Seder 108: Psalm 21---A Messianic Royal Psalm of Thanksgiving

 Psalm 21 is a royal psalm that can be seen as a sequel to Psalm 20.  Psalm 20 is a prayer for protection and success for the king, while Psalm 21 expresses the king's gratitude for the success that God has granted him.  

Here is one example of the connections between the two psalms:

Psalm 20:4---"May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans!

Psalm 21:2---"You have given him his heart's desire...."

Psalm 21:1-7 shows gratitude for the promises of the Davidic covenant, including

• God's steadfast love (v.7; 2 Sam 7:15);
• God's presence (v. 6; 2 Sam 7:9);
• a dynasty lasting forever (vv 4, 6; 2 Sam 7:13, 16).

In verse 7 the king affirms his trust in God, rather than in horses or chariots(see 20:7).  Then in verses 8-13, the congregation affirms its faith in God's ulimate judgment of enemies and victory over all opposition.  The psalm begins and ends by praising God's strength. 

During the era of Solomon's Temple, this psalm could have been used to celebrate a victory or the anniversary of a king's coronation.  Then during the Second Temple period and beyond, it was natural to see this psalm messianically, especially with its references to eternal life and blessing (vv 4,6) and final victory.  The last half of the psalm reminds us of prophecies that the Messiah will conquer all enemies, including death (Isa 25:7-8; 1 Cor 15:54-57).

The Targum in verses 1 and 7 has "the king Messiah" for "the king,"  and the discussion of this psalm in Midrash Psalms is entirely about how the different parts of the psalm apply to the Messiah. Here are some examples of the discussion in Midrash Psalms:  

• The Midrash connects verse 2 ("you have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of his lips") with Isa 11:4 ("he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked").  
• To explain verse 4 ("he asked life of you"), it is speculated that the Messiah asked God for the resurrection of Korah and his colleagues, who were swallowed up by the ground during Israel's years in the wilderness (Num 16). 
• In connection with verse 6 ("you make him glad with the joy of your presence"), sages mention examples where the Messiah comes into the presence of God (Dan 7:13-14; Jer 30:21).  

Unlike some other royal psalms (45 and 110, e.g.), Psalm 21 is not referenced in the New Testament.  Some verses in Psalm 21 look like good candidates for a prosopological reading, but I am not aware of them being used in this way.  I may look into this question further.

Seder 70: Descending the Mountain---Exodus 32-33 and Luke 9

 After God prepared Moses for what was happening in the Israelite camp, it was time for Moses to descend Mount Sinai and face the situation there.  

Even though he had heard what was coming, seeing what was happening in the Israelite camp angered him.  He dashed the two stone tablets to the ground, an action that symbolized Israel's breaking of the covenant.  

He then had the golden calf burned up and ground to powder, and he had the Israelites drink the water containing the powder (Ex 32:19-20).  An interesting midrash suggests this action was a sort of test of spiritual adultery analogous to the ceremony of Numbers 5.  According to this midrash, when the instigators of the golden calf sin drank the water, there was a physical manifestation that identified them. 

In any case, when Moses asked for those on God's side to identify themselves, his fellow Levites stepped forward, and they killed those most responsible for the idolatrous actions (vv 25-29).  The zeal of the tribe of Levi has both positive and negative aspects in the Torah, depending on the object at which that zeal is directed.  We see the negative side of Levi's zeal in the massacre at Shechem (Gen 34; cf Gen 49:5-7).  We see the positive side here and in the decisive actions of Phinehas later (Num 25).        

Order was restored in the camp, but there was still a major rift in Israel's relationship with God.  Knowing this, Moses continued to intercede on behalf of the people.  

God made the problem clear when he announced that although he would be sending an angel to guide them, he himself would not be accompanying them (Ex 33:1-3).  The angel described in Exodus 33 is therefore a lesser one than the one described in Ex 23:20-22, since the presence of the angel in Exodus 23 would constitute God's presence.  The angel in Exodus 23 is in some sense Yahweh in visual form, perhaps a Christophany.     

At this point Moses met with God at a tent outside the Israelite camp, again showing the broken relationship.  Israel's removing of ornaments (Ex 33:4-6) represented a humbling before God, a first step toward repentance.  

As Moses continued to intercede, the relationship between God and Moses was deepening, leaving Moses with a longing to understand and experience even more.  God agreed to show Moses more, making clear that there were limitations to what Moses would be able to handle (vv 12-23).  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on August 28, 2021, Kyle Kettering drew analogies between Moses' Sinai experience and the experience of the disciples of Jesus at the Transfiguration (Luke 9).  On the mount of transfiguration Jesus met with Moses and Elijah, both of whom had had important encounters with God on a mountain.  

Kyle shared a fascinating midrash, recorded in Numbers Rabbah, that comments on Psalm 24:10, which refers to God as the "king of glory".  The midrash notes that God shares his glory with those who fear him.  For example, Moses is called a god before Pharaoh (Ex 7:1), and Elijah is enabled to raise the dead, a prerogative of God (I Kings 17:23).  The midrash goes on to say that God would dress the Messiah in his own robes, using Ps 21:5 as a proof text.  The transfiguration, where the Messiah is glorified and spends time with Moses and Elijah, was a striking example of this.

After Peter, James, and John experienced the transfiguration, they had to descend the mountain and work with the problems of those waiting at the foot of the mountain, as Moses had.  Kyle made the point that we do not live on a mountain, but in a world that needs us.  After sharing in God's glory at times of worship, we should in turn share that glory with others.