Psalm 89:1-4
1
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness
known through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm
forever, that you established your
faithfulness in heaven itself.
3
You said, “I have made a covenant
with my chosen one, I have sworn to
David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through
all generations.’ ”
“Keeping the Promise”
Psalms 89
Book 3: Psalms 73-89
Written by Levites:
Sons of Korah – Temple assistants
Asaph – musician
Ethan – musician
1 Chronicles 15:16-19
16 David
told the leaders of the Levites
to appoint their brothers as singers to
sing joyful songs, accompanied by
musical instruments: lyres, harps and
cymbals.
17 So
the Levites appointed Heman son
of Joel; from his brothers, Asaph son of
Berekiah; and from their brothers the
Merarites, Ethan son of Kushaiah; 18 and
with them their brothers next in rank:
Zechariah… (12 others), the gatekeepers.
19 The musicians Heman, Asaph and
Ethan were to sound the bronze
cymbals…
Psalm 78 – by Asaph
Lessons of history through oral tradition.
Retells the history of Israel from slavery
in Egypt to the reign of King David.
Stories are told hoping that the same
mistakes won’t be made.
But, rebellion is the recurring point. In
spite of God’s love and provision, the
people had to do things their own way.
Psalm 81 – also by Asaph
This hymn celebrates the Exodus
from Egypt.
God’s goodness versus Israel’s
sinfulness.
God is our deliverer in spite of our
wanderings.
Psalm 89 – by Ethan or a descendent
One hit wonder!
Unique because it is prophetic.
While it is a royal psalm celebrating the
promise God has given King David, it
eludes to the promise being fulfilled in
Jesus Christ.
Psalm 89:1-4
1
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness
known through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm
forever, that you established your
faithfulness in heaven itself.
“the Lord’s great love forever”
“mercy”
“steadfast love”
“kind love”
“your love stands firm forever”
“faithfulness established in heaven itself”
“through all generations”
The point:
God’s love is no ordinary love.
Psalm 89
3 You said, “I have made a covenant
with my chosen one, I have sworn to
David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your line forever
and make your throne firm through
all generations.’ ”
Davidic Covenant: 2 Samuel 7:11-16
“ ‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord
himself will establish a house for you:
12 When your days are over and you rest
with your fathers, I will raise up your
offspring to succeed you, who will come
from your own body, and I will establish his
kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a
house for my Name, and I will establish the
throne of his kingdom forever.
God made a promise to David –
that his line would reign for all time.
But, what do we know about
the history of Israel?
Seems there was no way the
promise could be kept.
But God is like a parent in love
with his child.
14 I
will be his father, and he will be my
son. When he does wrong, I will punish
him with the rod of men, with floggings
inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never
be taken away from him, as I took it away
from Saul, whom I removed from before
you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will
endure forever before me; your throne
will be established forever.’ ”
God wants to find a way
to keep His promise…
though he has every right to not
follow through because the other
end has not been upheld.
Even at creation, God knew that we
would not be able to be faithful.
So He provided a way.
Psalm 89
27 I will also appoint him my firstborn,
the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
28 I will maintain my love to him forever,
and my covenant with him will never fail.
29 I will establish his line forever,
his throne as long as the heavens endure.
30
“If his sons forsake my law
and do not follow my statutes,
31 if they violate my decrees
and fail to keep my commands,
32 I will punish their sin with the rod,
their iniquity with flogging;
33 but I will not take my love from him,
nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
34
I will not violate my covenant or alter what
my lips have uttered.
35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
and I will not lie to David—
36 that his line will continue forever and his
throne endure before me like the sun;
37 it will be established forever like the moon,
the faithful witness in the sky.”
God can not violate His promise
because He is holy.
Holy = one perfect in goodness
and righteousness
God is holy – the one perfect who
never goes back on His word.
So, in advance, God provided the
way to uphold his promise.
Parent extraordinaire!
As parents, we have that innate desire
to help our kids through, because we
are made in God’s image .
Isaiah foretold how the Lord was
going to keep his promise.
Isaiah 11:1-5
1
A shoot will come up from
the stump of Jesse; from his
roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will
rest on him—
Matthew 1:1-17 Jesus’ Lineage
Abraham – David
David – Exile
Exile – Jesus
14 generations each
God’s promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ
who will reign for eternity.
The love and kindness promised to David
is extended to us through Christ.
Putting it all together
The Lord is faithful to His promises.
He will go to great lengths to be
true to His word.
He’s even thought about it
ahead of time.
Putting it all together
Jesus is the One who makes
the way.
“I am the Way, the Truth,
the Life.” (John 14:6)
It is through Jesus that the
promise is upheld…
not just to King David but to
all of us.
Putting it all together
And just like the line of King David,
we all fall short of holding up
our part of the promise.
But yet, the Lord shows us
mercy and grace.
Mercy = getting what we don’t deserve.
Grace = not getting what we do deserve.
The Lord is merciful and full of grace.
We are the Federated Church.
Our Mission is to…
Seek Christ, Serve Christ and Share Christ.