Commentary - Psalm 89:1-4

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 89 is a sprawling, majestic, and ultimately heart-wrenching psalm. It begins with one of the highest praises of God's covenant faithfulness in all the Psalter, but it ends with a lament over the apparent failure of that very covenant. This is a psalm for saints who have seen the promises of God and the current state of affairs, and who cannot make them reconcile. Ethan the Ezrahite, a man of great wisdom, begins by establishing the bedrock truth upon which all his subsequent complaints will be built: the lovingkindness and faithfulness of Yahweh, particularly as expressed in the Davidic covenant. These first four verses are the foundation, the non-negotiable premise. Before he asks his hard questions later in the psalm, he first declares what he knows to be indefeasibly true. This is how mature faith argues with God. It does not argue from a position of unbelief, but rather from a profound belief that God must be true to His own character and His own sworn oaths.

The structure of this opening is a declaration of intent (v. 1), the basis for that intent (v. 2), and the content of the covenant promise that grounds everything (vv. 3-4). The psalmist is setting the terms of the debate, and the terms are God's own words. He is going to sing about God's lovingkindness forever because God Himself has established it forever. He is going to proclaim God's faithfulness because God has sworn an oath. This is not wishful thinking; it is covenantal reasoning. The entire drama of redemption, from David to David's greater Son, is encapsulated in this oath.

Outline

Context In The Psalter

Psalm 89 is the last psalm in Book III of the Psalter (Psalms 73-89). This book is characterized by a darker tone, dealing with the destruction of the temple and the exile of Judah. It is filled with questions about God's justice and His promises. Psalm 89 serves as the climax of this section, bringing the crisis to a head. After a book wrestling with the downfall of Asaph's line and the nation, this psalm focuses on the apparent collapse of the Davidic dynasty, which was the central hope for Israel's future. Its placement right before Book IV, which begins with Psalm 90 (a prayer of Moses), seems intentional. It leaves the reader in a place of tension, hanging on the failed promises to David, and then turns back to the foundational relationship with Yahweh established in the time of Moses. The problem of the broken covenant with David is left unresolved at the end of Book III, forcing the faithful to look for a greater fulfillment, a greater king, a greater David.

Key Issues

Commentary

A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

A Maskil is likely a contemplative or didactic psalm, one meant for instruction. And the author is Ethan the Ezrahite. This is likely the same Ethan mentioned in 1 Kings 4:31, a man renowned for his wisdom, surpassed only by Solomon. So this is not the cry of a novice. A wise man is leading us in this meditation, which should tell us that the hard questions that come later are not a sign of weak faith, but of a faith strong enough to wrestle.

1 I will sing of the lovingkindnesses of Yahweh forever; From generation to generation I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.

Ethan begins with a personal resolution, a vow. The verb is future tense, "I will sing." This is a settled determination. And what is the subject of his song? The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh. The Hebrew word is hesed, a rich covenantal term that blends love, loyalty, mercy, and steadfastness. It's not a sentimental affection but a rugged, unbreakable commitment. And notice it is plural, "lovingkindnesses." God's covenant love is not a monolithic, abstract thing; it is displayed in a multitude of actions throughout history. Ethan is going to sing of these specific acts of covenant loyalty. And he will do it "forever." This is not a temporary mood. It is an eternal occupation.

The second clause parallels the first. Singing with the heart is coupled with making known with the mouth. Praise is both vertical and horizontal. He will not just enjoy God's faithfulness himself; he will be a herald of it "from generation to generation." True faith has a historical vision. It sees itself as one link in a long chain of testimony. My grandfather told my father, my father told me, and I will tell my children. The content of this testimony is God's "faithfulness." This is the Hebrew emunah, from which we get our "Amen." It means firmness, reliability, truth. God is the one you can build on. He doesn't wobble.

2 For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.”

Here is the ground for the vow in verse 1. Why will he sing forever? "For I have said..." This is his settled conviction, his theological bedrock. He is persuaded of this truth. And what is it? "Lovingkindness will be built up forever." Hesed is not a static reality but a dynamic one. It is being constructed, like a great cathedral, throughout history. Every act of God's mercy is another stone laid in place. And this building project has an eternal scope. It will never be finished in the sense of being over, but it is always being added to, and it will never be torn down.

The second clause again provides the parallel. "In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness." God's faithfulness is not a flimsy, earthly thing that can be shaken by political turmoil or personal tragedy. Its foundation is in the heavens, as firm as the stars in their courses. God Himself is the one who establishes it. It is His personal project. The heavens declare the glory of God, and part of that glory is the unshakeable nature of His promises. Ethan is looking up, past the chaos on earth, to the cosmic stability of God's character.

3 “I have cut a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant,

Now Ethan quotes God directly. This is the ultimate foundation for his confidence. It is not just his own reasoning; it is divine revelation. The psalmist puts God's own words into the record as evidence. "I have cut a covenant..." The language of "cutting" a covenant refers to the ancient practice of passing between the pieces of a sacrificed animal, indicating that the one making the oath is calling down a similar fate on himself if he breaks it. God has bound Himself with the most solemn of oaths.

And with whom did He make this covenant? "With My chosen." This refers to David, but the word "chosen" has a wider resonance, pointing to the whole people of God, who are chosen in their covenant head. Then it is made more specific: "I have sworn to David My servant." An oath is a promise made under divine sanction. Here, God Himself is the one swearing, so He is swearing by His own name, His own character. There is nothing higher. And David is designated as "My servant," a title of honor and intimacy. This is the basis for everything. God spoke. God swore. God bound Himself.

4 I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne from generation to generation.” Selah.

Here are the specific terms of that sworn oath. Two things are promised to David. First, "I will establish your seed forever." This is a promise of a perpetual dynasty. David's line will not fail. Second, "And build up your throne from generation to generation." The throne is the symbol of rule and authority. David's kingdom will be a lasting one. The two promises are intertwined: a lasting seed to sit on a lasting throne.

Of course, as the rest of the psalm will make painfully clear, this promise appeared to have failed catastrophically. The line of Davidic kings was cut off, the throne was cast to the ground. So how can this be? The answer is that this promise finds its ultimate, and only true, fulfillment in the Son of David, the Lord Jesus Christ. His seed is the Church, which He is building and which will last forever. His throne is in the heavens, and His kingdom will have no end. The New Testament writers see this clearly. The angel Gabriel says to Mary, "the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:32-33). This covenant with David was a messianic covenant from the beginning.

Then we have "Selah." This is likely a musical or liturgical instruction, probably calling for a pause. And a pause is certainly needed here. We have just heard the eternal, unshakeable, sworn oath of Almighty God to establish an everlasting kingdom. We should stop and let that sink in. Before we move on to the praise that this promise evokes, and certainly before we get to the lament over its apparent failure, we must pause and reflect on the magnitude of what God has said. The whole gospel is in seed form right here. Ponder it.

Application

The application for us is straightforward, but profound. Our faith must be grounded in the same place Ethan grounded his: not on our circumstances, not on our feelings, but on the character and promises of God. Before we bring our complaints to God, and we are allowed to bring them, we must first rehearse what we know to be true about Him. He is a God of hesed and emunah, of lovingkindness and faithfulness.

We must learn to sing about God's covenant loyalty even when the world around us seems to mock that loyalty. Our praise must be a declaration of faith, a stubborn refusal to judge God by our limited sight. We look at the covenant God made with David and we see that it looked like a failure for centuries. But then, in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born of the line of David. God keeps His promises, but He does so on His own timetable and in ways that are far grander than we could have imagined.

Therefore, when we are tempted to despair, when it looks like the throne of David is in the dust, we must pause. Selah. We must remember the oath. We must look to the resurrected and enthroned Son of David, Jesus the Christ. His kingdom is being built up, forever. His seed, the church, is being established, forever. This is the bedrock truth. Sing of it. Proclaim it. Build your life on it. And do it forever.