THE FAITHFUL GOD!

INTRODUCTION:

The historical background of this, the third-longest psalm, is likely the Babylonian exile. Babylon came in 586 BC and destroyed Jerusalem and carried the people of Judah away to Babylon. Perhaps two clues that suggest the exile are what we find in verse 40—the fortified city is in ruins—and verse 44—the throne of David had been overturned.

In the United States, we sometimes mark time by 9/11. This or that thing was before or after 9/11. Everybody knows where they were when it happened. For the Old Testament people of God, 586 BC was the darkest of days.

Sometimes we find ourselves living in this tension between glorious promises and present darkness. If you want to feel some of force of his questions, go back and listen to what God promised David centuries earlier:

The Lord declares to you: The Lord himself will make a house for you. When your time comes and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever, and your throne will be established forever. (2 Sam 7:11-12,16)

“But you promised!” Do you ever feel like saying that? You hear the psalmist in verse 49 ask, “Lord, where are the former acts of your faithful love that you swore to David in your faithfulness?” It’s like he’s saying, “I don’t know how to process this in light of what you said.” He’s got 2 Samuel 7 on his mind and the tragedy of the exile all over the evening news, and he’s saying, “How is this happening?”

We can struggle in the same way, that’s why we need to keep in mind the bIG Idea of this passage: The most important time to believe that God’s promises never fail are when they seem to have failed.

There’s something instructive for us here. The first words in this psalm are, “I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever.” And despite all the questions in the middle, the last words are “Blessed be the Lord forever.” This psalm is bookended with worship. This psalm reminds us of the character of God—the God who is faithful.

I. Faithful in Love (89:1-4)

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 psalmist begins by announcing his intention to sing (v. 1). The theme on his lips is the faithful love—or it could be translated the “mercies”—of the Lord. It’s in the plural. He’s counting them up, and there are so many he just keeps counting.

Believers, this is true for us as well. I could sit down with you for an hour and walk you through my life (the ups and downs) and tell story after story. In a way, the one word over it all would be mercies. Mercies in the form of comfort in a time of loss. Mercies in the form of discipline, peeling me away from things that were destroying me. Mercies in the form of drawing me away from friends who were influencing me more than I was them. Times where God’s Word leaped off the page with transforming power.

In Scripture there is nothing more relentless than the love of God. You see it in several places in Scripture. Romans 8, in my mind, is the Mighty and Majestic Waterfall text. The raging river of God’s almighty love bursts forth from Calvary. It is relentless. You get too close, and it’ll pull you in and drag you over the ledge, and it’ll be wonderful.

What we see is more than a resolve to sing but to keep singing. This song will never be outdated because God’s faithfulness is unchanging. For Christians, this is a summons into a life of making Christ known in all things at all times.

II. Faithful in Power (89:5-18)

A. Heavenly hosts revere him (89:5-8)

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?

The psalmist is talking about the innumerable angels who worship before God. He calls them “the assembly of the holy ones” (v. 5). The word assembly in the New Testament is often translated “church.” This is “having church” in heaven.

Did you ever stop to think that, as we gather as a church, we aren’t the only ones singing the praises of God? There are innumerable angels, the hosts of heaven, and those who have crossed the finish line of faith, together with the cherubim and seraphim, falling down before the holy, almighty Lord of heaven. Worship in the local church is meant to be a foretaste, a preview, of heaven.

Angels in the Bible are not like their porcelain gift-shop depictions, holding harps and wearing diapers. No, Scripture calls them “angels of great strength, who do his word” (Ps 103:20). They’re called fiery messengers (see Ps 104:4). They show up, and the holiest people in the Bible hit the dirt. The angels frequently have to say, “Fear not,” because people’s first instinct is to fear. You can hardly pay attention to what the angelic messenger is about to say because you’re too busy trying not to die. Consider this: Humans in the Bible tremble in the presence of the holy angels. Angels tremble in the presence of the holiness of God (v. 7).

B. The raging sea obeys him (89:9)

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

What is more untamable in nature than the sea? You watch these tsunami videos, and the sea just comes in and does whatever it wants. It moves cars like they’re plastic toys. It takes an ocean liner and rams it into a building. But verse 9 says that God tames and rules the sea.

C. Earthly powers tremble (89:10)

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

“Rahab” in the Old Testament often symbolizes Egypt. At an earlier point in Israel’s history, Egypt was the superpower of the world. The one true and living God is fearfully holy. He is a consuming fire (Heb 12:29). He opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jas 4:6).

Sometimes in the Bible when God comes to town, it’s a bad day for the town. He is a God of justice. There is mercy for any broken sinner who runs to Jesus Christ for rescue, no matter what you’ve done. But those who shake their fists at heaven, those who inflict violence on the weak and multiply oppression in this world, will, at the end of it all, find Jesus, and they’ll wish they hadn’t.

God’s power to execute justice has been a word of assurance and consolation for his embattled people through the ages. God’s people throughout history have taken comfort in knowing no collaboration of human intellect or military might can stop the Lord from bringing his promises to pass.

D. Creation shouts his praise (89:11-16)

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.

This is my father’s world, And to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres. (Babcock, “This Is My Father’s World”)

Scripture often personifies creation as delighting in the Creator. The trees of the field clap their hands (Isa 55:12), and here Mount Hermon and Mount Tabor shout for joy at God’s name (Ps 89:12).

The theme of joy continues in verses 15-16, but it’s not just mountains shouting for joy; it’s people. What a song to sing in the midst of hardship and questions! To remember that heavenly hosts revere him, the raging sea obeys him, earthly powers tremble, creation shouts his praise—and why?

E. This God is for us (89:17-18)

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.

Verses 17-18 answer the question of why God’s people are joyful in verses 15-16. I heard a well-known author and biblical scholar relate a personal story of how he was driving his son to his first semester of college, and his son was clearly stressed and anxious. No encouragement was sticking. The father decided to pull over, and he told his son he loved him and was proud of him, no matter what happened this semester. And that somehow broke through the flood of anxious thoughts in his son’s heart.

Story after story unpacks this glorious truth: perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18). He is “for us.” And his “for us-ness” produces a kind of strength, an ability to persevere.

III. Faithful to Save (89:19-37)

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

All those promises concerning David’s kingship were seen in the Old Testament as the inheritance of the people as well. Consider God’s great promises to King David in verses 21-24. Israel didn’t hear that and say, “Man, wouldn’t it be awesome to be in David’s family?” They heard it and said, “He’s our king. Those promises fall to us!” The same thing is true about the “in Christ” language of the New Testament. United to him by faith, we are coheirs with him. We see in these verses the nature of God’s promises to save.

A. It’s a promise of total salvation.

God’s promises of rescue in Psalm 89 include constant presence (v. 21), defeating enemies (vv. 22-23), faithful love (v. 23), extended borders (v. 25), chasing them when they stray (vv. 30-35), and everlasting dominion (vv. 29,36-37). These promises to David, and ultimately to Jesus Christ, were promises that rest not only on the king but on the people of the kingdom.

God’s promises to us in Christ are comprehensive. It’s a life-abundantly promise (John 10:10). A sin-will-not-rule-over-you promise (Rom 6:14). An I-will-give-you-a-new-heart promise (Ezek 36:26). A there-is-therefore-now-no-condemnation promise (Rom 8:1). A pleasures-evermore (Ps 16:11), rest-for-the-weary-and-heavy-laden (Matt 11:28), grace-the-hour-you-first-believed and grace-that-leads-you-home promise.

B. It’s a promise pointing to the Messiah.

It turns out there are two ways God’s promise to David could have been fulfilled. The psalmist only seems to anticipate one—namely, David’s house will sit on the throne forever. That is, one son will rule then die, then another will rule then die, on and on, for all generations. That’s certainly one way of looking at it. Or maybe God was intending to raise up a Son from David’s line and put him on the throne forever, world without end. That’s what ended up happening.

When Jesus rose again from the dead, God gave him the name above every name. Jesus ascended on high and was crowned King over all the kings and Lord over all the lords. And Jesus Christ is the ruling, reigning, and coming King who will bring righteousness, peace, and joy in fullness forever, to be enjoyed by all who have trusted in him.

This leads us to one more reason to worship God while we wait for all of his promises to be fulfilled. We worship because he is faithful in love, faithful in power, faithful to save, and faithful when we are faithless.

IV. Faithful When We’re Faithless (89:38-52)

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.

I read psalms like this, and in one way I so wish I could travel back there. We see things the psalmist couldn’t see. Ethan the Ezrahite hasn’t read the New Testament. Given where we live in history, when we hear him asking questions that imply God has abandoned his promise, we wish we could travel back and say, “Wait, there’s more! Listen, in about five hundred years, the skies above Bethlehem are going to light up. Angels will announce that the wait is over and a King has been born. He will rule the raging sea. He says, ‘Peace be still,’ and the waves obey him! He will take our sin on himself (just as Isaiah predicted!). He’ll rise again from the dead. And God will put Jesus Christ, the Son of David, on an eternal throne.” We could tell him that in our time we are seeing the kingdom and rule of Jesus expanding through the church of Jesus Christ. Nations are being drawn to him right now. We could say that because we see things the psalmist couldn’t see.

But at the same time, we wait with the psalmist for what we still don’t see. Just as we could go back and tell Ethan, “Hang on, there’s more,” Hebrews 12 tells us a great cloud of witnesses have gone before us, and if we could hear them, they would be saying to us, “Hang on. There’s more.” The problem is that waiting isn’t always easy.

Have you ever been to the DMV when you waited in line, you pulled a ticket number. So for example, you might walk inside and pull the number 43, and then you hear someone yell out, “Serving number five,” and you want to give up and leave. But what happens when you pull number 43, and you immediately hear them call, “Number forty-two”? Feels different, right?

The Bible has four tickets to pull. Ticket 1 was called in Genesis 1 (creation). Ticket 2 was called in Genesis 3 (fall). Ticket 3 was called in Matthew 1 when Jesus came to be our Redeemer (redemption). Believer in Christ, in your hand right now is ticket 4. The next thing on the calendar of redemption is pleasures evermore (glory).

The reason the ancient believers called this truth the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) is because if we knew this and lived life in light of eternity, though it wouldn’t give us heaven on earth, it would give us something we desperately need: hope. Hope in the knowledge and certainty that Jesus is ruling, Jesus is reigning, and Jesus is coming.

While we wait for the fulfilment of the promise, what do we do? We sing of the Lord’s faithful love. We call to mind his promises of salvation. We proclaim his glory to the nations.

What does faith sound like when we’re still waiting for God’s promises to land in our experience? It sounds like a life bookended by worship, where we open our eyes on the day of our conversion with, “I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever” (v. 1). And by God’s grace we close our eyes at the end of this life saying, “Blessed be the Lord forever” (v. 52).

Pastor Jim Kelley [phone] [e-mail]