Faithful Promise


Psalm 89
A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
1I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
2For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”
3You 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 [see 2 Samuel 7:4-17 below]
5Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
6For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord,
7a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?
8O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?
9You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.
10You crushed Rahab [enemy of God] like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
11The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
12The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon [both mountains] joyously praise your name.
13You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand.
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
15Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
16who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.
17For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted.
18For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: “I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him,
21so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him.
22The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him.
23I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
24My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.
26He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
27And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
28My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.
29I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens.
30If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules,
31if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,
32then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes,
33but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness.
34I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
35Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.
36His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me.
37Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah
38But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed.
39You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust.
40You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins.
41All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
42You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle.
44You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground.
45You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah
46How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?
47Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man!
48What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah
49Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?
50Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations,
51with which your enemies mock, O Lord, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed.
52Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.

Psalm 88 and 89 are closely related and are probably joined together to create one thought. Psalm 88 is deeply personal and 89 is more nationalistic in tenor. But they still both enjoin the Creator God to maintain His faithfulness to His people. While 88 is in a more somber voice, 89 seems slightly more upbeat but the prayer to God is the same – come and save us!

This psalm was probably written after the Children of Israel had been carried into captivity and thus one can understand why these words question God’s memory of His promises. The author reminds God of His promise to King David to maintain the nation and keep one of David’s descendants on the throne forever.  

2 Samuel 7:4–17
4But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” 17In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

Of course, God kept that promise for the Lord Jesus - Son of David, sits on that throne even today and He shall do so until the Father sends Him back to earth to take us all home with Him. Even while the author reminds God of these promises, He also praises God for His strength and faithfulness to us all so far.

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