PSALM 89
LORD is faithful to HIS people with loving-kindness verse 1- 2
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever
with my mouth will I make known YOUR faithfulness to all generations
For I have said
Mercy shall be built up for ever
YOUR faithfulness shall YOU establish in the very heavens
LORD makes a covenant with David verse 3- 4
I have made a covenant with MY chosen
I have sworn unto David MY servant
thy seed will I establish for ever
and build up thy throne to all generations
SELAH
LORD is praised for HIS greatness verse 5- 8
And the heavens shall praise YOUR wonders – O LORD
YOUR faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints
For who in heaven can be compared unto the LORD?
who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints
and to be had in reverence of all them that are about HIM
O LORD God of hosts – WHO is a strong LORD like unto YOU?
or to YOUR faithfulness round about YOU?
LORD is magnified for HIS Creation verse 9- 14
YOU rule the raging of the sea
when the waves thereof arise – YOU stills them
YOU have broken Rahab in pieces – as one that is slain
YOU hast scattered YOUR enemies with YOUR strong arm
The heavens are YOURS – the earth also is YOURS
as for the world and the fullness thereof – YOU hast founded them
The north and the south YOU have created them
Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in YOUR name
YOU have a mighty arm – strong is YOUR hand
and high is YOUR right hand
justice and judgment are the habitation of
YOUR throne
mercy and truth shall go before YOUR face
LORD is magnified for HIS defense of HIS people verse 15- 18
Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound – they shall walk – O LORD
in the light of YOUR countenance
In YOUR name shall they rejoice all the day
and in YOUR righteousness shall they be exalted
For YOU are the glory of their strength
and in YOUR favor our horn shall be exalted
for the LORD is our defense
and the Holy One of Israel is our king
David is an anointed warrior verse 19- 23
Then YOU spoke in vision to YOUR holy one and said
I have laid help upon one that is mighty
I have exalted one chosen out of the people
I have found David MY servant – with MY holy oil have I anointed him
with whom MY hand shall be established
MINE arm also shall strengthen him
the enemy shall not exact upon him
nor the son of wickedness afflict him
I will beat down his foes before his face – and plague them that hate him
David received his power from the LORD verse 24- 25
BUT MY faithfulness and MY mercy shall be with him
and in MY name shall his horn be exalted
I will set his hand also in the sea – and his right hand in the rivers
David will have a close relationship with the LORD verse 26- 28
He shall cry unto ME
YOU art my FATHER – my God
and the ROCK of my salvation
Also I will make him MY firstborn – higher than the kings of the earth
MY mercy will I keep for him for evermore
MY covenant shall stand fast with him
David’s heirs will answer to the LORD verse 29- 37
His seed also will I make to endure for ever
and his throne as the days of heaven
IF his children forsake MY law – and keep not in MY judgments
THEN will I visit their transgressions with a rod
and their iniquity with stripes
NEVERTHELESS MY loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him
nor suffer MY faithfulness to fail
MY covenant will I not break
nor alter the thing that is gone out of MY lips
Once have I sworn by MY HOLINESS that I will not lie unto David
his seed shall endure forever – and his throne as the sun before ME
it shall be established forever as the moon
and as a faithful witness in heaven SELAH
Lament over present situation between David and LORD verse 38- 45
But YOU hast cast off and abhorred
YOU have been wroth with YOUR anointed
YOU have made void the covenant of YOUR servant
YOU have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground
YOU have broken down all his hedges
YOU have brought his strongholds to ruin
all that pass by the way spoil him
he is a reproach to his neighbors
YOU have set up the right hand of his adversaries
YOU have made all his enemies to rejoice
YOU have also turned the edge of his sword
and have not made him to stand in the battle
YOU have made his glory to cease
and cast his throne down to the ground
the days of his youth have YOU shortened
YOU have covered him with shame
SELAH
Lament regarding length of time of situation verse 46- 48
How long LORD?
will YOU hide YOURSELF forever?
shall YOUR wrath burn like fire?
Remember how short my time is
wherefore have YOU made all men in vain?
what man is he that lives – and shall not see death?
shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave?
SELAH
Plead for restoration of proper relationship verse 49- 51
Lord – WHERE are YOUR former loving-kindness
which YOU swore unto David in YOUR truth?
Remember – Lord – the reproach of YOUR servants
how I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people
wherewith YOUR enemies have reproached – O LORD
wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of
YOUR anointed
Doxology of third book of Psalms verse 52
Blessed be the LORD forever more
AMEN – and AMEN
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known YOUR faithfulness to all generations. (530 “faithfulness” [’emunah] means firmness, security, fidelity, set office, stability, steady, truth, or verily.)
DEVOTION: Does our fickleness cause God to give up on us? We are up one day and down the next. We tend to pray once in a while until things get real bad and then we pray daily. We even can come to church each Sunday and just sit in the pew without any excitement over worshiping the LORD. How will God react to our lack of consistency?
In this Psalm we have three main thoughts. The first main thought is developed around the attribute of God’s stability around HIS people. The second thought is regarding God anointing of David and HIS firmness in establishing the reign of David and his heirs. The third thought is found in the Psalmist stating the present condition in Jerusalem because of the sin of the people.
First, we see that the LORD is going to stay firm is HIS commitment to the children of Israel. HE is going to show them mercy. HE is going to keep HIS covenant. HE is going to continue to show HIS power through miracles.
The Psalmist praises HIS creation. He praises HIM in the fact that HE owns everything. He informs us that the children of Israel enjoy the favor of the LORD’s presence. HE is going to defend them against all enemies. Secondly, he give an example of HIS firmness regarding HIS relationship with Israel by anointing David as king and promising to allow him to have an heir on the throne. The final heir of David to be on the throne will be the LORD Jesus Christ during the Millennium when HE will reign a thousand years with HIS saints.
The LORD even promises that when David’s heirs are not steadfast in their relationship with HIM, HE will remain steadfast. HE does not lie. HE will show mercy at all times toward HIS people. Mercy doesn’t mean HE will not chasten them. Remember that chastening is a way to show love to those who are not obeying the commandments.
Thirdly, the Psalmist is thankful for the LORD’S steadfastness toward HIS people but at present it seems that they are going through a time period of chastening that he would like to end. He asks the LORD “how long?” He wants Israel to experience a time of blessing. He wants to see the loving-kindness of the LORD manifested again.
The third book of Psalms ends on this note. Remember that there are five books of Psalms in the book of Psalms. Each one has a focus.
The word in this verse is used seven times in this psalm. This is one attribute of God that we witness in our daily life. HE has been stable in HIS relationship to those who are followers of HIM. HIS stability is set in the heavens. HIS stability is found in the congregation of the saints. HIS stability is found in HIS strength. HIS stability will always remain around his people with HIS mercy. HIS stability and HIS loving-kindness will never fail.
HE is a God full of attributes that show HIS loving-kindness to HIS people. Isn’t it great to serve a God who has these characteristics around one of HIS holy name?
We need to remember who HE is and what HE does for us daily. HE is truly one worthy of our praise each day. Are we praising HIM as much as we should each day for HIS blessings to us? What is our mouth saying today???
CHALLENGE: Study the attributes of God. Remember that HE is unchangeable. HE will always be stable, even when we feel HE is not in our life. We need to encourage those who are going through a difficult time to study and know the God they serve!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 5 And the heavens shall praise YOUR wonders, O LORD: YOUR faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. (530 “faithfulness” [‘emuwnah] means honesty, steadfastness, trustworthiness, the quality of being faithful, duty, conscientiously, firmness, fidelity, or steadiness.)
DEVOTION: The God of the Bible has all these wonderful attributes that help us understand just WHO HE is and how HE is different from humans and other so called “gods” that people tend to worship.
The God of the Bible is honest. HE tells it like it is and doesn’t change with the wind as we find happening in most other religions that worship a god but not the true God of the Bible.
Our responsibility to the God of the Bible is to praise HIM for HIS wonderful creation. We are to praise HIM for HIS provision of salvation to all those who put their trust in HIM to keep HIS promises of not only provision and help while we are here on this earth but for all eternity.
Too often we find that people what to worship the god of their own making and that is not the God of the Bible. HE has standards that need to be met by anyone who wants to receive the promises made in the Bible.
HE promised to take care of the children of Israel in the Old Testament as long as they were obedient to HIS commands. HE promises to take care of those who genuinely accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This means that they will follow the guidelines found in the New Testament for those who are followers of HIM.
Our world is so mixed up because those in it want to make a god of their own personal preferences rather than obey the commands made by the God of the Bible. Those who are genuine followers know that they have to confess their sin each day and allow the Holy Spirit to help them walk in the way the LORD has directed HIS followers to walk.
None of those who are genuine followers are sinless but they will sin less and look to HIM for guidance each day and pray for HIS help to be the witness for HIM they should be.
CHALLENGE: God’s steadfastness should encourage us to be steadfast in our confession of sin and daily walk with HIM through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. With HIS help alone, we are able to state that we are HIS children today!
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: 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence of all them that are about HIM. (6206 “feared” [‘arats] means to have others be afraid or scared of, cause to tremble, inspiring terror, shake, have others be frightened of, or shake.)
DEVOTION: When we read about all the acts of God in the Bible beginning with creation we need to be ones who understand HIS power and because of that power we need to realize that HE is someone to be that will cause us to tremble in front of. HE is not to be taken lightly.
Too often we can think of God as just someone who will give us what we want if we say a prayer and ask HIM to come into our hearts as children.
When I first went to a place that taught me that God is holy and we are sinners that need to confess our sins to HIM and ask HIM to come into our life I was only twelve years old at a summer camp.
I realized that I was a sinner and needed to confess my sins to HIM and ask HIM to come into my life and change it to the point where I wanted to sin less and serve HIM.
Remember that we will never be sinless but HE can help us to know what sin is and how to think correctly as we make decisions each day of our life. Our prayer life needs to happen each day with a time of confession of known sins and asking for forgiveness.
We have to be honest with God and ask HIM to show us where we are failing in our walk with HIM each day.
Too often we find people saying a prayer to have HIM come into their heart but then they go out and live as they used to live. That is not a genuine conversion to Christianity. To be genuine there has to be change that happens each time we make a decision. That means we have to study the Word of God to find out how to be a genuine follower with the help of the Holy Spirit who enters the life of those who genuinely believe.
As we assemble with others who are followers of the LORD we learn how to become believers that honor the LORD in our daily life. It is not easy and that is why confession of sin has to be a regular time in the presence of the LORD to help us to sin less even though we will never be sinless like HIM.
Too many people who say they are believers are not sinning less because some think they have arrived at the state of sinlessness and that never happens. They are the people who like to judge others while thinking they are good with God.
We are not the judges but we are to help others who we see trying to learn what it means to serve HIM each day. Saints helping other saints with an attitude of grace is necessary, not an attitude of pride!
CHALLENGE: Our fear of the LORD has to be one that causes us to daily examine our lives to make sure that we are confessing our sins and working with the Holy Spirit to listen to HIM when HE directs our path.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 46 “How long, LORD? Will YOU hide YOURSELF forever? Will YOUR wrath burn like fire?” The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982). (How long – 5704 עַד [ʿad /ad/] prep. Properly, the same as 5703 (used as prep, adv or conj); TWOT 1565c; GK 6330; 99 occurrences; AV translates as “by”, “as long”, “hitherto”, “when”, “how long”, and “as yet”. 1 as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as. 1A of space. 1A1 as far as, up to, even to. 1B in combination. 1B1 from … as far as, both … and (with ‘min’—from). 1C of time. 1C1 even to, until, unto, till, during, end. 1D of degree. 1D1 even to, to the degree of, even like conj. 2 until, while, to the point that, so that even. James Strong, Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2001).
DEVOTION: A prophet is a person that makes a promise based on the word God shares with them. Sometimes a promise has a long period of time before it comes true. When promises are not fulfilled quickly we are tempted to doubt or not believe that they will happen. This is the struggle that the psalmist had as well as he recounted to the Lord his promises and statements previously made about David’s throne. His question of “How Long, Lord?” (v. 46) can often be ours as we seek to understand and follow Him! In the midst of tragedy and the total destruction of a dream the promise can be seen as impossible or a lie!
The Children of Israel could see the present destruction of their kingdom and give up or look beyond to the future fulfillment in faith. The same is true for us in difficult situations. When the ceiling falls in on us and everything is the opposite of the promise, what will we believe? A statement has been shared with me that goes something like this, “What is revealed in the light, cling to in the darkness!”
CHALLENGE: Cling to the Lord’s promise and repeat with the psalmist, “Blessed be the Lord forevermore!” (Dr. Brian Miller – board member)
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: 48 “What man is he that lives, and shall not see death?
Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.”
(“Deliver,” 4422 מָלַט [malat] 95 occurrences; AV translates as “escape” 47 times, “deliver” 33 times, “save” five times, “… out” four times, “alone” once, “get away” once, “lay” once, “preserve” once, “speedily” once, and “surely” once. 1 to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered. (Piel). 1b1 to lay, let slip out (of eggs). 1b2 to let escape. 1b3 to deliver, save (life) [Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software]).
DEVOTION: The psalmist starts out by declaring the mercies of God, and this leads him to reflect on God’s provision through the Davidic monarchy and covenant. But now, the psalmist realizes that there has been defeat, and asks God to come to the rescue of the people. He acknowledges that man’s life is not permanent, and that all of us face death at some point unless the Lord returns.
Not only are we unable to rescue ourselves from the grave physically, but we are totally unable to rescue ourselves spiritually, since we are “walking dead,” dead in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1). That means that we would not be capable to coming to God unless He took the initiative to reconcile us to Himself (Romans 5:6-7). Too often we forget that we are saved by grace alone, and act as if we are able to obtain salvation through our good works.
Do we really understand what we have been delivered from? We need to remember that we were slaves to sins, and yet He died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). The grave no longer is able to hold us in, but Christ has defeated it (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
CHALLENGE: Today thank God for saving you from eternal death and bondage to sin, and that He has promised you a bodily resurrection along with Him in the future. You are His child because of what He did to deliver you on the cross! (Dr. Marc Wooten – board member)
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
David will cry out to the LORD verse 26
LORD is his father
LORD is his rock of salvation
Remember reproach of Israel verse 50
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
I will sing verse 1
Praise verse 5
Congregation of the saints verse 5
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Law verse 30
Judgments verse 30
Statutes verse 31
Commandments verse 31
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 5, 6, 8, 15,
18, 46, 51, 52
Faithfulness of God verse 1, 2, 8, 24, 33
Mercy verse 2, 14, 24, 28
Covenant of God with chosen verse 3, 28, 34
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 7, 8, 26
LORD God of hosts verse 8
Strong verse 8, 13, 17
Rule the raging sea verse 9
Creator verse 9, 11, 12
Heavens are HIS verse 11
Mounts Tabor and Hermon rejoice verse 12
Judgment and Justice verse 14
Truth verse 14, 49
Light of HIS countenance verse 15
Righteousness verse 16
Defense of Israel verse 18
Holy One of Israel verse 18
King verse 18
Beat down foes of David verse 22
Father of Israel verse 26
Rock of my salvation verse 26
Loving-kindness verse 33, 49
Holiness of God verse 35
Created moon verse 37
Faithful witness in heaven
Wrath of the LORD verse 46
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 49, 50
Truth verse 49
Blessed be the LORD verse 52
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sons of the mighty verse 6
Rahab (Egypt) verse 10
Enemies verse 10, 22, 42, 51
Son of wickedness verse 22
Kings of the earth verse 27
Neighbors verse 41
Adversaries verse 42
All men verse 47
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Son of wickedness verse 22
Foes of David verse 22
Hate verse 23
Forsake law verse 30
Walk not in judgments of the LORD verse 30
Break statutes verse 31
Keep not commandments verse 31
Transgressions verse 32
Iniquity verse 32
Lie verse 35
Profaned verse 39
Rejoice over fall of Israel verse 42
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Mercy verse 1, 2, 24, 28
Mouth makes known faithfulness of LORD verse 1
Chosen verse 3, 19
Covenant verse 3, 28, 34, 39
Servant verse 3, 20, 39, 50
Saints verse 5, 7
Fear of the LORD verse 7
Reverence verse 7
Blessed verse 15
Presence of the LORD verse 15
Rejoice in the LORD all the day verse 16
Exalted verse 16, 17
Defense verse 18
Anointed verse 20, 51
Strengthen verse 21
Cry verse 26
Salvation (Deliverance verse 26
Loving-kindness given verse 33, 49
Faithfulness given verse 33
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Ethan the Ezrahite – writer of Psalm verse 1- 52
Make known God faithfulness
Heavens shall praise wonders
David -servant of God verse 3- 52
His seed
Anointed
Throne of David verse 4
Congregation of saints verse 5
Assembly of the saints verse 7
Horn is exalted verse 17
Holy one – Exalted – Chosen verse 19
Anointed David HIS servant verse 20, 38
David strengthened verse 21
David’s horn exalted verse 24
Throne of David verse 29
God not lie to David verse 35
David’s seed shall endure forever verse 36
Glory to cease verse 44
Cast his throne down to the ground verse 44
Covered with shame verse 45
Reproach of servants verse 50
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
David established forever verse 4
Seed of David endures forever verse 29, 36
Throne of David verse 36, 37
Death verse 48
Grave verse 48
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QUOTES regarding passage
The foundation to this psalm is the great prophecy of 2 Samuel 7:4–17, at the heart of which is the promise of a throne for David’s dynasty for ever, and of unique honours for its occupant. ‘I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son’ (2 Sam. 7:13f.). Other scriptures explore the Father-Son relationship more fully (see on 2:7–9); this psalm seizes chiefly on the clause ‘for ever’, which the turn of events seemed to have flatly contradicted.
So there is painful tension here, yet the spirit of the psalm is humble, never bitter. Instead of railing at the promise or explaining it away, it faces the full clash of word and event in an appeal to God to show his hand. Like an unresolved discord it therefore impels us towards the New Testament, where we find that the fulfilment will altogether outstrip the expectation. (Kidner, D. (1975). Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 351). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
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This royal psalm is a prayer that God would honor the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:5–16). The psalm is attributed to “Ethan” (a Levite, 1 Chron. 15:17–18, and a wise person, 1 Kings 4:31) but the exact occasion of its writing is unknown. Various military defeats, such as the invasion of Judah by Shishak of Egypt (1 Kings 14:25) and the Babylonian Exile, have been suggested.
Faced with the perplexing problem of the affliction and defeat of the anointed Davidic king, the psalmist implored the Lord to remember His oath and end this disaster. Ethan sought to motivate the Lord to answer his prayer by rehearsing the covenant promises and the divine attributes on which they rest. So the psalm is a study in the age-old apparent conflict between the promises of a faithful, loving God, and the catastrophes that often occur.
Several key words used repeatedly show something of the psalm’s emphasis: “love” (ḥeseḏ, vv. 1–2, 14, 24, 28, 33, 49), “faithfulness” (vv. 1–2, 5, 8, 33, 49), “throne” (of David; vv. 4, 14, 29, 36, 44), “David My servant” (vv. 3, 20; cf. v. 50), “anointed” (vv. 20, 38, 51), “covenant” (vv. 3, 28, 34, 39).
This psalm, because of its several references to the Davidic Covenant (vv. 3–4, 27–29, 35–37, 49), affirms that the Messiah, a descendant of David, will sit on David’s throne and rule over Israel. This, taken literally, supports the position that Christ is not now sitting on David’s throne in heaven but will rule on his throne on the earth (cf. comments on 2 Sam. 7:5–16). (Ross, A. P. (1985). Psalms. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, pp. 857–858). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Psalm 89. This poet has a serious argument with God. But he begins with a splendid festal hymn celebrating God’s covenant love and faithfulness. A foretaste is given of what the argument is about (God’s firm covenant with David’s royal house) and the hymn is resumed with a bold description of God’s unrivaled supremacy among heavenly beings, especially his faithfulness. On earth, too, God has shown might, subduing primeval chaos (see Ps. 74), creating and subduing all things by his power. Again, God is worthy of all praise; his righteousness, justice, love, and faithfulness delight all who enjoy his presence. God’s favor makes his people strong, giving them a King for a shield.
Then the psalmist comes to the point. He expresses in eloquent poetry the substance and nine or ten details of the prophet Nathan’s vision about the Davidic dynasty (cf. 2 Sam. 7). The emphasis falls heavily on God’s promises “forever.”
In spite of that faithfulness, that all-subduing power, that righteous character, these oaths and promises, Judah has been rejected, the covenant renounced, the crown defiled, Jerusalem plundered, David’s current descendant humiliated. All has turned sour. God has broken his sworn word.
Verse 49 is the crux. Into the mouth of the present Davidic king the poet puts the demand, “How long?” (possibly young Jehoiachin, v. 45; 2 Kings 24:8–14, last of the free Davidic kings, exiled to Babylon).
The psalmist is asking, “You promised so much; what about it, Lord?” (Elwell, W. A. (1995). Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, Ps 89:1). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.)
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89:1–52 This psalm describes the author’s attempt to reconcile the seeming contradictions between his theology and the reality of his nation’s conditions. Through the first 37 verses, he rehearses what he knows to be theologically accurate: God has sovereignly chosen Israel to be His nation, and David’s descendants to rule. The last third of the psalm reflects the psalmist’s chagrin that the nation had been ravaged and the Davidic monarchy had apparently come to a disgraceful end. To his credit, the psalmist refuses to explain away his theology, but instead keeps the tension, hopefully to be resolved at a later time with the promised reestablishment of an earthly kingdom under one of David’s descendants (cf. Pss 110, 132). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ps 89:1–52). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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There can be little doubt that this Psalm was written in the latter days of the Jewish monarchy, when the throne of David had fallen or was already tottering to its fall, and when the prospect for the future was so dark that it seemed as if God had forgotten His covenant and His promise. Tholuck’s conjecture is not improbable that the king of whom the Psalm speaks (ver. 45) [46] is the youthful Jehoiachin, who after a reign of three months was deposed and imprisoned by Nebuchadnezzar, and of whom it was said, that no man of his seed should “prosper, sitting on the throne of David.” The lamentation over him in Jeremiah 22:24–29, may be taken as evidence that he was beloved by his subjects, and the Prophet and the Psalmist indulge in a similar strain as they behold the last hope of David’s house perish.
There is no reason to conclude from ver. 47 [48], that the king himself is the author of the Psalm (see note there); and from ver. 18 [19] indeed, the contrary perhaps may be inferred.
The Psalm opens by a reference to the Promise given to David, 2 Sam. 7:8, &c. This Promise, and the attributes of God on which the Promise rests, and which are the great pledge of its fulfilment, form the subject of the Poet’s grateful acknowledgement, before he passes to the mournful contrast presented by the ruin of the house of David, and the blighting of his people’s hopes. He turns to the glorious past, that by its aid he may rise out of the grief and discouragement of the present. He takes the Promise, and turns it into a song. He dwells upon it, and lingers over it. He dwells on that which is the ground and pillar of the Promise—the faithfulness of God—and then he first lifts his loud lament over the disasters which have befallen his king and people, speaking out his disappointment, till his words sound like a reproach; and next pleads earnestly with God that He would not suffer his enemies to triumph.
Certain words and thoughts run through the Psalm, and give it a marked character. Such are, especially, the constant reference to the “faithfulness of God,” in confirming His covenant and promise, ver. 1, 2, 5, 8, 14, 24, 33, 49 (comp. also the use of the participle “faithful,” ver. 28, 37); the phrase “I will not lie,” ver. 33, 35, “I have sworn,” ver. 3, 35, 49; and the “covenant,” ver. 3, 28, 34, 39. (Perowne, J. J. S. (1882). The Book of Psalms; A New Translation, with Introductions and Notes, Explanatory and Critical (Fifth Edition, Revised., Vol. 2, pp. 146–147). London; Cambridge: Deighton Bell and Co.; George Bell and Sons.)
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Ver. 22. The enemy shall not exact upon him, &c.] The enemy is the devil, as in the interpretation of the parable of the tares, Matt. 13:39 the implacable enemy of Christ and his church; and yet, notwithstanding all his enmity and malice, he could not exact, or get more inflicted on him, than the law and justice of God required of him, as the sinner’s surety; or could not exact a tribute of him, or make him tributary to him; or, in other words, conquer him, and subject him to him: so far from it, that he was conquered by Christ, and all his principalities and powers spoiled; or could not deceive him, in which sense the word is sometimes used; and so the Targum here: though he deceived Eve, he could not deceive the Messiah, the seed of the woman; he tried at it, in person, by his temptations in the wilderness, and by his agents and instruments, the Scribes and Pharisees; but in vain, and to no purpose; he could not succeed: nor the son of wickedness afflict him: at least not always: be was indeed afflicted, as by wicked men, and by Satan the wicked one, yet not so as to be overcome by any; and as Christ personal, so Christ mystical, or his church and people, are afflicted by the sons of wickedness; yet, sooner or later, they are delivered out of all their afflictions. Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that wicked one, that is eminently so, and may be well called the son of wickedness, has long and greatly oppressed the people of Christ, and his interest; but he shall not always; he shall be destroyed with the spirit of his mouth, and with the brightness of his coming, 2 Thess. 2:3, 8. This passage is applied to the Messiah by the Jews. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 4, p. 80). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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22. “The enemy shall not exact upon him;” he shall not be vexed and persecuted as a helpless debtor by an extortionate creditor. “Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.” Graceless men shall no longer make his life a burden. David had in his earlier history been hunted by Saul like a partridge on the mountains, and though he had striven in all things to act justly towards Saul, because he was the Lord’s anointed, yet Saul was never content with his displays of loyalty, but persecuted him relentlessly. The covenant, therefore, engaged that his life of hardship and oppression should come to an end for ever; it did so in David’s own person, and more remarkably still in the life of Solomon his son. Who does not in all this see a type of the Lord Jesus, who though he was once seized for our debts, and also evil entreated by the ungodly, is now so exalted that he can never be exacted upon any more, neither can the fiercest of his enemies vex him again. No Judas can now betray him to death, no Pilate can deliver him to be crucified. Satan cannot tempt him, and our sins cannot burden him. (Spurgeon, C. H. (n.d.). The treasury of David: Psalms 88-110 (Vol. 4, p. 30). London; Edinburgh; New York: Marshall Brothers.)
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FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
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Forgotten by God?
“How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?” (Psalm 13:1-2)
David expresses deep anguish in these two verses. The question “How long” is repeated with ever-increasing intensity. In poetry this is called an anaphora. David begins by asking Yahweh, “How long wilt thou forget me…for ever?”
If being eternally forgotten isn’t disconcerting enough, the second question expresses despair in an unplumbed way—the hiding of Yahweh’s face with the feeling of intimacy’s loss. God’s servant now argues from the internal, unveiling the deep wounding effects in his inner soul as his enemy gloats over his proverbial dead body.
In verse 3 David demands (in the Hebrew imperative) that Yahweh consider, hear, and lighten his eyes. The psalm that began in a hopeless cry now takes a dramatic 180° turn, viewing life through the divine lens of God’s sovereignty. Verse 5 states, “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.” What changed? Absolutely nothing—except for David’s view of sovereign Yahweh.
Did God ever look away from David? No. If you are in Christ, does God ever ignore His children? Absolutely not! This psalm gives us permission to cry out to Yahweh, venting all our frustrations and petitions to Him. Besides this, our Lord teaches us to cling tightly to the promises spelled out in His precious Word, namely His amazing attributes of forgiveness and steadfast love.
Furthermore, all of God’s paths, even the troubled ones described in this psalm, are steadfast love to those who are protected under the precious wings of our Lord Jesus Christ. (CM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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The Presence of the Lord
“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8)
The presence of the Lord can be either a cause of fear or a source of blessing. Adam and Eve were greatly afraid of His presence because of their sin, and their son Cain “went out from the presence of the LORD” (Genesis 4:16) because of his sin. Yet it will also be to many a time of great joy. “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19).
The difference, of course, is the presence or absence of unforgiven sin in the presence of the Lord. Most of the sixteen occurrences of the phrase stress the judgmental aspect. Those who reject Christ’s offer of forgiveness through repentance and faith in His death for our sins will eventually be banned forever from His presence, like Cain. “When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: [They] shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
But for those who have repented of their sins and trusted in Christ for salvation, the prospect of the coming and personal presence of the Lord Jesus is one of joyful anticipation, for “in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).
When He comes again, we shall be presented “faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24) and shall thenceforth “ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). (HMM, Institute for Creation Research)
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Solomon expresses the beauty of married love.
INSIGHT
Hebrews 13:4 says that the marriage bed is holy and “undefiled.” In his commentary on the Song of Solomon, A Song for Lovers, Craig Glickman writes: “No artist could have fashioned two people better suited for one another. He was the king of their great nation; she, his chosen bride. Spring had seen their love blossom like the flowers in the palace gardens. Their love was destined to be a song for the world. And, in fact, so ideal was their love that the song about them was chosen as one of the books of sacred Scripture. It became the only one of the entire collection devoted exclusively to courtship and marriage.” The Song of Solomon gives us God’s perspective on marriage and love. (Quiet Walk)
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| OUR LORD AND SCRIPTURE Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Matthew 5:17-18 The most vital testimony about the authority of the Bible that we must adduce is the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Read your Gospels, and notice the way in which He constantly quotes the Old Testament. Notice the way in which He assumed that it is authoritative, that it puts a matter beyond argument and beyond any dispute whatsoever. He just says, “It is written,” and that is final (see, for example, Luke 19:46; John 6:45). He obviously accepted the Old Testament in toto as authoritative, final, and supreme. There are also certain specific statements that He made: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18). And in a sense that is the whole of the Old Testament–Moses and the prophets. “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” Then you will find Him, for example, saying, “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female” (Matthew 19:4). That quotation alone is sufficient to show that our Lord regarded what we read in the early chapters of Genesis as being authoritative for the whole question of man and woman and their appearance in the world. So if you begin to play fast and loose with the authority of the Scriptures and with the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, you are of necessity involved in difficulties about the person of the Lord Himself. A Thought to Ponder: The most vital testimony about the authority of the Bible is the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. (From God the Father, God the Son, p. 31, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones) |
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