Psalm 89

Oh what a magnificent Psalm is this hymn exalting God for His mercies and faithfulness!  It gives such reassurance to the saint with application throughout for every moment of our lives.  It is lengthy but I plead with you, be not lazy!  Read it all.  Contemplate its truth.  Glory in the God at the center of it all!

Let us consider the movements in this Psalm.

·        The theme of the hymn is “the mercies of the Lord” and “His faithfulness to all generations (v1-2).  Mercy (Heb. chesed) and faithfulness (Heb. emunah) are prominent throughout.

·        The context of the hymn (the area where God’s mercy and faithfulness are highlighted) is God’s covenant with David in which God promised a throne forever (v3-4).  

·        Stanza 1 (v5-10): God is truly one of a kind.  None can compare to Him in heaven or on earth.  And what He is, He is constantly; His faithfulness also surrounds Him (v8).

·        Stanza 2 (v11-18): Israel is blessed to have such a God because He can do anything and everything He determines to do.  Israel’s shield (protection) and king are God’s shield and king.  How blessed!

·        Stanza 3 (v19-23): Nowhere is this blessing more evident than in God’s choice to establish and exalt His servant David as king.  

·        Stanza 4 (v24-29): The covenant God made with David promised an enduring throne, One to rule forever.  You cannot miss the obvious reference in this stanza to David’s greater Son, the Messiah.  He will be the Son of the heavenly Father (v26), the firstborn over all creation and over the new creation (v27), the King of kings and Lord of lords (v27).  David’s seed (descendants) will endure forever through the Messiah!

·        Stanza 5 (v30-37): Many stumble over the fact that many of the Davidic kings we so sinful.  They stumble in thinking that God would change His covenant with David and make it spiritual, not applying to his actual lineage.  But the mercies and faithfulness are quite evident here: God will not utterly take away His lovingkindness nor will He allow His faithfulness to fail (v33).  That is the clear answer!  It will be as established as the moon (v37), God’s faithful witness in the sky.

·        Stanza 6 (v38-45): Now we come to the issue.  Ethan the Ezrahite (cf. the title of the Psalm) writes in the context of the times of the Gentiles.  There is no Davidic king.  The nations have authority over God’s people and God’s land.  It is the nations that are exalted over David’s kingdom rather than David being exalted over the nations.

·        Stanza 7 (v46-51): Thus he asks the burning questions.  “How long?”  “Where are Your former lovingkindnesses?”  He asks questions of God.  But he does not question God!  To ask “how long” is to say, I know You will keep your word, but when?  To ask about former mercy is to acknowledge the reality of that mercy.  Behind this contemplation (again, cf. the title) is the constant struggle of the saints of the Old Testament to put together the suffering and glory of the Messiah (1 Peter 1:10-12).  The Davidic rule was to eventually move into the eternal reign of his greater Son (that’s Jesus, who will have the throne of His father David; who will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there will be no end, Luke 1:31-33).  But now, in Ethan’s time as in ours, there was no Davidic king on the throne of Israel!  The situation is reversed from what God promised.  He does not doubt God’s faithfulness or mercy; he has made that abundantly clear throughout the song.  But what he asks is, “how long?”  “The mercies are promised; so where are they?”

·        The song ends with a two-fold “Amen” affirming he does not doubt God.  The promise is forever; and the Lord is also blessed forevermore!  Ethan does not understand, but without question he believes in the sure mercies of David (Isa. 55:3; Acts 13:34).  

The application, as we have said, is moment by moment.  May God encourage you with this great Hymn.  Let us note:

1. God will establish the throne of David in the future.  Failure to do so is to deny Himself which He cannot do! (Psalm 2:6-9)

2. The sign of God’s faithfulness (the moon, God’s faithful witness in the sky, 89:37) is also called to testify to God’s faithfulness to keep the New Covenant (Jer. 31:35-36).  Let us trust our Lord who obtained eternal redemption, who promises an eternal inheritance and who lives forever to intercede on our behalf (Heb. 9:12,15; 7:25).

3. Every word of God is sure because He who said it is faithful.  Even our sin cannot keep Him from keeping His word because He is merciful and gracious.  As Ethan the Ezrahite rested on the promise that God made to David, so let us rest on every word of God!

We are writing this while in a part of the world (Ukraine) that keeps the "Eastern Calendar."  Today is Easter in Ukraine.  This Psalm about God's faithfulness and mercies is prime material when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ.   How merciful that God poured out His own life-blood for mankind.  And He will be faithful to give the gift of eternal life to all who believe because death could not hold our Lord.  The chains of death are broken.  He is alive!  "Blessed by the Lord forevermore!  Amen and Amen."