The Lord’s Covenant with David, and Israel’s Afflictions.
A [a]Maskil of [b]Ethan [c]the Ezrahite.
89 I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever;
To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.
2 For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever;
In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.”
3 “I have made a covenant with My chosen;
I have sworn to David My servant,
4 I will establish your seed forever
And build up your throne to all generations.” [d]Selah.5 The heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
6 For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?
Who among the [e]sons of the mighty is like the Lord,
7 A God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones,
And awesome above all those who are around Him?
8 O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty [f]Lord?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9 You rule the swelling of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.
10 You Yourself crushed [g]Rahab like one who is slain;
You scattered Your enemies with [h]Your mighty arm.
Several times in this passage (vs. 5, twice in vs. 6, and again in vs. 8), the psalmist asks variants of “Who is like the Lord?” The implication is “no one”, but that begs the question, so what is he like? We see only a peek, but He rules the sees, and scatters His enemies. Backing up to the first few verses, He is full of lovingkindness, and faithful.
Yet if we look at vv. 3-4, we have a conundrum. God promised David that He would establish David’s seed forever, and yet there’s no king in Israel of the Davidic line. What happened? Well, fast forward several hundred years, and Jesus is born of the line of David. And then we go “Oooh, and Jesus is still alive and reigns over the whole world!”
But do you think that’s what David thought? It certainly wasn’t what the religious leaders expected, and Jews today would still argue and nitpick over it. This wasn’t the first time God’s promise came through in an unexpected way though. Think of Joseph, who had dreams of his family bowing down to him. He never imagined that it would require years in servitude and prison in Egypt to make it happen.
God is faithful, yesterday, today, and even next year, but when we put His promises in our a box of our own making, we are apt to be disappointed. Instead, we should remember that He loves us, and is working things for our best. That doesn’t always line up with what we think is “best”, and only God knows how often our how predictions miss the mark. And yet, He is still faithful, and still working in our lives, even when we don’t see it or feel it.