ANOINTED FOR AN EVERLASTING THRONE.
Psalm 89:20-37.
(I) The LORD's Anointed.
Psalm 89:20-26.
Psalm 89:20. “David my servant” becomes the LORD’s anointed. David is a type of our Lord. Jesus is also “anointed” (as the title ‘Christ’ indicates), and Jesus is the Servant of the LORD par excellence (cf. Mark 10:45).
Psalm 89:21. It is only by God’s “hand” + “arm” (= strength) that David is a victor. There is a little refrain, ‘and the LORD preserved David wherever he went’ (cf. 2 Samuel 8:6b and 2 Samuel 8:14b). Jesus became a victor by submitting His will to the LORD, ‘and there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him’ (cf. Luke 22:42-43).
Psalm 89:22. Because of the LORD, enemies would be unable to stand before David (cf. 2 Samuel 7:9-10). The “wicked” would no longer be able to afflict him, or his people. Jesus has overcome even the ‘last enemy’, which is death (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:26), on behalf of His people.
Psalm 89:23. Mr C. H. Spurgeon suggests, ‘God Himself thus fights the battles of His Son, and effectually overturns His foes’ (Treasury of David).
Psalm 89:24a. “My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him.” This connects back to the covenant language of Psalm 89:1-2. The faithfulness of the LORD undergirds all of his dealings with His people.
Psalm 89:24b. David is ‘exalted.’ Jesus is ‘exalted’ above all (cf. Philippians 2:9-11).
Psalm 89:25. The picture here is of the sway that David would have in an Empire which should stretch from the Mediterranean “sea” to the Euphrates “river.” This is a type of Christ’s dominion ‘from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth’ (cf. Psalm 72:8).
Psalm 89:26. David “shall” cry to the LORD, “my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.” Jesus would address the LORD as His “Father” often in prayer. David never did, nor anyone in the Old Testament: but we can (cf. Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6-7).
Jesus addressed the LORD as “my God” when on the Cross (cf. Mark 15:34).
Jesus is THE Son of God (Mark 1:11; Mark 9:7), and we are sons in Him (cf. Galatians 3:26). HE is “the rock of our salvation,” and David’s too (cf. 2 Samuel 22:47). ‘Neither is there salvation found in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved’ (cf. Acts 4:12).
(II) An Everlasting Throne.
Psalm 89:27-37.
There is a tension in this Psalm, between the LORD’s promise of an everlasting dynasty for the line of David (Psalm 89:3-4; Psalm 89:28), and the complaint of the Psalmist (Psalm 89:38). However, the LORD’s “Nevertheless” (Psalm 89:33) trumps the complainant’s “But” (Psalm 89:38). The chastening of the LORD is given little mention (Psalm 89:30-32) when compared with the number of times, and ways, in which the LORD reasserts the permanency of the promise.
Psalm 89:27. “I will make him (my) firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.” Thus was David, the youngest son of Jesse, exalted to an unexpected place and privilege. It anticipates Jesus: Mary’s firstborn son (Matthew 1:25); ‘the firstborn from the dead’ (Revelation 1:5); ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’ (Revelation 19:16).
Psalm 89:28a. My mercy - “FOR EVERMORE.” Think of the number of times when the line of David was almost completely exterminated (e.g. 2 Kings 11:1-2). Yet it was not to be, and even through the exile the royal line survived (cf. Matthew 1:16-17).
Psalm 89:28b. “My covenant shall STAND FAST with him.” With David, yes - but ultimately with Jesus, whose blood seals for us the new covenant (Matthew 26:28). Covenant mercy flows to us from Jesus, the anointed One.
Psalm 89:29. His seed - “FOR EVER”; his throne “AS THE DAYS OF HEAVEN.” Jesus is the seed of David, ruling in heaven Psalm 110:1). And we who are ‘in Christ’ (Ephesians 1:4) rule with Him (Ephesians 2:6).
So what are we to make of Psalm 89:30-32? It is straightforward enough: royal privilege also carries with it a responsibility towards the LORD, and IF David’s sons fail in this, they will be disciplined (cf. Hebrews 12:6). Again and again this happened, and at last resulted in the Exile.
Psalm 89:33. What a relief, then, to hear the LORD’s “NEVERTHELESS my loving kindness (my hesed) will I NOT UTTERLY take from him, NOR SUFFER my faithfulness to fail.” The LORD reaffirms His own “faithfulness” (cf. Psalm 89:24) towards David in not annihilating his seed.
Psalm 89:34. So, despite their having broken His covenant, the LORD will not repay in kind: “MY COVENANT WILL I NOT BREAK, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” (cf. Numbers 23:19).
Psalm 89:35. “Once I have sworn by my holiness that I WILL NOT LIE TO DAVID.” We read elsewhere that when God makes a promise, because He can swear by no greater, He swears by Himself (Hebrews 6:13). Because He does this, we must surely know that there is no doubt about the matter.
Psalm 89:36-37. “His seed shall endure FOR EVER, and his throne AS THE SUN BEFORE ME. It shall be established AS THE MOON, and (as) A FAITHFUL WITNESS IN HEAVEN.” David’s line continues in Jesus, and in Jesus’ people (Isaiah 8:18; 2 Timothy 2:12).
As for the tension, it is resolved when we consider Jesus, the singular Seed who was yet to come: the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15); the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16); and the seed of David (Romans 1:3).
