We all like to see a promise made to us fulfilled, whether it is one made by our parents or other relative, a friend, our employer, or a politician. It can be very disappointing when, after a long period of time, we see no answer. That can even cause anger and/or bitterness to arise. The worst is when we feel that God has not kept His promises. However, most of God’s promises are not ones that are made today and fulfilled tomorrow. God’s timetable is one that extends for years, for generations. Today’s psalm speaks of one such promise, or covenant, that the Lord made with King David. Let’s see what this entailed, and why it is important to us today.
Psalm 89 was written by Ethan the Ezrahite. Not much is known about Ethan. However the one psalm he wrote describes the great covenant promise that God made to King David, called the Davidic Covenant. The background of this great covenant is found in II Samuel 7. After becoming king of Israel, David built himself several grand and luxurious palaces, as would be expected of a successful and wealthy king. Then, as he observed that the Ark of the Covenant continued to reside in the tents of the Tabernacle, David was disturbed. How could it be, that he resided in a palace while God resided in a tent?! David told God that he would build Him a great Temple. God told him no, because he was a man of war, yet one of his sons, who would be king after him, would build the Temple. God proceeds to promise David that his house and royal line will last forever.
David had numerous children, and the throne was passed on to his son Solomon. Solomon’s descendants continued to sit upon the throne of Judah for many generations, until the time of the Babylonian captivity. By the time of the New Testament, there hadn’t been someone from David’s line on a throne in Jerusalem for many, many years, generations even. And now, 2,000 years later, there is no throne, no king, and no indication of there ever being one. So what happened to that promise of a royal line lasting forever?
As we look into these verses of Psalm 89, let’s see how God’s covenant has been kept. We’ll see that God means what He says, and His covenants and promises stand. As our Scripture opens, we see that God chose David (vs. 19). He had chosen David years earlier when he was a young shepherd boy, and now He chose his line to endure forever. This was fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ, a descendant of David’s, the ultimate “mighty one” whom God has exalted. Through His foster father Joseph, Jesus is the legal descendant of King David, which we read in the genealogy in Matthew 1:1-16. And in case anyone might say that since Jesus wasn’t the biological son of Joseph, and that genealogy didn’t count, we have the genealogy of Mary in Luke 3:23-38, which shows that she, too, was a descendant of David’s.
Jesus was chosen out of the people so that He might know our wants and sympathize with us. In all of our sorrow we have His sympathy. Jesus knows our temptations, pain, disappointment, weakness, weariness, and poverty. He has felt them all (Hebrews 4:15). Wherever we go, in every place, He has been our forerunner. Each burden we have to carry has once been laid on His shoulders. Jesus was chosen out of the people so that He might be able to be our brother in the tie of kindred blood. We can say we have a brother in heaven, a brother who is rich and a King!
Though God did protect David and his royal line from enemy conquest for several generations, their continued sins made conquest inevitable (vs. 22-23). However, this was ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, who will rule without opposition in His millennial kingdom. God Himself fights for His anointed, and victory belongs to Jesus. He will subdue all enemies at His return (Revelation 19).
Verse 24 speaks of two covenant attributes - faithfulness, and mercy/steadfast love. These two attributes of God upheld and blessed the Davidic line. We also see these completely embodied in the Lord Jesus. In verse 25 we see a vast kingdom alluded to, with expanded dominion and broad authority. David never ruled a worldwide kingdom, so this also points forward to Christ’s universal reign. Both David and Jesus acknowledge God as their Father and the source of salvation (vs. 26). Jesus uniquely fulfills this relationship (John 5:19-23).
We read that God’s chosen will be made the “firstborn” (vs. 27). This is referring to a position of preeminence, not of birth order, as neither David or his son Solomon were firstborn. They became “firstborn” in rank. Jesus is “the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15), meaning supreme over all.
God extends His covenant mercy forever (vs. 28). It is eternal, unbreakable, and rooted in His character, not our human performance. His promises do not fail, even when His people do. He has promised that David’s line will endure forever, which it has through Jesus Christ (vs 29). This covenant promise endures because of God’s faithfulness, not because of man’s. Every promise here reached its climax in the Lord Jesus. Even when circumstances seem to contradict the promise, God’s Word remains sure. We can trust God’s promises, even when circumstances look bleak. He is faithful to His covenant.
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