The king shall Joy in Thy strength, O Lord; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice.
The feelings of the good in relation to the subjugation of evil
Take the literal view of this Psalm as a type of the moral one against error and sin, and we have--
I. Thanksgiving for victory. Verses 1-7 are a triumphant declaration of some victory. “Thou settest a crown of pure gold upon his bead.” Now--
1. His conquest was a source of joy. “The king shall joy,” etc.
2. His conquest was of Divine mercy. “Thou hast given him,” etc. That mercy went before him. “Thou preventest him,” etc., and transcended his progress. “He asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest it him, even length of days forever and ever.”
3. His conquest exalted him to honour. “His glory is great,” etc. And--
4. Was connected with his trust in God. “For the king trusteth,” etc.
II. Expectation of yet further victory. “Thine hand shall find out all Thine enemies,” etc. In moral struggles, past victories promise future ones. Because--
1. The opposition is weakened.
2. The weapons cannot be injured. The sword of the Spirit cannot rest nor decay.
3. The resources are inexhaustible--God’s wisdom, love, and power.
4. The enemies already overcome are as great as any remaining; and
5. Each new conquest weakens the foe, but increases the strength of the conqueror.
III. Desire for victory over all enemies. And this shall be. “Be Thou exalted, Lord, in,” etc. (D. Thomas, D. D.)
The Lord Protector of princes
Here is God assisting, and the king trusting; God saving, and the king rejoicing; the king desiring, and God satisfying his desires to the full. In this verse are three remarkable conjugations. God is joined with the king. Strength with confidence. Salvation with exceeding great joy. Thus they depend on each other. The king on God. Confidence on strength. Joy of salvation. God exalteth the king. Strength begetteth confidence. Salvation bringeth with it exceeding joy. God is above the king. Salvation is above strength. Exceeding joy above confidence.
1. The only security of princes and states is in the strength of the Almighty.
2. God holdeth a special hand over sovereign princes.
3. Princes mightily defended and safely preserved by the arm of God must thankfully acknowledge this singular favour, and deliver their deliverances to after ages, that the children yet unborn may praise the Lord as we do this day. (D. Featley, D. D.)
Rejoicing in the strength of God
“Oh, it is good rejoicing in the strength of that arm which shall never wither, and in the shadow of those wings which shall never cast their feathers! In Him that is not there yesterday and here today, but the same yesterday, today, and forever! For as He is, so shall the joy be.” (Launcelot Andrews.)
In Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice.
The joy of the heavenly King
I. This joy arose from a consciousness of newly-achieved victory.
1. This victory was achieved by supernatural power. Not by the ordinary tactics of military genius, or by the prowess of a human arm. The salvation of humanity is a Divine work.
2. This victory was granted in answer to earnest prayer (Psalms 21:2). The agony of wrestling prayer is often turned into the rapture of success.
II. This joy was accelerated by possessing an affluence of Divine blessing.
1. He was surrounded with evidences of the Divine beneficence. God’s gifts are God’s love embodied and expressed.
2. He was invested with the most illustrious dignity (Psalms 21:3; Psalms 21:5). Jesus wore a thorn crown, but now He wears the glory crown.
3. He enjoyed the consciousness of an imperishable life (Psalms 21:4). He was raised from the dead to die no more.
4. He became the source of endless blessing to others (Psalms 21:6). In and through Him all nations of the earth are blessed.
5. He exults in the Divine favour (Psalms 21:6). The countenance of God makes the Prince of heaven glad.
III. This joy was intensified by the assurance of the unshakeable permanency of His government.
1. The permanency of Messiah’s throne is secured by the Divine mercy (Psalms 21:7). He who is most high in every sense engages all His infinite perfections to maintain the throne of grace upon which our King in Zion reigns.
2. The assurance of this permanency is strengthened by Messiah’s confidence in God (Psalms 21:7). The joy and confidence of Christ our King is the ground of all our joy and confidence, and the pledge of final conquest over all our foes. (Homiletic Commentary.)
A completed salvation, Messiah’s triumph
I. Look at our King as having accomplished salvation. But few Christians believe in a salvation finished, perfected. The salvation in Christ Jesus is complete; there is not an iota more to pay, not a single act of meritorious obedience left to perform, and not an enemy to combat but He has engaged to vanquish. Look at the manner in which He accomplishes this salvation.
1. By His suretyship and substitution.
2. By His atonement.
3. The entire labour is exclusively His own.
II. Our glorious King invested with kingly power to dispense salvation.
1. By His victories.
2. By application.
III. The King rejoicing in God’s salvation, seeing the trophies of it brought in and brought home. My soul seems in an ecstasy of thought in the contemplation of this. Precious Christ! It is all Thine own--all Thy work from first to last. (Joseph Irons.)