Psalm 21

I actually know what book I'm going to do next, but I thought I'd do a psalm or two, like swilling water between sips of wine.

vs 1

God's strength should be at its most obvious in our victories. But most often, we tend to miss him there. Even David made that mistake. But at least, for the moment, he is acknowledging God, and it brings him joy.

vs 2

Again, I don't know about you, but often it's easy to pray when you need something, but more difficult to remember God gave it to you when you get it. I know that I prayed for a job, and got one, and then moaned and complained about the job, even though it was an awesome job. Would we be any better if God was just pouring out responses to our prayers in an obvious way that we thought it would happen?

vs 3

I suppose that's what kings pray for - blessings and a gold crown, which no doubt represents riches. Kings with cardboard crowns make you question the wealth of their kingdom.

vs 4

It's about here when I start thinking, "Hey, could this be about Jesus too?" I think it can. I mean sure, David lived a pretty long life, and no doubt he could be happy with it too. I mean, he could have died in battle a hundred times over - Josiah did, after all.

But Jesus is also given this blessing of days. I mean, sure, in one sense it's just his, because he's God, but I would say the resurrection is symbolic of Jesus' eternal nature.

vs 5

David's victories were pretty cool - he was the one who expanded Israel pretty much to its Joshua-time borders, and perhaps even a little further. But Jesus' victories were awesome, and the splendor and majesty of Jesus as a result is just phenomenal.

vs 6

True of both, but possibly easier to understand for David. The idea of symbolism cuts both ways. Even though Jesus is a man, he's also God, and that does mean we have to stop short of being able to completely empathise with him (I'm not saying it stops him empathising with us though). But David did (by comparison) ordinary things, and received far more ordinary blessings and joys. We can strive to understand that much more easily than we can Christ's joy in God.

vs 7

That's a picture of Jesus if ever I saw one. You never see a moment of doubt in Jesus' life. Not even in the temptation, not even on the cross (especially ifyou understand Christ's words "why have you forsaken me?" in terms of the very next psalm, 22). David too, even though he screws up occasionally - his desire to do what God wants is pretty awesome.

vs 8

You can see how David saw this - the foes of his people were the foes of God, and so when David defeated them in battle, he knew it was God doing the defeating. But Jesus defeated even greater enemies - death, fear, Satan etc - mighty victories we can only begin to understand.

vs 9

If you ever wondered where perhaps the pictures of the end of days in apocalyptic come from, then look no further - the idea of God burning up his enemies dates right back to the entry into the promised land, where God wants the cities of the enemy to be completely burned to nothing.

vs 10

Obviously relating more directly to David's killing of enemy towns and people groups and such. But think about it in terms of those who don't follow God - more often than not, their descendents are as damned as they are. Surely the most likely people to be Christians are the children of parents who were, even forgetting all the teenage rebellion and such.

vs 11

Sometimes there is the facade of them succeeding. That can suck us in. Ecclesiastes deals with that problem, because it is true that evil people can get rich and live good lives and have lots of friends and get really smart, and pretty, and anything else that you might think is valuable. But do they get close to God? That's the winning ticket, and the answer is no.

vs 12

Of course, when God is aiming his bow at someone, they might be able to run, but they can't hide. Natural 20s all the time.

vs 13

This would be a good topic for a few more songs, I think - God's power, strength and might. His love, friendship, sacrifice, relationship, comfort etc do get a fair bit of air time, and that can get a bit girly. Having said that, most songs that talk about God's power and strength talk about creation, and that bores me to death. Someone ought write another "Lo, He Comes With Clouds Ascending." Wesley, he's the bomb, as always.