Seeing Jesus in Psalm 21

You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him the joy of your presence.

Psalm 21:6 NLT

 Psalm 21

(Please read the Psalm before reading these thoughts about the Psalm.)

Introduction:

A few of the more difficult questions to answer in literature (particularly biblical literature) are, “Who is speaking?” and “About whom is he speaking?” This is not just because the text might be unclear but because the Bible may use a place or person as a representative of a whole nation or family or the other way around: a group of people or a whole city or nation might represent one person. This is uniquely true of Jesus, David, God’s chosen family and each individual believer. When a text clearly points to Jesus in the Bible but was written before Jesus was born, we refer to it as a messianic passage. By that we mean it is a passage pointing to or giving information about the messiah (המשיח, 'anointed'). Jesus said that he was the person to whom those prophecies were referring. So there are direct passages which seem to refer only to the messiah and thus are speaking about Jesus. But David has been promised an eternal throne  (2 Samuel 7), and so when speaking about David’s throne, we have to be speaking about an immortal person, Jesus. So in some ways anything about David may have something to tell us about David’s promised eternal throne and descendant. But in the New Testament there is a further “complication” or complexity added to this davidic messianic throne.

“‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

Revelation 3:21, 

“If we endure, we will also reign with him…”

2 Timothy 2:12,

“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

Revelation 20:6

And further frequently the New Testament speaks of the relationship between believers and Jesus by saying things about Christ being in us and us being in Christ. Or in other words, the messiah is in the christian and the christian is in the messiah.

And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:6

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Some of the statements in Psalm 21 can refer to David or even Solomon, his son, the second future Davidic king. But other statements cannot because they are too big and impossible for a mere mortal who will die. 

Psalm 21:4 He asked you to preserve his life, and you granted his request. The days of his life stretch on forever. 

This promise of immortality doesn’t fit David but does fit Jesus.

And David intended to build the temple for God but God did not allow him to build it (1 Chronicles 17:2-4). So Psalm 21:2 “For you have given him his heart’s desire; you have withheld nothing he requested.” isn’t so accurate either. 

But Jesus ultimately fulfils the passage in many ways including building the “temple” (Hebrew 9).

So I propose that you read Psalm 21 as a messianic Psalm pointing to Jesus. In doing so you see yourself as a child of God and a believer in Christ as also sharing in the splendour of this triumphant Psalm.

Main Point: The King (Jesus) is worthy of praise (song and celebration)!

1. Be joyful, the king’s strength is God's strength. v.1

The Psalm begins with the king rejoicing. In any good nation if the king is happy then the people can be happy, because a good king will pass the blessing of prosperity and peace on to his people. A triumphant successful king has a blessed and prosperous people. Surely a reason to be joyful.

2. Be restful, the king’s reign is made secure by God (blessed/complete/supplied) vv.2-4

Verse 2 ends with the “Selah” or interlude, usually taken to be a musical rest or pause for consideration. Here it is, the musical notation giving emphasis to the meaning of the text. God has withheld no good thing from the king. You have nothing to worry about. The king's wish is to secure peace and prosperity for his people, and that is now signed, sealed and delivered. You can rest in this security.

3. Be awed, the king’s royal splendour is endowed by God. vv.3, 5-7, 13

Since there is so much success, security and prosperity, there is no need to hold back in the celebration, pomp and ceremony of this king and His kingdom. The gold, the robes, the feast, the horses, the soldiers, the regal splendour are without equal or limit. Interesting that in the Bible the description of royal celebration and regal courts, building projects and military might of both foreign and domestic kings is described in detail, all as if to say, you might think this is something but you ain’t seen nothing yet, wait till you see the messiah’s rule! All the rest will seem completely forgettable.

4. Be afraid, the king’s enemies are destroyed by God. vv.8-11

Who would dare to stand against such a king? Some poor fools (far too many) still stand against the King, but they will come to nothing. The enemies of the king can never threaten the peace and prosperity of God’s chosen king. His retribution is total and complete.

5. Be worshipful, the king’s strength is worshipped by His people because God has done it. v.13

The only possible response is worship, song and celebration. We could talk all our lives about this King and we would never begin to scratch the surface of what should and could be said. Sing and celebrate the King God has made powerful and strong. What a great joy it is to serve such a king. His subjects have no worries and only joy and satisfaction. 

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Luke 2:11

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Acts 5:42

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” 

John 4:25-26

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 16:15–17

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.   And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Luke 4:18–21