictionary says: "Probably a musical notation indicating an intended pause." The International Standard Bible Encylopaedia adds: "The term celah, a word that occurs 71 times in the Psalms. It is rendered in the Septuagint by diapsalmos, which either means louder playing, forte, or, more probably, an instrumental interlude." And Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary comments: "Selah-- This word occurs 71 times in the Book of Psalms (also <Hab. 3:3,9, 13>). Scholars agree that the term is a musical direction of some sort, but they are not agreed on what the direction is. It may mean: (1) an interlude-- a pause in the singing while the orchestra continues; (2) the equivalent of today's 'Amen'; as such it would separate psalms or sections of psalms which have different liturgical purposes; and (3) an acrostic which means 'a change of voices' or 'repeat.' "

David continues by saying: "You welcomed him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head." God comes to us with rich blessings. Typical of God's revelation is not that we approach God, but that He comes to us. This point is nowhere brought home so forcefully as in the parable of the Prodigal Son, where the father runs toward his son when the son is still far off. In Jesus' own words: "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."⁴ In the context of the parable the boy repented of his sin. We may project this attitude upon this psalm also. If we turn from our disastrous ways and turn to God, He will pour His richest blessings out upon us. But pardon of sin is only the beginning of a stream of endless benefits that God has in store for us. We begin by realizing that our guilt is gone, and this is followed by a sensation of well-being, and the knowledge of being loved and honored. We only know what it means to be human in the exercise of fellowship with God, where we learn that God loves us personally. As Christ's followers we realize very seldom that we are pretenders to the throne. The enthronement David speaks about here, and which he had known in his own life on earth, is an image of the real enthronement that awaits us in our Father's house. The honor we receive in this life for the sake of Christ is an installment on what is reserved for us in eternity. The crown jewels are kept in store for us. A man who still wrestles with the question as to whether he should repent of his sin and turn to the Lord has no idea about these things. Even those who are in heaven have difficulties grasping this truth. We gather this from the fact that the elders who surround God's throne cast their crowns before the throne. We read in Revelation: "The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne."⁵ This gesture becomes even more meaningful when we presume that these elders wore their crowns rightfully. The fact that God places a crown of pure gold on our heads ought to fill us with awe and amazement. David's words illustrate the depth of Paul's quote from Isaiah, when he says: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."⁶ Even if we understand David's words to be a prophecy about the coronation of Jesus Christ, the fact remains that we will share in His glory.

The phrase: "He asked you for life, and you gave it to him-- length of days, for ever and ever," is particularly interesting. David was alive when he prayed this prayer. He knew, however, that the life he possessed was a borrowed life, it was not his own, and it was hemmed in by death. He knew there was more than the life he lived at that moment, and so he asked God for eternal life. Before death caught up with him, he knew that God had heard his prayer. The Holy Spirit uses these words particularly in connection with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And the life we receive from God is also the resurrection life of our Lord Jesus Christ. This "length of days, for ever and ever," is for us also.

We are honorable because of salvation in Jesus; because of the redemption of our sins, we are honored both by God and men. A redeemed man is an honorable man. This is the main theme of this psalm, as we have seen already.

But David explains here that this honor is part of the forgiveness of our sins. We could almost say that it is inevitable that the fatted calf is killed, when we return to the Father and confess our sins. Both for Christ and for us, the cross and the crown are inseparable. We hardly ever realize from what we are excluded by sin, and how great the riches are which we inherit through our redemption. The inventory of blessing David enumerates for us is very impressive: a crown of pure gold, eternal life, great glory, splendor and majesty, gladness, and the joy of God's presence. The list is so overwhelming that we have difficulties imagining ourselves in that position. That is why it is so important that we "live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received," as the Apostle Paul urges us.⁷

With the words: "The king trusts in the LORD; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken," David returns to earth. He sees himself again surrounded by enemies, darkness and obstacles, that could make him fall. Actually, his feet never left the ground; he always looked at the crown of pure gold, eternal life, the great glory, splendor and majesty, gladness, and the joy of God's presence, from an earthly perspective. In Peter's words: the "inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade [is] kept in heaven for [us]."⁸ But God wants us to realize on earth what we possess in heaven. That is the exercise of faith David speaks about here. When we look around we do not see the glory that is ours, but a fallen world. The temptation to lose our courage is always present. We will only be kept from stumbling if we trust God and keep before us the truth that what God promised is true.

Israel accused God of bringing them into the desert to die out of the sight of witnesses.⁹ Either God is perfectly good, or totally evil. A mixture of good and evil, such as we see in humans, would be impossible for God. That is why our trust in God is based on logical grounds. The Hebrew word translated with "unfailing love" is checed, which is defined by Strongs as "kindness." The KJV translates it with "mercy," the RSV with "steadfast love," NAS with "lovingkindness." It is God's covenant love, which is the word used by the Berkeley Version. God's character that He has revealed to man in His covenant is our guarantee that we will be able to stand and not be shaken in the confusion of this life.

The last section of this psalm, from the verses 8-12, is different in tone from the rest. It sounds strange to us that God's enemies would, in fact, be a threat to Him. We should remember that God's foes are not primarily human beings. His foremost opponents are the devil and his demons. Neither man nor demon is a threat to God's existence, but they are to His holiness. If God would let the rebellion of sin go on endlessly, He would no longer be perfect in holiness. We should read these verses against this background. We should also remember how God's wrath, which is depicted so dramatically here, and which may seem repulsive to us, is expressed in reality. The NIV reads: "You will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow." The NKJ says: "Therefore You will make them turn their back; you will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces." The Hebrew word paniym does mean "face." What is this arrow that God aims at His enemies' faces? It is nothing more or less than the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at Golgotha. God does not conquer evil with evil. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is "a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles."¹⁰ As it turns out "the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength."¹¹

This does not mean that God is foolish and weak. We worship Him from whose presence the earth and sky will flee.¹² Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might!

¹ Rev. 1:5-6