Psalms: Covenant, Might, Awe.
The Golden Thread • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsGod's might diplayed in the saving of His people, becuase of the eternal coveanny between the Father and the Son, causes awe within the congregation of the saints.
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Introduction
Introduction
Open Your Bibles to the 89th Psalm this evening, and we will look at verses 1-11 this evening, Psalm 89:1-11
Last time we talked about a very dangerous trend today that seeks to interpret the the Bible with emphases on external sources. The Divine Counsel from Psalm 82.
We need to interpret the Bible with the Bible, meaning if Jesus interpreted something for us, we don’t get to come up with something else.
Lets be clear, the persons that wrote Psalm 82 and Psalm 89 did not know what we know.
How they interpreted the text is a secondary issue. Their understanding of the text helps us, and it does inform us, but it never replaces the primary codex by which we understand the text.
The importance of all of this will be come evident as we dig into Psalm 89 this evening. How very important it is to keep our eyes on Christ in the text.
Lets Read Psalm 89:1-11
1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.” 3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah 5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! 6 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, 7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? 8 O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you? 9 You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. 10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. 11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
May God Bless the Reading of His Holy and Infallible Word
Lets Pray
Transition
Transition
In these first four verses, set the eternal tone of this Psalm, praising the faithfulness of God to his covenant, made between the Father and the Son. Lets read verse 1-4.
Body
Body
Chosen By Covenant
Chosen By Covenant
1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. 2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.” 3 You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah
The Psalmist starts out with I will sing of the steadfast Faithfulness of God.
He is giving a reason for his sign
Verse 2 he says that this is not a new topic, he has spoken if it before, saying, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”
In verse 3 - 4 the Psalmist addresses on what this faithfulness is based.
“You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah” (Psa 89:3-4, ESV)
What can steadfastness, unchangeableness, be based on? Nothing created, for all created things are changeable, the only bases for God’s unchanging love for his people is the “I have made a covenant with my chosen one.”
There eternal covenant between Father and Son to Save God’s people, thought the mediatorial work of Jesus, Christ.
The promise declared in God’s word to David, fulfilled in Christ.
Transition
Transition
Now keep this in mind, as we get into verse 5-8, the hermetic is Christ and the covenant between Him and the Father, if we get away from that we lose the plot quickly. Lets read verse 5 - 8.
In Order That the Saints Would Stand In Awe
In Order That the Saints Would Stand In Awe
5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! 6 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, 7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? 8 O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?
The heavens declare the glory of God,
All of creation praises God
We learn this in Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Ps 19:1, ESV)
But the ultimate revelation of his steadfast love is in the power He uses to save his people.
We will see more of that when we get to verses 9-11
Calvin’s Comment here is useful, “There is no doubt, that the same subject is here prosecuted, and that by the word truth, it is intended to signalize the remarkable deliverances by which God had manifested his faithfulness to the promises made to his servants.” [1]
The assembly of the Holy Ones
Lets consider who the Holy Ones are.
When we look at the Old Testament there are references to the Holy OneS, Plural, in the Job, Psalms, and Daniel and the Prophets. There are many references to the Holy One (singular) and those are almost 100% clearly attribute to Christ and God.
For example, in this Psalm in verse 18 it says,
“For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.” (Ps 89:18, ESV)
Or a famous verse quoted in the New Testament “For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” (Ps 16:10, ESV)
Clearly referring to Christ.
It is true that Job, Psalmist, and Daniel all possibly believed that the Holy Ones here refereed, to some for of created divine beings, but they didn’t have the New Testament. The completed revelation in Christ.
The New Testament refers to believers as Holy Ones more then hundred times.
When you read the New Testament and you see the word Saint or Saints, that is the Word ἅγιος (Hagios) it means Holy Ones.
Remember What the Author of Hebrews says, ‘in the Old Times, God spoke in many ways but now he has spoken through his Son.’ (Hebrews 1:1-2, ESV)
The clear revelation through Christ is now.
Calvin’s Comment is again very useful here, “Some interpreters judiciously explain the word heavens, of the angels, among whom there is a common joy and congratulation in the salvation of the Church. This interpretation is confirmed from the last clause of the verse, in which it is asserted, that God’s truth will be celebrated in the congregation of the saints.” [2]
The assembly of the Holy Ones is the church, the assembled saints, both the visible and invisible assemblies.
How about verse 6-7 then,
“6 For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, 7 a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?” (Ps 89:6–7, ESV)
Repeated “who in the skies can be compared to the LORD”
You see I have something Job, Psalmist, and Daniel didn’t, I read the Book of Revelation, I know who is around God’s Throne, first, the Cherubim, then the 24 Elders, and then the whole gathering of the Holy Ones from every tribe and tongue.
At the center of all of it is Christ, he is the one that John’s see sitting on the thrown with the heavens and all in them adoring him.
Transition
Transition
Lets move to verses 9-11 for times sake.
The Earth Is The Lords’ In Righteousness
The Earth Is The Lords’ In Righteousness
8 O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you? 9 You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. 10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. 11 The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.
9 I know who stills the waves. Job, Psalmist, and Daniel could only dream of these things that have been revealed to us. We know he stood in the Boat on Galilee and said peace be still.
10 Here in verse ten we see how to properly use the context of the writer. Rahab, here is and interesting study because the Septuagint doesn’t the have word Rahab here. However, we know that Rahab has a context to the reader. To cut chase, the reader of psalm they would understand the author was talking about Egypt.[3]
The poetic picture of God’s victor of Egypt in the red see is used an overarching example of God’s crusting his enemies.
I think Rahab (also a way of saying, the old sea dragon) is used intentionally so that the readers mind would not stay at the red see buy the see the full panoramic picture of God crushing all the enemies of he people.
It says, “scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.” (Ps 89:10, ESV)
Our greatest enemy death and Sin, he send The Holy One, we conqueror.
This is all in keeping his Covenant made between the Father and the Son, like is says in Psalm 2.
“8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” (Ps 2:8–9, ESV)
The Covenant between the Father and Son is that all nations would be his rightful King and they his people would be saved through his rule.
That is exactly the proclamation we see in verse 11,
“The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.” (Ps 89:11, ESV)
Those all the world is God’s all the time, the picture here again is of Christ’s rule, and the covenant between the Father and Son.
This is the picture from Revelation
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.
Conclusion
Conclusion
We keep our eyes on Christ and let the clear parts of scripture interpret the unclear parts.
He is the whole reason
He is the whole story
He is the only thing worth talking about.
This text is a great example of how the scripture harmonize around Christ. When he is at the center of everything, all things pointing to him, we have the truth of it.
We conclude with 2 Corinthians 13:14.
Benediction
Benediction
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
References
References
[1] John Calvin and James Anderson, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, vol. 3 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 423.
[2] Ibid.
[3] “[Heb. rahaḇ (Job 9:13; 26:12; Ps. 87:4; 89:10 [MT 11]; Isa. 30:7; 51:9); AV also “(the) proud,” “strength”; NEB also EGYPT. An OT poetic name for a powerful enemy of Yahweh; in some passages it refers to a historical empire hostile to Israel, in others to a demonic monster of some kind. F. A. Spina, “Rahab,” ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988), 34.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Calvin, John, and James Anderson. Commentary on the Book of Psalms. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.
Spina, F. A. “Rahab.” Edited by Geoffrey W. Bromiley. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised. Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988.