and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
You have given him his heart's desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
For you meet him with rich blessings;
you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.
His glory is great through your salvation;
splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
For you make him most blessed forever;
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the LORD,
and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
Your hand will find out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them as a blazing oven
when you appear.
The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,
and fire will consume them.
You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
and their offspring from among the children of man.
Though they plan evil against you,
though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
For you will put them to flight;
you will aim at their faces with your bows.
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.—
Introduction
The Culture of Fear
Last week we began a series on the kingdom of God as we look at five consecutive kingship Psalms (20–24). We also asked the question concerning what this kingdom of God means for our culture, which has been described as a culture of fear. A book by that very title, asked why we have so many fears today. The book asked a very discerning question: “Are we living in exceptionally dangerous times?”
His answer is that our perception of danger than has increased, not our actual risk of danger. Our perceived risk is running out so far ahead of our actual risk that we have lost sight of the difference between perception and reality.
That leads to a second question: Why has caused this gap between perception and reality? Glassner blames people that he calls “peddlers of fear” who profit from the culture of fear. Politicians, advocacy groups, and news outlets are “peddlers of fear,” according to Glassner, because they manipulate Americans’ perceptions and profit from the resulting anxiety. And polls show that we are buying what they are selling: Three out of four Americans say they feel more fearful today than they did 20 years ago.
Glassner blames the news media for a great deal of Americans’ fears. The media, he argues, bombards us with sensationalistic stories that are designed to increase ratings.
Email forwards and stories shared on Facebook can exacerbate this problem. I can remember getting email forwards in early 2002 or so about poisonous spiders that like to hide under toilet lids at restaurant bathrooms. It turns out the story was a hoax. The first version of the story talked about three women in a Chicago restaurant who all went to the hospital with flu like symptoms and had all been to the same restaurant, but they couldn’t figure out what happened until a waitress got sick too—she had been on vacation and only went into the restaurant to pick up her check, but she also used the bathroom. So they rushed over there and lifted up the lid and lo and behold it was a South American Bush spider.
The originator of the hoax later told everyone why he did it. “I’m the author of the ‘spiders in the toilet’ hoax back in 1999. At that time, many of my friends were just getting on the Internet and I was amazed at the number of hoaxes that were being forwarded without regard to the truth. I decided to create one that was so ridiculous, that was full of holes, and would see what would happen. I didn’t want any real establishments being hurt so I used names like ‘Big Chappies’ restaurant and Blare airport instead of ‘O’Hare,’ etc. I’m still amazed that it’s still going around, and rather angry that some have changed it and named real restaurants and real spiders making it more mean-spirited than joke. Anyway, I probably sent that out to a couple dozen folks and it ended up going all over the world.”
I think it was an email forward that I received in 2002 while I was living in Louisville. I can remember checking under the toilet lid at Applebee’s after I read the email. There was no spider, but when you look under a toilet lid in a restaurant and you believe in germs, you don’t need a spider to be scared. It is not a good place to look around in general. Later the story got re-spun and the South American Bush spider of the urban legend later became known as the Two-Striped Telamonia (which just sounds scary—and there was a picture—you know, they have scary hairy legs and fang-looking front). It turns out that this spider is a real spider that lives in South Asia rain forests, but it is not venomous and poses no danger at all to humans.
Facebook and comment sections on blogs can become like a hothouse where fears can grow and rage festers—anonymous drive-by spewing of hate and fears and suspicion. People spread and spew all kinds of venom about people and politics and share fears and racist attitudes and yuck. Sometimes reading the comments sections of any blog post is like lifting up the toilet lid of America—it is often not clean.
Do all things without grumbling or complaining (Philippians 2:14) and shine like stars (Philippians 2:16) applies to our Internet usage as well. So we turn from peddlers of fear and provokers of rage to the prophet of hope in Psalm 21.
Outline and Main Point:
1. The King’s Praise (1)
2. Yahweh’s Power (vv. 2–12)
3. The People’s Praise (v. 13)
This Psalm is a psalm of praise for God’s saving strength. The two-word phrase “Yahweh’s strength” brackets this Psalm, appearing in the first and last verses. Here is the way I would state the main point.
Main point: Praise God for his saving power!
TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID.
O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices,
and in your salvation how greatly he exults!
The use of the very same form “your salvation” appears in 21:1 as 20:5 shows that they are linked together—and the theme of salvation takes us back to Psalm 18:50.
Psalm 18:50
Great salvation he brings to his king |
Psalm 20:5
May we shout for joy over your salvation |
The parallelism is profound here:
| The King |
rejoices |
in your (Yahweh’s) strength |
| The King |
greatly exults |
in your (Yahweh’s) salvation |
Rejoicing and great exulting are coupled together. Worshiping God cannot be separated from rejoicing in God. Praising God for his strength cannot be separated from praising God for his salvation. Praising God’s power means savoring his saving power. This verse highlights the beauty of the king’s relationship with Yahweh. The way that the Messiah savors the saving power of God shows a relationship in which the King savors the way that God is for him and not against him.
That is why verses 2–12 dwell so long on the details. He is savoring every aspect of God’s saving power and turning the diamond every which way and savoring the way it shines and sparkles, shedding its light all over the wall.
2. Yaweh's Power (vv. 2–12)
These verses divide naturally between the King praising Yahweh for what he has already done for the King (2–6) and what he is going to do through the King (vv. 8–12). The verse in the middle (v. 7) is the hinge showing that the foundation upon which it all rests is a relationship between Yahweh and the King. Let’s take the most foundational verse first (v. 7).
For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
Psalm 21:7
For the king trusts in the LORD |
Psalm 20:7
But we trust in the name of the LORD our God |
Yahweh has worked and will work his great strength in the King’s behalf because the King trusts Yahweh and his unshakeable steadfast love. The foundation beneath savoring his saving power is savoring his steadfast love. He will not change—his promises are true, his steadfast love is sure. He could be all-powerful and be unreliable and unpredictable. He could be all-powerful and be absent-minded, on again and off again, depending on the day or his whims or his mood. He is not on again and off again—but forever faithful!
The relationship between God the Father and God the Son could not be closer. Listen to Jesus unpack the perfection of this relationship in John 5:19–22.
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
That relationship is now on display in verses 2–6. What has the Father done for the Son?
You have given him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips. (Selah)
For you meet him with rich blessings;
you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
He asked life of you; you gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.
His glory is great through your salvation;
splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
For you make him most blessed forever;
you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
There are blessings that were prayed in Psalm 20 and now we see them answered in Psalm 21.
Psalm 21:2
You have given him his heart’s desire |
Psalm 20:4
May he grant you your heart’s desire |
Psalm 21:2
and have not withheld the request of his lips |
Psalm 20:4
May the LORD fulfill all your petitions! |
But it would be a major mistake to limit Psalm 21 to a backwards look only at Psalm 20. These verses range over the whole Bible the way that a concert pianist ranges over the whole piano.
Psalm 21:2
For you meet him with rich blessings |
Psalm 21:6
For you make him most blessed forever |
These verses naturally call to mind the promises to Abraham that all peoples would be blessed in him (Genesis 12:1–3) and the promise that kings would come from Abraham (Genesis 17:6).
Anyone that possibly thinks this Psalm is about a succession of earthly Israelite kings runs into the brick wall of Psalm 21:4.
He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever.
The reference reflects the Lord’s promise to establish the throne of his kingdom forever in 2 Samuel 7:13.
He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
This “forever” life is yet another reference to the resurrection of the King (Psalm 2 and Psalm 16). In fact, there is an explicit look back at Psalm 16:11.
Psalm 21:6
you make him glad with the joy of your presence |
Psalm 16:11
in your presence there is fullness of joy |
Because the God the Son trusted perfectly in God the Father, verses 2–6 show what the Father has done for the Son. Now, because God the Son trusted perfectly in God the Father, verses 8–12 tell us what the Father will do through the Son.
Your hand will find out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them as a blazing oven
when you appear.
The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,
and fire will consume them.
You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
and their offspring from among the children of man.
Though they plan evil against you,
though they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
For you will put them to flight;
you will aim at their faces with your bows.
He is coming against his enemies on a search and destroy mission. He will utterly devour them with fire. This reference to devouring fire (Psalm 21:9) takes us back to Psalm 18 (18:8, 12, 14). These enemies attempt to scheme their way to victory over the Messiah, but they will fail (Psalm 21:11; Psalm 2:1–2). They stand against the Lord and his anointed king in vain. They have no chance, per Psalm 2:5–12
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
“As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
I will tell of the decree:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
These really are terrifying verses. We as a family like to have Nerf gun wars. It is a well-known fact at our house that I have a Nerf crossbow that shoots faster than all the other guns at home. The kids all complain when I get it out, but the biggest complaint always comes when someone gets hit in the face. Nerf guns aren’t fun anymore when someone gets hit in the face—except if its me. Then my kids laugh—there is something not right about that. But we do have a rule: Don’t aim for the face.
God does not have that rule. He aims for the face. He goes for the kill shot. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. He doesn’t just bring a bow and arrow, but a flamethrower—he is armed with power of eternal punishment (the flames of hell).
A God of Almighty strength is a matter of the utmost, urgent importance. It is urgent, important news, but whether it is the best news or the worst news possible depends upon one thing: our relationship to the King. It is the best news possible if you are aligned with the King and the worst news possible if you are aligned against the King. If you have an Almighty enemy, nothing that you have going for you right now could possibly matter as much as getting right with God through Jesus.
Nothing could be more definitive and far-reaching than your relationship to this King, this Son of God, Jesus. That is why the Bible says, “He who has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). If you have the Son of God as your Savior and King, nothing going on in your life right now could possibly rob you of your opportunity to praise him. Would you trade what you have in Christ for something going better for you in this life?
3. The People’s Praise (v. 13)
Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.
As we noted earlier, Psalm 21 begins and ends on the same note: Praise God for his saving power. The difference is that now we show up at the end to the join in the celebration. We only enter at the end of a very long poetic celebration of the relationship between the King and Yahweh.
Dear friends, we are not in the picture for 12 entire verses! This Psalm has 13 verses. We are in the picture for 1/13 of it. Robert Murray McCheyne famously said that for every one look at ourselves we should take 10 looks at Christ. He was not exaggerating. That is good proportionality some days, but other days we need to take 12 looks at Christ and one look at self—and that look can be watching ourselves praise him for what we have seen in the previous 12 looks!
We seem to have this reversed in our lives. We look at ourselves and our circumstances for 12/13 of the time and we look at Christ 1/13 of the time. Could this be a key reason why our fears seem to have such a vice grip upon us?
Could that change of focus or change of ratio also change what we share with neighbors, co-workers, family members—whether in person or on the phone or on Facebook or Instagram or whatever?
Get swept up into it a Psalm 21 way of thinking and feeling. Start with the facts—the certainties of Christ and his victory. It is like“ feeling train”—feelings should follow the facts, and the facts should lead the feelings. Not the other way around. Our worship takes place in the context of his victory. Our identity and destiny is so bound up in him that we can say, “As he goes so go we.”
Application
People try to deal with this culture of fear in many different ways. Last week I mentioned support turkeys. I really was mocking support turkeys in the Psalm 20:7 sense. “Some trust in chariots, some in horses …” and some in turkeys. I should clarify that I am not against support animals. If animals have a calming effect in your life, I am not against that anymore than I am against someone taking Tylenol for a headache. I am talking about trusting in them, giving those things the trust that only Jesus is worthy of—your truest trust and your truest allegiance.
Some of you are not afraid of specific things like terrorists but instead a general fear of the unknown: Will I find a job after college? Will I find a spouse? Will things improve at home or at work … or whatever? I would say the same thing to you: You don’t have to have it all worked out in order to know that it will all work out in the end. Why? This Jesus is with you. Don’t be afraid. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You can live your whole life on the truth that Jesus has all authority and is with you always.
This week I want to look at things from a different angle. You may think that I have come to you to challenge your fears. Perhaps that is the wrong way to look at this issue. I am not only asking “Why are you afraid?” I am also asking, “Why are you calm?” In other words, you may need to have a false sense of peace and security challenged. Perhaps we are calm for the wrong reasons. A sense of calm that comes from the security of feeling in control—that is a lack of faith. We should not hope in our ability to control our circumstances. The goal of life is not to minimize all risk until we feel like we are in complete control of our circumstances.
What part do percentages play in your trust or fear? Does your hope boil down to a complicated chart of pros and cons, possibilities/probabilities, risk assessment, and educated guesses? At one level, we do this instinctively. Someone finds out that he has cancer. It is common for people to receive some kind of percentage: There is an 80 percent chance that chemotherapy will take care of all the cancer. If the percentage is high enough, it produces hope. If the percentage is too low, it can lead to despair. Some trust in chariots and some in horses … but do we trust in high probabilities?
The Christian life is not lived in percentages; it is lived in Christ. It based on what we know with rock-solid certainty, not what we feel with reasonably sure probability. The things we trust in are not solid and sure—how our doctor says or we are doing and what the bank statement says. They are not good reasons to hope because they could be taken away at any moment. Your bank statement at that point is no different than a support turkey. Fearing the wrong things and trusting the wrong things are both false. They are ditches. The straight and narrow path that leads to life is singular: Fear Him, trust Him, hope in Him, worship Him.
This gospel is not a felt-needs prosperity gospel. Jesus offers no promise that your life will be easier, pain free, or paradise when you follow him. He promises the exact opposite. But it says that in the pain, through the tears, when everything else fails, this one thing remains: Your God reigns. Your hope is sure. The pain is not an accident. He has not failed. He is at work doing more than you can imagine. He has already won the victory. Satan’s time is short so the fighting will be fierce, but it will be short-lived. The Lamb has overcome. He is risen. He reigns on high and is seated at the right hand of God. He always lives to make intercession. Because he always lives to intercede, we are saved to the uttermost.
Don’t give up, keep walking, inhale gospel hope, exhale all the cares and fears and cast them on Christ because he cares. Don’t be shaken. Don’t buy the hype. Don’t believe the lies. Because you are fully known, you are fully forgiven, the future is brighter than you can fully feel and see right now. Live based on the certainties you know, not the fluctuating feelings you sense at the moment.
Conclusion
The Fight of Faith and Our Fighter Verses
This week some of us memorized Philippians 1:20–21. “As it is my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Paul was in prison. He was not praising God for the probability that he would get out of jail. Paul did not feel better because he could control his environment—he praised God for God’s control. He was certain about one thing: Prison could not rob him of the opportunity to praise Christ. Cancer can’t rob you of the opportunity to make much of Christ.
Paul is not saying that I have a 75 percent chance of getting out of jail. He says I have a 100 percent certainty of my salvation. Therefore, prison can’t rob me of the opportunity to share Christ and make much of him with certainty. If I am let out of prison, I will make much of how much King Jesus is sovereign over Caesar. The king’s heart is like rivers in his hands, he moves it wherever he wants.
If he gives me the thumbs down and kills me, it can’t change the thumbs up of my king—it means I am set free ultimately to fly to Jesus! What a happy day—to depart and be with Jesus is far better.
I trust He can make something of my mess! That gives him big-time honor. We make much of Christ when we trust him to make something of our mess.
I don’t praise what I feel about probabilities, but what I know with certainty. Faith founded upon facts—the feelings may or may not come—they may or may not be intense, they may or may not stay for a season. What remains is what can’t be shaken, what can’t be moved, what can’t change, what can’t be altered.
We are swept up into something so big, so sure, so strong, so certain! Put your faith in the “I haves” and the “I shalls” of Scripture, not the “it could have” or “it perhaps will” of the world. Truest trust, truest praise, truest joy should be found in Christ alone.
Closing Song: ‘I Will Not Be Shaken’
The important word of the song—the theological fulcrum—is the word “so”: “So I’ll stand and trust, I’ll stand in faith, I will not be shaken.” That is because “he is my rock, my shield, my fortress—because he is my deliverer so strong— because he heard my cry for help in dire straights—so I’ll stand.” What is underneath my standing and my trusting? “My God will not be moved, my God will never change, my God will reign forever more! So I’ll stand and trust, I’ll stand in faith, I will not be shaken.”
Sermon Discussion Questions
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