Psalm 89
The steadfast love of the LORD.
THE STEADFAST LOVE OF THE LORD
A contemplation by Ethan, the Ezrahite.
VERSE 1. I will sing of the loving kindness of the LORD forever. With my mouth, I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
the loving kindness of the LORD. The author believes in the loving kindness of the LORD God.
That is the foundation of this psalm.
VERSE 2. I indeed declare, “Love stands firm forever. You established the heavens. Your faithfulness is in them.”
VERSE 3. “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David, my servant,
a covenant with my chosen one. This covenant was delivered to David by the prophet Nathan in 2 Samuel 7:1-16.
VERSE 4. ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build up your throne to all generations.’ ” Selah.
VERSE 5. The heavens will praise your wonders, LORD; your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
VERSE 6. For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like the LORD,
VERSE 7. a very awesome God in the council of the holy ones, to be feared above all those who are around him?
VERSE 8. LORD, God of Hosts, who is a mighty one, like you? The LORD, your faithfulness is around you.
VERSE 9. You rule the pride of the sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them.
VERSE 10. You have broken Rahab in pieces, like one of the slain. You have scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
VERSE 11. The heavens are yours. The earth also is yours; the world and its fullness. You have founded them.
VERSE 12. The north and the south, you have created them. Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
VERSE 13. You have a mighty arm. Your hand is strong, and your right hand is exalted.
right hand. The Bible often mentions “the right hand” of God. That is a position of power and honor. We believe it refers to Jesus Christ. More verses about the right hand.
VERSE 14. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne. Loving kindness and truth go before your face.
Loving kindness and truth go before your face. That is,
“Love and truth walk in your presence” (ICEL translation)
VERSE 15. Blessed are the people who learn to acclaim you. They walk in the light of your presence, LORD.
NAB translation. Happy the people who know you, LORD, who walk in the radiance of your face.
VERSE 16. In your name they rejoice all day. In your righteousness, they are exalted.
In your name they rejoice all day. That is, “who find their joy every day in your name” (NAB translation).
We are to find our joy. That means we are to look for it. We’ll find it in God, of course. But it’s up to us to look for it.
VERSE 17. For you are the glory of their strength. In your favor, our horn will be exalted.
In your favor, our horn will be exalted. That is, “It pleases you to make us strong” (NLT translation).
The LORD God is pleased to make us strong!
VERSE 18. For our shield belongs to the LORD; our king to the Holy One of Israel.
VERSE 19. Then you spoke in vision to your holy ones, and said, “I have given strength to the warrior. I have exalted a young man from the people.
VERSE 20. I have found David, my servant. I have anointed him with my holy oil,
David, my servant. Many people in Christian ministry refer to themselves as “servants” of the Lord Jesus. However, we can also be his friends! Read more »
VERSE 21. with whom my hand shall be established. My arm will also strengthen him.
VERSE 22. No enemy will tax him. No wicked man will oppress him.
VERSE 23. I will beat down his adversaries before him, and strike those who hate him.
VERSE 24. But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted.
VERSE 25. I will set his hand also on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers.
VERSE 26. He will call to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation!’
VERSE 27. I will also appoint him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
VERSE 28. I will keep my loving kindness for him forever more. My covenant will stand firm with him.
VERSE 29. I will also make his offspring endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
VERSE 30. If his children forsake my Torah, and don’t walk in my ordinances;
VERSE 31. if they break my statutes, and don’t keep my commandments;
VERSE 32. then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
VERSE 33. But I will not completely take my loving kindness from him, nor allow my faithfulness to fail.
I will not … take my loving kindness from him. The LORD God will never stop loving us.
nor allow my faithfulness to fail. Many Christians feel they can shipwreck God’s good intentions for their lives. However, we cannot do that.
The LORD God will always keep his promises.
VERSE 34. I will not break my covenant, nor alter what my lips have uttered.
I will not break my covenant. God will never take back his love.
nor alter what my lips have uttered. Gods truth will never fail.
VERSE 35. Once I have sworn by my holiness, I will not lie to David.
VERSE 36. His offspring will endure forever, his throne like the sun before me.
His offspring will endure forever. The davidic kingdom will endure forever. It will never end.
VERSE 37. It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.” Selah.
VERSE 38. But you have rejected and spurned. You have been angry with your anointed.
VERSE 39. You have renounced the covenant of your servant. You have defiled his crown in the dust.
VERSE 40. You have broken down all his hedges. You have brought his strongholds to ruin.
VERSE 41. All who pass by the way rob him. He has become a reproach to his neighbors.
VERSE 42. You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries. You have made all of his enemies rejoice.
VERSE 43. Yes, you turn back the edge of his sword, and haven’t supported him in battle.
VERSE 44. You have ended his splendor, and thrown his throne down to the ground.
VERSE 45. You have shortened the days of his youth. You have covered him with shame. Selah.
VERSE 46. How long, LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? Will your wrath burn like fire?
VERSE 47. Remember how short my time is! For what vanity have you created all the children of men!
VERSE 48. What man is he who shall live and not see death, who shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah.
death … Sheol. The New Testament describes heaven and eternal life. But what does the Old Testament say about life after death? Read more »
VERSE 49. Lord, where are your former loving kindnesses, which you swore to David in your faithfulness?
VERSE 50. Remember, Lord, the reproach of your servants, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the mighty peoples,
the reproach of your servants. That is, “remember how I am taunted” (ICEL translation).
I bear in my heart the taunts of … peoples. That is, “I have to bear all the insults of the peoples” (ICEL translation).
VERSE 51. With which your enemies have mocked, LORD, with which they have mocked the footsteps of your anointed one.
VERSE 52. Blessed be the LORD forever more. Amen, and Amen.
PSALMS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
Deuterocanonical chapter: 151
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, David’s Fasting
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