The faithful covenant with Messiah and His Seed

The doxology at the end of the psalm concludes the third book in the Psalter. This is a psalm that makes much of the Covenant of Grace. A covenant that was not just the possession of David, but made with the mystical David, the Messiah, who was to come. In (v. 19), there is emphasis upon the kingly role of Christ, the Servant whom God had chosen. The latter part of the psalm shows the decline of David’s house in power, yet the covenant with Christ would stand firm and sure. It is the “Firstborn” who would be higher than the kings of the earth, for He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

God’s covenant will never be broken, for it is established in Christ, and He is its surety, and His precious blood has sealed it. We can reiterate the psalmist’s words, “Blessed be the Lord for evermore, Amen, Amen.”

Pastor Jeff O’ Neil

Recommended Tune: Tiverton

Psalm 89

¹GOD’s mercies I will ever sing;
And with my mouth I shall
Thy faithfulness make to be known
To generations all.

²For mercy shall be built, said I,
For ever to endure;
Thy faithfulness, ev’n in the heav’ns,
Thou wilt establish sure.

³I with my chosen One have made
A cov’nant graciously;
And to my servant, whom I lov’d,
To David sworn have I;

⁴That I thy seed establish shall
For ever to remain,
And will to generations all
Thy throne build and maintain.

⁵The praises of thy wonders, LORD,
The heavens shall express;
And in the congregation
Of saints thy faithfulness.

⁶For who in heaven with the LORD
May once himself compare?
Who is like GOD among the sons
Of those that mighty are?

⁷Great fear in meeting of the saints
Is due unto the Lord;
And he of all about him should
With rev’rence be ador’d.

⁸O thou that art the LORD of hosts,
What Lord in mightiness
Is like to thee? who compass’d round
Art with thy faithfulness.

⁹Ev’n in the raging of the sea
Thou over it dost reign;
And when the waves thereof do swell,
Thou stillest them again.

¹⁰Rahab in pieces thou didst break,
Like one that slaughter’d is;
And with thy mighty arm thou hast
Dispers’d thine enemies.

¹¹The heav’ns are thine, thou for thine own
The earth dost also take;
The world, and fulness of the same,
Thy pow’r did found and make.

¹²The north and south from thee alone
Their first beginning had;
Both Tabor mount and Hermon hill
Shall in thy name be glad.

¹³Thou hast an arm that’s full of pow’r,
Thy hand is great in might;
And thy right hand exceedingly
Exalted is in height.

¹⁴Justice and judgment of thy throne
Are made the dwelling–place;
Mercy, accompanied with truth,
Shall go before thy face.

¹⁵O greatly bless’d the people are
The joyful sound that know;
In brightness of thy face, O LORD,
They ever on shall go.

¹⁶They in thy name shall all the day
Rejoice exceedingly;
And in thy righteousness shall they
Exalted be on high.

¹⁷Because the glory of their strength
Doth only stand in thee;
And in thy favour shall our horn
And pow’r exalted be.

¹⁸For GOD is our defence; and he
To us doth safety bring:
The Holy One of Israel
Is our almighty King.

¹⁹In vision to thy Holy One
Thou saidst, I help upon
A strong one laid; out of the folk
I rais’d a chosen one;

²⁰Ev’n David, I have found him out
A servant unto me;
And with my holy oil my King
Anointed him to be.

²¹With whom my hand shall stablish’d be;
Mine arm shall make him strong.
²²On him the foe shall not exact,
Nor son of mischief wrong.

²³I will beat down before his face
All his malicious foes;
I will them greatly plague who do
With hatred him oppose.

²⁴My mercy and my faithfulness
With him yet still shall be;
And in my name his horn and pow’r
Men shall exalted see.

²⁵His hand and pow’r shall reach afar;
I’ll set it in the sea;
And his right hand established
Shall in the rivers be.

²⁶Thou art my Father, he shall cry,
Thou art my God alone;
And he shall say, Thou art the Rock
Of my salvation.

²⁷I’ll make him my first–born, more high
Than kings of any land.
²⁸My love I’ll ever keep for him,
My cov’nant fast shall stand.

²⁹His seed I by my pow’r will make
For ever to endure;
And, as the days of heav’n, his throne
Shall stable be, and sure.

³⁰But if his children shall forsake
My laws, and go astray,
And in my judgments shall not walk,
But wander from my way:

³¹If they my laws break, and do not
Keep my commandements;
³²I’ll visit then their faults with rods,
Their sins with chastisements.

³³Yet I’ll not take my love from him,
Nor false my promise make.
³⁴My cov’nant I’ll not break, nor change
What with my mouth I spake.

³⁵Once by my holiness I sware,
To David I’ll not lie;
³⁶His seed and throne shall, as the sun,
Before me last for aye.

³⁷It, like the moon, shall ever be
Establish’d steadfastly;
And like to that which in the heav’n
Doth witness faithfully.

³⁸But thou, displeased, hast cast off,
Thou didst abhor and loathe;
With him that thine anointed is
Thou hast been very wroth.

³⁹Thou hast thy servant’s covenant
Made void, and quite cast by;
Thou hast profan’d his crown, while it
Cast on the ground doth lie.

⁴⁰Thou all his hedges hast broke down,
His strong holds down hast torn.
⁴¹He to all passers–by a spoil,
To neighbours is a scorn.

⁴²Thou hast set up his foes’ right hand;
Mad’st all his en’mies glad:
⁴³Turn’d his sword’s edge, and him to stand
In battle hast not made.

⁴⁴His glory thou hast made to cease,
His throne to ground down cast;
⁴⁵Shorten’d his days of youth, and him
With shame thou cover’d hast.

⁴⁶How long, LORD, wilt thou hide thyself?
For ever, in thine ire?
And shall thine indignation
Burn like unto a fire?

⁴⁷Remember, Lord, how short a time
I shall on earth remain:
O wherefore is it so that thou
Has made all men in vain?

⁴⁸What man is he that liveth here,
And death shall never see?
Or from the power of the grave
What man his soul shall free?

⁴⁹Thy former loving–kindnesses,
O Lord, where be they now?
Those which in truth and faithfulness
To David sworn hast thou?

⁵⁰Mind, Lord, thy servant’s sad reproach;
How I in bosom bear
The scornings of the people all,
Who strong and mighty are.

⁵¹Wherewith thy raging enemies
Reproach’d, O LORD, think on;
Wherewith they have reproach’d the steps
Of thine anointed one.

⁵²All blessing to the LORD our God
Let be ascribed then:
For evermore so let it be.
Amen, yea, and amen.