Psalm 89:1-4, 34-37 - Everlasting Faithfulness

The Church may not seem holy, but God remains faithful to her forever.

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Psalm 89:34-37(NIV)

A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known

through all generations.

2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,

that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to David my servant,

4 ‘I will establish your line forever

and make your throne firm through all generations.’ ”

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30 “If his sons forsake my law

and do not follow my statutes,

31 if they violate my decrees

and fail to keep my commands,

32 I will punish their sin with the rod,

their iniquity with flogging;

33 but I will not take my love from him,

nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.

34 I will not violate my covenant

or alter what my lips have uttered.

35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—

and I will not lie to David—

36 that his line will continue forever

and his throne endure before me like the sun;

37 it will be established forever like the moon,

the faithful witness in the sky.”

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Listen to passage & devotional:

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Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 27: The Holy Catholic Church

We believe and confess

one single catholic (universal) church—

a holy congregation and gathering

of true Christian believers,

awaiting their entire salvation in Jesus Christ

being washed by his blood,

and sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

This church has existed from the beginning of the world

and will last until the end,

as appears from the fact

that Christ is eternal King

who cannot be without subjects.

And this holy church is preserved by God

against the rage of the whole world,

even though for a time

it may appear very small

in the eyes of men—

as though it were snuffed out.

For example,

during the very dangerous time of Ahab

the Lord preserved for himself seven thousand men

who did not bend their knees to Baal.

And so this holy church

is not confined,

bound,

or limited to a certain place or certain persons.

But it is spread and dispersed

throughout the entire world,

though still joined and united

in heart and will,

in one and the same Spirit,

by the power of faith.

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Summary

Of all the traits and attributes of God, it's His everlasting faithfulness that stands out to this Psalmist here in the 89th Psalm. In the short selection we looked at, we read the word 'faithfulness' four times, which isn't a huge number in and of itself, but it's the way this faithfulness is described as eternal that really stands out.

God's covenant faithfulness is described here as lasting "through all generations;" It "stands firm forever;" It's been "established... forever," and is "firm through all generations." God says that what He's established will "continue forever," and "will endure before Him like the sun."

But history doesn't seem to agree with the claims the psalmist makes on God's behalf. The Davidic dynasty - this line that God said would continue forever - has been gone for thousands of years. It came to an unceremonious end at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar five centuries before Christ was born.

So either Psalm 89 - and dozens of passages like it - is fake news and ought to be extracted from our Bibles, OR the "line of David" that God promised is something much bigger than a small ancient near eastern nation that's long gone. If you've been reading along with us for long, you know that it's the latter: Jesus Christ now sits on David's throne forever, and His people are no longer defined by arbitrary political borders, but comprise His holy catholic Church.

God's everlasting covenant faithfulness persists.

Dig Deeper

For many, those familiar words - holy catholic Church - roll off the tongue so easily because they've been recited so often as part of the Apostles' Creed. Others of you hear them with more skeptical ears. Of all the ways the Church can be described, 'holy' might be the last word you'd pick.

And if you're narrowly defining 'holy' as being free from from sin, then you're right, the Church is anything but Holy. But notice in v30-33 how God disciplines His Church in His everlasting covenant faithfulness. He "will punish their sin," even severely at times, "BUT He will never take His love from us nor will He ever betray His faithfulness."

Just as it is in every other realm of life, an accurate understanding history is critical to an accurate understanding of reality. When you get to know church history, you'll see the ongoing story of God shepherding his wayward people, sometimes gently and sometimes aggressively, and you'll see that every time His Church wanders from His truth, He always brings reformation to it.

You can have confidence that as a member of God's holy catholic Church, you're part of something much bigger than yourself; you're part of the everlasting line of David. Know that as such you will be held "firm through all generations."

AAA Prayer (About)

• ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose love and faithfulness stands firm forever, through all generations;

• ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that more and more you'll come to see yourself as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven and member of God's holy catholic Church;

• ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

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Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 5