Psalm 89

Hymn # I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever

Hymn #

Background:

enthronement Psalms - falls into five parts. (CHIASM)

Ethan is referenced in 1 Chron. 15 along with Asaph and Heman when the ark was brought to Jerusalem. They were leading in singing. Levites appointed them…

1 Chronicles 15:19 (ESV) - 19 The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals;

89:1-4, Ethan the Ezrahite sings of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness and recounts how God made a covenant with David.

At the end of the psalm, in 89:49–52, having recounted the fall of the Davidic house, he will ask where that steadfast love and faithfulness have gone.

The first and last parts thus correspond.

In 89:5–16 - Ethan celebrates the saving power of God

In 89:38–48 - he laments the rejecting wrath of God.

The long central section of the psalm, 89:17–37, rehearses God’s covenant promise to David

The centerpiece of this chiasm within the whole-psalm chiasm is the Davidic king’s exercise of worldwide dominion as the most high of the earth’s rulers in 89:25–29

Read that…

So much to say in these verses that we will just make some brief observations in each section.

Psalm 89 ESV

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.” 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 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 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? 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 19 Of 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. 29 I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. 30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, 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, 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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 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! 48 What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah 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 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.

Hymn # 74 - Majesty

Hymn # 10 - O Worship the King

Forever Faithful Love to David - 89:1–4

Psalm 89:1–4 ESV

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.” 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

The tension is set up here even though we don’t know it yet.

1-2 - Ethan is going to sing about God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. It is praise worthy…but what if it apparently seems gone? Steadfastness that is really steadfastness bring security, but if it is really unreliable, then it is really has ceased to be steadfastness.

Faithfulness that is enduring is praiseworthy, something to sing about, but it has an expiration date…what good is that?

So the tension we feel at the end of this psalm is possible because of the presence of Ethans praise at the beginning.

Lovingkindness - hesed

Faithfulness - ʾěmû·nā(h) (EMU NAH) - steady, firm,

3-4 - remembering what God said - (I will make a covenant with you David and your offspring, the scepter, the right to rule won’t depart from your line.

ALL GENERATIONS! - DYNASTY!

The Saving Power of God - 89:5–16

Psalm 89:5–16 ESV

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 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? 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. 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. 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. 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.

5-8 - God’s praise in heaven

13-16 God’s blessings and praise on earth

9-12 - God’s victory and Lordship

we looked at verse 9 last week - Jesus calming the storm see.

water and darkness - chaos and death -

“The heaving ocean cannot overpower Yahweh. All the weight and fury of the seas are not too much for him.” Hamilton

The conquering of the dragon is one of the predominant themes of the ancient Near East.

Symbolic name for Egypt

Rahab - dragon like water monster -

Isaiah 51:9 (ESV) - 9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon?

Genesis 3:15 (ESV) - 15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Psalm 74:13–14 (ESV) - 13 You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. 14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.

Job 26:12 (ESV) - 12 By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab.

Victory would be all around - God intends to save the the whole creation.

Hymn # - I Sing the Mighty Power of God

Hymn #

God’s Covenant with David - 89:17–37

Psalm 89:17–37 (ESV)

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. 19 Of 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 28 My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. 29 I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. 30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, 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, 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. 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

This is the center piece.

89:17–20 (MT 89:18–21), The Choice of David

89:21–24 (MT 89:22–25), The Promise of Victory

89:25–28 (MT 89:26–29), The Worldwide Dominion - Read verses (seas / rivers - where are rivers???) - MOST HIGH.

89:29–32 (MT 89:30–33), The Seed and the Sons

89:33–37 (MT 89:34–38), The Confirming Oath

Opened with God’s love and faithfulness…

God’s saving power…

God is confirming this… making a covenant - worldwide dominion.

Things are looking up…how do you get higher from this? sharp

The Rejecting Wrath of God - 89:38–48

Psalm 89:38–48 (ESV)

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

89:38 (MT 89:39), The Rejection of the Lord’s Anointed - REJECTION

89:39–40 (MT 89:40–41), Covenant and Walls Breached, Crown in the Dust

89:41–42 (MT 89:42–43), The Anointed Plundered and Scorned

89:43–44 (MT 89:44–45), Defeated in Battle, Throne Thrown Down

89:45 (MT 89:46), Youth Cut Short and Covered with Shame - CUT SHORT

41 - Anointed one Plundered - take from him what was his and use it for yourself…

Scorned - worthless and despicable

42 - at the crucifixion it looked like darkness won! - darkness from noon till threepm??? (2-3 minutes of the eclipse was a big deal? 60 times longer.

Hymn # - Alas and Did My Savior Bleed

Where Is Your Faithful Love to David? - 89:49–52

Psalm 89:49–52 (ESV)

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 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.

He wants the Lord to show that lovingkindness, demonstrate that faithfulness by restoring the rule of the rightful king.

Where / Remember

Blessed be the Lord Forever! Amen and Amen

He was forsaken but wasn’t forgotten in the grave. Rose up out!

Hymn # 103 - Blessed Be the Name