August 6th
Psalm 89
Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite
The
Lord’s covenant with David
1:
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I
make known thy faithfulness to all generations. 2:
For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness
shalt thou establish in the very heavens. 3:
I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my
servant, 4:
Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all
generations. Selah. 5:
And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness
also in the congregation of the saints. 6:
For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the
sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? 7:
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. 8:
O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy
faithfulness round about thee? 9:
Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou
stillest them. 10:
Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; thou hast
scattered thine enemies with thy strong arm. 11:
The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and
the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them. 12:
The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon
shall rejoice in thy name. 13:
Thou hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right
hand. 14:
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and
truth shall go before thy face. 15:
Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O
LORD, in the light of thy countenance. 16:
In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness
shall they be exalted. 17:
For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour our horn
shall be exalted. 18:
For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
19:
Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid
help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the
people. 20:
I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him:
21:
With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall
strengthen him. 22:
The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict
him. 23:
And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that
hate him. 24:
But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name
shall his horn be exalted. 25:
I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the
rivers. 26:
He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my
salvation. 27:
Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the
earth. 28:
My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall
stand fast with him. 29:
His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the
days of heaven. 30:
If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31:
If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 32:
Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their
iniquity with stripes. 33:
Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor
suffer my faithfulness to fail. 34:
My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of
my lips. 35:
Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. 36:
His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me.
37:
It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful
witness in heaven. Selah. 38:
But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine
anointed. 39:
Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant: thou hast profaned
his crown by casting it to the ground. 40:
Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong
holds to ruin. 41:
All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a reproach to his
neighbours. 42:
Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; thou hast made
all his enemies to rejoice. 43:
Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to
stand in the battle. 44:
Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the
ground. 45:
The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou hast covered him with
shame. Selah. 46:
How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? shall thy wrath burn
like fire? 47:
Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in
vain? 48:
What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver
his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah. 49:
Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto
David in thy truth? 50:
Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; how I do bear in my
bosom the reproach of all the mighty people; 51:
Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD; wherewith they have
reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
Benediction
52:
Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
D
The Numbers Section Peril & Protection (Earth in view)
1Psalm
90 Prologue - Rest lost and needed
Psalm 91 – 94
Rest for the earth desired
Psalm 95 –
100 Rest for the earth anticipated
Psalm 102 –
105 Rest for the earth celebrated
Psalm
106 Eplilogue – Rest How lost and valued
Psalm 90
A prayer of Moses the man of God
Moses
Psalm
1:
LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 2:
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed
the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou
art God. 3:
Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of
men. 4:
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is
past, and as a watch in the night. 5:
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the
morning they are like grass which groweth up. 6:
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is
cut down, and withereth. 7:
For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
8:
Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the
light of thy countenance. 9:
For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as
a tale that is told. 10:
The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason
of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and
sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11:
Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so
is thy wrath. 12:
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom. 13:
Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy
servants. 14:
O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad
all our days. 15:
Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us,
and the years wherein we have seen evil. 16:
Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their
children. 17:
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou
the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish
thou it.
Today we are
reading Psalm 89 & 90. Psalm 89 is a teaching Psalm composed by
Ethan the Ezrahite. This Psalm of Ethan is an introduction to
blessings in the sanctuary. Ethan’s Psalm begins and ends with
eternal praises. Then we find that this Psalm has two verses in which
Ethan reminds the Lord of his covenant with David. And in both verses
he praises the Lords faithfulness. This Psalm has a prophetic touch
in which our minds are taken forward to the Messianic kingdom. Ethan
begins by saying that he will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever
and he will tell all future generations the faithfulness of the Lord.
This is not an idol wish but it is a real statement of purpose and of
course in the Kingdom Ethan will live forever to fulfil his
commitment. Ethan speaks the words of the Lord which he promised to
David. He says, The mercy of the Lord will be stored up forever and
the faithfulness of the Lord will be established even in the heavens.
The Lord says, I have made a covenant with my chosen one - even David
my servant. Some say, that this is referring to Christ but Christ is
never confused with David. The Christ is David’s son and Lord. And
this Psalm speaks about David’s seed that will be established for
ever and David’s throne will be established to all generations.
(While David had a seed - Christ has no natural seed.) Then Ethan
pauses the Psalm to contemplate this amazing prophecy. From v5-18
Ethan praises the Lord’s faithfulness. He says, all heaven will be
full of praise at the wonders of the Lord and the people of God will
praise the Lord’s faithfulness. Then he asks who is comparable to
the Lord? And who among the sons of the mighty can be compared to
him? The Lord is feared in the assembly of the saints and he is
reverenced by all who surround him. He says, O LORD God of hosts who
is as powerful and faithful as you? You rule the raging sea and you
still the waves (The calming of the storm in the life of Christ was a
Messianic sign and a Prophetic message) You have smashed Egypt and
scattered your enemies in your might. The heavens are yours and the
earth is yours. You founded the world and everything in it. (This
could never be said of King David, but it could be said of Christ)
You created north and south and the mountains of Tabor and Hermon
rejoice in your name. You have great power and strength. Justice and
judgment are found at the throne of Christ and mercy and truth will
be forever before you. The people of the Lord will be blessed as they
walk in joy in the light of Christ. They will be filled with the joy
of the Lord all day long and they will be raised up in righteousness,
because you are the glory of their strength. The Lord is our defence
and the Holy One of Israel is our king. This could only be said of
Christ because he is the Holy One of Israel yet the passage now
refers to David who in resurrection will rule as regent with Christ
in the kingdom. Then the psalmist says that David was exalted from
among the people. He was anointed with the holy oil. He will
establish the kingdom in the hand of God. The enemy and the wicked
will never touch him again. The Lord will defeat his foes and bring
plague on those who hate him. The faithfulness and mercy of God will
be with him. He will control the seas and the rivers. He will cry you
are my father, my God and the rock of my salvation. The Lord will
make him the possessor of the inheritance of the nations over all the
kings of the earth. The Lord will be merciful to him forever and the
Davidic covenant will stand secure forever. David’s children will
never be conquered and his throne will be as secure as heaven itself.
However if his children turn away from the law (in the Kingdom) and
do not keep the decisions of the judges then the Lord will bring
punishment on them, however the mercy of God will not be completely
taken away nor will the Lord allow his faithfulness to David to fail.
The Lord says I will not break my covenant with David. His seed will
live forever and his throne will outlive the sun. Even the moon will
stand as testimony to Gods promises. Think about that. From v38-51
Ethan deplores the Lords visitation on his people in judgment. He
says, but in spite of these exceedingly great promises yet you have
cast off your people and you have been disgusted with them. You have
been very angry with your anointed king. You have voided the covenant
of your servant and you have spoiled the crown by throwing it into
the dirt. You broke down all the hedges and destroyed the
strongholds. Everyone who passes by steals a little and all the
neighbours think little of him. The enemies of Israel are helped by
the Lord and they all rejoice at their victories. You have made his
sword of the king blunt and in battle the king cannot stand. The
king’s glory has come to an end and his throne is thrown down. You
made him an old man before his time and you have covered him in
shame. Think about that. How long says the Psalmist will you allow
this to continue? Will you hide your face forever? Will your wrath
burn forever? Remember Lord how brief my life is. You have made the
lives of men too short that they cannot accomplish anything. Who will
never die? Can he save himself from the grave? Think about that.
Lord, where are the blessings that you once gave us and which you
swore that you would give to David? Lord remember the shame of your
servants – how that I am shamed before all men. Ethan closes saying
May the Lord be blessed for evermore. Amen, Amen. This is the close
of the next section of the Psalms. Psalm 90 begins the next section
of the Psalms which relates to the fourth book of Moses – Numbers.
It begins with a prayer of Moses. In Psalm 90 Moses brings a prologue
to this part of the Psalms and he speaks of the rest that is lost and
sought after. He is speaking of what he knows - the restlessness of
the wilderness experience. He begins with the eternity of God and
follows with the frailty of men. And then he comments on the relation
between the two. He says in v1-2 that the Lord has been the home of
Israel in all the time Israel have lived and before the mountains
were created or even before the earth was formed, from eternity the
Lord is God. The Lord destroys men and causes them to return to dust.
A thousand years to the Lord is like the moments of unconscious
sleep. You carry men away like men in a flood. They are like a blade
of grass that comes up one morning and has died the next day. We are
consumed in the anger of the Lord and you Lord, trouble us in your
wrath. You show us our sins, even our secret sins are open to the
light of your presence. All our days have gone in your wrath and we
spend our days like a story that has been told. Our lives are just 70
years and if we are strong we might manage 80 years, yet in the best
days they are full of hard work and sorrow, and our days will soon be
gone and our spirits will fly away. Who knows the power of your
anger? Men fear you in direct proportion to your wrath. Therefore
Lord, teach us to count the days of our lives so that we might be
wise in their use. O Lord how long will you be before you return?
Will you change your mind about your servants? Lord, bring us
satisfaction by showing mercy to us – soon, so that we will be able
to rejoice and be full of joy all our days. Make us glad in direct
proportion to the length of the days of our troubles. May your work
grow and be a blessing to us and may your glory be on your children.
And may the beauty of the Lord be upon us and cause your work to be
established on us.
- How does Ethan describe the glories of the Covenant with David?
- What are some of the specific points of this Covenant?
- How does Moses speak to the Lord?
1
Bullingers
Companion Bible
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