PSALMS LESSON 89

     We will continue the verse by verse study of chapter 89 beginning
with the 19th verse. Psalms 89:19 "Then thou spakest in vision to thy
holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon [one that is] mighty; I
have exalted [one] chosen out of the people."

     In the physical, the holy one on the earth at this time would
have been the prophet Nathan. He represented God to the people. He
would even be the one to speak of God to king David. Of course, David
was chosen out of the people and anointed to be king. I believe this
Scripture to be prophetic, as well. The true Mighty One who came to
help us all is our Lord Jesus Christ. He, too, was assumed to be out
of the people. He had a somewhat normal boyhood in the home of His
mother Mary and her husband Joseph.

     Psalms 89:20 "I have found David my servant; with my holy oil
have I anointed him:"

     We know that David was just a shepherd boy when Samuel sought him
out and anointed him to be king. He did not immediately take over as
king. He lived with Saul {the present king} at first. David knew and
loved God, while he was yet a shepherd.  This oil was not just any
oil, but a special oil that only appointed servants of God could use.
Let us look at a picture of the prophetic meaning of the Scripture
above. Jesus, Himself, spoke this, because it is in red in our Bible.
Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath
anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised,"  Luke 4:19 "To preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

     Psalms 89:21 "With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm
also shall strengthen him."

     The Hand and the Arm are Jesus, as we said before.

     Psalms 89:22 "The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of
wickedness afflict him."

     We know that this is speaking, in one sense, about David who had
been hunted of Saul and had really no place of rest. In the latter
days of David, his enemies did not dare to come heavily against him,
for fear of what God might do to them. Speaking prophetically of this
verse, we know that the enemy, Satan, never had any power over Jesus.
Satan did not take the life of Jesus on the cross. John 10:17
"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I
might take it again." John 10:18 "No man taketh it from me, but I lay
it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to
take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."  Jesus
was never under the control of Satan.

     Psalms 89:23 "And I will beat down his foes before his face, and
plague them that hate him."
     Look, with me, to the promises that God made to David in the next
few verses. II Samuel 7:8 "Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my
servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the
sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over
Israel:" II Samuel 7:9 "And I was with thee whithersoever thou
wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have
made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great [men] that
[are] in the earth."  II Samuel 7:10 "Moreover I will appoint a place
for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a
place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of
wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,"  Read all of this
chapter to get the whole idea.

     Psalms 89:24 "But my faithfulness and my mercy [shall be] with
him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted."

     This is speaking of David, to whom the promise of the everlasting
kingdom was given. The horn symbolizes strength. The throne of David,
through his natural sons and grandsons, became contaminated, but the
seed that is really intended is through Jesus.

     Psalms 89:25 "I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right
hand in the rivers."

     The rule of David was a reign of the land of Israel, but the seed
of David, Jesus', reign was as wide as the east is to the west and the
north is to the south. It reached for beyond the rivers of Israel,
even across the sea.

     Psalms 89:26 "He shall cry unto me, Thou [art] my father, my God,
and the rock of my salvation."

     David prayed to the Father, and he was established on the
everlasting Rock. Jesus prayed, also, to the Father. Jesus was the
Rock of my salvation.

     Psalms 89:27 "Also I will make him [my] firstborn, higher than
the kings of the earth."

     This is most assuredly speaking of Jesus, who was the firstborn
Son of the Father. He alone is elevated higher than the kings of the
earth. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. I Timothy 6:15 "Which in
his times he shall shew, [who is] the blessed and only Potentate, the
King of kings, and Lord of lords;"

     Psalms 89:28 "My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my
covenant shall stand fast with him."

     The covenant was first given to Abraham, it was restated to
David, and fulfilled in Jesus. David, as well as all other earthly
kings, had to live by the mercy of God, because they were not perfect
men. This is true of all believers in Jesus, too. It is only by the
mercy of God that we are heirs to the promises.

     Psalms 89:29 "His seed also will I make [to endure] for ever, and
his throne as the days of heaven."

     David's seed, spoken of here, is in the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Eternal One. The days of heaven are all of eternity.

     Psalms 89:30 "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my
judgments; "Psalms 89:31 "If they break my statutes, and keep not my
commandments;"

     This is a perfect description of the natural children of David.
They did not keep the law of God. They did break His statutes and His
commandments. How then can God fulfill the covenant agreement? In
Jesus Christ. He was known as the son of David.

     Psalms 89:32 "Then will I visit their transgression with the rod,
and their iniquity with stripes."

     We do know that punishment came from God. The ten tribes broke
away from the two tribes and became almost obscure. Both groups were
captured by their enemies and suffered greatly. Even though for a very
long time they were scattered, in the last few years they have been
gathering again in the holy land.

     Psalms 89:33 "Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly
take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail."

     God's love for His own never will cease. They may wander and get
into all sorts of sin, but He will forgive them and help them again,
if they cry out to Him. He is longsuffering, not willing that one
should perish. Their foolishness does not affect God's faithfulness.

     Psalms 89:34 "My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing
that is gone out of my lips."

     This covenant, that God is speaking of, is not a covenant that
man has made. This is a covenant that God made. God speaks absolute
truth. Once God has said something, it is fact, and He will not change
it. The Word of God is true.

     Psalms 89:35 "Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not
lie unto David."

     We see from the words above, that God swore by His own holiness.
God does not lie to anyone, much less David. As we said, the absolute
Truth cannot lie. Whatever God says, He will do. God swore by Himself,
because there was no greater.

     Psalms 89:36 "His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as
the sun before me."

     The seed of David, spoken of here, is Jesus Christ and His
followers. The throne is Jesus' throne. He is even now seated at the
right hand of the Father.

     Psalms 89:37 "It shall be established for ever as the moon, and
[as] a faithful witness in heaven. Selah."

     This kingdom may seem to weaken from time to time, but it will
never fail. Jesus is eternal King. He will reign forever and ever. It
appears from this that God is saying, that the sun and moon are
witness to His promise. We know that this world may pass away, but
God's Word will never pass away.  Selah, it is time to pause and think
on this.

     Psalms 89:38 "But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been
wroth with thine anointed."

     God has promised that David's throne would last forever, and yet
He sees all of the troubles coming on the anointed of God. God is
angry, and with good cause. Just because he is anointed, does not give
him license to sin. The anointed of God should be a good example to
all the rest, not caught up in fleshly sin. There is more expected of
the anointed, than of the people who have not been trained of God.

     Psalms 89:39 "Thou hast made void the covenant of thy servant:
thou hast profaned his crown [by casting it] to the ground."

     It appears to the servant of God, that God has broken covenant
with him. He does not know His God very well, or He would know that
God does not break His covenant. The king, because of the sin in his
life, had suffered much humiliation. Sometimes he felt as if God had
taken his crown and thrown it to the ground. David deserved this for
the sin in his life. The sad thing is that Jesus felt, and is still
feeling, that rejection, and He did nothing to deserve such
punishment.  Jesus, who created everything and everyone, must truly
feel pain, when His very creation denies that He is God the Son.

     Psalms 89:40 "Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast
brought his strong holds to ruin."

     The protection, that he had known for so long, is now gone.
Anyone can take a shot at him. This is surely true of the church
today. It seems the hedge is gone, and every wind of doctrine can
creep into the church. It is really difficult to tell the church from
the rest of the world.

     Psalms 89:41 "All that pass by the way spoil him: he is a
reproach to his neighbours."

     When the hedge was gone, the king was spoiled by passers by, and
by even members of his own family, who wanted to destroy him. This is
pretty much the way it is in the church today. It is ridiculed on
television. People even think you are not all with it, if you love and
worship God. The worst is not the world attacking the church, it is
members inside the church, who are tearing at the fabric of true
belief.

     Psalms 89:42 "Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries;
thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice."

     He is pointing a finger at God, and saying that God, Himself, has
caused this calamity to come upon him. He is really saying, God, you
have broken your covenant with me. This is the opposite of what Job
said in his troubles. God may have removed the blessing for a moment,
but He has not broken His covenant.

     Psalms 89:43 "Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and
hast not made him to stand in the battle."

     When he realizes that God is not fighting his battle for him, he
loses his confidence in battle. It seems, as if even his weapons are
not up to par. This is a man longing for the presence of God.

     Psalms 89:44 "Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his
throne down to the ground."

     The once mighty powerful rule, that was known for its greatness,
is gone. Even the world around him realizes that God has left for
awhile.

     Psalms 89:45 "The days of his youth hast thou shortened: thou
hast covered him with shame. Selah."

     Shame really comes from guilt. It seems to him as if suddenly he
is an old man. His shame is in that he feels he has failed God and God
has removed his blessing. It is time to pause and think on these
things, Selah.

     Psalms 89:46 "How long, LORD? wilt thou hide thyself for ever?
shall thy wrath burn like fire?"

     He does not deny that he deserved to be punished, but now he is
saying, LORD, how long will your presence and blessings of the past be
gone? You won't hide yourself from me forever, will you? Always the
person feeling the chastisement of God, feels that it lasts too long.
Even the martyrs in heaven are asking, how long until the reign of
Jesus will take place?

     Psalms 89:47 "Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou
made all men in vain?"

     He is trying every excuse, now he says, you know you allotted me
but a short time on this earth. He is saying that without the
blessings of God, he has lived in vain. We all feel that we would like
to accomplish something good in this life, before it drifts away and
is gone.

     Psalms 89:48 "What man [is he that] liveth, and shall not see
death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah."

     He is saying, Lord we all must die in this life. He knows that,
if God does not turn back to him in this life, it is too late to get
forgiveness in the tomb. Again, think on these things.

     Psalms 89:49 "Lord, where [are] thy former lovingkindnesses,
[which] thou swarest unto David in thy truth?"

     I personally would be afraid to talk to God like this psalmist
is. He reminds God Almighty that He promised to bless David. Not only
did He promise, but He swore to help David. He really is saying, where
is this God that I once knew that was so kind and loving?

     Psalms 89:50 "Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; [how]
I do bear in my bosom [the reproach of] all the mighty people;"

     We see the psalmist is saying, that all the people around were
mocking not only him personally, but his nation as well.  This sounds
just like a child complaining to a parent, that others are laughing at
them.

     Psalms 89:51 "Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O LORD;
wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed."

     Now, the psalmist goes back and reminds the Lord that these are
His enemies, as well. He is saying, your enemies are attacking your
anointed.

     Psalms 89:52 "Blessed [be] the LORD for evermore. Amen, and
Amen."

     Thank goodness, he finally gets back to praising God in the end.
God always deserves our praise. Amen, means, so be it.























                             Questions 89

1.  In the physical realm, who was the holy one they were talking
    about in verse 19?
2.  David had been chosen out of the people and anointed to be _____.
3.  Who is the true Mighty One?
4.  Jesus had a somewhat normal boyhood in the home of his mother
    _____ and ____ ______ _____.
5.  Who anointed David?
6.  What was David, before he was anointed?
7.  Quote Luke chapter 4 verse 18.
8.  Who are the Hand and Arm in verse 21?
9.  Did Satan ever have any power over Jesus?
10. Quote John chapter 10 verse 18.
11. What were some of the promises God made to David?
12. What type kingdom was David promised?
13. Where did David rule?
14. Where is the rule of Jesus?
15. Who is the Rock of my salvation?
16. Who is God's firstborn mentioned in verse 27?
17. What is He called in 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 15?
18. The covenant was first given to _______, it was restated to _____,
    and fulfilled in _________.
19. What does, days of heaven, mean?
20. What were the natural children of David like?
21. What punishment soon came to the 12 tribes of Israel?
22. Their foolishness does not affect God's _____________.
23. The Word of God is ______.
24. Why did God swear by himself?
25. The seed of David, in verse 36, is who?
26. What were two witnesses of God's promise?
27. In verse 39, how was the crown profaned?
28. What is his protection called in verse 40?
29. The world is not the worst threat to the church, what is?
30. Has God broken covenant, as the psalmist thinks He has?
31. What does shame come from?
32. What did the Psalmist remind God of in verse 47?
33. In verse 51, what does the Psalmist remind God of?
34. Thank goodness, he finally got back to ________ ___.