Psalm 21 Continued…
Psalms 21:7-9 For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes. At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the Lord will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them.
The reason for this great deliverance in answer to prayer is that the king trusted in the unfailing love of the Lord Most High. The king trusted in the Lord (v. 7) and so did the people, and they affirmed their faith as they addressed these words to the king. The emphasis now changes from past victories to anticipation of future victories (vs. 7-12) God will now give David and Israel because they have faith in the living God. “Your right hand” (v. 8) is more than a symbol of power; it actively works for His people and brings defeat to their enemies (Psalm 89:13). “Lay hold on” (v. 8) literally means “dispose of.”
We have a rather anemic view of God today, because we have lost sight of the righteousness and holiness of God. We have forgotten that God’s holiness is outraged at man’s sin, that the Bible says that God is angry at the wicked every day. The psalmists and the prophets of the Old Testament never lost sight of that side of God’s character.
Not only is He a God of salvation, but because of His death upon the cross for sinners, He is a God of Judgment. Those who have rejected Him are His enemies. You say you don’t believe there is a hell. The Bible teaches it. If you don’t believe there is a hell, you are in disagreement with the Bible.
Hell is not a pleasant subject. Who said it was? God does not take any delight in the lost. God’s judgment is called His strange work. His wonderful work is salvation. He wants to save. If you won’t come to Him His way, or if you don’t want His salvation, then there is nothing but judgment that remains.
“At the time of your appearing you will make them like a fiery furnace. In his wrath the Lord will swallow them up, and his fire will consume them.” (v. 9) This verse is clear. Fire is fire, and judgment is judgment. Just as fire devours what it touches (Psalm 79:5), so the Lord will devour David’s enemies like a cook burns fuel under a stove. The nation of Israel and David’s posterity would be preserved (Psalm 18:50), but there would be no future for their enemies.
The phrase “he will not be shaken” (v. 7) asserts that while he reigned, David would not be shaken by his enemies, because his faith was in the Lord (v. 7).
PRAY
Father, I pray for Your protection today. You are my hiding place, and under Your wings I can always find refuge. Protect me from trouble wherever I go and keep evil far from me.