Psalm 21
Exposition
Explanatory Notes and Quaint Sayings
Hints to the Village Preacher
SUBJECT. The title gives us but little information; it is simply, To the
chief Musician, a Psalm of David. Probably written by David, sung by
David, relating to David, and intended by David to refer in its fullest
reach of meaning to David's Lord. It is evidently the fit companion of
Psalm Twenty, and is in its proper position next to it. Psalm Twenty
anticipates what this regards as realized. If we pray to-day for a benefit
and receive it, we must, ere the sun goes down, praise God for that mercy,
or we deserve to be denied the next time. It has been called David's
triumphant song, and we may remember it as The Royal Triumphal Ode. "The
king" is most prominent throughout, and we shall read it to true profit if
our meditation of him shall be sweet while perusing it. We must crown him
with the glory of our salvation; singing of his love, and praising his
power, The next psalm will take us to the foot of the cross, this
introduces us to the steps of the throne.
DIVISION. The division of the translators will answer every purpose. A
thanksgiving for victory, verses 1 to 6. Confidence of further success,
verses 7 to 13.
EXPOSITION
Verse 1. "The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord." Jesus is a Royal
Personage. The question, "Art thou a King then?" received a full answer
from the Saviour's lips: "Thou sayest that I am a King. To this end was I
born, and for this purpose came I into the world, that I might bear witness
unto the truth." He is not merely a King, but the King; King over minds
and hearts, reigning with a dominion of love, before which all other rule is
but mere brute force. He was proclaimed King even on the cross, for there,
indeed, to the eye of faith, he reigned as on a throne, blessing with more
than imperial munificence the needy sons of earth. Jesus has wrought out
the salvation of his people, but as a man he found his strength in Jehovah
his God, to whom he addressed himself in prayer upon the lonely mountain's
side, and in the garden's solitary gloom. That strength so abundantly given
is here gratefully acknowledged, and made the subject of joy. The Man of
Sorrows is now anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.
Returned in triumph from the overthrow of all his foes, he offers his own
rapturous Te Deum in the temple above, and joys in the power of the Lord.
Herein let every subject of King Jesus imitate the King; let us lean upon
Jehovah's strength, let us joy in it by unstaggering faith, let us exult in
it in our thankful songs. Jesus not only has thus rejoiced, but he shall
do so as he sees the power of divine grace bringing out from their sinful
hiding-places the purchase of his soul's travail; we also shall rejoice more
and more as we learn by experience more and more fully the strength of the
arm of our covenant God. Our weakness unstrings our harps, but his strength
tunes them anew. If we cannot sing a note in honour of our own strength, we
can at any rate rejoice in our omnipotent God.
"And in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!" Everything is
ascribed to God; the source is thy strength and the stream is thy
salvation. Jehovah planned and ordained it, works it and crowns it, and
therefore it is his salvation. The joy here spoken of is described by a
note of exclamation and a word of wonder: "how greatly!" The rejoicing of
our risen Lord must, like his agony, be unutterable. If the mountains of
his joy rise in proportion to the depth of the valleys of his grief, then
his sacred bliss is high as the seventh heaven. For the joy which was set
before him as he endured the cross, despising the shame, and now that joy
daily grows, for he rests in his love and rejoices over his redeemed with
singing, as in due order they are brought to find their salvation in his
blood. Let us with our Lord rejoice in salvation, as coming from God, as
coming to us, as extending itself to others, and as soon to encompass all
lands. We need not be afraid of too much rejoicing in this respect; this
solid foundation will well sustain the loftiest edifice of joy. The
shoutings of the early methodists in the excitement of the joy were far more
pardonable than our own lukewarmness. Our joy should have some sort of
inexpressibleness in it.
Verse 2. "Thou hast given him his heart's desire." That desire he ardently
pursued when he was on earth, both by his prayer, his actions, and his
suffering; he manifested that his heart longed to redeem his people, and now
in heaven he has his desire granted him, for he sees his beloved coming to
be with him where he is. The desires of the Lord Jesus were from his heart,
and the Lord heard them; if our hearts are right with God, he will in our
case also "fulfil the desires of them that fear him."
"And hast not withholden the request of his lips." What is in the
well of the heart is sure to come up in the bucket of the lips, and those
are the only true prayers where the heart's desire is first, and the lip's
request follows after. Jesus prayed vocally as well as mentally; speech is
a great assistance to thought. Some of us feel that even when alone we find
it easier to collect our thoughts when we can pray aloud. The requests of
the Saviour were not withheld. He was and still is a prevailing Pleader.
Our Advocate on high returns not empty from the throne of grace. He asked
for his elect in the eternal council-chamber, he asked for blessings for
them here, he asked for glory for them hereafter, and his requests have
speeded. He is ready to ask for us at the mercy-seat. Have we not at this
hour some desire to send up to his Father by him? Let us not be slack to
use our willing, loving, all-prevailing Intercessor.
"Selah." Here a pause is very properly inserted that we may admire
the blessed success of the king's prayers, and that we may prepare our own
requests which may be presented through him. If we had a few more quiet
rests, a few more Selahs in our public worship, it might be profitable.
Verse 3. "For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness." The
word prevent formerly signified to precede or go before, and assuredly
Jehovah preceded his Son with blessings. Before he died saints were saved
by the anticipated merit of his death, before he came believers saw his day
and were glad, and he himself had his delights with the sons of men. The
Father is so willing to give blessings through his Son, that instead of his
being constrained to bestow his grace, he outstrips the Mediatorial march of
mercy. "I say not that I will pray the Father for you, for the Father
himself loveth you." Before Jesus calls the Father answers, and while he is
yet speaking he hears. Mercies may be bought with blood, but they are also
freely given. The love of Jehovah is not caused by the Redeemer's
sacrifice, but that love, with its blessings of goodness, preceded the great
atonement, and provided it for our salvation. Reader, it will be a happy
thing for thee if, like thy Lord, thou canst see both providence and grace
preceding thee, forestalling thy needs, and preparing thy path. Mercy, in
the case of many of us, ran before our desires and prayers, and it ever
outruns our endeavours and expectancies, and even our hopes are left to lag
behind. Prevenient grace deserves a song; we may make one out of this
sentence; let us try. All our mercies are to be viewed as "blessings;"
gifts of a blessed God, meant to make us blessed; they are "blessings of
goodness," not of merit, but of free favour; and they come to us in a
preventing way, a way of prudent foresight, such as only preventing love
could have arranged. In this light the verse is itself a sonnet!
"Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head." Jesus wore the
thorn-crown, but now wears the glory-crown. It is a "crown," indicating
royal nature, imperial power, deserved honour, glorious conquest, and divine
government. The crown is of the richest, rarest, most resplendent, and most
lasting order— "gold," and that gold of the most refined and valuable
sort, "pure gold," to indicate the excellence of his dominion. This crown
is set upon his head most firmly, and whereas other monarchs find their
diadems fitting loosely, his is fixed so that no power can move it, for
Jehovah himself has set it upon his brow. Napoleon crowned himself, but
Jehovah crowned the Lord Jesus; the empire of the one melted in an hour, but
the other has an abiding dominion. Some versions read, "a crown of precious
stones;" this may remind us of those beloved ones who shall be as jewels in
his crown, of whom he has said, "They shall be mine in the day when I make
up my jewels." May we be set in the golden circlet of the Redeemer's glory,
and adorn his head for ever!
Verse 4. "He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of
days for ever and ever." The first words may suit King David, but the
length of days for ever and ever can only refer to the King Messiah. Jesus,
as man, prayed for resurrection and he received it, and now possesses it in
immortality. He died once, but being raised from the dead he dieth no more.
"Because I live, ye shall live also," is the delightful intimation which the
Saviour gives us, that we are partakers of his eternal life. We had never
found this jewel, if he had not rolled away the stone which covered it.
Verse 5. "His glory is great in thy salvation." Immanuel bears the palm;
he once bore the cross. The Father has glorified the Son, so that there is
no glory like unto that which surroundeth him. See his person as it is
described by John in the Revelation; see his dominion as it stretches from
sea to sea; see his splendour as he is revealed in flaming fire. Lord, who
is like unto thee? Solomon in all his glory could not be compared with
thee, thou once despised Man of Nazareth! Mark, reader: salvation is
ascribed to God; and thus the Son, as our Saviour, magnifies his Father; but
the Son's glory is also greatly seen, for the Father glorifies his Son.
"Honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him." Parkhurst reads,
"splendour and beauty." These are put upon Jesus as chains of gold, and
stars and tokens of honour are placed upon princes and great men. As the
wood of the tabernacle was overlaid with pure gold, so is Jesus covered with
glory and honour. If there be a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory for his humble followers, what must there be for our Lord himself?
The whole weight of sin was laid upon him; it is but meet that the full
measure of the glory of bearing it away should be laid upon the same beloved
person. A glory commensurate with his shame he must and will receive, for
well has he earned it. It is not possible for us to honour Jesus too much;
what our God delights to do, we may certainly do to our utmost. Oh for new
crowns for the lofty brow which once was marred with thorns!
"Let him be crowned with majesty
Who bowed his head to death,
And be his honours sounded high
By all things that have breath."
Verse 6. "For thou hast made him most blessed for ever." He is most
blessed in himself, for he is God over all, blessed for ever; but this
relates to him as our Mediator, in which capacity blessedness is given to
him as a reward. The margin has it, thou hast set him to be blessings; he
is an overflowing wellspring of blessings to others, a sun filling the
universe with light. According as the Lord sware unto Abraham, the promised
seed is an everlasting source of blessings to all the nations of the earth.
He is set for this, ordained, appointed, made incarnate with this very
design, that he may bless the sons of men. Oh that sinners had sense enough
to use the Saviour for that end to which he is ordained, viz., to be a
Saviour to lost and guilty souls.
"Thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance." He who is a
blessing to others cannot but be glad himself; the unbounded good-doing of
Jesus ensures him unlimited joy. The loving favour of his Father, the
countenance of God, gives Jesus exceeding joy. This is the purest stream to
drink of, and Jesus chooses no other. His joy is full. Its source is
divine. Its continuance is eternal. Its degree exceeding all bounds. The
countenance of God makes the Prince of Heaven glad; how ought we to seek it,
and how careful should we be lest we should provoke him by our sins to hide
his face from us! Our anticipations may cheerfully fly forward to the hour