You have granted his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah You have granted his heart’s desireThis phrase reflects the fulfillment of the king's desires, which aligns with the biblical theme of God granting the righteous the desires of their hearts ( Psalm 37:4). In the context of ancient Israel, the king's desires would often be for victory, justice, and the welfare of his people. This can be seen as a type of Christ, who perfectly aligns His desires with the will of the Father. The granting of desires also echoes the covenantal promises God made to David, ensuring the prosperity and success of his lineage ( 2 Samuel 7:12-16). and have not withheld the request of his lips.
This part emphasizes God's responsiveness to prayer, highlighting the intimate relationship between the king and God. In the cultural context of the ancient Near East, a king's requests would often involve matters of national importance, such as military success or divine guidance. This phrase can be connected to the New Testament teaching on prayer, where believers are encouraged to present their requests to God with the assurance that He hears and answers (Philippians 4:6-7). It also foreshadows the intercessory role of Christ, who prays on behalf of His people (Hebrews 7:25). Selah
The term "Selah" is often understood as a pause for reflection or a musical interlude, inviting the reader or listener to contemplate the preceding words. In the context of this psalm, it serves as a moment to reflect on God's faithfulness in answering the king's prayers and fulfilling his desires. This pause encourages deeper meditation on the nature of God's provision and the importance of aligning one's desires with His will. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidThe author of the psalm, King David, is expressing gratitude for God's blessings and favor. He is the central figure in this psalm, representing a faithful servant of God who receives divine favor. 2. GodThe ultimate source of blessings and the one who grants the desires of the heart. God is portrayed as a benevolent and responsive deity who listens to the prayers of His people. 3. The KingWhile the psalm is attributed to David, it also speaks to the role of the king in Israel as God's anointed leader, whose success and desires are aligned with God's will. 4. SelahA term used in the Psalms, possibly indicating a pause for reflection or musical interlude, emphasizing the importance of the preceding statement. Teaching Points Alignment with God's WillThe desires of our hearts should align with God's will. When our hearts are in tune with God, our requests are more likely to be granted. The Power of PrayerPrayer is a powerful tool for communicating with God. We should not hesitate to bring our desires and requests before Him, trusting in His wisdom and timing. Gratitude for God's BlessingsLike David, we should express gratitude for the blessings and answered prayers in our lives, recognizing God's hand in our successes. Reflective Pause (Selah)Taking time to pause and reflect on God's goodness and faithfulness can deepen our understanding and appreciation of His work in our lives. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the concept of God granting the desires of the heart challenge or affirm your current prayer life? 2. In what ways can you ensure that your desires align with God's will, as seen in the life of David? 3. Reflect on a time when you felt God granted the desires of your heart. How did this experience impact your faith journey? 4. How can the practice of "Selah" or pausing for reflection be incorporated into your daily spiritual routine? 5. What other biblical figures can you think of who experienced God granting their desires, and what can you learn from their accounts? Connections to Other Scriptures 1 Samuel 13:14This verse describes David as a man after God's own heart, which aligns with the idea that God grants the desires of those whose hearts are aligned with His will. John 15:7Jesus speaks about abiding in Him and having His words abide in us, which results in receiving what we ask for, similar to the theme of God granting the desires of the heart. Proverbs 16:3This verse encourages committing our works to the Lord, and our plans will be established, reflecting the idea of God fulfilling the desires of those who trust in Him. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Desire, Gavest, Hast, Heart, Heart's, Kept, Lips, Request, Selah, Withheld, WithholdenDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 21:2 5015 heart, and Holy Spirit
5164 lips
6185 imagination, desires
8666 praise, manner and methods Psalm 21:1-3 4333 gold Library Epistle Lviii. To all the Bishops Throughout Helladia .
To all the Bishops throughout Helladia [1626] . Gregory to all bishops constituted in the province of Helladia. I return thanks with you, dearest brethren, to Almighty God, who has caused the hidden sore which the ancient enemy had introduced to come to the knowledge of all, and has cut it away by a wholesome incision from the body of His Church. Herein we have cause both to rejoice and to mourn; to rejoice, that is, for the correction of a crime, but to mourn for the fall of a brother. But, since …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the GreatMy Brethren.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ calls those for whom He died and who have believed on Him "My Brethren." What a word it is! The Brethren of the Man in Glory! Brethren of Him who is at the right hand of God, the upholder and heir of all things! Pause for a moment, dear reader. Let your heart lay hold anew of this wonderful message of God's Grace; Brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ! What depths of love and grace these words contain! What heights of glory they promise to us, who were bought by His own precious …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory The Poor in Spirit are Enriched with a Kingdom
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 Here is high preferment for the saints. They shall be advanced to a kingdom. There are some who, aspiring after earthly greatness, talk of a temporal reign here, but then God's church on earth would not be militant but triumphant. But sure it is the saints shall reign in a glorious manner: Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' A kingdom is held the acme and top of all worldly felicity, and this honour have all the saints'; so says our Saviour, Theirs is the …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 Fourteenth Day for the Church of the Future
WHAT TO PRAY.--For the Church of the Future "That the children might not be as their fathers, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God."--PS. lxxviii. 8. "I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thy offspring."--ISA. xliv. 3. Pray for the rising generation, who are to come after us. Think of the young men and young women and children of this age, and pray for all the agencies at work among them; that in association and societies …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession Of Deeper Matters, and God's Hidden Judgments which are not to be Inquired Into
"My Son, beware thou dispute not of high matters and of the hidden judgments of God; why this man is thus left, and that man is taken into so great favour; why also this man is so greatly afflicted, and that so highly exalted. These things pass all man's power of judging, neither may any reasoning or disputation have power to search out the divine judgments. When therefore the enemy suggesteth these things to thee, or when any curious people ask such questions, answer with that word of the Prophet, …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ The Evening of the Third Day in Passion-Week - on the Mount of Olives: Discoures to the Disciples Concerning the Last Things.
THE last and most solemn denunciation of Jerusalem had been uttered, the last and most terrible prediction of judgment upon the Temple spoken, and Jesus was suiting the action to the word. It was as if He had cast the dust of His Shoes against the House' that was to be left desolate.' And so He quitted for ever the Temple and them that held office in it. They had left the Sanctuary and the City, had crossed black Kidron, and were slowly climbing the Mount of Olives. A sudden turn in the road, and …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Sermons of St. Bernard on the Passing of Malachy
Sermon I (November 2, 1148.)[1005] 1. A certain abundant blessing, dearly beloved, has been sent by the counsel of heaven to you this day; and if it were not faithfully divided, you would suffer loss, and I, to whom of a surety this office seems to have been committed, would incur danger. I fear therefore your loss, I fear my own damnation,[1006] if perchance it be said, The young children ask bread, and no man offereth it unto them.[1007] For I know how necessary for you is the consolation which …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
1. The most important point here is to keep in mind the organic unity of the Old Testament. Its predictions are not isolated, but features of one grand prophetic picture; its ritual and institutions parts of one great system; its history, not loosely connected events, but an organic development tending towards a definite end. Viewed in its innermost substance, the history of the Old Testament is not different from its typical institutions, nor yet these two from its predictions. The idea, underlying …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Letter Li to the virgin Sophia
To the Virgin Sophia He praises her for having despised the glory of the world: and, setting forth the praises, privileges, and rewards of Religious Virgins, exhorts her to persevere. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, to the Virgin Sophia, that she may keep the title of virginity and attain its reward. I. Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised (Prov. xxxi. 31). I rejoice with you, my daughter, in the glory of your virtue, whereby, as I hear, you …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 21:2 NIVPsalm 21:2 NLTPsalm 21:2 ESVPsalm 21:2 NASBPsalm 21:2 KJV
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