Psalm 21: The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD; and in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. For You meet him with the blessings of goodness; You set a crown of pure gold upon his head. He asked life from You, [and] You gave [it] to him--Length of days forever and ever. His glory [is] great in Your salvation; honor and majesty You have placed upon him. For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence. For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved. Your hand will find all Your enemies; Your right hand will find those who hate You. You shall make them as a fiery oven in the time of Your anger; the LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their offspring You shall destroy from the earth, and their descendants from among the sons of men. For they intended evil against You; they devised a plot [which] they are not able [to perform]. Therefore You will make them turn their back; You will make ready [Your arrows] on Your string toward their faces. Be exalted, O LORD, in Your own strength! We will sing and praise Your power.
People are in constant pursuit of “goodness” of all kinds. We all want things we think are good and spend our entire lives going after those things – whatever they are. The desire and pursuit, in and of itself, is commendable to some degree. We respect people who pursue their dreams and ambitions. Many people put in a lot of hard work for that stuff.
The problem is that often the things we chase can be counter-productive to our ACTUAL desires. While chasing goodness, we may find chaos and evil. Think about it. How many people are trying to live “good lives,” going after “good things,” but those things are considered “good” by their personal standards? As a result, they end up having lives filled with confusion, chaos, bitterness, and discontentment.
This is because the Bible teaches that REAL goodness ONLY COMES FROM GOD.
If we’re pursuing ANYTHING contrary to God, it won’t be good – no matter how much work we put into it. It doesn’t matter how much praise or approval we get from others. Our pursuits may seem good to us temporarily, but GENUINE goodness is eternal in nature because God is eternal. Our pursuits shouldn’t be to gain things that are good by human standards. Instead, we should desire to grow closer to God by faith, because He’s the source and cause of REAL goodness that satisfies, bringing purpose and peace to our lives and souls.
The testimony of Psalm 21:3 teaches this principle by describing the character of a triumphant king. If the principles of Psalm 21:3 are good enough for God’s anointed leaders who serve the role of king for His people, they should be good enough for all of God’s people. If the principles of Psalm 21:3 are good enough for the kings of Israel to enjoy God’s victories, they should be good enough for the rest of us who serve Him too. The only difference we need to note is that, since Psalm 21 deals specifically with God’s triumphant kings in Israel, it ultimately points to the victory that comes through Israel’s Messiah King – Jesus Christ. Again, Psalm 21:3 says:
“For You meet him with the blessings of goodness; You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.”
The Bible teaches that God meets His victorious kings with “the blessings of goodness.” While the terms “blessings” and “goodness” imply things from God that are "good" generally speaking, it’s important to pay attention to the connection this phrase has to God’s promises about the Messiah. First, the Hebrew word for “blessings,” is the same word used in Genesis 12:2 when God made His covenant with Abraham. Genesis 12:2 is the first time the word “blessing” is used, in this form, in the Bible. This means that the contextual usage of the word “blessing” in Genesis 12:2, sets the overall tone for the word when used in other places in the Bible. The use of the word “blessing” in Psalm 21:3, is related to the context of the word “blessing” in Genesis 12:2. Check out the usage of the word in Genesis:
“I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.”
God swore that He would make Abraham a blessing. Then in the next verse, God explained that His blessing to Abraham would be good enough to bless “all of the families of the earth.” According to Galatians Chapter 3, the “blessing” promised to Abraham, was compared to a “Seed,” ultimately referring to Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Jesus is the Blessing.
The Bible teaches that God’s “blessing” describes God’s approval. God’s promise to Abraham described God’s desire to provide someone who had His Anointing and Approval; who would also enable “all of the families of the earth” to be approved by God also. This is a reference to forgiveness of sins, resulting in eternal life. You can’t have God’s approval unless the depravity of our souls is dealt with. Jesus is the way that this work takes place. Jesus, a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was the fulfillment of “the Blessing.”
This is why Psalm 21:3 says that the LORD meets the triumphant king with “the blessing of goodness.” Check out how the description of “the blessing” has the definite article, to show that it is THE blessing above all other blessings. This is why the chief trait of THE Blessing, is “goodness.” Since THE Blessing comes from God, the goodness that the blessing produces must come from God too. We’re talking about God’s own goodness here. God’s goodness comes from God’s provision of “THE Blessing.”
Now, the word “goodness” is important to think about too. The first time this word is used in the Bible is also in Genesis. In Genesis 1:4 it says…
“And God saw the light, that [it was] good; and God divided the light from the darkness.”
Here, the Bible shows that God spoke, and the effect of His speech was “light.” When God saw the physical manifestation of His Word as Light, He declared it as “good.” This means that the standards of what is “good” in our world, MUST come from God, as a direct byproduct of His Word.
TRUE and REAL goodness must be the physical manifestation of God’s declaration.
God declared light to be “good.” Part of the reason light is “good,” is because it’s distinctly different, and separate, from the darkness. Now, with that in mind, think about these verses:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
John 1:14 goes on to say:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Later, Jesus said this in John 8:12:
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’”
Finally, the Apostle John wrote this in 1 John 1:5:
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.”
When we put all of these verses together, the meaning of Psalm 21:3 takes on a MUCH greater meaning. The king of Israel, who is triumphant in the LORD, can receive the “blessing of goodness” from God. This blessing refers to the effects of God’s Word, specifically referring to the Messiah. The blessing of God was made physically manifest, as the Light of the world, ultimately describing Jesus Christ, the Messiah King of Israel. This principle is proven true, because God declared that “light,” which is distinctly separate from darkness, is the universal standard of good, according to His perfect standards.
Jesus came as “the Light of the world.” Jesus came to fulfill the promise of “THE Blessing” from the Father. The Blessing is based on the Father’s promise to forgive sins, allowing corrupted human souls to be cleansed so that we can receive His approval, and escape the flames of hell, that we all deserve otherwise. This all means that Jesus must be how Israel’s kings receive the victory described here in Psalm 21.
Think about this now:
This means King David clearly understood the source of his success and victory. David understood the true goodness of God, which is why the Bible describes him as a man after God’s own heart. David didn’t go after things he felt were good by his personal standards. In fact, when the Bible does testify of David doing those types of things, the scriptures are candid to show that David suffered greatly and caused crazy amounts of chaos and pain in his life, and in the lives of others. Every time David pursued God, he received God’s goodness as a natural byproduct.
David knew that a TRUE blessing, is defined by the goodness of God that produces the blessing. According to Psalm 21:3, God’s goodness is manifested through the Light of the world. The goodness of God is made available through the physical manifestation of the Father’s Word. The goodness of God IS the Word of God, and the Word, the Light, the Blessing, became flesh – Jesus Christ. The victory that JESUS GAINED through HIS life, death, resurrection, and ascension, allowed the victories of Israel’s kings to have meaning and substance. Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension allow ANYONE to have meaningful success in life. This is especially true when we think about the victory that REALLY counts – the victory over sin, death, and hell, by being born again of the Holy Spirit.
This is why David wrote about a crown coming from God’s good blessing. In Verse 3, David wrote that the LORD sets a crown of “pure gold” upon the heads of His triumphant kings. Think about that promise, with these testimonies in mind, concerning the promise to those who believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
In 2 Timothy 4:8, it says:
“Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
The Apostle James, Jesus’ half-brother, wrote this in James 1:12...
“Blessed [is] the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Peter said this in 1 Peter 5:4:
“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
The Apostle John wrote this in Revelation 2:10...
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw [some] of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Revelation 4:4 makes this promise:
“Around the throne [were] twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.”
Revelation 14:14 says this:
“Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat [One] like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.”
Lastly, Revelation 19:12-16 says this:
“His eyes [were] like a flame of fire, and on His head [were] many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He [was] clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on [His] robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Those who put their trust in the LORD and humble themselves before Him, are ALSO given crowns. These crowns reflect similar qualities as the crown mentioned in Psalm 21:3. Psalm 21:3 describes the crown coming directly from God as a result of His blessing. The crown is observable proof that the person wearing it has favor with God. Since this issue deals with the approval of God, that approval comes as a result of the ministry of Jesus Christ – THE Blessing.
The crown is described as being made of pure gold. The description of its purity reflects the source from which it comes. It’s not gold that is mixed. It’s not gold that has any corruption of any kind. The only quality of gold that could forge a crown like this, must come from God. He’s the only One who is pure. He’s the only One who can make things pure. The crown is pure because God is pure. He’s the One making and giving this crown.
The description of the crown being gold shows that the crown has supreme value. It’s supreme in value because it’s pure in every way. It’s pure in every way because God is pure in every way. The crown is pure because directly reflects the fulfillment of God’s goodness and blessing. The placement of this crown upon the head of the triumphant king, speaks to the supreme approval from the LORD God Almighty.
How do the triumphant kings of Israel get this crown? According to Revelation Chapter 19, TRUE victory comes from the judgment of the KING of kings. That takes place at the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ. The crown that God’s anointed leaders will be rewarded with only comes because of the work of the One True King of Israel. He is the victor. He is the conqueror. He is the banner of victory. The crowns given to God’s people are pure because Jesus is the Purifier, and that purification is fulfilled through the judgment He administrates. The crown given to God’s people is supremely valuable because it signifies the approval of the Father, the chief source and substance of TRUE goodness. This all means that, those who seek genuinely-good things, NEED TO seek God as the source of goodness; and trust in the method that God uses to distribute His goodness:
Through the fulfillment of His covenant, concerning THE Blessing from the Light of the world – Jesus Christ!
He is the goodness. He is the blessing. He is the reward. If we’re looking for anything good apart from this truth, we’ll end up disappointed, and bitter, without the approval of God. Who wants that? Do you want to live a good life? Do you want to do “good?” Do you want to have “good” things? God’s Word says we need to seek to know and understand Jesus, who He is, what He did, and what He’s going to do, and forge a relationship with Him by faith, through the scriptures. Plain and simple, that’s what the goodness of God is all about.
And, THAT’S what the Bible teaches about the One, WE know, as God.
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