The people of Israel often fared well when their king fared well. Good kings, through their leading in obedience, brought prosperity and blessing from God (ie David, Asa, Josiah, Hezekiah). Bad kings, through their leading in disobedience, brought judgment (ie Ahab, Jeroboam, Joash).
In Psalm 20 we have a royal Psalm. It is a Psalm that petitions for God’s favor to be on and with the king.
May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah (Psalm 20.3)
This would be the heart’s desire for the covenant people. They yearned for a good king. They wanted a king had acceptance with God. They sang about this.
This soundtrack is imputed with significant Messianic bass. Consider Jesus, the true and great king, who offered up the offering, the burnt sacrifice. The incense of his merit was burned upon the altar. The smoke rose to the heavens. The fragrance of Christ’s perfection is the eternally pleasing aroma to the Lord God. He is forever happy and pleased with Jesus.
Further, it was the offering of Christ upon the cross that stands as the basis for our eternal favor with God. While our friends in the Old Testament were entreating God for temporal blessings on the basis of a fallen man we entreat God for his eternal blessings on the basis of Christ! He is the one who offered himself for fallen men!
What a glorious comfort it is to think upon, to believe, and to delight in this truth that God has regarded and remembered Christ’s offering. He remains pleased with him. And therefore, because all who are truly in Christ are united to him, believers have this favor. There is no condemnation (Rom. 8.1) there is no cup of cursing (Gal. 3.10). There is however, an eager anticipation of his coming (2 Tim. 4.8; Gal. 5.5) and the enjoyment of our inheritance (1 Pet. 1.3-5; Col. 3.3-4).
