Neither Chariots Nor Horses (Psalms 20-21)

Read Psalms 20–21:

A Psalm of David.

Psalm 20 – ¹ May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! ² May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! ³ May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah

⁴ May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! ⁵ May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!

⁶ Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. ⁷ Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. ⁸ They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.

⁹ O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call.

To the choirmaster.

A Psalm of David.

Psalm 21 – ¹ O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! ² You have given him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah 

³ For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold upon his head. ⁴ He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever. ⁵ His glory is great through your salvation; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. ⁶ For you make him most blessed forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence.

⁷ For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.

⁸ Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. ⁹ You will make them as a blazing oven when you appear. The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. ¹⁰ You will destroy their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from among the children of man. ¹¹ Though they plan evil against you, though they devise mischief, they will not succeed. ¹² For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows.

¹³ Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.

To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn.

Understand Psalms 20–21:

Pray to the Lord Who Hears You (20:1–5, 9)

Like David, we all experience trials in life. Therefore, we pray for God to answer us (vv. 1, 9), to send us help (v. 2), to accept our offerings (v. 3), to fulfill our plans (v. 4), and to save us in times of trouble (v. 5). We must not pray to anyone or anything else.

Trust in the Lord Who Answers You (20:6–8)

“Now I know” concludes that David’s salvation has been guaranteed (v. 6). He will not trust in the military might of his chariots and horses, but only in the name of the Lord his God (v. 7). For earthly strength will eventually fails, but God’s people will stand forever on his firm foundation (v. 8). These prayers of Psalm 20 will soon be answered by the praises of Psalm 21.^[1]

Rejoice in the Lord Who Blesses You (21:1–6)

David does not rejoice over his own power and strength, but in the God who saves him (v. 1). Thus, he pours out his heart before the Lord and the Lord grants his earnest desire (v. 2): “rich blessings” and “a crown of fine gold” (v. 3); “length of days forever and ever” (v. 4); “glory,” “splendor,” and “majesty” (v. 5); eternal blessings and gladness in the joy of God’s presence (v. 6). Likewise, as we rehearse God has answered our prayers, we can relate them to his goodness and rejoice in his blessings.

Rely on the Lord Who Loves You (21:7)

Verse 7 includes covenantal language: “For the king trusts in the LORD, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.” “Yahweh” reveals God’s personal covenant name revered throughout Israel’s storied history, while “Most High,” depicts his sovereign power over all the earth (see Deut 32:8). Therefore, trust is man’s right response to Yahweh’s steadfast love (ḥesed) and “the king” refers to God’s representative leader of the nation. Because of Yahweh’s steadfast love, his servants will never be shaken. He guarantees both his blessings (Ps 21:2–6) and his judgments (vv. 8–12) by his awesome power and unchanging love. So, as children of the new covenant, we continue to trust in the Lord who keeps his promises.

Request of the Lord to Defend You (21:8–13)

David then calls down judgment on his enemies (vv. 8–12) and concludes by repeating his initial proclamation: “Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power” (v. 13; see v. 1). He exhorts his people to corporately praise the Lord with both their instruments and their voices, for joyous singing exalts an even greater King who would one day fulfill these messianic psalms:

1. This King of kings is Jesus Christ who would delight in his Father’s glory (Ps 21:1; John 17:1–5).
2. This King would be given his heart’s desire when he submitted his will to God (Ps 21:2; Luke 22:42).
3. This King would receive the crown of gold because he took the crown of thorns (Ps 21:3; Matt 27:29).
4. This King was promised “length of days” though he would die upon a cross (Ps 21:4a; John 19:30; Phil 2:8).
5. This King would reign “forever and ever” once God raised him from the dead (Ps 21:4b; Rom 6:9).
6. This King would be radiant in “glory,” beautiful in “splendor,” and seated “at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3; see Ps 21:5).
7. This King would receive eternal blessings as he rejoiced in his Father’s presence (Ps 21:6; Phil 2:9–11; Heb 1:3).
8. This King would trust in the Lord his God and stand firm upon his steadfast love (Ps 21:7; John 15:10).
9. This King would judge his enemies and vindicate his people for whom he conquered sin and death through the power of the cross (Ps 21:8–12; Rom 5:12–18).
10. Therefore, we will sing Christ’s praises forever and ever both in this life and the next when we gather around his heavenly throne (Ps 21:13; Col 3:16; Rev 7:9–10). May this psalm direct our hearts to Jesus Christ our victorious King!

Self-Reflection in Psalms 20–21:

1. Read Psalms 20 and 21 each day this week. Write down any similarities you see between them.
2. How can God’s judgment of your enemies (Ps 21:8–12) be compatible with Jesus’ command to love your enemies (Matt 5:43–48)? How do you pray for those who oppose you?
3. Describe the joy you experienced as a result of your initial conversion. What brings you joy in your walk with the Lord today?
4. Make a list of God’s promises in Scripture which you find hard to believe. How does the Lord’s steadfast love make him absolutely trustworthy for his people?
5. Read or sing the lyrics of “How Firm a Foundation.” Consider how this modern hymn relates to Psalm 21. Rejoice today in the strength and salvation of your God!

Counsel Psalms 20–21:

Psalm 21 praises the Lord for answering the king’s prayer in Psalm 20. We all have personal troubles which may include painful suffering or life-dominating sins. Teach your counselees to thank the Lord for his blessings and to anticipate his goodness even in troubling times. Show them how to trust in the name of the Lord their God instead of in earthly powers.^[2]

Projects for Growth (Psalms 20–21)

1. Read Psalms 20–21 three times slowly every day this week. Memorize 20:7 and substitute “chariots” and “horses” with any modern-day idols in which you are tempted to trust.

2. Start a prayer journal if you don’t yet have one. Write down your daily prayers (including dates and details) and review your journal at the end of each week to see how God has answered you.

3. Write down what you think would make this week perfect. How does your description point to the desires of your heart? Then ask the Lord to shape your desires to be more like his (Ps 37:4).

4. Describe the joy in your heart which resulted from your initial conversion. List out any blessings which bring you joy in your walk with the Lord today.

5. Make a list of God’s promises in Scripture which you find hard to believe. How does the Lord’s steadfast love make him absolutely trustworthy for his people?

6. Listen to Psalm 20 set to music and pray for the Lord to be glorified by everything you love, trust, and obey. Read or sing the lyrics of “How Firm a Foundation.” Consider how this modern hymn relates to Psalm 21 as you rejoice in the strength and salvation of your God!

7. For further study, read Jerry Bridges, You Can Trust God (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1989).

8. Use Psalms 20–21 as a pattern for prayer:
   • O Lord, answer my petitions and protect me from my enemies (20:1–2, 9).
   • Receive my heart of worship and grant my desires (vv. 3–4).
   • Fill me up with the joy of your salvation (vv. 5–6).
   • Teach me to trust in your name alone and not in any earthly powers (vv. 7–8).
   • I praise you, O Lord, for saving me (21:1).
   • Thank you for your bountiful blessings and the joy of dwelling in your presence (vv. 2–6).
   • Teach me to fully trust in your steadfast love (v. 7).
   • Protect me with your powerful right hand (vv. 8–12).
   • I declare you, O Lord, as my strength and my song (v. 13).

[1] The following table relates Psalm 20 with Psalm 21.

[2] For further study, read David Powlison, God’s Grace in Your Suffering (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018) and Kyle Gangel, “The Glory of God and the Goal of Biblical Counseling,” ACBC (blog), accessed at https://biblicalcounseling.com/resource-library/articles/the-glory-of-god-and-the-goal-of-biblical-counseling.