Psalm 21:1-13 NKJV
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
21 The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
2 You have given him his heart’s desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
3 For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;
You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4 He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—
Length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great in Your salvation;
Honor and majesty You have placed upon him.
6 For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
And through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.
8 Your hand will find all Your enemies;
Your right hand will find those who hate You.
9 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.
10 Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from among the sons of men.
11 For they intended evil against You;
They devised a plot which they are not able to perform.
12 Therefore You will make them turn their back;
You will make ready Your arrows on Your string toward their faces.
13 Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own strength!
We will sing and praise Your power.
In his Summaries of the Psalms of 1531, Martin Luther says: “The 21st Psalm is a prophecy of the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom which is and remains eternally and spiritually before God…. This psalm belongs in the first commandment and the second petition, for it announces a new worship and kingdom.”
Therefore, this psalm celebrates the victory and reign of a King who delights in the strength of the Lord and finds joy in His salvation. This King is Christ, whose kingdom is established forever before God.
This psalm also contrasts the eternal reign of Christ and the fall of the Jewish kingdom that opposed Him. By rejecting and crucifying their rightful King, the Jewish leaders of that day brought upon themselves unending pain and suffering, a burden they would bear without profit. This psalm points to a new worship and a new kingdom under Christ, aligning with the First Commandment, “You shall serve God only,” and the Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come.”
For Christians, Psalm 21 is a reminder of the joy and security we have in Christ, our eternal King. His reign is not like earthly kingdoms, subject to rise and fall, but is everlasting and unshakeable. Christ has conquered sin, death, and the devil, and in His victory, we too find our strength and salvation.
As we reflect on this psalm, let us rejoice in the sure and certain hope we have in Christ’s eternal kingdom. Let us also be mindful of the new worship to which we are called, worship that is centered on Christ, our King, and His saving work. Our response is to sing and praise the power of God, exalting Him for the victory He has won for us.
Let us pray: Almighty God, we thank You for the victory of Christ, our eternal King. Grant that we may always rejoice in Your strength and find our joy in Your salvation. Help us to worship You in spirit and truth, and to live as faithful citizens of Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.