For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Psalm 89:1-18

1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love for ever;
    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
    through all generations.
2 I will declare that your love stands firm for ever,
    that you have 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 for ever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.”’

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?
7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.
8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them.
10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
    with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;
    you founded the world and all that is in it.
12 You created the north and the south;
    Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
13 Your arm is endowed with power;
    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
    love and faithfulness go before you.
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
16 They rejoice in your name all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
17 For you are their glory and strength,
    and by your favour you exalt our horn.
18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,
    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

A. Find Out:

1. What two things does the psalmist speak about? v.1,2
2. Who had the Lord spoken what about? v.3,4
3. What characteristics are extolled in v.5-8?
4. What aspect of the Lord is extolled in v.9-13?
5. What characteristics are extolled in v.14?
6. How are people blessed with God? v.15-18

B. Think:

1. What characteristics of God are repeated again and again?
2. What point is being made in v.5-8 and then in v.9-13?
3. How are people able to be blessed with God?

C. Comment:

Because this is a large psalm we will take it in 3 parts. The difficulty of that is that the reason for the first part (v.1-18) doesn’t become clear until v.38 where it is clear that Israel has been severely disciplined by God.

In this first part there is a brief reference to the Lord having called David (v.3,4) into an everlasting covenant. That will be expanded upon in v.19-29 which we’ll see in the second part. So what are the primary characteristics of this first part? They are the constant references to the Lord’s love, justice and faithfulness. God’s love is referred to in v.1,2 & 14, while faithfulness is referred to in v.1,25,8 & 14. The emphasis is clearly on God’s faithfulness. it is almost as if the psalmist is having to convince himself of this characteristic of the Lord in the face of the calamity that, as yet, he daren’t bring out into the open.

In v.5-8 he emphasises the Lord’s greatness, a God who is greater than any other being. He expands that in v.9-13 reminding us that God created the world (v.11). Then he moves into a passage of praise and speaks of those who are blessed by acknowledging the Lord’s righteousness (v.16) and for whom the Lord is a shield (v.18)

In all this the psalmist recites what he knows to be true, yet in the back of his mind is the calamity which he doesn’t understand.

D. Application:

1. When we don’t understand what is happening, speak truth.
2. Hold to what you know of the Lord’s character.

Passage: Psalm 89:19-29

19 Once you spoke in a vision,
    to your faithful people you said:
‘I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
    I have raised up a young man from among the people.
20 I have found David my servant;
    with my sacred oil I have anointed him.
21 My hand will sustain him;
    surely my arm will strengthen him.
22 The enemy will not get the better of him;
    the wicked will not oppress him.
23 I will crush his foes before him
    and strike down his adversaries.
24 My faithful love will be with him,
    and through my name his horn will be exalted.
25 I will set his hand over the sea,
    his right hand over the rivers.
26 He will call out to me, “You are my Father,
    my God, the Rock my Saviour.”
27 And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,
    the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
28 I will maintain my love to him for ever,
    and my covenant with him will never fail.
29 I will establish his line for ever,
    his throne as long as the heavens endure.

A. Find Out:

1. What had the Lord said He had done? v.19,20
2. What did the Lord say He would do for him? v.21-24
3. How will he know the Lord? v.26
4. How will He appoint him? v.27
5. How long will the Lord love him? v.28
6. How long will his line last? v.29

B. Think:

1. Why had David become a king?
2. Why had he been victorious?
3. What security had he had about the future?

C. Comment:

Bear in mind that in the final part of this psalm, the psalmist is going to bring out his reservations about what has happened to Israel . In the first part, we saw previously, he declared basic truths about the Lord – that He is loving, faithful and just. This centre part is what makes the complaint or query that follows, so difficult. If God had said nothing about David or Israel ‘s future, what had happened would have been bad, but not so bad as it appears. This is very apposite for us, for we come to Christ and preachers declare such great things – and then it all goes wrong and we are left wondering about all that had been said. This, for this reason, is a very powerful psalm.

So, in this part we are reminded that David had been king because the Lord had called him, but He didn’t just call him, He said great things about him and about his future. The Lord said He would strengthen and sustain David (v.21), and He had. He said that David would overcome his enemies (v.22,23) – and he had. He said that David would have a close relationship with Him (v.26) – and he did. He said David would be the first of God’s kings and would be more glorious than others (v.27) – and he was. He said His love would always be upon David (v.28) and that he would be established for ever (v.29) – but now something has happened that puts a question over that last part. What has happened? See the next part!

D. Application:

1. Remember that whatever is happening isn’t the end of the story.
2. Ask God for wisdom if the way isn’t clear (Jas 1:2-5)

Passage: Psalm 89:30-52

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 for ever
    and his throne endure before me like the sun;
37 it will be established for ever like the moon,
    the faithful witness in the sky.’

38 But you have rejected, you have spurned,
    you have been very angry with your anointed one.
39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant
    and have defiled his crown in the dust.
40 You have broken through all his walls
    and reduced his strongholds to ruins.
41 All who pass by have plundered him;
    he has become the scorn of his neighbours.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
    you have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
    and have not supported him in battle.
44 You have put an end to his splendour
    and cast his throne to the ground.
45 You have cut short the days of his youth;
    you have covered him with a mantle of shame.

46 How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself for ever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how fleeting is my life.
    For what futility you have created all humanity!
48 Who can live and not see death,
    or who can escape the power of the grave?
49 Lord, where is your former great love,
    which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
50 Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked,
    how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
51 the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,
    with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

52 Praise be to the Lord for ever!
Amen and Amen.

A. Find Out:

1. What did God warn about David’s sons? v.30-32
2. What did He say He would not do? v.33,34
3. What did He reiterate? v.35-37
4. Yet what did the psalmist see had happened? v.38-45
5. What questions did he ask of the Lord? v.46,49
6. What did he ask the Lord to do? v.47,50,51

B. Think:

1. What were the two sides of what god had said?
2. Yet what did the psalmist feel had happened?
3. What do you think was the truth of the situation?

C. Comment:

There were times in the life of Israel ( Judah ) when God’s discipline on their ungodliness or their unrighteousness in the form of an enemy who oppressed them. The Exile was the ultimate of such times and surely each time it must have been difficult to hold onto the truth – God had a covenant with them and would not break it. What is also difficult to remember is that the covenant also involved Israel being chastised for their sins (v.30-32) but even though that may be happening, God would not remove His love from them (v.33) and would not forget His covenant with David (v.34-37)

When such a chastising came, it appeared as if God were rejecting His people (v.38), renounced His covenant (v.39), allowed an enemy to prevail (v.40-43) and put an end to his throne (v.44,45). Until God brought them through and restored them, there was always the question – is this the end of us?

Thus the psalmist cries out – and that is both natural and good – for the lord to come and end it and restore the people to Himself. How long will things go on? (v.47) If it goes on for too long I’ll never see the restoration (v.48). Where is that original love? (v.49). Look Lord, and see how the rest of the world taunts the people of God (v.50,51). Surely that can’t glorify the lord (implied), yet I will praise Him (v.52)

D. Application:

1. Turmoil, upheaval and misunderstanding are part of life.
2. They are times of testing and training (Jas 1:2-4)