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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - Psalms 89:1 - 89:18
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Of the Messiah and His Kingdom.
Maschil, a didactic poem, of Ethan, the Ezrahite, a descendant of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, 1Ch_2:6; 1Ki_4:31. He belonged to a great family, or guild, of singers, some of whom, at least, seem to have been trained in the schools of prophets. The psalm clearly substantiates the Messianic character of 2Sa_7:12-29.
The Promise Made to David
v. 1. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, the poet immediately launching forth into his subject, the theme of his song, the merciful kindnesses of Jehovah; with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations, since it is this attribute, this manifestation of the divine essence, which causes Him to abide by the promises once made to those who believe in Him. The theme is now set forth somewhat more at length.
v. 2. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up forever, firmly founded and erected in a structure which would never be overthrown; Thy faithfulness shalt Thou establish in the very heavens, never to be moved, these two manifestations of the Lord, merciful kindness and faithfulness, grace and truth, being the foundation upon which our salvation rests secure, Joh_1:14. The psalmist now quotes the words of the Lord from 2 Samuel 1, or Jehovah Himself answers in an antiphonal strophe.
v. 3. I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn unto David, My servant, the Lord Himself assuring Him with a solemn oath,
v. 4. Thy Seed will I establish forever, namely, in his dynasty, in the rulers out of his line, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah. If this had been spoken of an earthly, temporal rule only, then this prophecy would have fallen to the ground, for in no kingdom of this world is there at the present time any ruler of the house of David. But Christ, who is truly a King, although His kingdom is not of this world, is the Seed of David whose rule will last throughout eternity. It is with reference to this promise that the praise of the psalmist sounds forth again.
v. 5. And the heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O Lord, the miracles of love which he performed for the salvation of mankind; Thy faithfulness also, by which He would fulfill, and has fulfilled, His promises, in the congregation of the saints, all the angels rejoicing over the fact that God, in His infinite mercy and kindness, had found a way of delivering fallen mankind from the curse of damnation. Compare the song of the angels, Luk_2:14.
v. 6. For who in the heaven can be compared unto the Lord, in the immeasurable greatness of this miracle of His grace in providing a Savior for mankind? Who among the sons of the mighty, the greatest of His creatures, the mightiest rulers of the earth, can be likened unto the Lord? They cannot stand as His equals, there cannot even be a remote comparison.
v. 7. God is greatly to be feared, very awesome, in the assembly of the saints, in the midst of His congregation, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him, the very angels trembling with awe in His presence. All believers regard Him, not with the fear of slaves, but with the trusting reverence due Him for the continual revelation of His greatness.
v. 8. O Lord God of hosts, the mighty Ruler of the armies of heaven, who is a strong Lord like unto Thee, He alone possessing and wielding omnipotent power, or to Thy faithfulness round about Thee? For it is by virtue of this manifestation of His essence that the believers rely upon His Word with absolute confidence; it surrounds Him on all sides, it is like the rays of the sun shedding their brilliance in all directions. The majesty of God's omnipotence is now described.
v. 9. Thou rulest the raging of the sea, when it tries to rise against His laws in insolent defiance; when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them, causing them to sink back in powerless rage. Before this almighty power, moreover, the proud arrogance of men is equally helpless.
v. 10. Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, crushed and wounded mighty Egypt at the time of Israel's deliverance from its slavery, as one that is slain; Thou hast scattered Thine enemies with Thy strong arm. All the enemies of the Lord and of His Church are mortally wounded and overthrown by the strength of His almighty arm.
v. 11. The heavens are Thine, under His absolute power and control, the earth also is Thine; as for the world and the fullness thereof, all the creatures which it contains, Thou hast founded them, establishing and maintaining them by the Word of His power.
v. 12. The north and the south, the entire expanse of the earth, Thou hast created them; Tabor, on the west side of Jordan, between the Sea of Galilee and the plain of Jezreel, and Hermon, in the extreme northeastern part of Palestine, shall rejoice in Thy name, even the inanimate creation showing its dependence upon Him by shouting for joy in His honor.
v. 13. Thou hast a mighty arm, the singer here summarizing his description of God's majestic power; strong is Thy hand, and high is Thy right hand, the emblem of His irresistible power is exalted. The poet now turns to the manifestation of God's attributes as they chiefly appear in the work of redemption and in the relation of God to His children on earth.
v. 14. Justice, that is, righteousness, and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne, the attributes upon which His kingdom is established; mercy and truth shall go before Thy face. The work of the redemption of the world is a revelation of God's righteousness and judgment. Because He cannot ignore and condone the sin of mankind, He caused the Messiah to take the burden of all men's iniquity upon Himself, and not only to bear it, but to take it away by a full vicarious expiation. Thus was His righteousness, the foundation of His throne, established. But at the same time the Lord keeps before His face, and manifests continually, His merciful kindness, in giving His only-begotten Son for the salvation of the world, and His faithfulness or truth, in fulfilling the promises made to the patriarchs and all the believers of the Old Testament.
v. 15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound, all men who receive the Gospel-news of their salvation with a joyful sound of acceptance are truly blessed; they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy countenance, as His grace shines forth upon them and warms them with the blessed assurance of their redemption in the Messiah.
v. 16. In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day, they have no righteousness and merit of their own to boast of, but they glory in the manifestation of God's love and mercy, and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted, that is, by virtue of the righteousness imputed to them by Jehovah, by means of faith kindled in their hearts.
v. 17. For Thou art the glory of their strength, that alone being the basis of their boasting before men, 2Co_12:9-10; and in Thy favor, by the good pleasure of Jehovah shown them in the Messiah, our horn shall be exalted, they would receive the strength needed for the battle of life, against the forces of Satan and his allies.
v. 18. For the Lord is our Defense, and the Holy One of Israel is our King. The confidence of the believers in the ultimate victory of their cause is so great because the Lord is on their side, both as their Shield in warding off the attacks of the enemies and as their peerless, undefiled Leader going on before them to victory.