Psalm 89:24-52, Psalm 89 Revisited (2)

In 89:19-23 the Psalmist turns from his theology and faith to the issue at hand.  The issue has to do with the lack of a Davidic king.  So the praying saint reminds God that He was the one who initiated the whole covenant with David.  “You chose him and established him!”

In our original post we noted that in v24-29 there was a definite Messianic flavor.  Certainly, the complete fulfillment of this would come in the greatest Son of David, Jesus the Messiah.  But it is important to see that the writer of this Song (Ethan the Ezrahite, according to the introduction to the Psalm) is talking about what God promised to David.  The fact that the Messiah is required to make this complete does not change the fact that God made this promise to David.  David counted on God to fulfill the covenant in his own days, as well as in the days of his successive sons.

Verses 30-37 are so important.  They are a repeat of 2 Sam. 7:14-16.  God told David that He would keep the covenant, regardless of how his sons ruled.  He also said he would discipline them, but would not take away the covenant.  When God said that to David it was at a time when all was going well, including with David.  It was later that David committed the great series of sins in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.  Later, some of David’s sons were wicked rulers, facilitating idolatry and committing grievous crimes.  Yet, what is Ethan the Ezrahite doing here?  He is fully aware that what the Babylonians did was brought on by the sin of the kings and the people.  Yet, because of who God is, he still expects that God will be faithful to His promise.

Verses 38-45 bring us to the present day of Ethan.  David’s land is in a real mess.  There is none of the glory of Solomon or the might of David.  God’s discipline of the disobedience of David’s sons is evident everywhere.  BUT THERE IS NO THOUGHT THAT GOD’S COVENANT HAS BEEN CHANGED OR DECLARED NULL AND VOID. 

Now, in v46-51, we get to the pleading of Ethan.  How long?!  He comes back to the prime perfection of God’s faithfulness.  These are the words of many saints.  And they have a strong meaning when in a Psalm like this.  This is not a hopeless plea, nor is it nagging God.  It is all built on an assumption, that God will be true to His word. 

Can you not hear Christ our Lord praying this prayer?  He heard the voices of the jeering crowds (v51).  Jesus settled this matter in Gethsemane, of course.  Yet, on the cross He cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” 

The ending of the prayer is proof of the Psalmist's heart in all this.  He is burdened heavily with the desolation of the kingdom of David.  But in the end he blesses God.  This is not the word that means he wants God to be happy.  It is the work whereby he kneels before God and speaks well of God.  Perhaps we, like Ethan, need to stay on our knees until we have come to that point, the point of blessing God.