Psalms 89:1

PSALM 89

THE END OF THE DAVIDIC DYNASTY WAS NOT UNDERSTOOD BY ISRAEL

The occasion for this psalm was the conquest of Jerusalem, the capture of king Jehoiachin, his deportation to Babylon along with Daniel and many other able Hebrews, and the enthronement of the puppet king Zedekiah, a vassal of Nebuchadnezzar. A number of able scholars agree on this.

The statement in Psalms 89:45 that God had shortened the days of the youth of the king and covered him with shame may refer to Jehoiachin who was only 18 years old when carried away captive,[1] - The whole tone of the psalm suggests that it was written when the kingdom was toppling to ruin, or perhaps even after its fall.[2] - The days of ... Zedekiah, just before the fall of Jerusalem seem to fit the situation.[3] - The humiliation Of a king was probably that of Jehoiachin.[4] - The occasion is the defeat and deposition of a Judean king ... many think Jehoiachin, probably in the early sixth century B.C.[5]

The psalm starts off like a song of praise to God (Psalms 89:1-18), after which there follows a rehearsal of God's marvelous promises to David regarding the kingdom to be established "forever" (Psalms 89:19-37); but quite abruptly in Psalms 89:38 the psalm changes into a lament, in terminology that borders on the nature of a reproach against God and a charge that he has failed to keep his promises to Israel. That attitude of vigorous complaint prevails throughout Psalms 89:38-45. Then there comes an urgent plea for God to intervene and restore to Israel the glories to which they believed themselves entitled by the ancient promises of God.

Psalms 89:52 is no part of this psalm but forms the doxology concluding Book III of the Psalter.

By far, the most important verse in the whole psalm is Psalms 89:37 which indicates that the everlasting "throne of David" is not an earthly throne at all. The promises to the Davidic dynasty upon which Israel had so enthusiastically rested their expectations were never to be fulfilled in the literal earthly dynasty of David, the whole institution of the Davidic kingdom being merely typical in a very feeble way of the glorious kingdom of the Messiah, even Jesus Christ, who today is sitting upon the "spiritual throne of David" in heaven itself. See full discussion of all this under Psalms 89:37.

Psalms 89:1-4

INTRODUCTION

"I will sing of the lovingkindness of Jehovah forever:

With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

For I have said, Mercy shall be built up forever;

Thy faithfulness wilt thou establish in the very heavens.

I have made a covenant with my chosen,

I have sworn unto David my servant:

Thy seed will I establish forever,

And build up thy throne to all generations."

The first two verses here are the pledge of the psalmist to sing the praises of God forever; and Psalms 89:2-4 are a summary of 2 Samuel 7, the key passage of the Scriptures in which God through the prophet Nathan made the glorying promises presented here. The entire psalm is related to God's promise of an everlasting kingdom, through the posterity of David.

Apparently, the thought never entered either the mind of David himself, or that of any other Israelite, that the kingdom God promised was not a kingdom of this world, but a SPIRITUAL kingdom. The entire conception of an earthly kingdom of Israel was sinful in its inception, absolutely contrary to God's will, and constituting, through Israel's demand that they should have such a kingdom, Israel's rejection of God Himself (1 Samuel 8:7).

In this light it appears to us as wholly the fault of Israel that they should have believed that "the everlasting kingdom" which God promised them would be any kind of a literal earthly monarchy. God told them at the very beginning of that earthly kingdom they so much desired just exactly what such a kingdom would be like. See 1 Samuel 8:10-18.

The tragic blindness of the chosen people to this one great epic truth is one of the most incredible mistakes any people ever made. Their refusal to believe God's Word about this was the root cause of their rejection of the true Messiah when he finally appeared.