Sermon on Psalm 89, for Lent 2 midweek, "God's Anointed"
Sermon
Outline:
·
Psalm
89: sings at length of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. A song and praise
to sing for all generations—a song the heavens join in singing. To the
incomparable God, greatly feared, all powerful, surrounded by faithfulness. A
song sung from the mountaintops and throughout all creation—wherever the might
of God’s hand has been displayed. In the power over creation, power over His
people’s enemies, and His steadfast love. v. 14 “Righteousness and justice are
the foundation of your throne, steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.”
·
Lays a
sure foundation of the Psalmist’s hope. Pillars of God’s throne and rule. His
unchangeable qualities, on which we can bank. Foundation of our confidence to
call on Him for help. Lays foundation for a major prayer and crisis in the 2nd
half of the Psalm.
·
v. 19-37
(still first half), recounts God’s covenant, His promise to David and his
throne (2 Sam. 7). Specific example of faithfulness. v. 3-4 already mentioned: “You have said, “I
have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I
will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all
generations.’” Prophet Nathan—throne established forever, steadfast love will
not depart (even despite discipline). A promise that would have to fall short
if spoken only of human descendants—already David’s rule has been broken. But
looks all the way forward to Jesus, the ‘Anointed One’ of v. 51, and the One
who cries in v. 26, “You are my Father, my God and the Rock of my salvation.”
Of whom God says, “I will make Him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of
the earth.”
·
This
leads into the distress—though God’s steadfast love and faithfulness are
sure—the and His covenant inviolable, it now seems as though God’s promises had
failed. Psalm written at a time (unknown to us) of national crisis—so deep that
the crown is defiled in the dust, the enemies triumph, God is “full of wrath
against your anointed,” falling in battle, end of splendor, days cut short,
covered in shame. Deep cry of affliction—How long O Lord? Will you hide
yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? What happened to
your favored dynasty? Remember us! Remember your covenant, your steadfast love
& faithfulness. Show us again—show us your merciful face, your mighty hand
acting in mercy toward us.
·
Psalmist
is wrestling with the apparent failure of God’s promises—but comes to the
wonderful conclusion: “When God’s promises seem to have failed, then affirm
them in joyful song (1, 2) and bring all the grief of the unfulfilled promises
to God in prayer (46–49, 50–51).” The Psalmist prayed even without realizing
the remedy—the remedy hidden in this very Psalm! The sad history of Israel’s
kings and the children of Israel (v. 30), disciplined by God for forsaking, the
punishment with the rod & their iniquity (guilt) with stripes (v.32) would
merge together with the punishment of Jesus’, God’s own Son, the anointed, the
Messiah. Born from their rebellious line of ancestors, born with human blood
yet without sin, Jesus would bear the rod and the stripes, He would bear the
chastisement that brought us peace, so that by His stripes we are healed.
·
As
Israel’s history, as the covenant promise of the throne, merged together with
the offspring of David, Jesus, God’s anointed, highest of all the kings of the
earth—this Psalm takes on a new character and meaning. Foundational are God’s
promises, His faithfulness, steadfast love and covenant—but also the distress
of God’s people over Jesus’ own sufferings, His humiliation, His days being cut
short, His being covered with shame—all raises the question of the apparent
failure of God’s promises. So fully did Jesus identify with us, with sinners,
with rebellious descendants of David and more, that He bore God’s wrath. Jesus
stands fully in our sinners’ shoes, and wears all the garments of our shame and
guilt. He bows His head silently under the bitter outpouring of God’s wrath.
And here, it is not Father against Son, but God as One in will and purpose,
bearing within Himself all the guilt, hurt, and wrong of sin. And so, even
Jesus, the Son of Man, did not live without seeing death. But God’s
foundational promises stand sure. God did not remove His steadfast love or
faithfulness. He did not violate His covenant. Though Jesus was mocked and
insulted by His enemies at the cross, God’s steadfast love would return to Him.
Past the moments, and hours of forsakenness, into the barely glimpsed bright
future, a glint of hope and triumph shines. Blessed
be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen! The last words of the Psalm recommit
the Messiah’s hope, the people’s hope, our
hope to the God whose faithfulness has already been established and gone
before.
·
It is
enough now, even if the scale of God’s promise-keeping goes beyond our narrow
time-window on life, to confess that God’s promises cannot fail, and to set our
Amen! to them. For Amen and amen means, “Yes, Yes, it shall be so!”
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