The Gladness of the Anointed King Text: Psalm 21:1-7
Introduction: The Politics of Joy
We live in an age that is deeply suspicious of kings. To the modern, democratic mind, kingship conjures up images of tyranny, oppression, and unearned privilege. Our political discourse is saturated with the language of rights, equality, and the consent of the governed. The idea of a sovereign who rules by divine right, to whom glad submission is owed, strikes us as archaic at best and dangerous at worst. Our politics are consequently grim, characterized by partisan strife, resentment, and a perpetual scramble for power. The result is a populace that mourns, regardless of who wins the election, because the wicked are always in authority.
Into this gray and joyless landscape, Psalm 21 arrives like a thunderclap. This is a royal psalm, a national anthem of unadulterated joy, celebrating the victory and blessing of God's anointed king. It is a psalm about politics, but a politics completely alien to our modern sensibilities. It is a politics where the gladness of the king flows from the strength of God, and the stability of the nation is secured not by clever policy or military might, but by the covenant loyalty of the Most High. This is a politics of joy.
This psalm was written for David, but it overflows the banks of David's own life and times. The language is too grand, the promises too eternal. Like so many of the psalms, it finds its ultimate fulfillment in David's greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the true king who rejoices in Yahweh's strength, the one who asked for life and was given it "forever and ever." This psalm, therefore, teaches us about the foundation of all true and lasting government. It shows us the character of the King we serve, and it instructs us, His people, on the true source of our own stability and joy in a world that is constantly being shaken.
If we want to understand how to live with gladness in a world of turmoil, we must understand the gladness of our King. His joy is the source of our strength, and His stability is the ground of our peace. This psalm is not just about an ancient monarch; it is about the unshakable government of Jesus Christ, under which we have the high privilege of living.
The Text
O Yahweh, in Your strength the king will be glad, And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice!
You have given him his heart’s desire, And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.
For You meet him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on 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 upon him.
For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence.
For the king trusts in Yahweh, And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.
(Psalm 21:1-7 LSB)
The Source of Royal Gladness (v. 1)
The psalm opens by identifying the source of the king's joy, and it is entirely outside of himself.
"O Yahweh, in Your strength the king will be glad, And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice!" (Psalm 21:1)
The first thing to notice is that the king's gladness is not rooted in his own competence, his charisma, his approval ratings, or the size of his army. His gladness is located "in Your strength." This is a fundamental theological principle for all leadership. A godly leader does not rejoice in his own abilities, but in the power of God working through him. This is the antithesis of the pagan strongman or the modern secular politician who campaigns on the basis of his own strength and vision. The biblical king is strong only because Yahweh is strong. His joy is a dependent joy.
Furthermore, he rejoices "in Your salvation." The victory has been won, the deliverance has been accomplished, but the king understands that it was God's salvation, not his own. This is a responsive rejoicing. God acts, and the king responds with gladness. This is the proper order of things. We do not gin up our own happiness and then thank God for it. We see the mighty acts of God on our behalf, and joy is the necessary and fitting response. For the Christian, this means our joy is not based on our daily performance but on the finished work of Christ, the great salvation that God has accomplished for us once for all.
God's Lavish Generosity (vv. 2-3)
The psalmist then details the nature of God's goodness to the king, which is both responsive and proactive.
"You have given him his heart’s desire, And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. For You meet him with the blessings of good things; You set a crown of fine gold on his head." (Psalm 21:2-3 LSB)
God gives the king his "heart's desire." This is not a divine vending machine that dispenses whatever a selfish heart wants. As verse 7 will make clear, this is a king who "trusts in Yahweh." His heart's desires have been shaped and conditioned by a right relationship with God. When a man delights himself in the Lord, his desires begin to align with God's desires, and God is pleased to grant them (Psalm 37:4). God answers the prayers of a righteous king.
But God does more than just answer prayer. He "meets" the king with blessings. The picture is of God taking the initiative, coming out to greet the king with good things before he even asks. This is prevenient grace. God is not a passive spectator who waits to be summoned; He is an eager and generous Father who loves to lavish good gifts on His children. The "crown of fine gold" is one such gift. The crown is the symbol of legitimate authority. God is the one who establishes thrones and anoints kings. All earthly authority is delegated authority, and the crown is a visible reminder that the king's rule is a gift from God, not a right seized by man.
Eternal Life and Bestowed Glory (vv. 4-5)
Here the psalm begins to stretch beyond the confines of any merely human king.
"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 upon him." (Psalm 21:4-5 LSB)
David asked for life, and God preserved him through many battles. But David died. He did not receive "length of days forever and ever." This is a messianic arrow shot into the future, finding its target in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus asked for life in the Garden of Gethsemane, and though He passed through death, the Father gave Him life, an unending life, making Him the firstborn from the dead. He is the king who lives forever.
Consequently, His glory is not self-generated. It is "great through Your salvation." The splendor and majesty of the exalted Christ are gifts "bestowed upon him" by the Father. This is the great paradox of the gospel. The one who humbled Himself is the one who is highly exalted (Phil. 2:8-9). True glory is not something we achieve; it is something we receive. It is a gift of grace, bestowed upon the king, and through him, upon all who are united to him by faith.
The Joy of God's Presence (v. 6)
The ultimate blessing for the king is not the crown or the glory, but the unmediated presence of God Himself.
"For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence." (Psalm 21:6 LSB)
The king is made "most blessed forever." This is a permanent, settled state. And the source of this eternal blessing is specified: God makes him "joyful with gladness in Your presence." This echoes Psalm 16:11, "In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." The highest good, the ultimate goal of salvation, is not merely deliverance from hell, but entrance into the joyful fellowship of the Trinity. The king is the pioneer of this joy. He enters God's presence as our representative, securing that same access for us.
Notice that God is the active agent. "You make him joyful." Joy is not a human achievement; it is a divine gift. It is a fruit of the Spirit. This joy is not a fleeting emotion based on circumstances, but a deep, abiding gladness that comes from being face to face with the living God.
The Unshakable Foundation (v. 7)
The final verse of our text provides the foundation upon which all these blessings are built. It is the lynchpin of the entire psalm.
"For the king trusts in Yahweh, And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken." (Psalm 21:7 LSB)
Why does the king receive all this? Why is he glad, blessed, crowned, and glorified? The answer is simple: "For the king trusts in Yahweh." Faith is the channel through which all of God's blessings flow. It is the open hand that receives the gifts of grace. Trust is the essential posture of a godly king and a godly people. It is the humble acknowledgment of our dependence and God's absolute sufficiency.
And the result of this trust is unshakable stability. "He will not be shaken." This stability is grounded in the "lovingkindness of the Most High." The word for lovingkindness is hesed, God's covenant loyalty, His steadfast, unrelenting, never-giving-up love. The king is secure not because his faith is so strong, but because the object of his faith is so faithful. He trusts in the "Most High," El Elyon, the sovereign God who rules over all earthly powers. Because the king is anchored to the character of the unshakeable God, he himself cannot be shaken.
Our Unshakable King, Our Unshakable Joy
This psalm is a portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the King who was made glad in the Father's strength. He is the one whose prayers were always answered. He is the one who was met with the blessings of God, crowned not just with gold, but with glory and honor. He is the one who asked for life and was granted it forevermore. He is the one who now sits in the presence of the Father, filled with an eternal joy. And He is the one who, through it all, trusted His Father perfectly, and was therefore not shaken, not even by the cross.
And here is the glorious application for us. Because we are in Christ, this psalm is, by extension, about us. We are members of a royal priesthood, citizens of an unshakeable kingdom (Heb. 12:28). Our joy is not to be found in our own strength, but in His. Our desires are met as we learn to trust Him. Our glory is a reflected glory, a gift bestowed by His salvation. Our stability in a chaotic world is not found in political solutions or personal fortitude, but in the steadfast, covenant love of the Most High God.
Therefore, when the world shakes, when nations rage, when your own heart is tempted to fear, look to your King. He is not shaken. He is glad. He is victorious. And because you are His, your ultimate security is not in question. Trust in Yahweh, as your King did, and through the lovingkindness of the Most High, you also will not be shaken.