King Jesus Shall Never Be Moved (Psalm 21:7)

For the king trusts in the LORD,

and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

-Psalm 21:7

Just as we saw in Psalm 20, Psalm 21 is written on behalf of the king. We should see this psalm fulfilled in Jesus Christ, messianically applying to him—the only King of kings.

Applied to Jesus, this verse brings great comfort to the Christian. I will show you two comforts: King Jesus trusts in the Father for us, and King Jesus stands forever fixed over us.

First, King Jesus trusts in the Father for us. Have you ever thought about the faithfulness of God to God? God exists as Three in One—Father, Son & Holy Spirit, from all eternity. They have always been in perfect unity: what the Father appoints, the Son accomplishes and the Spirit applies to our hearts. This verse reminds us how Jesus, very God of God, trusts completely in the Father’s will. You may not have thought about it this way, but our salvation rests completely on God being faithful to Himself. And because that is his nature, we can be confident in who God is for us.

Do you know why this is good news? If Jesus is always faithful to the Father, then the promises we find in Scripture are 100% guaranteed—even if our faith is frail. Listen to 2 Timothy 2:13: “if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” Did you catch that, believer? Jesus cannot deny himself. If he has chosen to save you, he will never turn his back on you (Heb 13:5). If he started his work in you, he will bring it to completion (Phil 1:6). He will never break the bruised reed or snuff out the whimpering flame of your faith (Isa 42:3). Take heart today: every promise of Scripture is secure because King Jesus trusts in the Father for you. May your heart be lifted in humble adoration at the faithfulness of Jesus.

Second, King Jesus stands forever fixed over us. The psalm declares how the king “shall not be moved.” How is this true? Only through the steadfast love of the Most High. The word for “steadfast love” is God’s covenant, faithful, binding love [ḥeseḏ in Hebrew]. This word is canvassed all over the Old Testament. It describes God’s covenant promise for his people: what he has promised, he will secure. This is based on his grace, mercy, longsuffering, and zeal to redeem his people. Be assured of this: if God’s covenant love is at work, “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us” from it (Rm 8:37–39). Likewise, we have the utmost confidence that Jesus is firmly fixed as our Savior forever: by God’s covenant love he shall not be moved.

Again, why is this good news? If Jesus will never be moved, then it means—right now—he sits at the right hand of the Most High, interceding on our behalf. It means the work is finished, for “after making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3). In the Old Testament, the high priest never sat down because there was always another sacrifice he had to make. In other words, he was always moving. Jesus never moves. He sits down because the work is complete. There is no more need for a sacrifice for sins. Jesus is the once-for-all, all-encompassing, every-sin-paid-for Savior. He shall never be moved.

This means that on your worst day—your most sin-ridden day—you can look up to heaven and see the Son of God still firmly fixed at God’s right hand, assuring you, reminding you, and calling your heart to remember the power of his sacrifice. You’re forgiven. You’re clean. You’re justified. Why? Because through the steadfast love of the Most High, Jesus will never be moved.

Nothing can tear you away from his victory over sin. He’s triumphant. He’s firm. Do you believe it?

Neither death nor hell can undo the work of the cross. Your sin is covered. The tomb is empty. Do you believe it?
He’s never turning back from what he has said. Believe it today, Christian—he can’t turn back on you now. King Jesus stands forever fixed over you.

Long Live the King! (Psalm 20:4–5)

May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!… May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!

– Psalm 20:4-5

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Before we assume these verses apply to us, we must look at the broader context of this psalm. Psalm 20 is a Royal Psalm, written to the king, and this is evidenced clearly by verse 9, which says: “O Lord, save the king!” So when we read verses 4 and 5, we cannot insert ourselves into the “yous” and “yours.” No, the psalmist is speaking about the king, asking God to grant all of the king’s desires, petitions, and plans. Of course, this does not prohibit us from asking God for our heart’s desires (see Ps 37:4): only that this psalm specifically is written for the king.

My heart is so anxious to show you how these verses point not to ourselves—but to Jesus. All Scripture finds fulfillment in Him (Lk 24:27). What the psalmist addressed to an earthly king, the Holy Spirit spoke of our eternal King—Jesus, the Son of David, come into the flesh, as one of us. When we see Jesus as the true Messianic ruler promised to the line of David, these verses become wonderfully full. Through the Holy Spirit, the author of this psalm asks God the Father to grant these requests to God the Son. Let us see how Christ fulfills each of these:

Jesus, may God your Father grant you your heart’s desire!

What was the heart of Jesus? Compassion for sinners: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Mt 9:36).

What was the desire of this beating heart? For us to come to Him: “Come to me…and I will give you rest…for I am gentle and lowly in heart…” (Mt 11:28–29).

What does He do when we come to Him? He heals us: “and with his wounds we are healed” (Isa 53:5).

Jesus, may God your Father fulfill all your plans!

What were the plans of Jesus? To do the Father’s will: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (Jn 6:38).

What was the Father’s will? To save us: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45)

How did He save us? By giving His life freely: “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (Jn 10:18).

Jesus, may God your Father fulfill all your petitions!

How did Jesus pray while He was on the earth? With fervent tears: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears” (Heb 5:7).

Who did our High Priest pray for with loud cries and tears? You and me: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (Jn 17:20)

What did He pray for in His most trying hour? Our eternal salvation: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (Jn 17:24).

How does Jesus intercede for us now? As our Mediator in heaven: “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

…
How wonderful the truths our Savior has fulfilled! Do you see how this psalm is made complete in Him? Lord Jesus, may we see your glory as you now reign as the King of kings and Lord of lords. May your name be glorified in us. May the desires of your heart to seek and save the lost be accomplished among us with great glory and power. We praise you for being our Great High Priest who always lives to intercede for us. Long live the King! Amen.

The Rightful King (Psalm 2:1)

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
Psalm 2:1

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There will undoubtedly be times in life we will ask this question. If God is in control, why does it seem like sometimes He is not? The chaos of the world, the godlessness of the present age, the havoc wreaked by those in power — why do the nations rage?

The context of this psalm is a royal coronation for the King of Israel. It was written as an assurance that, although the surrounding nations plot against Yahweh and his “Anointed” one (v.2), the LORD’s chosen King will be established. God tells this King: “You are my Son; today I have begotten you…I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession” (vv.7-8). The other kings of the earth will “Kiss the Son,” and serve God with fear, and “rejoice with trembling” (vv.11-12). Clearly, God’s appointed King is in control. The nations and people rage in futility, for the King of Israel has command.

But when we read the Old Testament, we know that the kings of Israel—whoever may have fit into this psalm—fell short of it. David, Solomon, and all those who followed him, were not the King who would sit on the throne forever. This psalm must not refer to them, therefore, but to Someone greater, Someone stronger—the better and truer King of Israel.

Yes, this psalm is all about Jesus.

He is the “Anointed” one, the Messiah who comes to rescue his people. He is the only-begotten Son, truly God and truly man. He is the King, the One who sits on Zion, God’s holy hill (v.6). His kingdom will never end, for He is risen from the grave. His authority will never be matched, for He sits at the right hand of the Father.

Now we see the reason why the nations rage and the people plot in vain. They “set themselves…against the LORD and against his Anointed” (v.2). They despise authority, saying “let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords” (v.3). A heart in love with sin will do everything it can to throw off the yoke of Jesus’ rule. We have all found ourselves in this raging, in this plotting: at some point before Jesus broke the brittle kingdom of our own hearts, we sought to reject God and live for ourselves. In other words, we acted as our own kings. A heart so puffed with pride will avoid God at all cost.

But praise be to God that He has invaded our lives. Jesus, the rightful ruler, crushed our crown of self-dependence by wearing one of thorns. He squelched our pride by humiliating himself. He took our sin by bearing the cross. This Jesus, this King, loves us. In response we “kiss the Son” (v.12). We bow down in trembling awe and joy. While the nations rage in rebellion, we rejoice in reverence. We know who is in control of our lives. We know who is in control of the world.

Reader, is Jesus your King? Either you plot in vain against Him, or you surrender in love to Him. Daily He calls you to bring your petty, shifty, shaky kingdoms to Him, and bow to His firm, eternal, loving reign. There is nothing greater than to serve Him, to love Him, to worship and adore Him. For all who know this King, the promise is clear: “blessed are all who take refuge in him” (v.12).

Trade your raging for refuge today in the rightful rule of Jesus. Amen.