Messiah’s Present Joy and Future Victory

This prayer and song is a sequel to the preceding one. Psalm 20 anticipates, this one celebrates, and celebrates a victory. What is applied to David here is also significant of his greater Son, the Lord Jesus.

The word “preventest,” in v. 3, is the old word for ‘proceedeth,’ or ‘goes before.’ God is the forerunner with all blessings. Christ ultimately changed His crown of thorns for a crown of pure gold. Those who imagine a vain thing and mischievous devices against God’s Anointed, will experience the might of His right Hand upon them in judgment. It is when we become conscious of His victory and know the defeat of His foes, we can sing His praise and sing of His power.

Psalm 21

   1  The king in thy great strength, O Lord,
         shall very joyful be:
      In thy salvation rejoice
         how veh'mently shall he!

   2  Thou hast bestowed upon him
         all that his heart would have;
      And thou from him didst not withhold
         whate'er his lips did crave.

   3  For thou with blessings him prevent'st
         of goodness manifold;
      And thou hast set upon his head
         a crown of purest gold.

   4  When he desired life of thee,
         thou life to him didst give;
      Ev'n such a length of days, that he
         for evermore should live.

   5  In that salvation wrought by thee
         his glory is made great;
      Honor and comely majesty
         thou hast upon him set.

   6  Because that thou for evermore
         most blessed hast him made;
      And thou hast with thy countenance
         made him exceeding glad.

   7  Because the king upon the Lord
         his confidence doth lay;
      And through the grace of the most High
         shall not be moved away.

   8  Thine hand shall all those men find out
         that en'mies are to thee;
      Ev'n thy right hand shall find out those
         of thee that haters be.

   9  Like fiery ov'n thou shalt them make,
         when kindled is thine ire;
      God shall them swallow in his wrath,
         devour them shall the fire.

  10  Their fruit from earth thou shalt destroy,
         their seed men from among:
  11  For they beyond their might 'gainst thee
         did plot mischief and wrong.

  12  Thou therefore shalt make them turn back,
         when thou thy shafts shalt place
      Upon thy strings, made ready all
         to fly against their face.

  13  In thy great pow'r and strength, O Lord,
         be thou exalted high;
      So shall we sing with joyful hearts,
         thy power praise shall we.