GOD’S COVENANT FAITHFULNESS LAUDED

Lesson 13

Psalm 89

At first glance it would not seem that Psalm 89 belongs to the Messianic Psalms. It does not refer to a specific instance in the life of Christ. However, it is based to a large extent on II Samuel 7 where promises are made to David and to his kingly house. I do not agree with Dr. Alexander when he says that all the Messianic Psalms are based on II Samuel 7, but the words there spoken to David certainly refer to the Christ too. It can, of course, also be said that every Psalm is Messianic because all of the Old Testament refers to the Christ. However, we are then using the term Messianic Psalms in a different broader sense.

God’s Covenant with David

Psalm 89 cannot be treated in a short lesson, but this lesson will deal in a general way with the entire Psalm. This Psalm, which is well known in the Dutch versification, is tremendously rich in thought. It deals with the covenant which God had made with David and his house. That is the covenant which God has made with His people since the days of Abraham. That is the covenant in which we still rejoice to the present day if we have the proper Biblical understanding of it. This covenant is eternal! This covenant will stand! The God of the covenant has sworn with an oath that He will be faithful to the promise He has made to His people. Now, in time, it seems as though that covenant is no longer honored. Psalm 89 deals with the problem of the apparent failure of its promises to be fulfilled. All of the promises included in the covenant could not be realized in David and his house. They point even farther into the future when David’s great Son will come and will rule forever.

The poet begins this beautiful Psalm by singing of the lovingkindness of his God. He is the God of lovingkindness and of mercy. The faithfulness of this God is established in the heavens. He is not only the God who is able to do great things, He is trustworthy. He is not only the Creator and Sustainer of all things; He loves His people. Of that quality of His God He wishes to sing. He wants to do this with a loud voice so that men everywhere may hear it: This God, the God of David, the God of the covenant, will not disappoint His people! Having said this, the Psalmist quotes the words of II Samuel 7. He has made His promises to David. They are well-known. The Psalmist now gives a commentary on the words God spoke in II Samuel 7:5ff. Such comment on earlier prophecy is often found in the Scriptures, as when the New Testament frequently quotes the Old. The poet lays the emphasis on the “establishing” of the seed of David and on the “building” of his throne. When we have seen verse 4 in this light, we are able to understand the following verses.

God Guarantees His Promises

This God is Himself the Surety for the words which He spoke to David. The Psalm speaks of the greatness of that God. No one in the skies is to be compared with Him. He is greater than all others and is therefore to be feared by all creatures, but He is also the faithful One. He is faithful to Himself and is also faithful in the words which He has spoken. Men can depend on Him.

None in the heavens is to be compared with Him and there is also no one on earth who is equal to Him. He demonstrates His great power on the earth. When the waters threaten to engulf the land mass, He rebukes them and they are stilled! Whenever any rose up against Him, He utterly vanquished them. Everything belongs to Him because He has made it.

But, we are not only dealing with an all-powerful God. This is indeed important and will comfort His people again and again. He is also the God who has the highest ethical standards. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. He is always true to the “laws” which govern His own being. He also honors the laws which H e has established in all the things which He has made. It is therefore unthinkable that He would not fulfill the promise which He made to David and to his seed. Justice flows forth from His righteousness. He Himself is the standard for the true justice among men. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne, i.e., if these fail, His throne cannot stand. Lovingkindness and truth go before His face: that lovingkindness by which He stoops to provide for the needs of His people and which finds its most glorious. fulfillment .in His forgiving love; and His truth so that men may depend on Him and be confident that He will ever be true to His word and His promise. Thus it becomes evident that the people of God may base their confidence on His very being! This is what Moses did! Others followed him herein. God’s people can therefore rejoice in their God. They have heard and know “the joyful sound.” They walk in the light of His countenance. He, their God, is their strength; He is their glory; He is everything to them. No one will be able to conquer Israel, the people of God, because their God is their Protector. He is their defense, their shield! How blessed is a people that stands in covenant relation with the God of gods!

Promises to David

The Psalmist now reminds his God of the rich promises He had made in the past. He is, no doubt, referring again to the promises contained in II Samuel 7. There the Lord had made it very clear that He would build the house of David. He had chosen David even though this one seemed to be the least in Jesse’s house. God had highly exalted him. He had anointed him king. Others may rise against him in battle but they will not prevail because God will be his strength. He will be blest to such an extent that the blessing will remind the people of the words of Psalm 72 which speaks of the kingdom of David extending from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth. Although David was the youngest of Jesse’s sons, God will make him His firstborn. He will have a place higher than any of the surrounding kings. That little Israel will see glory days during the time of king David.

They Will Be Fulfilled

These benefits are due to the fact that God has entered into covenant relation with David and with his children. There may come a time when his children (or he) will sin. Then the justice of God will demand that this sin be punished. He is a God of justice. Nevertheless, He will not take His lovingkindness from David! This is the important sentence and thought in this entire paragraph. God says that He has sworn an oath to this effect. He will not lie to David. That covenant is an eternal covenant and therefore it will continue with the seed of David throughout their generations. Nothing will thwart His purposes and nothing will cut off His relationship with David and his seed. It will last as long as the moon and the sun. God’s relationship to His people is permanent!

The Promises Appear Unfulfilled

The poet has reminded God of the things He had promised because he seeks to know the reason for the present difficulty in which the people of God find themselves. We do not know the time in which t his Psalm was written, but it was written in a time in which it seemed as though all the blessings had been taken away from Israel and all possible difficulties had overcome them. Did this occur because this people had sinned? No, the writer has reminded God that He had sworn that even though David’s seed should sin this would never break the bond of the covenant which He had laid between Himself and His people! It is too easy a solution to say that the reason for the present ills is the sin which has been committed. When the reader sees the way in which the Psalmist describes the present situation and the responsibility which God has taken upon Himself in II Samuel 7, he almost holds his breath in wondering whether or not this writer is going to accuse God of breaking His oath!

Notice, the writer speaks of the fact that God has cast off His people. That He has abhorred the covenant with His servant! He has cast the crown of David to the ground. And this was the crown which was going to flourish forever! His strongholds are broken down. Others rob him and reproach him. His enemies are gaining the upper hand and they are defeating him, despite the promise that he would conquer all his foes. He is not able to stand in battle against his enemies. His glory is departed and his throne is cast down. Shame covers the man who had been chosen of God as His servant, as His friend, as the man after His own heart!

A Prayer for Fulfillment of God’s Promises

How long will this continue? Is Jehovah’s wrath going to burn against His own covenant people forever? These are the questions which this Psalmist asks. To them there are no cheap answers. Job’s friends have experienced that.

But, the author is still a Psalmist. He sings. He bas sung of the lovingkindness of Jehovah in the past, and he will still sing even though his heart is burdened and his mind finds no answers. His song is a prayer. He prays that this exhibition of Jehovah’s disfavor may not last too long. Let it not last because man has few days. If the favor of God is not seen soon, it will arrive too late for the man who has so few days. The writer also reminds his God of the lovingkindnesses which He had sworn to David in the past. Let them now be seen again. So only can it become clear to the one who is struggling with the deepest problems of life that these words have indeed been spoken to David and that they are also for him. The Lord must also see the reproach of His people. While they .are going through the suffering of the present difficult times they feel the reproach of the unbelievers. But, this is not a reproach which ends with His people! No, these reproaches are then also leveled at their Lord, don’t let that happen! The writer is concerned about the good name of his God. The covenant God has spoken. He has sworn to the truth of His promises.

In this Psalm the author pours out his heart. He indeed rejoices in the glorious fact t hat he belongs to that people with whom God has made a covenant. He is the faithful covenant God. Innumerable blessings come to him through that relationship. All the problems of life can also be faced when he trusts in that covenant. 

God’s anger has been turned away. Messiah came to fulfill the covenant. He took His people’s sins upon Himself. He bore the wrath of God. “Blessed be Jehovah forevermore. Amen and Amen.”

Questions for discussion:

1. God made a covenant between Himself and Abraham. This covenant was reaffirmed time and again during sacred history. Are we able to understand God‘s dealings with His people apart from the covenant? Are we able to understand the Bible if we don’t recognize His covenant relationship to His people? 2. What is the covenant of grace? Who are members of it? Give reasons for your answers. 3. Does it seem as though God has forgotten His covenant promises at times? Is it not significant that the Bible often deals with this question? 4. What happens to the responsibility of those who are members of the covenant? Is their responsibility like that of others or greater? Is their punishment, if they do not repent, equal to or greater than that of others? 5. The Psalmist pleads his case on the veracity of God’s promises. He realizes that the reproaches which fall on him also fall on God. Moses pleaded with God to hear him “for thy great name’s sake.” What can we learn from this for our own prayer life? 6. Despite the problems of life (spiritual problems), this Psalmist can sing. What is the reason for this? Should the Psalms be our “praise selections,” or can we use other passages just as profitably?    

MESSIAH, THE PRIEST-KING

Lesson 14

Psalm 110

If there is a question whether some of the Psalms should be regarded as Messianic, it is obvious that this Psalm is Messianic from beginning to end. There is no other Psalm which is quoted as often in the New Testament as 110. Here glorious things are spoken of the Christ who is to come. Among them are certain elements which are not found in any of the other Messianic Psalms.

Whose Son Is He?

The Psalmist begins immediately with an assertion concerning the Messiah which is seldom heard in the Old Testament. It is a word to which Jesus refers in Matt. 22:43–44 and Mark 12:36–37. In these two passages the question is raised by Jesus what the leaders of the Jews think concerning the parentage of the Christ. “Whose Son is He”? This fundamental question must be answered. If men do not know whose Son He is, they will never know Him. This question is therefore basic to all the other questions which may be asked concerning the nature of the Messiah who is to come. The answer seems to be very easy for these teachers to find. Of course, He is the Son of David! Since He is indeed the Son of David, how do you interpret the first verse of Psalm 110? says Jesus. David there spoke of Him as his Lord. Who calls his own son, Lord? Regardless of how high a position the son may hold in this world, his father will not call him Lord! This is the riddle which they will have to answer. Jesus does not deny that the Messiah is David’s Son, but He shows them that He is more!

At God’s Right Hand

Not only is there the question how David can call Him Lord when He is his Son, but the Lord has also said to Him: Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. If Israel is to have the proper conception of the Messiah who is coming, they must unravel all the difficulties of Psalm 110. Where else does one find such a clear prophecy of the session of Christ at the right hand of God? This Messiah is not only coming to enthrone Himself in Jerusalem and from thence rule over all the enemies of Israel. No, He will be far greater than that. He will occupy the place of superior honor and might. He will be seated at the right hand of the greatest power. The teachers of Israel realized the protocol which was involved in these words. If He is to sit at the right hand of Jehovah, He must be equal with Jehovah.

VIctor in War

Here, as elsewhere, the Old Testament refers to the coming of Messiah as a coming to battle. People are not waiting anxiously for Him to come and reveal His salvation. They spurn it. They don‘t want it because they don’t believe they need it. Their hostile reaction is old. Since Genesis God has placed enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. That is the initial format of the antithesis! When Messiah comes, He will engage in warfare. Christ also tells the people of His day that He has not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matt. 10:34). But, men always reply by appealing to the words of Isaiah that He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus answers that you must have an entirely different view of peace from that which the world has (John 14:27). Jehovah tells Him that He will sit at His right hand until Jehovah has made His enemies His footstool. He will be victorious! There is no doubt about that. His enemies shall be put under His feet. These words are already ·Spoken long before He has even come down to the earth.

This theme is continued in a somewhat different form in the following verses. The rod, the sceptre, of His kingdom and power shall be sent forth out of Zion. Zion is His dwelling place. From there the power will be wielded and the orders will proceed. He will rule in the midst of His enemies. No one shall be able to withstand Him. He will rule over them and will rule right in their midst. Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness . . . He was preached among the nations . . . He was believed on in the world! (I Tim. 3:16).

His Army

When the Lord comes to wage war against His enemies, He will indeed come with mighty host. The armies of the Lord cannot be counted. The beautiful character of their service, says the Psalmist, is that they are not draftees, but they are all volunteers! They will come, not dressed in common soldier’s fatigue clothing, but they will come with the dress clothes of victory. As though they are going to a feast! Why? Because the victory is assured before they begin to fight! Look who is at the head of the column! It is the Messiah! The Holy One of God. The One who is equal with God. Their youthful strength shall flow to them as the dew of the morning. The dew was important in Palestine because of its semi-arid condition. The people understood the meaning of this figure of speech. The army which fights at His side will have their strength and their youth renewed again every morning.

The Eternal Priest-King

“Messiah-The Priest-King,” is the theme above this outline. This is based primarily on the words found in verse 4, “Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” Melchizedek is a very strange figure in the sacred history. There is a passing reference made to him in Gen. 14:18 when he meets Abraham after the slaughter of the kings. It is then said that he was king of Salem (Jerusalem) and a priest of the Most High. Psalm 110:4 again refers to him and on these two passages in the Old Testament the writer of the letter to the Hebrews bases a lo~g and important argument concerning the offices of Christ (Hebrews 5 and 7). It was Impossible for anyone to be both a priest and a king in Israel. Why? Because the king had to come from the tribe of Judah and the priest from the tribe of Levi. However, to be the true Messiah, the Christ had to be both priest and king as well as a prophet. How can these things be? The author of Hebrews explains that he was not of the tribe of Levi and therefore not a priest after the order of Aaron, but he was the priest of God according to the order of Melchizedek. This Melchizedek was both a king and a priest. He was in office long before the tribe of Levi lived, in fact, the great-grandfather of Levi gave gifts to this Melchizedek. He was a priest of the Most High, but this was according to an original priesthood, and not one which is after the order of Aaron. Levi’s tribe had become priests because of the entrance of sin into the world. The priesthood of Jesus Christ goes back much farther than Levi’s. Melchizedek comes on the scene in a strange manner. Nothing is heard of him until Abraham meets him. Nothing is heard of him after that. He seems indeed to be: “. . . without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like unto the Son of God, (He) abideth a priest continually” (Heb. 7:3). Similarly, Christ will be a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

That this is a very important consideration ought to be clear to everyone. We need a Priest! We need Him to make the sacrifice for us. We need Him as the Pascal Lamb. We need Him to make intercession for us with the Father. All this would be excluded if there were only the priesthood according to Aaron. Then He could not be a priest. He could not be the Son of David and the Son of Aaron at the same time! But now, Christ is the Son of David and Priest after the order of Melchizedek! God has taken care of everything.

The importance of this matter is also clear to us in the introductory words of verse 4. Jehovah has sworn! He can make no higher appeal. He will not repent! God forbid! This word shall stand. Let His people now pay attention to the words which He has so solemnly spoken. The offices of Jesus Christ are so important because outside of those there would be no salvation for His people. His Kingship has been sung in various Psalms, i.e., Psalm 2, Psalm 72 et. al. But, the priesthood of Christ in union with His Kingship is sung only here. From all these Messianic prophecies we see that when Messiah comes, He will fill the bill perfectly! The Chief Prophet; the only Highpriest; and the eternal King has been given to us.

Coming Triumph and Judgment

In the last verses of this Psalm we hear of Jehovah Himself standing at the side of the Priest King in the strife which is to be waged: It is the  strife of the Messiah, but whatever is His strife is also the strife of Jehovah Himself. When God goes out to wage war against His enemies there is no question whether or not He will gain the victory. That is a fore-gone conclusion. But, these verses, nevertheless, place us in the midst of this conflict. Kings of nations will be struck down by His power. This will be the day of His wrath, i.e., the day when His longsuffering has come to an end and those who have not obeyed will finally feel the awful wrath of the God of heaven and earth. He will sit as Judge upon all men. Here we find that the Psalmist looks far into the future. He not only deals with the first coming of Christ; he deals with His session at the right hand of God and His coming to judge at the end of the ages. All these things fall under the purview of this poet. His judgment will be just. No one need doubt that. As a result of His just judgment, He will fill many places with dead bodies. The judgment is wide in extent. He will strike through the head in many countries.

These are the activities which cause the Priest-King to be almost robbed of strength. Therefore He drinks of the brook by the way in order to be refreshed. But He will lift up the head. He will be victorious! No one shall stop Him in His march to victory.

In this comparatively brief Psalm we have a beautiful revelation of who and what the Messiah must be to do the work to which He has been called by God. He must be clothed with His triple-office in order to be able to do the work assigned Him. At the same time this Psalm reveals the awful might of this Priest: King. No one shall be able to withstand Him. Let men obey and believe before His wrath is kindled (Psalm 2:12)!

Questions for discussion:

1. Is Christ’s session at the right hand of God a very important matter for the life of the church and the individual believer? Why?

2 What does it mean that His soldiers are volunteers? Are they? How does that show itself today?

3. Would it normally be warranted in history to build up a big argument on the basis of two such small references as Gen. 14 and Psalm 110, as Hebrews does? Why is it proper for the author of Hebrews to do so? 4. Aaron’s priesthood ended. Christ’s goes on forever. Is this important to bear in mind for the understanding of both Old and New Testaments? 5. How many offices are there in the church? May there be more or less? Why, or why not? Can the church do its task if it does not have the proper offices? 6. Must the second coming of Christ be emphasized as well as the first? What happens if this is not done?