Toni’s Title
Wise The Rule of God Through His King
ESV Title
The King Rejoices in the LORD’s Strength
Literary Type
This is a royal psalm and a psalm of thanksgiving.
Royal Psalms
These are psalms in which the Davidic king is the central figure. The king’s authority comes from God, and his task is to rule as God’s representative in the kingdom on earth. Since he is God’s representative on earth, the enemies of God oppose him. These psalms find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ when “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” (The Apostles’ Creed, BCP, p. 96)
Examples: Psalms 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 101, 110, 144
Psalms of Thanksgiving
These psalms/songs praise God in response to an event of deliverance already experienced. They are songs sung by people who, after a time of waiting, have experienced the goodness of God in the everyday world. These songs come from ordinary individuals, the king (royal), or the believing community.
Examples: Psalms 30, 32, 34, 65, 67, 92, 107, 116, 124, 138 and others
NT Prayer Guide
Phil. 2:5-11
Superscription
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
21
Domine, in virtute tua
1 The King shall rejoice in your strength, O Lord; *
exceedingly glad shall he be of your salvation.
2 You have given him his heart’s desire, *
and have not denied him the request of his lips.
3 For you shall meet him with the blessings of goodness, *
and shall set a crown of pure gold upon his head.
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him: *
length of days, for ever and ever.
5 His honor is great because of your salvation; *
glory and majesty shall you lay upon him.
6 For you shall give him everlasting felicity *
and make him glad with the joy of your countenance.
7 For the King puts his trust in the Lord, *
and because of the mercy of the Most High, he shall not be moved.
8 All your enemies shall feel your hand; *
your right hand shall find those who hate you.
9 You shall make them like a fiery oven in the time of your wrath; *
the Lord shall destroy them in his displeasure, and the fire shall consume them.
10 Their offspring you shall root out of the earth, *
and their seed from among the children of men.
11 For they intended evil against you, *
and imagined wicked schemes, which they are not able to perform.
12Therefore you shall put them to flight, *
and the strings of your bow you shall aim at their faces.
13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your own strength; *
so we will sing and praise your power.