Psalm 21

¹¹             Though they [deploy] against You,

                        though they intend [deadly] mischief,

                        they will not succeed.

¹²             For You will set them as a [target];

                        You will aim at their faces with Your bowstrings.

¹³             Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own triumph!

                        We will sing and praise Your strength.

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Be Exalted O Lord!

For the Lord’s Day:  the 25^th of September 2004

Introduction:  Delitzsch tells us that there is in the closing petition a close held desire for “world-wide conquest” and “to which everything that opposes Him must yield, and it is for this they promise beforehand a joyous gratitude.”

 

Now, we should realize that a worldly empire is not the desire of God’s kings, and this fact should be evident from biblical history, where in most cases, the kings and leaders of God’s people simply fought for the right to exist in peace and prosperity: in order that they might worship the God of all grace who simply promised them a land to live in and not a mighty earth encompassing empire.

 

Therefore – the high sounding conquest must be positioned into the distant future when the Messiah of all the earth should decide the final fate of the world and all those who live therein.  While the final victory is in the world to come, still the intended battle lines being formed by the enemy exist in this present world and age.  So therefore, the psalmist is encouraged that victories shall indeed be his even within the present conflicts of this old world.

 

If you sense that the psalmist lives with one foot in heaven and the other on earth, welcome to membership in the “Kingdom of God,” where this ongoing conflict between the kingdoms of this old world rampage against the permanent kingdom of our Lord and Savior until He comes at the end of the age, and the victory sensed by the psalmist is finally achieved.

 

Development:  This psalm portion opens with military images that are not evident in our modern translations.

 

“Though they [deploy] against You,

                though they intend [deadly] mischief,

                they will not succeed.”

 

Calvin translates the first phrase in these words:  “For they have spread out evil against thee.”  It is almost as if the Psalmist is completing this battle prayer even as the marching hordes of the enemy maneuver their marching columns into battle lines.  We can almost hear the tramping feet marching in unison and the orders of the battle chiefs as they “shake out a battle line” before beginning the advance.  In the old days, this procedure was an awesome and magnificent sight as the marital glory of a nation presented its martial strength against the ranks of an enemy anticipating attack.

 

I have used the word “deploy” in my translation to describe this particular maneuver, as any army might prepare to give battle against not only the Lord’s agent, but even against the greater power and might of the Creator God.

 

The “deadly mischief” in the second line is descriptive of what the enemy intends.  Now, we certainly understand the word “mischief” here in less militant terms than it was once intended in the Old English.  But think of it this way: all of the maneuverable intentions of preparing for battle are meant to dishearten any enemy.  At the battle of Waterloo, Wellington placed his troops in their positions the night before, Napoleon however made a grand review of his several Army Corps in mid-morning of the new day – hoping thereby to prove the invincible nature of his big battalions.  Napoleon was a man who once declared that “God was on the side of the big battalions” – in other words he intended that “might would make things right” according to his own estimation.

 

And so David, if this scene and analysis be correct, is watching as the enemy deploys their forces in preparation to attack his own troops.  Now, this word “mischief” is entirely appropriate here because since the dawn of time most enemies have been defeated long before the lines of battle engage.  To this end, the enemy would hope that once their attack is launched, the forces of Israel will scatter and flee.  Enough armies have succumbed to the fear of gleaming weapons that it is not unusual to win relatively bloodless victories.

 

In Korea, American forces attacked a Chinese held hillside several times without success – tanks, artillery and air power had done their darndest.  The American general sent out a different order:  “fix bayonets” and then the attack was ordered.  A long silent line of gleaming bayonets advanced on the enemy heights in the profound silence of everything ordinarily expected.  Seeing the “cold steel” the hearts of the communists melted away and their troops ran down the back side of the hill and the American objective was accomplished.

 

There are enough accounts of warfare by intimidation throughout the world to grant the fact that “mischief” is indeed intended, even of a more deadly kind if necessary.  One reason Shaka – king of the Zulus was able to conquer most of South Africa was the fact that his men were ordered to close with the enemy and spill blood: a fact which the ceremonial fighters in the other tribes had long forgotten.  American Indian tribes, with some exceptions would rather count coup against an enemy than kill him.  And there are numerous accounts of battles being fought until a warrior was badly injured or killed, and then the survivors, would sit down and smoke the peace pipe.

 

We can almost sense David smiling to himself, knowing that the enemies of God will never succeed!  In fact, the descriptive language in the second verse here numbers the enemy as so many targets.

 

“For You will set them as a [target];

                You will aim at their faces with Your bowstrings.”

 

Calvin’s translation seems a little more earthy, he numbers the enemies as just so many “butts” to fix an arrow in.  But, of course that translation is too easy to enjoy since the Hebrew word here intends “a mound of earth, on which it is customary to plant the mark which is aimed at.”  And so, my use of the word “target” is entirely appropriate.  During the opening days of World War One, some of the English soldiers reported that the Germans did not always provide them enough targets - a lack that was all too quickly made good.

 

The King of Israel here understands the seriousness of the Lord God’s terms of military encounter.  Any who dare to stand against Him, must loose their very identity: thus the seriousness of shooting arrows at the faces of the enemy.    These enemies of our God and King will not be merely wounded, but maimed and even destroyed.  Old King Harold of England lost his life, his kingdom and his people their nation – once an arrow pierced his eye and doomed his cause to utter defeat.  Even though his loyal House Carls fought to the last man – William the Conqueror attained the crown of England.

 

 

We may very easily repeat the refrain of the prior verse again in the context of these revelations:  ”they will not succeed.”

 

Application:  As we come to the close of this triumphant psalm, we sense as Calvin does, that this psalm is “concluded with a prayer, which again confirms that the kingdom which is spoken of is so connected with the glory of God, that his power is reflected from it.”  This we may realize with respect to the Kingdom of David, but even more with the “Kingdom of God” where our Lord Jesus Christ is enthroned for all time and into eternity as well.

 

”Be exalted, O Lord, in Your own triumph!

                We will sing and praise Your strength.”

 

In the first line here, we sense the cause of every triumph – the will, purpose and power of our Almighty God in heaven.  And as we recite the immensity of the historic record of God’s acts on behalf of His people – thereby is He exalted and His people called to praise, honor and glorify the Name above all Names.

 

An older translation of the last line here indicates that the exaltation of the Lord will be accomplished in the singing of Psalms.  And so it is truthfully down to our own time.  And for this reason and many other – it is our common practice to include the singing back of the Lord’s psalms to Him.  And all we are doing is that which David accomplished – the declaration of the honor and glory of Him who deigns it necessary to manifest His will and purpose before all of mankind even as He protects and blesses the least of His own people.  May the Lord be exalted and praised for all that He has done on our behalf.  Amen!

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PREACHING RESOURCES

Calvin, John:  Commentary on Book of Psalms.

Delitzsch, F:  Commentary on the Old Testament – Psalms.

Spurgeon, C.H:  Treasury of David.

The Westminster Confession & Catechisms.

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