Psalms 89:29–33

The song joins David's throne and his seed together, just as the promise to David joined them. It gives both the same length of time — "for ever." "I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations" (verse 4)… Verses 38–51 sound a note of failure about David's offspring. Anything committed into the hands of men results in sad and grievous failure. The psalm in its fullness and blessing waits to be fulfilled in another Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The subject of this psalm is the mercies of Jehovah — His kindness towards Israel — and how they never change. They are the sure mercies. There was faith to say "for ever," because it was grace… He said in faith: mercy, goodness shown to us, will be built up for ever. God set His faithfulness where nothing could reach it… He then repeats the covenant God first made with David. That covenant expresses mercy, and it is what Jehovah would be faithful to — the sure mercies of David.

Our Lord Jesus is the David, or David's seed, here spoken of… The psalm says with force that all shall be well in the end, and for ever. The mercies of the Lord are "for ever" — mercy is built up "for ever" — the seed of David is established "for ever" — and the like… Despite all appearances, the believer can be sure that "the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." And we know that the resurrection of Christ has made David's mercies "sure." (Acts 13)

God would also make the objects of His grace (His seed) endure for ever. This reminds us that those who are His are eternally secure (v. 29). "His throne as the days of the heavens" testifies that His rule lasts for ever.

Scripture had said that it would be "as the days of heaven upon earth" (Deuteronomy 11:21). Of the throne of the King it says, "his throne as the days of the heavens" (Psalm 89:29). And the Gentiles were to know that "Heaven rules" (Daniel 4:26).

For many centuries, that was the end of the throne of David. Yet God had guaranteed that throne with a promise. No failure of man could set it aside. In fact, when God gave the promise, He had already taken the failure into account, and He said what He would do: "I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. If his children forsake my law… then I will punish their transgression with the rod… but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness."

How long does the blessing last? "I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens." Again, "his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies." This wording is all the more striking because it describes what is eternal, as the New Testament fully reveals — the throne. That throne never passes from David's Son, though He gives it up as man to take it as "God all in all." Yet even when the psalm speaks of the part of the blessing that is eternal in itself, its language never goes beyond the outer limit of time.

God had guaranteed that throne with a promise that no human failure could ever set aside. In fact, in giving it, God had already taken the failure into account, and declared what He would do.

After this God speaks to David about Solomon, no longer as a picture of Christ, but as a fallible man who, as such, would carry responsibility. He can fall under God's discipline and correction. "When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men" (v. 14). But God will establish his line for ever.

God's promises about His people Israel did not depend on how they behaved. But in His governmental ways they could not escape punishment for their sins… Read the history of the kings of Judah, and you learn how necessary it was for God, in His ways, to carry out this discipline. God had to discipline even the best of the kings who sat on David's throne. In the end the nation was carried into captivity because it had turned away from the Lord.

God would punish their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes. But He would not completely take His loving-kindness from David and his nation (Ps. 89:33). Correction is always within covenant love. "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities" (Amos 3:2). To walk comfortably and without interruption, as on a level path, we must walk watchfully, as with the Lord.

"I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes" is one of the covenant dealings of Psalm 89:32. God cannot pass over the sins of His saints the way He passes over those of the world. He brings them under present discipline. Sin in a saint of God is far more serious than in an unbeliever, since the glory of God suffers so much more at our hands.

Verses 30 to 32 show that the millennium is in view here, not the eternal state… this verse in Psalm 89 clearly shows there may be cases of disobedience in Israel that will call for discipline from God. So they may be unfaithful to some degree. Not so with the Lord Jesus, from whom God will not take His loving-kindness.

With the seed there is the possibility of failure and the governmental consequences that follow (vv. 30-32). Still, God will not completely take His loving-kindness from them, or let His faithfulness fail… The holiness of God is a witness that God cannot alter His word — and that word secures blessing for David and his seed.

So the throne of David came to an end for many centuries. Yet God had guaranteed that throne with a promise, and no failure of man could set it aside. In fact, when He gave the promise, God had already taken the failure into account and said what He would do.

It is the same word used in verse 1: "I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever." The mercies of the Lord are concentrated in one person — the man chosen out of the people, David His servant. He is able to carry all the attributes of the Lord. He was spoken of before as the channel of them, and He makes them all mercy towards His people. It is the same word in verses 24, 28 and 33.

Psalm 89:28-37 also sets the two things before us very plainly. The first is the certainty of God's counsels, His fixed purpose. The second is the way He governs, in view of man's responsibility.

God would punish their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes. But He would not take His loving-kindness away completely from David and his nation (Ps. 89:33). Correction is always in covenant love… If David had walked in integrity, and humbly with his God, God would have spared him this discipline. But now "he must bear the rod."

In this psalm we can see mercy and faithfulness joined together… Our mercies are covenanted mercies — pledged, promised, undertaken, sealed, and in a great sense purchased. So discipline is not forgetfulness. It is a sign that God remembers. David's throne lies in the dust for a time because of transgression, but God has not forgotten it.

Let the weak-hearted believer notice this, for his comfort. God's unchangeable purpose of salvation is held safe for him for ever in the changeless character of God. And one written clause of the covenant of blessing is this: the Father of spirits graciously disciplines every son He brings near to Himself in Jesus… He has undertaken to bless us. In true faithfulness, He uses whatever discipline He sees will lead us to fuller joy in Him.

It is a great comfort to see that God can record the failures of His saints in His word. He does not hesitate to record them. These failures were written down to teach us. In them, and through them, God shows that His faithfulness never fails, despite man's failure… He cannot let His truth fail; He cannot deny Himself. (2 Tim. 2:13.)

The "everlasting covenant" assured David of this: through his seed, God would establish his kingdom and throne for ever (see 2 Samuel 7:12-17; Ps. 89:34-37; Jer. 33:19-32). Acts 13:34 shows that the Spirit of God points to Christ as the promised seed of David. It also shows that God secures the sure mercies of David through Christ risen from the dead.