From the title of Psalm 89, we see that this Psalm is a
maskil which is believed to be a type of literary or musical work. We can also see in the title that it was
written by Ethan, a relative and co-worker (musician) of Asaph and Heman (I
Chronicles 15:17, 19), both Psalmists whom we have studied previously. We know that Ethan was a wise man (I Kings
4:31) and that Heman was actually his brother (I Chronicles 2:6). I would like you to notice, as you read Psalm
89, that it is another example using the Hebrew poetic device of rhyming
thoughts… where a statement is made and then immediately repeated in different
words. Take note of the rhyming thoughts
as we study this Psalm.
Psalm 89 is an exciting read! It is a promise to Israel of a coming
Messiah. At first glance, it appears to
be speaking of King David and his family line on the throne. As we study, you will see the subtle clues
pointing to our Lord Jesus as the completion of David’s monarchy.
There was a time, very long ago, when David was crowned King
of Israel. Let’s read what happened next
in 2 Samuel 7:1-16. How long did God
promise David that his descendants would be on the throne (2 Samuel 7:16)? Now, we know from history that David’s
descendants were actually defeated when the nation was taken into exile as a
result of God’s punishment for their idol worship and the monarchy was never
reestablished, so how has this promise of God been kept? We can see in Matthew 1 the lineage of the
Lord Jesus being established through the family line of David’s monarchy
demonstrating that He is not only the Son of God, but also of David’s kingly
line. Jesus completes the monarchy of
David and is still on the throne.
Psalm 89 begins, in verses 1 and 2, with praise to God for
His faithfulness. God keeps His promises
through the generations. These verses
summarize the theme of Psalm 89. Praise
God now for His faithfulness. Verses 3
and 4 then remind us of the promise God made with David that his house and
throne would endure forever. This is our
first indication that we will be looking beyond David.
Verses 5-8 speak yet again of God’s faithfulness, praising
Him and acknowledging Him among the holy ones, the assembly of heavenly beings
(NIV). In the KJV they are called the
‘congregation of the saints’ or the ‘sons of the mighty’. Whether you believe these to be ‘angels’ or ‘those
who have previously died’, it is safe to say they are beings from Heaven, not
from earth. Verses 3 and 4, speaking of
God’s promise to David, are sandwiched between verses 5-8 praising God for His
faithfulness and verses 1 and 2, also praising God for His faithfulness. This is another clue that we are not speaking
here of David, but of the Lord Jesus.
Since this Psalm was written long before Jesus was born, it is prophetic
of the coming Messiah.
Verses 9-13 speak of acts accomplished by this monarchy of
David. See if you can identify some of
them:
- Verse 9 – Mark 4:35-41
- Verse 10 – Isaiah 30:7,
Exodus 14
- Verses 11 and 12 – Genesis
1
- Verse 13 –Psalm 118:16, Mark 16:19
Are these acts accomplished by David and his descendants or
by God? We know that God’s Son has been
present with Him since the beginning (John 1:1-3, I Corinthians 8:6, Colossians
1:15-17) so we can conclude that this is a list of acts which were accomplished
by the final member of this line… the Lord Jesus.
Verses 14-18 celebrate the righteousness of God and put Him
on the throne. These are verses of
praise and joy. List the various traits
for which the Psalmist praises God. Note
in verse 17 the use of the word ‘horn’.
In the Bible, this word is often used to signify strength. You will see it used also in verse 24. Verse 18 declares ‘the Holy One of Israel’ to
be king. When you praise God, do you
ever acknowledge His sovereignty over your life or praise His wonderful traits?
Verses 19-29 refer to David as a youth when he is being
anointed second king of Israel (I Samuel 16:1-13). Read this account now and compare it with
verses 19-29. It is difficult to distinguish
where these verses cease speaking of David and where they begin to speak of the
coming Messiah. King David is almost a
representation here of the Lord Jesus.
Verses 19-20 clearly speak of David (Acts 13:22). Compare verse 21 with Psalm 18:35. Verse 21 appears to be a direct answer to
David’s request in Psalm 18. But verse
21 could also be true of our Lord. Let’s
move on to verse 22… the promise that the enemy will not get the better of him
or oppress him. We know that God made a
similar promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:10, but we also know that Jesus defeated
death and hell when He went to the cross.
And so it continues with the remaining verses of this section.
Compare verses 25 and 27 with Colossians 1:18. To me, this is one of the clearest references
to Christ in this Psalm. The reference
to His right hand gives credence to being Deity as does having rule over the
waters and being higher than the kings of the earth. Now, compare verse 26, the one sandwiched
between the two we just discussed, with 2 Samuel 22:1, 47.
To whom do you think this verse is a reference? As we saw earlier, it is difficult to
distinguish in this section the movements between King David and King Jesus as
the central topic.
Verses 30-32 speak of the consequences of violating God’s
law. God’s people have a long history of
idolatry and God knows that this is not over… that He will have to punish them
again with extended exile. This is where
David’s lineage will lose their throne in Israel. God knows this before it happens. These verses are prophetic in nature. Are there sins that have become a habit for you
that God may have to punish you for someday?
Verses 33-37 are a promise for when the exile of God’s
people occurs. God promises here to not forget
His promise to David but to continue David’s line on the throne. This is fulfilled in Matthew 1 when Jesus is
born to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Verse 37 declares the moon as a witness of this in the sky. Do you ever think of God’s promise to David or of Jesus’ eternal reign
when you see the moon in the sky?
Responding to God: Take a moment to praise the Lord for His
faithfulness. Thank Him for His good
gifts. Ask Him to show you sins for
which you have not been responsive to His correction. Acknowledge His Sovereignty in your life and
declare your intent to submit to His will.
Record in your journal God’s traits which are meaningful to you and why.
Further Research: To learn more about God’s right hand, use a
concordance or online Bible to research all occurrences in the Scriptures of
the term ‘right hand’.
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