To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David
1. Yahweh, in your strength the king will rejoice,
And in your salvation how greatly will he exult!
2. The desire of his heart you give to him,
And the request of his lips you do not withhold.
3. For you will meet him with blessings of goodness.
You will set on his head a crown of pure gold.
4. Life he asks from you; you give it to him,
Length of days forever and perpetually.
5. Great is his glory in your salvation.
Honor and majesty you will place upon him.
6. For you will make him blessed perpetually.
You will greatly gladden him with your face.
7. For the king trusts in Yahweh,
and in the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be moved.
8. Your hand will find all your enemies.
Your right hand will find those who hate you.
9. You will make them like a furnace of fire in the time of your wrath.
Yahweh in his anger will swallow them,
And fire will consume them.
10. Their fruit from the earth you will destroy,
And their offspring from among the sons of man.
11. For they incline to evil against you.
They imagine a plot. They will not prevail.
12. For you will make them turn the back.
On your bowstrings you will make ready against their face.
13. Be exalted, Yahweh, in your strength.
We will sing and hymn your might.
Three different kinds of affirmations appear in the first part. 1) The king made requests to the LORD (v. 2). At least one of these requests was for life (v. 4a). The Lord Jesus asked for life in the Garden of Gethsemane–“let this cup pass from me.” The cup did not pass from him. Nevertheless, after drinking the cup to its dregs, he received abundant and everlasting life. 2) The LORD answered his prayers and blessed him greatly not only with perpetual life (v. 4b) but also with strength, salvation, a crown, glory, honor and majesty. All these Christ received in his ascension to the right hand of the Father. 3) These “blessings of goodness” made the king glad (vv. 1 and 6). Having borne all his sorrows to the end, our Lord Jesus Christ is now full of joy in the presence of God. He trusted in the LORD and received his reward (v. 7).
The second part of the psalm describes especially what the LORD will do to his enemies through this exalted and eternal king. They intended evil and devised a plot against him (v. 11, cf. Ps. 2:1-3). He will find them (v. 8). He will devour them (v. 9) and their offspring (v. 10). He will shoot the arrows of his judgment at them and make them turn their backs in terror (v. 12). None of them will be able to stand before him. Christ reigns not only to save his people but to bring judgment on all the enemies of God.
Therefore, we the people of God will celebrate his strength and power (v. 12). The destruction of the enemies of God is for our salvation and the glory of our great king. We pray, “Thy kingdom come,” and that means let all the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ who will reign forever and ever.