Praise and Worship Is Offered To YHWH For His Goodness And Faithfulness Towards His Anointed (Psalms 21:1-7).
‘The king will joy in your strength, O YHWH,
And in your salvation how greatly will he rejoice!'
The psalmist declares that the king will rejoice in YHWH's strength, especially His strength as revealed in His great deliverance on behalf of His people, because He has given them victory. As God's anointed God has blessed him by revealing His saving power through him, and he can now rejoice in the fulfilment of the promises given to him as God's chosen one. So should all rejoice who find themselves being used as His instruments as God goes before them to give them victory, although often only after the battle has been fierce.
Jesus Messiah also rejoiced in His Father's strength and wisdom, and in the wonder of His salvation as worked out through Himself (Luke 10:20-22; John 12:28).
‘You have given him his heart's desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah'
For YHWH has given to His king the desire of his heart, victory over his enemies and the enemies of God's people. He has not withheld from him anything of what he requested. Selah. ‘Think of that!' Think also of the fact that in the end all triumphs by the people of God are due to Him.
This psalm is a reminder to us that the Davidic king was ever seen as having the responsibility of being a chief intercessor on behalf of his people, for as king of Jerusalem he was seen as a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek (Psalms 110:4), responsible before God for the welfare of the city. This would also be why he was to have a special place in Ezekiel's heavenly temple (Ezekiel 44:3).
How much more then will that be true of the Great Intercessor, the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek described in Hebrews, (see Hebrews 6:20 and regularly in the letter), Who makes intercession continually on behalf of His own.
It is a reminder that we too should never forget to rejoice in God when He hears and answers our prayers.
‘For you meet him with the blessings of goodness,
You set a crown of fine gold on his head.'
‘He asked life of you, you gave it to him,
Even length of days for ever and ever.'
Indeed God goes to meet the king with ‘the blessings of goodness'. This probably signifies ‘the blessings that come from the goodness of God'. These blessings include his crown of fine gold, a symbol of his prosperity and victory, and the longevity promised to the house of David.
Kings were regularly greeted with the words, ‘May the king live for ever' (1 Kings 1:31; Nehemiah 2:3). The thought was that he might have long days and be succeeded by his sons. Here that is extended to ‘forever and ever'. It is never to cease. The exaltation is in the fact that he is the chosen of YHWH, Who will give him long life and will give to him through his seed an everlasting kingdom (2 Samuel 7:16).
‘You set a crown of fine gold on his head.' There may be an allusion here to 2 Samuel 12:30 as an illustration of the glory that He constantly gave him in the defeat of his enemies. It possibly especially has in mind the crown of gold he had received from the enemy he had recently defeated. For it was customary for the victor to take the defeated king's crown. But it may rather simply indicate that he was God's anointed and therefor crowned with the finest of crowns.
‘He asked life of you, you gave it to him, even length of days for ever and ever.' Compare Psalms 61:5-6. Long life was always the request of kings both for their own sake, and because it was thought to evidence their righteousness. It was especially important in view of the fact that a king's death could bring hardship on his people, especially if his successors were weak or quarrelsome (compare also Hezekiah's concern in Isaiah 38:10-20 and see Exodus 23:26; 1 Kings 3:11-14; Proverbs 3:1-2 in respect of length of days). So the king is given ‘length of days'. But here the thought would seem to include life through a long and successful dynasty, ensuring the effective continuation of his rule (2 Samuel 7:12-16).
But far more wonderfully was it fulfilled in the One Who was crowned with glory and honour (Hebrews 2:9) and Whom God raised from the dead that He might be our everlasting King (Acts 2:24; Acts 2:32-36) and give us life for evermore.
‘His glory is great in your salvation,
Honour and majesty you lay upon him.'
‘For you make him most blessed for ever,
You make him glad with joy in your presence.'
Further benefits that the king receives are now described. He gets great glory from the recent deliverance as plaudits are poured on him, honour and majesty are bestowed on him as a result of his conquest, as kings submit their kingdoms to him, but most importantly he continues in the everlasting blessing of God, revealed in continual triumphs, and enjoys gladness and joy in the presence of God. He enjoys peace with God and peace for his kingdom. No one ever loses by their faithfulness to God.
For the success of the king is evidence of the divine favour, so that he basks in His glory, and as a truly righteous king walks in the light of His presence (see Psalms 4:6; Psalms 16:11; Psalms 89:15; Psalms 140:13).
How much more then is the eternal glory poured out on the King Messiah Who receives all these things in even greater abundance as He takes His throne in Heaven, with all being made subject to Him. For glory, honour and majesty are divine attributes (Psalms 8:1; Psalms 8:5; Psalms 104:1).
‘For you make him most blessed for ever.' This is literally ‘you make him blessings for ever' (compare Genesis 12:2). He is not only blessed but he dispenses blessing and is the source of blessing to his people. The people are themselves blessed in the success of their king, both because his success brings peace and joy, and because it brings stability and wealth. And of none was this more true in the spiritual sphere than with the King of Kings.
‘For the king trusts in YHWH,
And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be moved.'
And all this results from the king's faith in God. It is because he trusts in YHWH, and through His lovingkindness, that nothing can move or defeat him. It is his trust in God that is the foundation of his success.
Again we see how true this also was of the King Messiah, for He too trusted His Father fully, and was confident in His mercy and goodness. That was the root of His own success. And it gained Him the victory.