Psalm 89

A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

This is a stunning statement following the previous psalm where darkness and death ruled. The final psalm of Book 3 gives us hope beginning with this stirring declaration. This is the only psalm attributed to Ethan the Ezrahite, and it serves as an exclamation point to the psalms of Book 3 which were likely collected for use by the exiles in Babylon, a dark time indeed for God’s people. In that context, the decision to worship YHWH and pass the faith along to the generations to follow is a remarkable act of faith. Ethan wills himself and those who would pray these words with him to sing and declare the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. These are the two great attributes of God that are cited throughout the psalms, setting Him apart from all other gods. What other God cares so much about his people? What other God is absolutely dependable and unchanging? There is none. The psalmist promises to teach this truth through music to all generations (literally from generation to generation). This is a reminder today that our corporate worship needs to be intergenerational, old teaching young, passing the faith along in music. YHWH’s steadfast love is being built up forever. Year after year, event after event, the evidence of God’s goodness and faithfulness to his people just keeps stacking up, building upon each successive layer. This means that there is more evidence now than ever before of God’s steadfast love. Not only do we have the entire history recorded in the Bible, but all of church history now affirms this as well. Billions of saints through the ages can add their story to the edifice of God’s amazing grace. The other source of evidence for God’s faithfulness is in the heavens. The predictable movement of sun, moon, planets, and stars along with the regular seasons summer and winter serve as continual reminders of God’s faithfulness (sounds like the second verse of “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. If you are doubting God’s dependability, consider the fact that the sun rose this morning and it will set in the evening. It will rain or snow and the earth will be watered. Whether it’s God’s care for his people or for his planet, these are constant reminders of God’s love and faithfulness. Perhaps in exile in Babylon, the Jewish people needed to be reminded that God was still caring for them -- the stories of the faith and the rhythmic movements of the cosmos served as the evidence they needed to be faithful as well. We too should look at the world around us and contemplate the stories passed down to us because we decide to give up on God and go our own way. 

3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:

4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah

Presumably from exile, the psalmist reminds God of his promise to David, a promise that seems to have been broken. That’s a little gutsy right out of the gate having just declared that God’s steadfast love and faithfulness are absolute. This is the conundrum that Ethan and the faithful after him will deal with. Is God still faithful when it doesn’t seem like he is? When circumstances suggest that God has broken his promise. It will be a while in this psalm before the writer vents his full frustration, and until then he simply reiterates God’s promises to David and his descendants. He recalls the words of God, “I have cut a covenant with David. He is my servant and I chose him.” The idiom of “cutting a covenant” is a reminder that blood was shed, pain was experienced. The parties of the covenant are to keep it upon pains of death. God is promising to keep the covenant even at the cost of shedding his own blood. The promise is this, “I will establish your offspring forever and build your throne from generation to generation.” The line of David was seemingly cut off at the time of the exile, but it still led to a baby born in Bethlehem from the house of David. His lineage from father and mother are traced in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. He is introduced in Matthew’s gospel as the “son of David”, and He himself will say that he was greater than his father David and greater than his son Solomon. Jesus is most certainly the fulfillment of this promise, something that Ethan and his generation would have never imagined. For God did not just restore the throne of David so that one of his descendants might rule the independent nation of Israel, but over the entire world. Jesus is the king of kings and Lord of lords. He is worshiped and honored by people of every language, nation, tribe, and tongue. That’s what God had in mind when he made that promise. It’s safe to say that’s not what Ethan had in mind when he heard the promise and reminded God of it. How often we fail to see that God is thinking so much bigger than we are! It might look like he is breaking his promise to us, but in reality he is answering it in a far greater way than we could have imagined. Now, it might take him 500 years and we may never see that answer, but He is not bound by time as we are. What tragic broken promise have you experienced? Is it possible that in the long run, in the 500 year time frame, that broken promise turns out to be the key that fulfills the promise in a way that makes everyone go, “Aha. Now I see it!”? When you are in the midst of what seems like a broken promise, remember that God is not slow in keeping his promise. A day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. Trust in him, even when you will never live to see his promise fulfilled. He will keep it. He has promised with his blood. 

5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!

6 For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings [Hebrew the sons of God, or the sons of might] is like the LORD,

7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?

The psalmist returns to his original proposition: God’s steadfast love and faithfulness are forever established. He begins to make his case in these verses, starting with observations from creation. “The heavens praise YHWH’s wonders” is likely a reference to both the celestial objects and the gods that they represented in the ancient world. The sun, moon, and stars; the planets and constellations, the blue sky above -- these are all part of creation, but the ancients saw the gods behind their movements. Whether Ethan is referring to the objects or the gods behind them, the point is the same -- all of them submit and worship YHWH. The “assembly of the holy ones [saints] could be a reference to the people of God, but in context, it is more likely the assembly of heavenly beings because of the parallel in verse 6 “sons of God”, or “sons of might”, and in verse 7, “the council of the holy ones” and “all who are around him.” It is a vision of the very throne room of heaven, similar to what we find in Revelation 4,5, and 7. If the sun, moon and stars, all of the gods of the ancient world, and all of the angels are subservient to YHWH, then this should dictate our posture as well. None of these things or angelic beings can compare to the glory of their Creator. Ethan may be taking a shot at the idolatry of the pagan nations, particularly Babylon. In fact, if he is writing this in Babylon he may have the very temples of their deities in mind. Worship of God is inspired by comparisons. Look around you at the gods that this world offers and compare them to YHWH will you! Consider the most beautiful and valuable things in the world, all the shiny, fast, head-turning things, and stack them up next to God and see which is more worthy of worship. As the songwriter said, “I’d rather have Jesus than anything the world affords today.” Ethan makes the same calculation as he compares the options in the religious and philosophical realm of his day. None can compare. When questioning the goodness and faithfulness of God, consider the alternatives. Contemplate the value of other worldviews and gods and how they try to satisfy your deepest longings. They can’t compete. 

8 O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?

9 You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.

10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

The psalmist continues the comparisons of YHWH to the other gods. The title, “YHWH, God of hosts” envisions him leading armies of angels, the omnipotent power behind all in the cosmos. This power is exemplified in his taming of the oceans. In the ancient world, the ocean represented death and chaos. It has been in constant battle with the land since creation, its waves pounding the shores and its rain flooding and washing away the land bit by bit. The mythology of the ancient world was filled with stories of the gods battling the ocean and its monsters, particularly Babylonian and Canaanite mythology. Here YHWH is the unstoppable force who calms the sea and crushes its monster, shattering its power and sending it into retreat. While YHWH did this initially at creation on Day 3, he continues to do it. The sea claims its victims from time to time, but it is not allowed to pass the boundaries that God has set. The reference to Rahab is a double-meaning. The word is used both of a sea monster and of the nation of Egypt. Given Israel’s history with Egypt, it’s easy to see why the psalmist would call her a monster. God has overcome both the forces of nature and the force of nations. He rules them both. And so when Jesus came to the disciples in the middle of the night, calming the sea and walking on the water, they must have known that they were not dealing with an ordinary man. Everything in their Bible told them that only YHWH could command the wind and the waves, and yet here was Jesus doing that very thing. This is why they said to themselves at that moment, “Who is this?”, the same question the psalmist asks. The text reminds us that in the turmoil of our lives, YHWH is the ocean-tamer, the monster-slayer, and the wave-smoother. We don’t need to be afraid of these things anymore. He stands above the waters and says, “Peace, be still,” and all is well. 

11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.

12 The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.

Not only has YHWH demonstrated dominion over the waters, he is also Lord of the earth and sky. Reminiscent of Psalm 24:1, the psalmist declares God’s sovereignty over heaven and earth and all the inhabitants of the earth by virtue of his creating them. If you make something, it is by definition “yours”. The psalmist does an inventory of creation and asks, “who owns this?” The heavens? - God. The earth? - God. The world and all that is in it? - God. Yep, it’s all his. The writer then looks at the geography in his own neighborhood. He looks to the north and to the south (lit. to the right). Everything he sees belongs to God. Looking around he sees the highest points of the land -- Hermon to the north and its snow covered majesty, Tabor in the center of the land with its rounded top rising about the plain of Jezreel-- and listens carefully to hear them singing. If these two mountains correspond to the north and south of the previous line, this would place the writer in Galilee, perhaps his homeland. The psalmist has now investigated all three realms of creation: the heavens (home of the gods), the waters (home of the sea monster), and the earth (home of towering mountains). All of these great things in those three environments pale in comparison to the greatness of YHWH. He is Lord over them all, and he remains to this day, Lord over all. Everything in heaven, the oceans, and the earth give praise to YHWH. If all of these have ordered themselves under God’s authority, perhaps I should as well. If all of them sing the praises of God, then so should I. If angels, monsters, and mountains fall before Him, then so should I. 

13 You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

Having asserted that God reigns over all things, the psalmist begins to describe the character of his rule. First, there is his strength, expressed in the metaphor of a mighty arm and strong hand, a right hand that is raised. The right hand is the favored hand, as the vast majority of people are right handed and favor that hand. It is the stronger of the two. God’s right hand is raised indicating that it is ready to go into action. God is by nature, active in this world. He is not a clockmaker who set the world in motion and has since retired to watch everything run. He is involved, engaged, moving things around. Second, the foundation of his throne is righteousness and judgment, while steadfast love and faithfulness are in front of him as throne attendants. This is reminiscent of Psalm 85:10-11, “Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs up from the ground,and righteousness looks down from the sky.” One of the primary duties of a king was to judge and settle disputes. He was the final authority, the last appeal. This system was only as good as the character of the king. Rotten kings gave rotten, self-serving judgments, and even the best kings were imperfect. But YHWH is the perfect judge, equally administering justice with steadfast love and truth always in front of him. The psalmist is reminding himself of these things even as he questions them. Sitting in exile in Babylon, it’s hard to see how all of this could be true about God. Yes, Israel deserved the just punishment of God, but why do the pagan Babylonians seem to be favored? So today God’s justice seems to be slow in being manifest. His arm may be raised, poised for action, but it seems to be stuck there. Steadfast love and truth are before his eyes, but he doesn’t seem to be taking them into account. Nevertheless, this vision of God is true and sustains us even when it seems that injustice and lies are ruling the day. Recall that God’s timetable is not ours. If it were, then we would be God and not him. 

15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face,

16 who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.

Those who trust in the LORD and walk in the light of his face experience blessing. First, they participate in the feasts. In other words, they are committed to corporate worship. It has become ever more convenient to forgo gathering together when online church is always an option. But these people know the festal shout, the sound of the ram’s horn, the summons to worship together at the feasts. They perform the rituals and follow the traditions of the faith. These things put them in a position to receive blessings. As a result, they walk in the light of the LORD’s face, their way is illuminated by his glory. The way forward is more clear. They see themselves and their world with greater precision. They are able to discern their way. They have a light in dark places when all other lights go out. They live in a constant state of worship, rejoicing in God (literally, in his name, but here the “name” represents the person). They also are raised up by his righteousness. They have a spring in their step because they are confident that God’s justice will win in the end. Keeping the feasts must have been more difficult in Babylon without a temple and with greater poverty. So this psalm provides encouragement to keep moving forward in faith, including gathering together to celebrate and remember even when it’s not easy. There is a blessing. The assembly is a reward in itself. We don’t know what that will be for any given gathering, but if we approach corporate worship in this way, the promise is there: blessing. 

17 For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted.

18 For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.

The psalmist continues to address God directly as the glory of the strength of the people. This is not the typical word for glory (cabod), but a word that can also mean beauty and honor. As the psalmist pictures the gathering of the nation to worship, he observes that YHWH is the beauty of their strength. Their strength as a people doesn’t come from themselves but from Him. And it is by God’s favor that their horn (a symbol of strength) is exalted. With this, his thoughts again turn to the king who would have been prominent at the feasts. “Horn” and “shield” are common metaphors for the king and the psalmist links the glory and strength of the king to the hand of YHWH. If the king is to be exalted, it will be because God does it. Israel has no apparent king at the writing of this song, so these verses are a strong statement of faith. Israel’s king and future are in God’s hands. Of course this is true of everything. It is by God’s favor that our strength is exalted. Our shield (defense) belongs to Him. This is a reminder of the dramatic truth demonstrated in 2 Chronicles 20 -- the battle belongs to the LORD. Are you resting in the favor of God? Is your beauty and strength in Him? Is he your defense? Will you still believe even when it doesn’t seem like a king is on the throne, when earthly rulers fail? The absent king that the psalmist speaks of ultimately points to King Jesus, still centuries away, but more glorious and amazing than anyone imagined. 

19 Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, [Some Hebrew manuscripts godly ones] and said: “I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people.

20 I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him,

21 so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him.

The psalmist reflects back on David’s origin story. God chose him as the least of his brothers and found him to be a young man of faith. That was the primary quality that was revealed in the battle with the Philistine. He trusted God and was ultimately concerned with God’s reputation and glory. Because God could see this in him, even before it had developed fully, he spoke to Samuel the prophet and told him to anoint David. This must have felt strange to many given that David was not from the same clan as the current king, he wasn’t the firstborn, and he was still a teenager. What was God thinking? This is the point. It is not about our strength but the Lord’s. The LORD established David with his own hand. He strengthened him with his own arm. He exalted David as the chosen one from the people. While David was certainly unique, there have been plenty of other young people in history who have courageously fought for the reputation of God, trusting in his strength to stand alone if needed to face the giants of our day. And God is still choosing his saints today to do the same, anointing them with the oil of his Spirit, setting them apart from the world so that they might bring the truth of God to the most public places in our society. Whatever it is that God has called you to do today, know that it is his hand that establishes you and his arm that strengthens you. You are not alone, and God’s glory always triumphs in the end. 

22 The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him.

23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.

YHWH’s first promise to David is that he would be victorious over his enemies. They will not be able to outwit him or humble him. This was true both on the battlefield and in the palace -- the two war zones that a king must navigate. He will have enemies within and without, and none of them will be craftier. YHWH also promises to crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. This was fulfilled in the lifetime of David as he fought to extend and secure the borders of the land. Every spring the kings went off to war, and every year but one, David went out to lead his men to secure the land. As a type of Christ, David also directs us to Jesus and how these promises were perfectly fulfilled in his life. When tempted by the enemy, Jesus was not outwitted or humbled. In fact he surprised his enemy and turned the tables on him. When facing the ultimate foes of sin and death, Jesus crushed them permanently and surprisingly. David was an imperfect vessel of these promises, but he pointed the way to Jesus. By extension, these promises also apply to believers who follow the messiah. We march in his victory parade (Colossians 2), and as long as we stay behind him, we can experience the same kind of triumph over the enemies of mankind. 

24 My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

25 I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.

Following the promise of military invincibility, YHWH guarantees his faithfulness and steadfast love (hesed) to be with David. The evidence for God’s presence and protection will be the ever increasing extent of his kingdom. For the sake of his own reputation God will exalt David’s horn (strength) in battle and in leadership. David’s left hand will be on the Mediterranean Sea and his right hand on the two rivers, (most likely the Tigris and Euphrates, but I suppose he could be referring to the Euphrates and the Nile, representing the two great civilizations of Babylon and Egypt). Either way, this is a vast swath of territory that is surely hyperbole. David did extend the borders of Israel further than they’ve ever been, but not as far as this text suggests. If the author of the psalm is in Babylon this kind of talk might feel a bit heart breaking. While Israel never possessed this much territory, at this point in history they possess no territory at all. They are exiles in a foreign land, owning nothing and looking forward to a future of servitude and assimilation. There must be a sense of grief at all that has been lost -- a once great nation now humbled, brought down from within through the neglect of their faith. It’s not too hard to see parallels in the western world. Great nations no longer feel great about themselves and are shrinking. Having neglected the God of the Bible, they have created their own ridiculous gods who are leading them astray. Here’s the good news in this psalm: it was common to speak of the king’s rule with such hyperbole (consider Psalm 2 where the messiah will rule the nations with a rod of iron and dash them like pottery, the ends of the earth will be his possession), and even though David and the kings that followed him didn’t literally do these things, a descendent of David ultimately would rule the world. Jesus experienced the anointing and blessing of God in his ministry and his strength was exalted, conquering the greatest enemy of mankind: death itself. His rule extends from sea to sea and river to river. Everything is his. His hands reach all around the world, touching every country and person. Nations will rise and fall, but Jesus remains the hope of the world. 

26 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’

27 And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

These verses bring the text of Psalm 2 to mind. If we group the first three books of psalms together (Psalms 1-89), we can see how Psalm 89 is a fitting book end. Psalm 2 paints a picture of the anointed one (messiah) ruling as the Son of God, possessing the ends of the earth, ruling with an iron rod, deserving complete obedience. Psalm 89 brings us back to the same image. Here the psalmist tells us that the king calls God his Father, his God, and the Rock of his salvation. He declares that God has made him his firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. This is similar to the language of the 2nd Psalm where God says, “You are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance.” The psalmist is certainly recalling the language of David in Psalm 2 to remind his readers, now some 500 years removed, that the promises still stand. Somehow God will keep his promises because of his faithfulness and steadfast love. The way that God will keep those promises is anything but clear. Afterall, they are exiles in Babylon and the line of David is questionable. How will God get them out of this dilemma? The psalmist has no specific answer, just faith informed by history. Worship is founded on the act of recalling the past to bring meaning to the present. This is what we do when we sing, pray and study the Word of God together in corporate worship. We find answers for today in the faithful promises and actions of God in the past. David was the firstborn in a literal sense -- he was the youngest of eight. He was never the highest of the kings of the earth. The Bible is speaking of someone else here of whom David was only a type. Jesus is the firstborn from among the dead, the King of King and Lord of Lords. 

28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm [Or will remain faithful] for him.

29 I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens.

Having described the extent of the messiah’s reign (from sea to rivers) and the quality of his reign (the highest of the kings of the earth), the psalmist now speaks of the duration of his reign. The LORD’s steadfast love (hesed) will be reserved for him forever and his covenant will stand firm. Like the marriage covenant, the LORD has made a pledge to love today and a promise to love for the future. It is the promise for the future that helps sustain love, knowing that the king rests secure in that love. The king will pass away at some point, but his seed (offspring) will be established forever. Generations of sons will sit on the throne like their fathers before them. His reign will last as long as the days of the heavens. The sun, moon, and stars are seen as constants -- always there, always where they’re supposed to be at any given time of the year. Like the previous verses, these are hyperbolic when it comes to human kings. There is no kingdom that has endured this long in all of human history. Great civilizations and peoples have endured for millennia (China, India, Great Britain), but they have all had many changes in government. The psalmist may not realize it, but he is speaking prophetically. The Jewish state will not endure forever, but the kingdom of God will. Jesus, the seed of David, will take his throne and rule the earth forever, literally, because death has no power over him. These words are not hyperbole when it comes to Jesus. With all of the kings and kingdoms of this world vying for your loyalty, why would you worship at the throne of anyone but the true messiah? Earthly kings and kingdoms all have an expiration date. They may outlast you, but they will eventually crumble. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise of an eternal king and an eternal covenant, a promise for the future that helps us remain faithful to that covenant today.  

30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, [Or my just decrees]

31 if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,

32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes,

God’s covenant is unconditional but that doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for violating it. While he will never remove his steadfast love from his covenant people, they will still experience the natural consequences of disobedience. The psalmist here is speaking specifically of the sons of the king, but the same is true for the entire nation. As the kings lead people in transgressing the law, the entire community will suffer. Stated in parallel fashion the conditions are stated in both positive and negative forms. “If his children forsake my law...if they violate my statutes” (positive) and “do not walk according to my decrees...do not keep my commandments” (negative). There are many ways to get into trouble, and any of those four will do it. The consequence comes from God himself, “I will punish their transgression and their iniquity.” Transgression is law breaking, crossing the line, pushing the boundaries, violating the rules. Iniquity suggests a lack of internal harmony, being out of sync with God, internal disorder. The punishment is stated as physical -- a beating with a rod and a whipping. That is what the nation has experienced in the form of exile. They were devastated by the Babylonian invasion and now they find themselves subservient to their captors, their humiliation complete, beaten down and whipped. This is where sin ALWAYS leads us. The lie we tell ourselves is that it won’t happen to us. No one will ever know. No one will be hurt. My case will be the exception to the rule. I can get away with it unscathed. Make no mistake, it is a lie. There is grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love, but there are also unavoidable consequences. Resting in the unconditional love of God does not mean that you will never experience the impact of your sin both on your internal harmony and on your family and community. This is an inviolable moral law so don’t kid yourself and think that it can’t happen to you. The good news in this text is that the language of the text reminds us of Isaiah 53 where Jesus is crushed for our iniquities and by his stripes we are healed. This is how God’s unconditional love is manifest, Jesus took the full punishment that our transgressions deserved. He who knew no sin became sin for us. 

33 but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness.

34 I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.

The psalmist reiterates God’s unconditional promise to David and his descendents. No matter what David and the nation do, YHWH will not remove his steadfast love or violate his covenant. He will not do what his own people have done to him. Typically in a covenant relationship when one party breaks the covenant, it makes it null and void. The other party is no longer obligated to keep it. This is the reason that divorce is allowed -- marital unfaithfulness. When one party breaks the covenant, the other party may choose to leave the covenant as well. While God has this option with us, he doesn’t take it. This tells us that his love for us is more than contractual. Sometimes I think that God only loves me because he is obligated to, you know, because of his steadfast love and everything. He has to love me, but he doesn’t like it. But the Bible uses the language of marriage to describe God’s relationship with his people. He even gives us an object lesson in the life of Hosea to show us that he actually feels love for us. I can’t understand that kind of love honestly. If a spouse treated me like I treat God, I would be out the door with my head held high. It was not my fault. The breaking of a covenant should “free” both parties to pursue other lovers. But God is not like that. He will keep his promise regardless of the choices of his bride. He is the ultimate faithful husband who not only will keep his promise to his bride, but he will never stop feeling love for her regardless of her betrayal and unfaithfulness with his lessers. How strongly do you believe God’s promises today? If he kept his promise to David and Israel (as fulfilled most amazingly and completely by Jesus), do you not think he will keep every promise he’s made to you? Of course he will. It is who he is. He can do no other. 

35 Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.

36 His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me.

37 Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah

Having stated the foundational proposition that God will never break his covenant with Daivd, he again states that covenant: David’s offspring shall endure forever, as long as the sun shines and the moon rises and makes its journey across the sky. The sun and moon are constant witnesses of God's faithfulness in this regard. Even in Babylon where these celestial signs are worshiped by the pagans, the people of God can take comfort in knowing that they are signs of God’s promise to them. They see the same phenomena but draw different meanings from them. God swears by himself since there is no one greater to swear by. The writer of Hebrews makes note of this as well in 6:13 where he writes that God swears by himself in making his promise to Abraham. We see these unconditional promises fulfilled today in Christ and his church. Jesus is seated on David’s throne and Abraham’s descendents (believers) fill the earth, uncountable as the stars of the sky and as ubiquitous as the sand on the sea shore. How hard it must have been for the exiles to see this when it looked like they were on the verge of being wiped out forever. It just didn’t seem possible that God would keep his promises to God and to Abraham, not after everything the people had done. They deserved what they got, God’s punishment with a rod and a whip. Yet, the psalmist is trying to tell a different story with a different ending because God is not like man. Nor is he like the other gods of the world. He is always right, always true, always trustworthy. When he makes a promise, you can be absolutely sure that he will keep it, even when the keeping of it seems utterly impossible. 

38 But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed.

39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust.

Up until this point the psalmist has been strongly encouraging faith among the people, giving them reasons to remain hopeful against all hope. But following the “selah” of verse 37, he unleashes his pent up frustration in a series of accusations against YHWH. YHWH, this supposedly faithful covenant keeper has not kept his promise. He has cast off and rejected his anointed. He has poured out his wrath on the king and his people. He has renounced the covenant, declaring that he wants a divorce. He has taken the crown from his head and cast it to the ground, defiling it in the dust. This rapid juxtaposition of trust followed by anger is what happens when the world we believe in is in conflict with the world that we live in. When trauma occurs, our natural, logical response is to blame someone else, and there is never any shortage of people to blame. And then ultimately there is God to blame since he is sovereign over all. It reminds me of the blame game that took place in the Garden of Eden. “It was the serpent (you made) that tempted me.” “It was the woman (you made) that tempted me.” The psalmist knows in his heart that the blame for this national catastrophe rests solely with the people and the fact that they walked away from God and received the natural consequence of their disobedience. But it’s easier to point to the biggest guy in the room and blame him for not stepping in when you thought he should. 

40 You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins.

41 All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.

The psalmist goes so far to say that God himself is effectively the Babylonian army. “You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins.” This logically follows if God is absolutely sovereign. Nothing can happen without his allowing it, thus God is ultimately responsible for the fall of Jerusalem and the humiliation of the king. With the walls down and even the most secure parts of the city in ruins, the king is vulnerable to anyone who wants to steal from him. They plunder all that is left, picking the skeleton of anything of worth. As they do so, they heap mockery on Israel and her king. The abrupt change in language from a God who is as faithful and eternal as the sun to one who would abandon his king and his people and act with foreign agents is jarring. Of course, this is the perspective of the psalmist. From his experience this looks like God breaking his covenant, but of course that is not the reality. The fact is that Israel broke the covenant long before and now she is experiencing the consequences of her moral failure. This is not on God, even though he is getting the blame. A more accurate description of the situation is that Israel has invited destruction by rejecting God’s ways and choosing her own. The same is true in my life whenever I choose sin over obedience. I invite destruction into my home. I allow the enemy to tear down my walls and leave the strongholds of my life in ruin. These words could just as easily be describing a great moral failure. I’ve seen plenty of men who seemed as surefooted as David fall into moral ruin and bring down an entire church or ministry, shaming themselves before their family, losing absolutely everything with no hope of getting it back. Don’t think it only happens to others. Don’t fool yourself and think that God’s covenant of grace with you allows you to do whatever you want without consequence. God is not mocked, a man reaps what he sows.

42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice.

43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle.

The psalmist speaks here of the king’s failure in battle. One of the primary functions of a king was to defend his people. A community or a family that lives in constant fear cannot survive and thrive. Economic progress cannot take place without security. So the king may have a soft life in one sense, but he must be willing to risk it all in battle when necessary. In this case, the king experiences defeat on the battlefield leaving the nation vulnerable. Rather than supporting the king, God took sides with the enemy and exalted their right hands. The right hand was the favored hand, the arm of strength. As a result, the king’s enemies were the ones celebrating on the day of battle. When the king’s army struck offensively, it was repeatedly turned back. Every blow of the sword was met with a shield. All was futile. The king could not stand in battle and ultimately had to signal for retreat and as the men gave way to the surging enemy they were cut down as they fled. There’s nothing more gut wrenching than a retreat, every man running for their lives, the enemy pursuing with vengeance in their eyes. To lose is one thing, to get slaughtered is another. And the agent of all of this is God himself. He is the actor in each line of these verses. God is fighting against the king, ensuring his defeat. You don’t ever want to be in a position where you are fighting against God. It is always a losing proposition. You can do things the hard way or the easier way. The easier way is better. Following God is not easy, and the broad path that leads away from God is well traveled. But it is hard. It ends with your enemies celebrating as you panic in retreat, flailing your sword against an immovable object. Reality is like that. When our fantasy of sin meets the right hand of reality, reality always wins.  

44 You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground.

45 You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah

The psalmist brings this section to a close with a final summary of the state of the king. God has made his glory cease and cast his throne to the ground. God has cut him down in the prime of life, and he has covered him with shame. Again, God is understood to be the agent of all that has happened. In spite of his fierce covenant promises to the king, all seems to be forsaken. God has turned the lights out on his kingdom and tossed his rule to the ground like a piece of trash. He ended his life as it was just getting started, a young man dead before he could live. All of it was incredibly embarrassing. This should have never happened. How has it happened? This is what we can read between the lines and understand. Ethan is wrestling with this discrepancy. How can God make such unconditional promises and then fail to keep them? There are times in life when we find ourselves wrestling with the same thing. What we know to be true about God doesn’t seem to match the facts on the ground. Disappointment with God is the reason that many have abandoned their faith. How could God allow ________ to happen!? He promised me ______! God seems to allow such questions. The psalmist is modeling them for us. Here is how you dialogue with God about such things. You tell it like you see it. You accuse him and let him hear your anger. Don’t hold back. He can handle it. He’s God. Through that conversation God will show you his goodness and will redeem your pain if you’ll allow him. This is ultimately what happened with Israel’s pain. God helped them understand the real cause and through their suffering ultimately brought salvation through the messiah Jesus.  

46 How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?

47 Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! [sons of Adam]

48 What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah

The psalmist wants to know the end point of his suffering. How long will it feel like God is absent? How long will I experience burning pain? Will the grief ever have an end? Will life ever be normal again? Will there ever be a day where I don’t ache inside over what is lost? In light of what feels like never ending pain, the psalmist reminds God that his life is short. He doesn’t want to live the rest of that short life crying every day. He laments that God even created the children of Adam to live such meaningless lives. If God doesn’t fix this, life doesn’t have any meaning. It’s just pain. And it always ends the same way: a funeral. The outcome of life is quite predictable: it always ends in death. Everyone that you love and know will one day be gone. You might outlast them, and even living long will bring you the grief of having to say goodbye so many times. There is no victory over death without God. He turns back the edge of our sword as we fight it and we find ourselves running in retreat from it. But it always wins. This is a rather depressing end to this psalm, but it is a recognition of reality. Life is short and hard, and without God, there is no ultimate meaning or purpose in life. All is vanity and we are left humbled before God, at his mercy. All that is left is faith. Trust in him for you are powerless against death on your own. 

49 Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?

50 Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults [Hebrew lacks the insults] of all the many nations,

51 with which your enemies mock, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed.

52 Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.

The psalmist repeats the cycle of a question and a prayer. “How long?” (v. 46), “Remember” (v. 47), “What man can live?...Who can deliver?” (vs. 48), “Where is your steadfast love?” (v 49), and “Remember” (v. 50). This pattern teaches us how to pray our lamentations. First, ask God the tough questions. Be honest with your feelings. The psalmist holds nothing back in making his accusations against God. Second, ask God for relief. Here the psalmist is asking God to remember the suffering he is enduring. Take notice of it and bring it to the forefront of your attention -- this is what it means to remember. The remembering also implies action. If I remember my wife’s birthday it means that I do something to honor her on that date, not just that I recollect a date on the calendar. The psalmist is asking God to act in a roundabout way. He is telling God to provide evidence that he is there, that he has not been completely abandoned, that he is not alone. The final verse is a reminder of the current state of affairs. Nothing has changed in the course of the psalm. The situation from start to finish is the same: Jerusalem is in ruins, the king is in chains, and the people are in exile. The enemy is celebrating through mockery and the faithful are humiliated and grieving. But the final word offers some hope, at least from a Christian perspective. The final word of this psalm is messiah, “your anointed”. While the final psalm of Book 3 may end with a reminder that Israel’s messiah is mocked, looking back to the cross we see that this is how God redeems us and redeems suffering. Messiah Jesus was mocked, even as his footsteps made their way from the judgment room to the cross. All along the way his subjects jeered and taunted him, doing so until he breathed his last. My mocking voice was among the crowd. I’ve mocked his lordship over my life and yet he carried my cross. Where is God in our suffering? Where was he when the nation of Israel fell to the Babylonians? He was suffering both with us and because of us. The cross is the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to David, the very promises that are stated in this psalm. God did not break his promise, the cross of the messiah Jesus is proof of this. Blessed be the LORD forever.