Ps 89 - Lord, What about Your Promises? - Part 2

Introduction

Scripture is clear that the God of scripture is absolutely faithful to His word. Num. 23:19 makes clear that everything Yahweh has spoken shall come to pass. Prov. 30:5 says every word of the Lord has been tested. 2 Cor. 1:20 makes clear the promises of God are yes and through Christ our amen. 1 Th. 5:24 says the Lord is faithful and will bring his word to pass. Yet there are times in our lives when it seems God has forgotten His promise(s) to us. This was true in scripture as well. 10 years after receiving a promise of a son, Abram was still childless. He turned to Hagar for an heir, and created a mess in the process. Joseph didn’t remember God’s promises to him via dreams until his brothers were bowing before him. In our psalm today we have another instance, the lack of a Davidic king and seeming end of the Davidic covenant. But is that really the case?

Background

As we said last week the historical context for our psalm can be found in 2 Samuel 7. There we read the David desired to build the Lord a house. At first the prophet Nathan told David to do all what was in his mind for the Lord is with him (2 Sam. 7:3). Later that night the Lord tells David he never asked for a house yet will build David a house and establish said house forever. We know this to be fulfilled in Christ. Yet at this point in the psalm that house, that throne is no more. Has God forgotten His promises. Today we will examine the specifics of the Davidic Covenant. We will turn to its seemly end and failure next week when we finish the Psalm. Our outline for this evening is as follows:

The choice of David (vs. 19 - 23)

The promises to David (vs. 24 - 29)

The eternity of the Davidic covenant (vs. 30 - 37)

Exposition

Verses 19 - 23: Here we have what is considered an oracle from God concerning the Davidic Covenant. It is similar, though not identical, to what is found in 2 Samuel 7. The Lord chose David and made him king in place of Saul. In the same manner the Son and Lord of David, Christ Jesus has been made King of kings and Lord of lords. While David endured months or years of persecution while Saul was king, The LORD eventually brought David to the throne. Christ Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame, and now has all authority in heaven and earth. But the LORD did not leave David to his own devices after He put him there. The LORD was with David. The successes of David were due to the hand of God on his life. Yahweh put all David’s enemies under his feet (Ps. 2:8-9). Even more so the enemies of Christ and his church shall be put under his feet by the Father. This is detailed in 2 Samuel 8 - 10 where the LORD provided victory after victory, bringing nations under to rule of Israel and her God. Revelation tells us the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ (Rev. 11:15). Whereas David’s temporal rule ended, Christ shall rule for eternity.

Verses 24 - 25: Yahweh would continue to manifest His steadfast love and faithfulness to David and his seed forever. For the glory of God David would be exalted and given wide dominion. Paul relays for us in the words of the beautiful Christ hymn (Phil. 2:9 -11) that Christ has been exalted for the glory of God the Father. Everything in heaven and earth will bow by Christ Jesus, either willingly or unwillingly.

Verses 26 -27: Their relationship would not be Master and servant but Father and son. There is no greater fulfillment of this promise found other than the Father and the Son, our Lord Jesus the Christ. When our savior spoke to Yahweh he called Him Father. The Father testified on the son that he is will pleased in him (Matt 3:16 - 17). The Spirit through Paul tells us he is the firstborn of all creation and the preeminent one. No other can claim such a status in heaven or earth. Yet through Christ we are adopted into the family of God as sons and daughters. We have been given the Spirit whereby we cry ‘Abba’ Father. He is our Father and we are his children.

Verses 28 - 29: Even as Yahweh is unchanging, so is His word. Yahweh will be forever faithful to His covenant with David. In fact it goes beyond David the person. The LORD’s faithfulness to David would extend beyond David and unto his descendants. It is this same faithful God that stands behind the new covenant. Through we may not understand all things, we can trust in the reality that the word of God can’t fail. He has absolute power to bring His word to pass. Indeed, Christ today is faithful to His Church and Paul tells us that He who began a good work in us shall perform it until the day of Christ Jesus. Truly is the case that we have a song that the angels can not send.

Verses 30 - 31: Because we are dealing with human kings, the reality of failure is put forth. We know from reading 1 and 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles that many of the Davidic Kings did fail. Believers today fail. That is why we are glad he is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us (1 Jn. 1:9). Yet there was one who did not fail. Christ succeeded where all who came before failed. He perfectly kept the law of his father. That is why we can be made righteous (2 Cor. 5:21).

Verses 32 - 34: Yet even in failure Yahweh would not abandon His promises. He would not be unfaithful. He would discipline (cf. Heb. 12:4-11) but he would not utterly cast off the Davidic line permanently. The LORD hate sin. Every act of sin is treason against his holiness. He must chastise us. He must make it clear how much our sin grieves Him so that we would turn and run from them. That too is part of the covenant. All that God has promised he will do. To cite Spurgeon again: “God may leave his people, and they may thereby suffer much and fall very low, but utterly and altogether he never can remove his love from them; for that would be to cast a reflection upon his own truth, and this he will never allow, for he adds, “nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.” Man fails in all points, but God in none.”[1] Only let us not us this as an invitation to sin. God forbid (Romans 6:1-2).

Verses 35 - 37: Yahweh, because of His unchanging character and glory, can’t and won’t turn from His purposes. It is His glory and majesty which are at stake. God can’t lie else He would not be God. He would not be the supreme majesty worthy of praise. Yet He is what He is and he will do what he says, even if that requires breaking and remaking us.

Bibliography

1. Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 88-110 (Vol. 4, p. 32). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.