Psalms 89:3–4

Its subject is the mercies of Jehovah — His graciousness towards Israel — and the fact that they never change. They are the sure mercies. There was faith to say "for ever," for it was grace. He then recites the covenant God first made with David. That covenant is the expression of mercy. It is what Jehovah was to be faithful to: the sure mercies of David.

Psalm 89 is a most admirable Psalm. The psalm before it dealt with the law and turned to Mount Sinai. This one takes up grace and the covenant of unfailing promise in David. It expresses the miseries of Israel. Christ takes them up as His own, and He takes them up in connection with promise. Earlier He had taken them up as the curse under the law. Here He appeals to promise, the sure mercies of David. He does not look at the miseries as bowing under the righteous curse of the law. … As to the way it is done, He recounts Jehovah's own covenant promise with David, His elect. This lays the foundation of the whole Psalm: Jehovah's faithfulness to mercy, with David as its object and central channel.

The psalmist sets out to celebrate the mercies of the Lord and His faithfulness, and to speak of them to every generation. David's throne must be restored. God has promised, and bound Himself by covenant and by oath, not to lie to David.

"I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant" (verse 3)… "I will not break My covenant, or change what has gone out of My lips. I have sworn once by My holiness that I will not lie to David" (verses 34, 35). The song repeats the promise of 2 Samuel 7, and its fulfilment in the end is as sure as God's Word, which cannot be overthrown.

So, for many centuries, that was the end of the throne of David. 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 He said what He would do.

The Apostle Paul preached in the synagogue at Antioch. He quoted the words "the sure mercies of David," and he tied them to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. These words also link up with what we find in Psalm 89… The Psalm has the Son of David in view, and David was only a picture of Him. Only in Christ risen from the dead do all the mercies of the Psalm come true.

Then Paul goes on to prove resurrection by quoting another text: "I will give you the sure mercies of David." Their sureness is the proof that they stood in resurrection, and did not depend on failing man.

In Psalm 89 the psalmist celebrates the mercies of the Lord and His faithfulness. He tells of them to all generations. David's throne must be restored. God has promised. He has bound Himself by covenant and by oath not to lie to David (verses 3, 4).

Psalm 89 is a wonderful psalm. The previous one dealt with the law and turned to Mount Sinai. This one takes up grace and the covenant of unfailing promise in David. It expresses the miseries of Israel. Christ takes them up as His own in connection with promise, as earlier He had taken up the curse under the law. But here He appeals to promise, the sure mercies of David. He does not look at the miseries as bowing under the righteous curse of the law.

The song joins David's throne and seed together, just as the promise to David joined them. It also names the length of time — "for ever"... The psalm notes failure in verses 38-51, in relation to David's seed. 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.

God pledged Himself to David: He would establish his offspring forever and build his throne for all generations (Psalm 89:4). But He did not bind Himself to keep Solomon, Rehoboam, or anyone else in power. Everything now waits for the appearing of "His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was descended from David according to the flesh" (Romans 1:3). When He comes out from heaven, the throne of David will be set up again, and will once more be the throne of Jehovah on earth.

In Acts 13 Paul stands up to speak in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia. In that speech he refers to the "faithful mercies of David" (Acts 13:34)... But Israel rejected and killed their Messiah. Humanly speaking, at that point all was lost. But what did God do? He "raised Him from among the dead, no more to return to corruption". Then He spoke like this: "I will give you the faithful mercies of David." God had promised David a descendant to sit on his throne (2 Samuel 7:16). This promise is certain, sure and unchangeable. To fulfil it, God raised up Christ from among the dead. But how was this possible? Israel had crucified the very One who was to bring them blessing. How could God still bless them? Only pure grace and mercy could make it true.

But how is the length of the blessing defined? "His seed also I will make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven." Again, "As the sun before me; it shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven." The wording is all the more striking here. According to full New Testament revelation this throne is eternal. It never passes from David's Son, though as man He gives it up to take it as "God all in all". Yet even when the psalm speaks of the part of the blessing that is eternal, its language does not go beyond the furthest limit of time — "it shall be established for ever as the moon."