Scripture Reading: Psalm 21

Turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 21. Psalm 21 as we continue to work our way through the Psalms of David. I'll read chapter 21 and then we'll look at it in some detail. So beginning in verse 1, to the chief musician, a Psalm of David.

The king shall have joy in your strength, O Lord, and in your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice. You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips, say La. For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

He asked life from you and you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. His glory is great in your salvation, honor and majesty you have placed upon him. For you have made him most blessed forever. You have made him exceedingly glad with your presence.

For the king trusts in the Lord and through the mercy of the Most High, he shall not be moved. Your hand will find all your enemies. Your right hand will find those who hate you. You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger.

The Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their offspring you shall destroy from the earth, and their descendants from among the sons of men. For they intended evil against you. They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.

Therefore, you will make them turn their back. You will make ready your arrows on your string toward their faces. Be exalted, O Lord, in your own strength. We will sing and praise your power.

Amen. Well, let us pray.

Opening Prayer

Our Father, we thank You for Your written Word. We thank You for the reality that it sets forth, especially in a psalm like this, the glory of our blessed Savior. We thank You for the Lord Jesus Christ, His current session at Your right hand. We do look forward to His return again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

And I pray, God, that those who are dead in their trespasses and sins here this morning would be awakened by the effectual call of our blessed God, that you would call them out of darkness into marvelous light to confess faith in Jesus for their whole and sole righteousness. And Father, for your people, build us up in our most holy faith, cause us to see the glory of Christ, and may it speak great and encouraging things to our own hearts. Forgive us for all sin and unrighteousness and guide us now by your Holy Spirit. And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Introduction

Well, there is a close connection between Psalms 20 and 21, not just numerically, but thematically. And essentially what you have in Psalm 20 at verses one to five is the cry of the church for God's help to the king. And this probably before a battle that both David and our Lord Jesus waged against enemies. So 20 verses 1 to 5, the church has cried for God's help to the king.

In verses 6 to 9 of Psalm 20, you see the confidence of the church in that help. And then Psalm 21 comes along and tells us that God did hear that cry. God did bless. God did give victory to David in a temporal sense. but he gives victory to the true David, our Lord Jesus, in an eternal sense.

So Psalm 21, 1 to 7 is a confirmation of God's help to the king. And then 21, 8 to 13 is a bit prophetic as it looks forward. to a future triumph of the king. So essentially, as we look at Psalm 21, we'll take up first the exaltation of the king in verses 1 to 7, and then secondly, the future triumph of the king in verses 8 to 13. So

The Exaltation of the King

let's look specifically at the exaltation of the king in verses 1 to 7.

Declaration of the King's Joy

It starts with a declaration. Note verses 1 and 2. After the superscription to the chief musician, the Psalm of David, which again indicates for us we're to sing this, we're to pray it, we're to rejoice in it, and what some might consider as unsavory contents vis-a-vis the absolute destruction of the enemies of God, furnish for the church great cause for praise, celebration, and gratitude to our blessed Redeemer. So it is a corporate song, it is to be sung, it is to be read, it is to be prayed, it is to be trafficked in, and it is to be committed to our minds and hearts that we would get the comfort from it that it does so much afford to us.

So after that superscription, we have this declaration in verses 1 and 2. The king shall have joy in your strength, O Lord, and in your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice. You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. So the joy of the king is conspicuous here.

The joy of the king is preeminent here. The joy of the king is highlighted here. And I think it is suggestive of what we find concerning our king, the Lord Jesus, in Hebrews chapter 12. It tells us we are looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

That's what this psalm is about. It does see David victorious. It does complete the prayer of at least David's contemporaries relative to David's battles. But it far transcends that.

In fact, if you look at verse four in Psalm 21, yes, it was appropriate to rejoice in God's answers to prayer with reference to King David as he battled the Philistines, as he battled the Ammonites. as He went out and took on all the enemies of the Most High. But notice in verse 4, He asked life from you and you gave it to Him, length of days, forever and ever. It transcends David. It finds its termination and fulfillment in the true David, the new covenant David, even our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a psalm celebrating his victory with reference to his sufferings and his death and his resurrection, his ascension on high, and his current session now at the right hand of God Most High. So note in verse 1, the king shall have joy in your strength, O Lord. This is what was prayed for according to Psalm 20. Notice in verse 1, may the Lord answer you in the day of trouble.

May the name of the God of Jacob defend you. Notice in verse 6, now I know that the Lord saves His anointed. He will answer Him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand. And then again in verses 7 and 8, some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

They have bowed down and fallen, but we have risen and stand upright. This prayer of the church prophetically for our Lord and his victory in terms of his mission is realized, it's achieved, it's accomplished, it's fulfilled. And the New Testament everywhere tells us that and applies it relative to our Lord Jesus. Notice, because of God's salvation, when you see that word salvation, and you try to make it appropriate with reference to our Lord, He's not saved from sin.

He's saved from battle. He's saved from sorrow. He's saved from suffering. He's saved from death.

The Holy One of God does not undergo decay according to Psalm 16. Why? Because God raised Him up the third day. God exalted Him to His right hand.

God gave Him the name that is above every name. He has absolute authority as mediator over this new covenant kingdom. And so when we see that this salvation causes joy in the heart of the Savior, again, this is reflected in Psalm 20 by way of petition. Notice in 20, 5, we will rejoice in your salvation.

And in the name of our God, we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. Verse six, now I know that the Lord saves his anointed, his Christ. He will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

And then in verse nine, save Lord, may the King answer us when we call. So I hope you see the connection. What is prayed for in Psalm 20 is answered in Psalm 21. What is asked for in Psalm 20 is the fuel for praise in Psalm 21.

And I think there's a great pattern for us, brethren. We pray to God for certain things. Do we thank God when He grants those things? Do we come back with gratitude?

Do we come back with praise? Do we come back with acknowledgement? Or do we just take it as so many things in our lives? If God answers our prayer, we praise Him.

And if God answers our prayer in a way that we don't like, we praise Him, knowing that He's infinitely wise, knowing that He's infinitely good, knowing that He works all things for the good of those who love Him and to those who are the called according to His purpose. The psalmist here, representing the church, pointing to His blessed Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is by way of pattern showing us how to pray. Yes, you go through the front door of heaven. You have a boldness to the throne of grace achieved for us by our Lord Jesus.

And we make our petitions known to our Lord. And we come and we do what we're supposed to do in terms of God's will. And when he answers those prayers again, whether it be yes or no, we come back to him in praise. We come back to him in worship.

We come back to him with adoration, knowing that whatever my God ordains is right. This is the other side of the prayers offered in Psalm 20. This is answer. This is praise and response to answer.

This is gratitude. As Spurgeon says, the man of sorrows is now anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows. That is bang on relative to verses one and two. Well, verse 1 expresses his joy, but then

The Father's Provision to the Son

notice in verse 2, the provision having been given to the king. Notice in verse 2, you, father, God, have given him, king, his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Again, I think in many respects, this first half of Psalm 21 simply amplifies Psalm 20, verse 4. Notice, may he grant you according to your heart's desire and fulfill all your purpose.

And we get to Psalm 21 at verse 2, You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. This is answer to the prayer of Psalm 20 and verse 4. Again, David prayed it, the church prayed it for David at the time when he would go out to battle, but this Psalm transcends David.

It is about the true David. It is about the mediator of the new covenant. Now with reference to verse 2, you have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. What was the heart's desire of our blessed Savior according to his human nature?

What was the request of the lips of our Savior according to His human nature? I just read it in Hebrews 12, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. His mission. The incarnation, the active obedience of our blessed Savior, the passive obedience when the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.

What is it that Jesus is praying to His Father when He's in His earthly ministry? He's praying the Psalms. He's taking these and he's making them his own. Save me from the destruction of the ungodly.

Spare my life from the wretchedness and the clutches of hell itself. He prayed consistent with his father's will and purpose. He prayed specifically for the glory of the father and the salvation of all those whom the father had given him. And that blessed reality, you have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips.

I like to imagine, in terms of the earthly ministry of our Lord, according to His true humanity, Him reading Scripture, learning of His messianic task according to the Scripture, and perhaps being encouraged by a Psalm 21, verse 2, you have given Him His heart's desire and have not withheld the request of His lips. Wouldn't that cheer our blessed Savior in our human nature? Wouldn't that cheer our blessed Savior who's described as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief? Wouldn't it promote that joy in his heart to endure the sufferings, to endure the cross, to endure the shame, to realize that ultimately he is realizing the glory of God in the salvation of all those whom the Father had given him?

Yes! The Lord Christ, in our human nature, was a man of sorrows. Here he's crowned with the crown of crowns, and the glory of God Most High is given unto him. In John 11, 42, Jesus says, The answer or the desire rather of his heart and the request of his lips was the glory of God and the salvation of his people.

So the declaration in terms of the exaltation is there in verses one and two. And now it's explained.

The Blessing, Crown, and Eternal Reign

What does this exaltation look like? Well, that's what verses three to seven and underscore. And I think first it describes the exaltation of Christ. He's high.

He's lifted. And it kind of moves back and forth between theological doctrines. I see resurrection in here. God meets him.

How does God meet him? By raising him from the dead. God puts a crown of gold upon his head. What does that mean?

It means enthronement at the right hand of the Most High. God gives Him all authority in heaven and on earth. Why? Because He fulfilled all that was required in terms of active and passive obedience on behalf of those whom the Father had given Him.

So notice in terms of this exaltation, the blessing of the Father in the exaltation of the Son, specifically in verses 3 and 4. For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of pure gold upon his head. He asked life from you and you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.

The blessings of goodness. It's beautiful, isn't it? He receives the blessings of goodness. Why?

Because of what he successfully accomplishes in that life of sorrow, in that suffering, in that destitution and forsakenness. Romans 1, 4 tells us that Jesus is declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. With earthly David, imagine he's out battling Moabites. He's out battling Edomites.

He's out battling Philistines. And he wins. He's successful. And then he comes back to the camp of Israel.

What happens in the camp of Israel? You know, you could have done it better. Probably somebody would have done that. We complain about everything.

So it wouldn't surprise me. They would bless him with goodness. They would praise God for His achievement. They would delight in the Lord for what He had done in terms of the Moabite and Edomite and Philistine threat.

This is the picture. The warrior Christ goes through sufferings, goes through death, and then is raised from the dead. The conqueror comes back from the battle. The conqueror comes back from waging the war.

The conqueror comes back from having successfully dealt with our sin, dealt with the devil, and dealt with death itself. So what does the Father do? He conveys this blessedness upon Him. according to His human nature, according to His office as mediator. Not only is this blessing of goodness conferred upon Him, but the crown of gold, notice, you meet Him with the blessings of goodness, you set a crown of gold upon His head.

Well, I've got to think that one of the best New Testament helps to get our minds wrapped around the content of Psalm 21 is probably Hebrews 2, 9 and 10. 2, 9 tells us, But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. And what happens then? The captain of our salvation brings many sons to glory. That's David's point in Psalm 21.

Christ is victor. Christ is exalted as a result of that. Revelation 6, there's a crown upon the head of Christ. Revelation 14, there's a crown upon the head of Christ.

Revelation 19, 12, his eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. Many crowns upon the one who defeated many enemies and bested all the foes, and in that, saved His people from their sins. Ash says, God the Father meets God the incarnate Son with rich blessings, blessings of good, made visible by a crown of fine gold, placed upon His head as a demonstration to the universe that that head, once crowned with thorns, is now crowned with glory, and that immortal honors rest on Jesus' head.

Spurgeon gets at it this way. Jesus wore the thorn crown, but now wears the glory crown. It is a crown indicating royal nature, imperial power, deserved honor, glorious conquest, and divine government. Spurgeon's right.

Christopher Ashe is right. David knew something of the blessings of goodness in his earthly ministry or in his earthly kingship, but this transcends David. This is Jesus You want to know about the exaltation? Yeah.

Ephesians 1, 19 to 23, God has raised him from the dead. God has stationed him at his right hand. God has given him that authority and that name which is above every name. Or Philippians chapter 2, therefore God has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name.

That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess. Paul tells us about the ascension, the resurrection, the ascension, and the session of our Lord. So does David. David's prophesying about it.

Remember that the Psalms are about Jesus. Jesus says all the scriptures are about me. and some more conspicuously than others. And I would suggest verse four forces us to that interpretation. And as I told the brethren in the last hour, Psalm 22 is going to do exactly what Psalm 20 and 21 does.

Psalm 22 is going to get into the details of the suffering of the son of man. And the latter part of Psalm 22 is going to detail the glory of the ascended and glorified Christ. Mentioned as well, Psalm 23, it's ours because it was Christ's first. How does Christ traverse the misery, the sorrow, and the pain described in the first half of Psalm 22?

Because Psalm 23 tells us, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down. He protects me. His rod, His staff, they comfort me.

Again, it's the churches because it's first Christ's. And then Psalm 24 takes us back to the mountain of the Most High to show us the glorified King of glory entering into the presence of the Most High. just as Psalm 15 said, just as we've seen recurringly through the Psalter here. The church that doesn't sing the Psalms isn't singing Jesus. Yes, hymns are good, written by theologians preferably.

Well, specifically. But the Psalms of David are the Psalms of the true David. We want to sing his victory. We want to sing his triumph.

We want to sing his praises. And this is what David leads us to do to the chief musician. This is for corporate worship. Even the imprecation or rather the prophecy concerning the doom and destruction of the wicked at the second coming of our Lord.

Yeah, even the prophecy concerning the doom and destruction of the wicked at the second coming of our Lord. Oh, you church people are so proud and so arrogant. No, we're not. We're sinners saved by grace.

That now by the grace of God understand something of the justice of God and know that it's righteous with God to punish enemies. It's legit. It's right. And the church takes up Psalms like this to sing praise to the God of rightness and justice.

The very foundation of his throne, as Psalm 89 teaches, is justice and righteousness. Why wouldn't the church rejoice in that justice and righteousness? Again, not as proud and arrogant like we've achieved heaven on our own. I'm so awesome, I'm so wonderful, I'm so good.

No, we're saved by grace through faith in Jesus. This victor, this triumphant one, this one who bids you now come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. This blessed Jesus, the triumphant King set forth, the one who's gonna judge the living and the dead, bid sinners through the gospel to come. to be reconciled, to be at peace, to receive the forgiveness of sins, to know something of a righteousness by which you can enter into the presence of the Most High.

This Jesus is in the gospel saying come with me and I'll bring you safely to that blessed kingdom conferred upon me by my Father. As mediator king I'm not only going to judge my enemies in the future but oftentimes I crush them even now and bring them to saving faith and repentance. It's a blessed Christ that David preaches in Psalm 21. Notice, he speaks concerning answer to prayer, verse 4.

He asked life from you and you gave it to him. Resurrection, empty tomb, ascension on high, current session at the right hand of the Father. This is something that Jesus prays for in the high priestly prayer. Give me that glory that I had with you before the world was.

Does God answer? Yes. What about Hebrews 5, 7 that pictures Jesus and our humanity praying thus, who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with vehement cries and tears to Him, was able to save Him from death and was heard because of His godly fear. And compare Psalm 21, verse 4, He asked life from you with Psalm 2, verse 8. ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession." The Father and the Son dialogue in Psalm 2.

The Father says to the Son, ask of me, And then the son asks it and we know that he asks it because in Matthew 28 he says, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. Why does he instruct the church to do that? Because he asked his father for the nations. And as a result of his finished work, sufferings, death, He moves to glory and power and thus he can tell the church, go make disciples of the nations predicated on the promise of the father to the son in Psalm 2 8.

The son asks, the father answers. Psalm 21.4, the son asks, the father answers. Let's extend that principle into our new covenant setting. How is Jesus described in the New Testament relative to right now?

In other words, what's he doing in the current session? He's ruling the nations. Absolutely. He has all authority in heaven and on earth.

Absolutely. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. Absolutely. You know what else he's doing?

If anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ, the righteous. 1 John 2.1. Isn't that blessed and beautiful? Oftentimes, brothers and sisters, our comfortable union or communion with God is ruptured, hindered, otherwise messed up by our sin. And you know what sometimes we do?

We stew in that. He'll never take me back because I'm such a horrible sinner. Why would he station the son at his right hand to function as an advocate if he wants you to just sit and stew in it? Now, feel bad.

Be convicted. If you learn how to live without that, tell me, because guilt and shame and all that stuff seem to attach themselves pretty readily to a lot of us. We have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous. Learn from David, probably a Psalm that hopefully you can all rehearse now, Psalm 130, three and four.

If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who can stand? If he stopped the Psalm there, that would be pretty much a bummer, pretty depressing, wouldn't it? If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who can stand? Obviously David's answer is no one.

No one can stand. But, verse 4, there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared. We have an advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous, as well. Intercessor.

He presents us to the Father in a blessed and glorious way. I'm not sure how big the diversion or differences or contrast between advocate and intercessor. There's certainly overlap. The apostle seems to come at it a couple of different directions.

Intercessor, he's pleading for us. I love the hymn, Five Bleeding Wounds He Pleads, received on Calvary. It's a beautiful concept. Again, I don't know all the particulars.

I know it's not like, you know, an earthly judge, hey judge, this is new information to sort of help you. No, no, it's not like that. But that the scripture uses those images for us, or scripture gives us those functions of the mediator for us. He's our intercessor.

He always lives to make intercession for us. Isn't that a blessed thought? He always lives to make intercession for us? That's part and parcel of his job?

Kind of in the description? It's kind of what you're about? And he's our advocate with the Father? Even Jesus Christ the righteous?

This is what the psalmist is rehearsing and the psalmist is rejoicing in. He asked life from you and you gave it to him. And then the blessing of the Father and the eternal reign of the Son, length of days forever and ever. Again, it transcends David, but David certainly knew its application.

Remember, David heard the promise to David. David heard the promise to David. In case you missed that, David heard the promise to David because David's David and David listened and David heard it. Second Samuel 7 concerning kingship.

David wanted to build a house for God, which was noble, which was good. David's sitting in a palace rejoicing in victory, triumph, the blessings of goodness. And he says, you know what? I dwell in a palace and God's living in a tent.

I think I want to build a house for him. Nathan initially says, go ahead and do it. God says to Nathan, no, it's not him that's going to do it. But be assured, David, I will build a house out of you, a dynasty, a succession.

Kings will come from you, and the terminus will be in the King of kings and the Lord of lords, even Jesus Christ. the anti-type to David's type. Notice in 2 Samuel chapter 7, specifically we read, when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seat after you who will come from your body and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I always love to think of Matthew 16 when I read that passage.

What happens in Matthew 16? Jesus to the disciples, who do you say that I am? You're the Christ, the son of the living God. That's right, Peter.

And I'm gonna build my house. Peter confesses that a son of God is going to do, or that Jesus rather is the Son of God. Jesus says, as the Son of God, I'm going to do what 2 Samuel 7 said, I'm going to do. I'm going to build the church.

I'm going to build a house for my God. Confession of Son of God, specific in terms of function of Son of God. But as well in the narrative in Luke 1, we read it typically every Christmas, He will be great and will be called the son of the highest. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever.

And of his kingdom, there will be no end. You see, verse four sort of makes the case conclusively. You may disagree up to, you know, this Psalm. Well, you know, the other one seemed a bit of a stretch to see Jesus in there.

You can't not see Jesus here, okay? You can't not see Jesus here. And you can't see David at the end of verse four. David's kingdom was not eternal.

David's kingdom was typical. David's kingdom was prophetic. David's kingdom was foreshadowing. David's kingdom was pointing to David's king, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then

The Current Session of Christ

notice the current session of our blessed Savior in verses five to seven. His glory is great in your salvation. Honor and majesty you have placed upon him, for you have made him most blessed forever. You have made him exceedingly glad with your presence.

For the King trusts in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High, he shall not be moved. The exaltation of Christ. Go back to 16, Psalm 16, specifically in verse 11. you will show me the path of life in your presence is fullness of joy at your right hand are pleasures forevermore isn't that what's being conveyed to us here in psalm 21 verses 5 to 7 again in the exaltation the ascension the session of our lord jesus christ as well. Psalm 45, a psalm again everybody interprets as messianic.

Psalm 45 at verse 7, you love righteousness and hate wickedness therefore God your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions. It's beautiful. The victor comes back from the battlefield triumphant. He's blessed.

He's crowned. He's positioned. He has universal authority. You have made Him blessed forever.

You have made Him exceedingly glad with your presence. For the King trusts in the Lord, verse 7, and through the mercy of the Most High, He shall not be moved. Don't miss that reference to He shall not be moved. Look back at Psalm 15 again.

I believe there's not much of David in there other than the superscription. It's a description of Jesus and his perfect righteousness. But notice in Psalm 15 at the very end in verse 5b, he who does these things shall never be moved. Notice as well, we've got Psalm 16, Verse 8, I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

The reality is, is that the blessedness of our Lord Jesus Christ, enthroned at the right hand of God, demonstrates His excellence, His glory, His power, and His permanence. It's not going anywhere. He's not going to be voted out. He's not going to be thrown out.

There's no election year for the Son of God. Now brethren, when it predicates these things of our Jesus, it does so according to his office as mediator. In other words, Jesus, as the Son of God, always has all authority. He always has all power.

He always has all sovereignty. But yet, in Matthew 28, 18, he says, all authority or all power has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Again, he's talking about the God-man, the theandric person. He's talking about the reality that as mediator of the new covenant, based on his sufferings, there is glory, there is exaltation, there is position for that blessed one.

Gil describes that authority statement in 28, 18. I think it's appropriate here. He says, which is to be understood of him, not as God, who has the same original and underrived power and authority over all creatures and things in heaven and earth as the father has, but as mediator to whom all things are delivered by the father. The exaltation of Christ, doesn't what we see here specifically in verse five, echo what we read at the outset of worship, what we sang in the third hand before the preaching of the word.

Revelation chapter 5, blessing and honor and glory and power be to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. It's exactly it. The New Testament authors go to certain places for New Testament expression and more often than not they're Old Testament scriptures. wrapped up in New Covenant language. The same things predicated of the Lamb of God in Revelation chapter 5 are the same things that Jesus is getting according to David in Psalm 21.

And that constancy emphasis at the end of verse 7, well, verse 7, the king trusts in the Lord, again, according to his human nature. The mediator trusts in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved. What does his permanence, and what does his constancy, what does his immovability point to? Well, as the head goes, so goes the body.

Aren't our permanence? or isn't ours, not sure how to properly express that. Isn't our permanence, stability, immovability as the body rooted in the head? In other words, if the head went through suffering and death to get this glory, and he does so for the glory of his father and for the salvation of all those whom the father had given him, is he not going to ensure that we get glory? Is He going to let us be cut off?

Are we not going to make it? Banish the thought. This psalm is the church's because it's Christ's first. Whatever is blessed goodness given to him as had, he conveys to his body.

This is why Paul can say, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. When you look at the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in the New Covenant, you don't see bankruptcy spiritually. You might see it temporally. You don't see instability.

You don't see movability. You don't see corruptibility. Again, at the individual level, we got problems. But I think that whoever said it was right.

If Christ is not building the church, there'd be no church. We would have destroyed each other in the first century. Corinth. What was going on in Corinth?

I'm not laughing about what was going on in Corinth, but it was a mess. How do we get 21 centuries later and there's still a church? Oh, because those people have some tenacity. They've got some stick-to-itiveness.

Verse seven. For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the mercy of the Most High, he shall not be moved. He's not gonna be shaken. This is why he can say, I will build my church, Matthew 16, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

This is Christ's project. This is Christ's objective. I find great comfort here. If it's up to man, it's gonna fail.

If it's up to Christ, It's going to be victorious. Battles? Philistines, Moabites, Edomites and all of the enemy contenders against Christ. Sure.

We're not going to come out of it sparkly white, temporally speaking, but sparkly white spiritually speaking. We're going to have to slug it out. I will build my church and the gates of Haiti shall not prevail against it. The promise of triumph. but as well the promise of opposition.

The gates of Hades is going to try. Jesus says in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I've overcome the world. You see, brethren, this psalm is our psalm because it's Christ's psalm. The head is not detached from the body.

And what is true of the head is true for the body. We rejoice in God's goodness. We rejoice in the reality that we will, according to Paul, receive the crown of life, that we will be blessed with goodness, that we will know something of this eternality There's an origin point, there's a derivation, but there's no end for the people of God. When we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun.

The momentary afflictions that we face in this present evil age is nothing in comparison to the eternal weight of glory that awaits us. You see this psalm records for us something that ought to be very encouraging to us. Christ was raised. Christ ascended on high.

Christ took his position at the right hand of the Father. Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. And that is precisely where the psalm moves. Dixon says Christ's kingdom in his person and his subjects with him shall stand when all the kingdoms of the earth shall stagger and fall.

The Future Triumph of the King

So in a sense, when we move to the future triumph of the king in verses 8 to 13, I'm almost tempted to not shoehorn it in because there's so much good stuff here. There's so much glory here. Maybe I'll just give a quick overview and we'll look at it in detail next time. But what do you think the purpose of verses 8 to 13 are?

Our king has returned victorious from the battle. The blessings of goodness have been conveyed to him. The crown of gold set upon his holy brow. He has eternal reign, dominion, life forever and ever.

You know, we look around and there's still some pesky enemies out there. There's still some opposition. The gates of Hades haven't gone away quietly. What becomes of them?

What happens to them? So in verses eight to 13, we get prophetic. Christ raised, Christ ascended, Christ at the right hand of the Father. Is there no more enemies to judge?

Are there no more battles to wage? Oh yeah, there is. Oh yeah, there is. And he will be successful at that as well.

He will make quick work of his enemies. They shall be brought to him, and he shall deal with them. So church, be encouraged. Realize that though there are enemies, that though there is wickedness, I love the way in our brother's prayer, I make this connection sometimes, we move from how wicked the earth is, and then finally we're gonna pray for civil government. who happen in many ways to be the conduits of great wickedness, or voice of the martyrs.

We read prayer requests from the various countries outside of our own. And who do you think is the worst antagonist? Who's the worst and most vicious enemy of the Church of Jesus Christ and other countries? Immediately your mind's gonna say Muslim.

Yeah, they do. I'm not denying that. I'm not discounting that. But you know, pretty much what I've seen, government, doesn't matter if it's a Muslim government, doesn't matter if it's an atheistic government, doesn't matter if it's a Hindu government, doesn't matter what the government is, they all seem to have this in mind.

Why do the nations rage and the people plot of vain things? Why do the kings and the rulers set themselves against Yahweh and against this Christ? It's commonplace. So Psalm 21, 8 to 13 says, battled and beleaguered Christian, Christ has won the war.

Christ has defeated the devil. Christ has dealt with your sin. Christ is going to deal with that final enemy, death, and then present the kingdom unto his father. Until such time, be prayerful.

Be watchful, be hopeful, and be happy, be joyful, be glad. This is what's going to happen here. This is how it's going to come. This is what Paul means in 2 Thessalonians 1, that he will come and take vengeance upon those who know not God and those who do not obey the gospel.

This is why the church in heaven, according to Revelation 19, rejoices in the judgment of the whore and the false prophet being cast into the lake of fire. What do they do? Fourfold hallelujah? Why Paul in 1 Corinthians 16 says, if anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, even so, Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.

This is why the Apostle John finishes the book of Revelation on that high point, even so, come Lord Jesus. This psalm shows us the first advent of our Lord. His glory fades. He goes through the sufferings.

He goes through the hardships. He goes through the death. And then He's exalted. And He's given authority.

He's given a kingdom and a rule and a reign. He's given a people. And He's going to make good on defending them and bringing them into that glory. And the final act is going to be that second coming again when he meets out the judgment of God upon the enemies of God who despised God and who sought to destroy his Christ.

There's a great big link between Psalm 21 and Psalm 2 as well in this section. Notice specifically in verse 11 for they intended evil against you. They devised a plot which they are not able to perform. Why do the nations rage?

Why do the peoples plot or devise a vain thing against Yahweh and against His Christ? How does God deal with the rebellious confederates of Psalm 2, 1-4? By the installation of His King on the holy hill of Zion. This is more praise for that king on the holy hill of Zion that is dealing with the enemies of the Most High God.

Well, brethren, God willing, we'll take up the latter half next week, verses 8 to 13, under the head of the future triumph of the king. It's prophetic concerning the coming of our Lord in that second coming.

Application

Just a quick observation. Don't think we're done. I mean, come on. Don't start packing up.

All right, we can go eat. Just, you know, come on. Hang on. Just a couple minutes.

Just indulge me a bit. The church's practices I've already mentioned in light of the Psalms of Christ. They had no problem singing this. In fact, listen to Spurgeon.

I particularly quote Spurgeon because you kind of almost expect it from Gill. I don't know why Gill has the sort of, you know, public image as the grimacing theologian. Maybe it's the picture that we have of him where he does look like the grimacing theologian. In fact, Gil is such an anomaly to me.

One day as I was working through this 1 Timothy 3 section, what kind of a husband was John Gil? He was a great husband. He was a huge family man, loved his family, had many, many children, only three of whom survived. One of them died at around 10 or 11.

He did the funeral, couldn't do it because he was weeping so profusely. His wife had a miscarriage at one point, and ladies in the church were upset because he seemed too committed to her at that time, too devoted to her needs at that time. When his wife died, similarly, could hardly preach. It was very heartwarming, but Gill gets this rep as, you know, just this theology machine.

That's what I kind of envisaged. Spurgeon. Everybody loves Spurgeon, right? Even the Armenians love Spurgeon.

Everybody's got morning and evening. Everybody's seen the checkbook of the Bank of Fay. I mean, Spurgeon. Oh, yes, theology was a bit harsh.

You know, he was a little bit of a Calvinist, but we'll forgive him because he was the prince of the preachers. Listen to what Spurgeon says commenting on Psalm 21. The destruction of the wicked is a fitting subject for joy to the friends of righteousness. Hence here and in most scriptural songs it is noted with calm thanksgiving.

Did Spurgeon mean that? Does he mean the destruction of the wicked is a fitting subject for joy to the friends of righteousness? Spurgeon meant it because John means it. Spurgeon meant it because Paul means it.

Spurgeon meant it because David means it. Spurgeon meant it because Jesus means it. It's okay to rejoice in God's righteousness. It's okay to rejoice in God's justice.

It's okay to look forward to the destruction. Notice the way they're described. These are God haters. These are enemies.

These are divisors and plotters of evil. They're wretched people. They deserve it. And again, we deserve it, but for the grace of God, by God's grace, and as I mentioned in the last hour, if we take out the sting of God's judgment, We're gonna just make sinners think that, oh, I need Jesus for a little happiness.

I need Jesus for a little completeness. I need Jesus to round out my already almost rounded out life. No, you need Jesus to save you, to shield you, to defend you, to protect you, to forgive you and to cleanse you such that you enter into the presence of God. We don't do anybody any favors by taking away the sting of God's judgment and His wrath and His curse, both in this life and that which is to come.

The apostle said, knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we what? We persuade men. I would suggest, as I suggested in the last hour, I think at times the singing of the church reflects the theology of the church. And if the singing of the church is extremely effeminate, If the singing of the church is extremely anemic, if the singing of the church is extremely just, yeah, you think the conduct of the church is gonna be any better?

How did the old boys describe the church of Christ? Two phases, church triumphant, heaven. What's it called on earth? The church effeminate?

The church dancing? The church prancing? No, the church militant. We need a good dose of the Psalms of the true David.

I believe, brethren, that puts steel in the soul. Think about the Huguenot, French Calvinists going to battle. Do you think they sang, Jesus is my boyfriend? Psalm 68.

The Scottish Covenanters. Jesus is my boyfriend. Psalm 76. The people of God have feasted on the Psalms of the true David.

The people of God need the Psalms of the true David. The church of Jesus Christ is to be militant. We are to be battlers. We are to be more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Not talking about physically, arm up, C4, walk downtown and see on the other side. Spiritually speaking, brethren, the church at times can be anemic and effeminate and lifeless. What is it that brings hope and confidence and comfort? It's the truth of God most high, heard, understood, acted upon, prayed back, and sung to the most high.

This psalm, these two psalms, you ask of God, he answers, you praise and worship. It's a very simple concept, very simple pattern, and one that we ought to imbibe. And

The Church's Confidence in Christ

I would suggest the second practical application is the church's confidence in Christ. The sufferings and death of our Savior gave way to the glory and the majesty and the exaltation of the Savior. Same pattern for us. Remember the two sons of Zebedee, Lord, when you come into your kingdom, grant that we may sit on your right and on your left.

You don't know what you're asking, he says. I've got a baptism to undergo that you don't know about. I've got a cup to drink that you don't know about. What has Jesus set forth to those sons of thunder?

The way has always been the cross and then the crown. But don't forget the crown, brethren. There really is a crown. There really is glory.

There really is the blessings of goodness. Hebrews 2, we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor, that he, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. His pattern, our pattern.

Plummer says all history, all experience, all observation unite with all inspired writings in saying that out of evil comes good, out of weakness strength, out of sorrow joy, out of trouble glory. The whole history of David and of Messiah as brought out in this psalm shows this. Suffering sink. This is a momentary light affliction.

I know it doesn't feel that way. I'm with you, Saint. I understand it doesn't feel that way. When Paul says it's a momentary light affliction, I'm like, okay, momentary suggests it's here and gone.

Doesn't mean years, doesn't mean this. He's making a contrast. Momentary light affliction, eternal weight of glory. While it may not seem like it, this world, our time in it, should for strength and vigor take us to 90 plus years.

It's just a drop. And then we depart into eternity. And if you're not a believer, all that is said in Psalm 21 Eight to twelve is going to come on your head. You know, people like to debate and they like to wonder, you know, what about hell and what about this and what about that?

It's amazing to me the way that Psalm 21 describes the future punishment of the wicked. Sounds like Jesus in his earthly ministry. Sounds like Paul in his epistolary ministry. Sounds like the church preaching the second coming of our Lord.

As the prophet says, why will you die? Why do you spend your wages on that which does not satisfy? Come to the one who is blessed with all goodness, who in turn is ready to bless with all goodness those who come to him in faith. Believe on him and you will be saved.

Closing Prayer

Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for what we have here concerning our blessed Lord Jesus Christ, that true David, that mediator of the new covenant. We pray that you would help us to see in this psalm and in the rest of Holy Scripture the beauty of our Christ, in his sufferings, his death, his glory, His resurrection, His current session, and the reality that He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

Open hearts, cause sinners to believe on Him that they may be saved. And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Scripture References

• 2 Samuel 7:12-13
• Psalms 2:1-4; 2:8; 15:5; 16:8; 16:11; 20:1-9; 21:4; 21:11; 22; 23; 24; 45:7; 68; 76; 89; 130:3-4
• Matthew 16:18; 28:18
• Luke 1:32-33
• John 11:42
• Romans 1:4
• 1 Corinthians 16:22
• Ephesians 1:19-23
• Philippians 2:9-11
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8
• Hebrews 2:9-10; 5:7; 12:2
• 1 John 2:1
• Revelation 5:13; 6; 14; 19:12
• Revelation 19