Chapter 520 of 1163

PSALM 89

God made a covenant with David that he would always have a descendant on his throne and that the Davidic line would rule forever (2 Sam. 7). But Ethan the Ezrahite had a problem. One of the Davidic kings had been defeated in war and had lost his throne (vv. 38–45). It seemed to Ethan that God had broken His covenant (vv. 3, 28, 34, 39) and that God was not faithful to His people.

Faithfulness is a key word in this psalm (vv. 1, 2, 5, 8, 24, 33). God’s faithfulness is seen from generation to generation (vv. 1–4), among His people (vv. 5–10), in creation (vv. 11–13), among the nations (vv. 14–18), and toward David and his family (vv. 19–37). Ethan knew all of this because he knew the Scriptures, but recent events seemed to deny the truthfulness of the covenant and the faithfulness of the Lord.

Ethan’s problem was caused by spiritual shortsightedness. The ultimate fulfillment of the Davidic covenant is in Jesus Christ, the Son of David (Matt. 1:1), and He will reign forever (Luke 1:26–33). God’s faithfulness does not fail!

When Jeremiah viewed the destruction of Jerusalem, he may have felt as Ethan did when the king was defeated and dethroned. Instead of questioning God’s faithfulness, Jeremiah reaffirmed it: “Great is Your faithfulness” (Lam. 3:23). Never judge God’s faithfulness on the basis of what you see or how you feel. His promises do not fail (2 Cor. 1:18–20).

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