Unfailing Joy
89:15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
To know the true character and glory of God's essence results in a corresponding joy unequaled by any other experience in life. It is unique in that it enables us who are finite to be joined to what is infinite. We who are born in imperfection may be joined to He who is perfectly glorious in every aspect of His being.
May God's mercy and kindness to fallible humanity fill all who have been touched with the joy this psalmist expresses (v. 1, 14, 24, 28). To get a glimpse of the transforming power and wisdom that is within God leaves us in awe of knowing Him, who, out of nothing, began all things. The space, time, matter, and a depth of design from the smallest cell to the expanse of the physical universe causes us to repeat the words of this psalmist, "For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord" (v. 5-7).
In the light of God's countenance we find One who is faithful and true to the outworking of His moral perfections expressed through His almighty power (v. 1, 8). Faithfulness surrounds all that God is. Therefore, discovering and meditating on the implication of who God is always sure to become a limitless resource in a fallen world known for its chaos.
However, logically working this through is no simple thing. We see this challenge in the frustrations expressed in this psalm. The psalmist cries out, "But You have cast off and abhorred, You have been furious with Your anointed" (v. 38). If God is so great, why has He allowed so much trouble to fall upon them (v. 38-51)? But the fact is that God's faithfulness is what brought upon Israel all the troubles it had experienced. God is not only faithful to His mercy but also to His judgments.
Israel as a nation had turned its back to the justice, love, and righteousness that God is and replaced Him with the false gods of the age. These "gods" were created by those who sought to create a supernatural validation for sin that would never be found in the light of God's countenance.
Ultimately, the psalmist reaffirms that God is "blessed to be the Lord forevermore" (v. 52). He will not change. He will remain true and faithful to His perfections, perfections that include limitless mercy if we will repent of what He can never bless and return to what He can bless—living in light of God's countenance.
In that moment of repentance, we will find again the joy of His countenance.
A Contemplation of Ethan the Ezrahite. 1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, "Mercy shall be built up forever;
Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens."
3 "I have made a covenant with My chosen,
I have sworn to My servant David:
4 'Your seed I will establish forever,
And build up your throne to all generations.'" Selah
5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?
7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.
8 O LORD God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9 You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
12 The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Mercy and truth go before Your face.
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
16 In Your name they rejoice all day long,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the LORD,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,
And said: "I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,
21 With whom My hand shall be established;
Also My arm shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 I will beat down his foes before his face,
And plague those who hate him.
24 "But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
25 Also I will set his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.
26 He shall cry to Me, 'You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.'
27 Also I will make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29 His seed also I will make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.
30 "If his sons forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they break My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their transgression with the rod,
And their iniquity with stripes.
33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him,
Nor allow My faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant I will not break,
Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
35 Once I have sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David:
36 His seed shall endure forever,
And his throne as the sun before Me;
37 It shall be established forever like the moon,
Even like the faithful witness in the sky." Selah
38 But You have cast off and abhorred,
You have been furious with Your anointed.
39 You have renounced the covenant of Your servant;
You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40 You have broken down all his hedges;
You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 All who pass by the way plunder him;
He is a reproach to his neighbors.
42 You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries;
You have made all his enemies rejoice.
43 You have also turned back the edge of his sword,
And have not sustained him in the battle.
44 You have made his glory cease,
And cast his throne down to the ground.
45 The days of his youth You have shortened;
You have covered him with shame. Selah
46 How long, LORD?
Will You hide Yourself forever?
Will Your wrath burn like fire?
47 Remember how short my time is;
For what futility have You created all the children of men?
48 What man can live and not see death?
Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave? Selah
49 Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses,
Which You swore to David in Your truth?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants—
How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples,
51 With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD,
With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.
52 Blessed be the LORD forevermore!
Amen and Amen.
In the Hebrew Bible, the Psalms are arranged in 5 sections or "books." Psalm 89 is the closing psalm of the third section. It was written at a time of great trouble, when the nation and its king, the descendent of David and bearer of God's promise, had been defeated by enemy nations.
This is a "royal psalm" about God's pact with the house of David. The key to the psalm is the word "faithfulness" (trustworthiness / dependability) that is repeated eight times, plus an additional two times in another form. In the face of troubles and suffering, it is easy to question God's commitment to fulfilling His promises, but the psalmist affirms his faith that God is dependable and will keep His covenant commitments even though the present situation of national catastrophe would seem to negate such a confidence.
Title – Ethan the Ezrahite is mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:6 as the brother of the writer of Psalm 88.
v. 1 With my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness – God's "faithfulness" in the Bible refers to His commitment to fulfilling His promises to His people, His trustworthy "covenant love."
to all generations – Scripture emphasizes that it is vitally important for one generation to make God's love and character known to the next.
v. 2 Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens – God's trustworthiness is not rooted in any temporary or passing ability or whim on His part, but stands forever firm.
v. 3 I have made a covenant – The poet now makes the decisive connection between God's "faithfulness" and His solemn promise to David that He would establish his dynasty forever. The next 33 verses (v. 5-37) of the psalm consider what this means and celebrate God's dependability, setting the background for the psalmist's protest to God over the catastrophe that has engulfed the nation and its king from David's line.
v. 5 the heavens will praise – Consider God's faithfulness in creating the world; according to the Bible, God's act of creating order out of the formless void (Gen. 1:1- 2) was in itself a victory over the forces of chaos and darkness.
v. 6 Who in the heavens can be compared – "Sons of the mighty" is literally translated sons of the gods. In Israel's poetry, the exact status of the "gods" of other nations was sometimes ambiguous. At times, they were viewed as beings that God used to administrate the world (i.e., angels); at other times, as malignant evil powers or as "nothing." However, there is never any doubt that the Lord alone is the incomparable God, ruler of all things (v. 7).
v. 8 O Lord, God of hosts – God of the heavenly armies
v. 9 You rule the raging of the sea…You have broken Rahab in pieces – The raging sea was viewed a picture for Israel of the forces of chaos and destruction. God shows His power and faithfulness by placing firm boundaries to them. Rahab was a poetic reference to the "sea monster" of Canannite mythology; it was sometimes also used as a symbol of the power of Egypt, the "superpower" nation of the time. For the poet, there is not a shadow of doubt that God is Master over all these forces.
v. 11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them – The basis of God's rule is the fact that He is the Maker, the one who created and established all things.
v. 12 The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name – "Tabor" and "Hermon" are mountains in or near Israel; God's role as the Creator has not ended, He continues to rule over the world He has made.
v. 13 You have a mighty arm…Your hand…Your right hand – Hebrew thinking, in contrast to a more Greek approach, always emphasizes concrete images instead of abstract concepts; the Old Testament will speak of God's "mighty arm" instead of His "omnipotence," for instance.
v. 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne – This is the foundation of government by law in Israel (and anywhere else!): even God's rule is not arbitrary, based only upon His raw power. God's administration of the universe is in harmony with His just and righteous nature…i.e., who He truly is.
Mercy and truth go before Your face – It is a fundamental biblical principle that God's kindness and mercy are never at the expense of His truth.
v. 15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! – The blast of the horn calling everyone to worship in God's House.
They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance – God's countenance, literally translated "face," is a concrete expression for His presence. God told Abraham, for instance, to "walk before" Him (literally: "before My face") in complete integrity his entire life (Gen. 17:1).
v. 18 Our shield belongs to the Lord, and our king to the Holy One of Israel – In Hebrew poetry, the king is sometimes pictured as the "shield" of the nation.
v. 19 spoke – narrates in poetic language God's establishment of His covenant with David and his descendants
to Your holy one – chasid (Heb.) to Your faithful ones. It is not David who is being addressed but God's people.
'I have given help to one who is mighty' – Literally, a "champion," i.e. David
v. 20 I have found my servant David; with My holy oil I have anointed him – First Samuel 16:1-13 records the secret anointing of David by the prophet Samuel. Anointing with sacred oil was the recognized way of consecrating and setting apart someone for a special task or office, especially as king, high priest, or prophet.
v. 21 with whom My hand shall be established – Better translated, "My hand will hold him firm," which also makes better sense in parallel to the second half of the verse: "My arm shall strengthen him".
v. 22 the son of wickedness – i.e., a wicked and depraved person
v. 23 I will beat down his foes before his face – Literally, "I will crush (grind down) his foes in his presence" (v. 15, where God's face stands for His presence).
v. 24 My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him – Once again, the poet stresses God's faithfulness to His promises to David and his heirs.
in My name his horn shall be exalted – God's Name represents His entire person and character. A horn is symbol of strength and status.
v. 25 His hand – an image of imperial dominion
over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers – The sea and the rivers reflect the borders of the land promised to Abraham and his descendents.
v. 26 He shall cry to Me, 'You are my Father'…also I will make him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth – The heirs of David were to have a special and intimate relationship with God; this is fulfilled most explicitly in Jesus, whose "Sonship" extends to much more than just dynastic protection by God. Jesus could say, "I and the Father are One!" (John 10:30).
v. 28 My mercy…My covenant shall stand firm with him – Again, the psalmist emphasizes the "treaty" commitment God has to the Davidic king.
v. 30 If his sons – In these verses, the psalmist juxtaposes the unconditional promise of God to bless David's descendents with the fact that any particular king or generation sharing in this blessing is conditional upon faith and an obedient walk with God: "If his sons forsake My law…break My statutes and do not keep My commandments, then I will punish their transgression".
v. 33 Nevertheless My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail – In spite of the judgments that fall upon disobedience, God's promise to David will never expire. God will never betray His faithfulness.
v. 34 My covenant I will not break – This is the bedrock foundation of faith: God will never break His promise to His people.
v. 36 His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me – This promise is ultimately fulfilled in the Person and reign of Jesus, the final Davidic king.
the sun…the moon – By day or by night, God has designated witnesses in the heavens of the abiding pact between Him and the house of David.
v. 37 Selah. – Marks a clear division in the poem. From this point onward, the poet turns his attention to the present devastation that has come upon Israel and her Davidic king (v. 38-45). Thus begins the great "contradiction": how could God, in the face of all His promises to David, allow the tragedies of defeat humiliation to flood over His anointed king and his people? The psalmist has laid out his case already in v. 30-37: the temporal blessings are conditional upon walking in God's ways.
v. 38 Cast off – forcefully rejected
abhorred – despise or spurn
Your anointed – the Davidic king
v. 39 You have renounced the covenant of Your servant – God has suspended the pact He made with the Davidic monarch.
You have profaned his crown by casting it to the ground – The holy royal crown was treated as a common and profane thing.
v. 40 You have broken down all his hedges – The walls of the cities lie in ruins.
You have brought his strongholds to ruin – The fortresses of the land are in ruins.
v. 41 All who pass by the way plunder him – In ancient times, a city with broken walls lay defenseless. Notice that the king is the personification of the nation; "he" is the one being plundered.
He is a reproach to his neighbors – The nation is totally disgraced in the eyes of the surrounding nations.
v. 43 turned back the edge of his sword – All military options failed.
v. 44 You have made his glory cease – You put an end to his splendor.
cast his throne – the royal throne was hurled from its platform by the enemy.
v. 45 The days of his youth You have shortened – This marks the end of the poet's review of the tragedy that has befallen the nation. He will now turn to a heartfelt plea to God to intervene (vv. 46-51).
v. 46 How long, Lord? – This is the plea of the people of God through the ages: When will You intervene, Lord, and stop this evil?
Will You hide Yourself forever? – It seems to the poet that God has deliberately hidden Himself in the face of these tragic events.
Will Your wrath burn like fire? – The mind of the hearers would probably be reminded of the incidents in the wilderness wanderings, when God's fire of judgment raged in the camp (Num. 11:1-3; 16:35).
v. 47 Recall how short my time is – The psalmist pleads for mercy on the basis that because human life is so fleeting and transitory, why should God persist in bringing misery and dishonor upon him?
Futility – Emptiness, pointlessness; in the face of death every human boasting or striving loses its significance.
v. 48 What man can live and not see death? – The certainty of death is inescapable.
v. 49 Your former lovingkindness – Focus on the specific petition of the psalmist: He reminds God of His covenant kindness that He pledged to David and begs Him to "remember" the plight of the nation and its king.
v. 51 Your enemies have reproached, O Lord…they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed – The poet reminds God that the enemies of the king are, ultimately, His enemies, too; they have reviled God's rule, for the king is truly God's anointed.
v. 52 Blessed be the Lord forevermore! Amen and amen. – This verse is not actually part of the poet's prayer, but marks the conclusion of the third book of the Psalms.
Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance. –Psalm 89:15
It is a mighty thing, Lord, to know that You are patiently waiting to be more in our lives. That You, Lord, who created this entire world, whose glory shines so brightly that no one can look upon it, want to be with us, to bless us and give us the joy and peace that comes from knowing You. Thank You, Lord.
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