Singing When The Throne Is Empty
Psalms 89
November 15, 2020
Tonight we come to the 89th Psalm.
It is a lengthy Psalm, but the point is clear
And one that reminds us why we love the Psalms so much.
How often we find within this book sentiments and emotions,
Doubts and discouragements that we too can feel in life.
Peter wrote regarding suffering in his 1st epistle:
1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.”
Peter certainly acknowledged the realness of suffering,
But he also was quick to remind that we are not alone in it.
Throughout the world our brethren are also suffering and they are winning!
“accomplished” is a word that means “to bring to an end; complete”
They are finishing it…
They are enduring it…
They are completing it…
Be encouraged by them.
That is the type of encouragement we also see in the Psalms.
We see real people with real suffering and real questions
And as we see their walk we are encouraged in ours.
Especially when they are Psalms that express confusion, like this one.
To sort of INTRODUCE the Psalm, it reads like this:
Apparently the Psalmist has been reacquainted with the prophecy concerning the lineage of David.
• Perhaps he was reading the passage where David’s lineage was discussed (2 Samuel 7)
• Perhaps there was a song already written about the blessings God pronounced on David’s line and this caused him to ponder it.
It doesn’t really matter how the truth entered his mind.
But here is what happens.
• He becomes acquainted with the prophecy, ponders on it, searches it out, exposits it,
• And then lifts up his eyes and looks at the world and says, “What happened? Where is the fulfillment of this promise?”
Recently we’ve talked about false prophets who like to deceive people by taking a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other
And convincing people that the end is near.
Well here is a man who took a Bible in one hand
And a newspaper in the other
And noticed that they didn’t match and he wants to know why.
• Where is the fulfillment of all these promises?
• Where is the blessing God spoke of?
• Where is the goodness we were supposed to be receiving?
EVER HAD A MOMENT LIKE THAT?
You read God’s promises in the Bible and then look at your life and wonder if God forgot what He promised?
I know those aren’t the types of emotions we mention out loud in church,
But they can be the real types of emotions we feel at home in the closet.
Well Psalms 89 is one of those moments.
It is lengthy, so we will have to move quickly,
But I think it’s important not to break this one in half
But to make sure we cover it all in one sitting.
So let’s work our way through it tonight.
We’ll bread it down into 5 points.
#1 THE PSALMIST’S PASSAGE
Psalms 89:1-4
Now I will tell you that there are some who think that perhaps verses 1-37 represent a common song or Psalm that the Psalmist already knew.
• It would sort of be like you driving down the road and a song comes on the radio that you know well and have sung many times.
• But on this day, as you sing it, you say to yourself, “I’m not sure if that song is true or not.”
There are some who think that is what is happening here.
That the Psalmist is first quoting for us a Psalm that already existed in his day (though not preserved in Scripture)
It could be.
What they do agree on is that
If the Psalmist is NOT quoting an existing Psalm then based on the end of the Psalm, verses 1-37 is some of the most disciplined song writing you’ll ever see.
Because until you get to verse 38
YOU’D NEVER GUESS the Psalmist is struggling at all.
“I will sing of the lovingkindness of the LORD forever; To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.”
That’s positive isn’t it!
• I want everyone to know about the loyalty of God.
• I want everyone to know about the faithfulness of God.
• I’m going to sing about it forever and to everyone.
And then we get a glimpse of what prompted such a statement,
And it was a specific Bible passage.
(2-4) “For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.” “I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever And build up your throne to all generations.” Selah.”
Now this is just A PARAPHRASE here,
But what the Psalmist is doing is referencing the portion of Scripture
Were God announced His loyal covenant with David.
TURN TO: 2 SAMUEL 7:8-17
• You know the story.
• David wanted to build God a house
• God told him no because he had shed much blood
• God announced that his son would build His house
• But God also told David that his lineage would never depart for all eternity
It was a remarkable promise!
God told David that He would cause his kingdom to endure forever.
1 Kings 8:16 “Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.”
Isaiah 9:7 “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
It is the David Covenant.
I don’t know if the Psalmist was reading 2 Samuel 7 or if he was singing a song about 2 Samuel 7 but either way the passage he is referring to becomes clear.
God made an announcement that David’s line would last forever
And the Psalmist is blown away
By God’s loyalty and faithfulness to David.
That is the Passage
#2 THE PSALMIST’S PERCEPTION
Psalms 89:5-37
Now this is obviously a long segment of the Psalm,
But basically it is THE EXPOSITION of 2 Samuel 7.
• These 30+ verses would be equal to the sermon preached on 2 Samuel 7.
• These verses would stand as the explanation of those promises.
The Psalmist begins talking about the greatness and grandeur of God.
(READ 5-10)
The references there are to the power of God.
• The Psalmist references that even in the heavens the angels are mesmerized
by the omnipotence of God.
(5) “The heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.”
No one can equal or rival or compare to the God of heaven.
(6-8) “For who in the skies is comparable to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty is like the LORD, a God greatly feared in the council of the holy ones, And awesome above all those who are around Him? O LORD God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty LORD? Your faithfulness surrounds You.”
Even in the heavens, among the holy angels, there is reverence and awe regarding the greatness of God.
His power is like no other.
(9-10) “You rule the swelling of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them. You Yourself crushed Rahab like one who is slain; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.”
The sea was always a picture of that which could not be tamed.
Filled with uncertainty and danger, yet God’s power is described in the fact that He can still the sea. (Obviously we think of Jesus here)
“Rahab” was a reference to Egypt and how God crushed that mighty nation that He might deliver His people.
No one can thwart the plan of God.
He does whatever He wants to do.
Psalms 115:3 “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.”
Psalms 135:6 “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.”
And all things belong to and answer to this powerful and mighty God.
(11-12) “The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all it contains, You have founded them. The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon shout for joy at Your name.”
Everything belongs to this mighty God.
All the heavens; all the earth; from pole to pole; to the highest mountains.
We would refer to it as the TOTAL AUTONOMY OF GOD
• He has all the power
• He has all the authority
• He has all the right
He can do whatever He wants with all that is His,
And since everything is His, He does whatever He wants.
• He answers to no delegation…
• He needs no wise counsel…
• He will never stand judgment for anything He does…
HE HAS TOTAL AUTONOMY.
AND THIS WOULD BE A TERRIFYING THING where it not for the fact that while God is all powerful, HE IS ALSO JUST.
(13-14) “You have a strong arm; Your hand is mighty, Your right hand is exalted. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go before You.”
He is a good God.
He is a righteous God.
Deuteronomy 32:1-4 “Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; And let the earth hear the words of my mouth. “Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As the droplets on the fresh grass And as the showers on the herb. “For I proclaim the name of the LORD; Ascribe greatness to our God! “The Rock! His work is perfect, For all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He.”
And those realities lead the Psalmist to shout out that being a person in covenant with this great God is an awesome thing!
(15-18) “How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O LORD, they walk in the light of Your countenance. In Your name they rejoice all the day, And by Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength, And by Your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the LORD, And our king to the Holy One of Israel.”
It is good to be the people of God.
For we have a powerful and just God.
We have a glorious God.
• A God who goes before us.
• A God who lights our way with His glory.
• A God who exalts us in His righteousness.
• A God who strengthens us for His glory.
• A God who extends grace and favor to us.
• A God who shields us.
It is good to be the people of God!
This entire DOXOLOGY of praise was INSPIRED by the fact that
God chose to make a kingdom for David that would never pass away.
TURN BACK TO: 2 SAMUEL 7:18-24
Those are the same things David said in response aren’t they?
• God promised an enduring kingdom and David said, “Wow! We are so blessed to have a God like You!”
Psalms 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.”
And then the Psalmist continues,
This time OUTLINING THE SPECIFICS of the passage he referenced.
Here he begins to unpack and explain
Exactly what God was promising when He made that promise to David.
(19-25) “Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ones, And said, “I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. “I have found David My servant; With My holy oil I have anointed him, With whom My hand will be established; My arm also will strengthen him. “The enemy will not deceive him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. “But I shall crush his adversaries before him, And strike those who hate him. “My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him, And in My name his horn will be exalted. “I shall also set his hand on the sea And his right hand on the rivers.”
You can see there the START of the kingdom as God sovereignly chose David and gave him the kingdom.
(20) “I have found David My servant;”
You can see the STRENGTH of the kingdom God promised to David.
(23) “I shall crush his adversaries before him, and strike those who hate him.”
You can see the SCOPE of the kingdom God promised him.
(25) “I shall also set his hand on the sea And his right hand on the rivers.”
That was a reference to David inheriting the full land promised to Abraham.
Exodus 23:31 “I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.”
David’s kingdom would be from the sea to the Euphrates.
And if we go on, you can see the SOVEREIGNTY of David’s kingdom.
(26-29) “He will cry to Me, ‘You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.’ “I also shall make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth. “My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall be confirmed to him. “So I will establish his descendants forever And his throne as the days of heaven.”
This is just the Psalmist fleshing out for you
What God clearly promised David back in 2 Samuel 7.
• God was in effect calling David His “firstborn” which of course entitles David to the birthright and the blessing of God.
• God called him “the highest of the kings of earth” which is absolute sovereignty.
• God said “My lovingkindness I will keep for him forever” which is to say I will never cut off My loyalty from him.
• God said his throne would be forever.
It’s just the Psalmist outlining what God promised David.
But even that isn’t the main point that the Psalmist wanted to seize upon.
• Yes you see the Start of David’s kingdom
• Yes you see the Strength of David’s kingdom
• Yes you see the Scope of David’s kingdom
• Yes you see the Sovereignty of David’s kingdom
But the aspect of the prophecy that most stood out to the Psalmist was THE SECURITY OF DAVID’S KINGDOM
(30-37) “If his sons forsake My law And do not walk in My judgments, If they violate My statutes And do not keep My commandments, Then I will punish their transgression with the rod And their iniquity with stripes. “But I will not break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. “My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips. “Once I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David. “His descendants shall endure forever And his throne as the sun before Me. “It shall be established forever like the moon, And the witness in the sky is faithful.” Selah.”
That’s pretty remarkable isn’t it?
It’s one thing to be so delighted in David
• That you would make all those promises to him and to give him such a great kingdom.
But to pass that on to his lineage with the promise of
No matter how wicked they might be,
I will not revoke this promise to David.
That is just a remarkable promise.
And notice, God said, “I have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David.”
That is God putting His holiness on the line as collateral.
“If I don’t do this, then you have the right
to no longer consider Me to be a holy God.”
This is a serious promise.
This is an amazing promise.
Psalms 2:7-9 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'”
Now, as we said, this is the exposition of 2 Samuel 7.
• I don’t know if the Psalmist here read that passage and did his own exposition,
• Or if he is simply quoting a song someone else did about it.
• But it is clear that the opening 37 verses of this Psalm are filled with praise and gratitude to God for what He promised to David.
• It is just pure joy to ponder and rejoice in this magnificent promise of God.
God said that David’s kingdom would last forever and no matter how wicked and corrupt his children were, God would never (33-34) “break off My lovingkindness from him, Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness. My covenant I will not violate, Nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.”
Write it down in blood!
This is a done deal.
This is My promise.
And the Psalms feels like a glorious song of praise.
Until we get to verse 38.
#3 THE PSALMISTS PROBLEM
Psalms 89:38-45
OUCH!
That word “But” packs a punch there doesn’t?
• You said David’s kingdom would last forever.
• You said even if his sons were wicked, you’d never reject David.
But the Psalmist is here looking around him.
And do you know what he sees? AN EMPTY THRONE
Oh, he knows the promise…
He’s quite familiar with 2 Samuel 7…
But still, the throne is empty.
TURN TO: 2 KINGS 25:8-21
Zedekiah reigned from 597 to 586BC
• He was the last King to ever sit on the throne in Israel.
• He was deported to Babylon.
• And yes, after 70 years Israel did return to her land.
• Yes, she did rebuild her temple.
• And yes, Zerubbabel was a governor whom God called “a signet ring”
• But still, there was no king.
Throughout the ages,
• Israel would fall victim the Greek civil war and would spend time in the kingdom of the Ptolemies and then under the kingdom of the Seleucids.
• They would revolt and win their independence
• But then they would fall under Roman rule in the New Testament.
• And modern history has seen them scattered, oppressed, and afflicted.
• Yes, we saw them reestablished on their land, and they do have a government in place,
• But they have not had a king for over 2600 years.
And the Psalmist can’t get past it.
He’s holding 2 Samuel 7 in one hand and a newspaper in the other
And he can’t figure it out.
When he looks around he SEES ANYTHING BUT
The type of blessing they were expecting under a Davidic kingdom.
(38-45) “But You have cast off and rejected, You have been full of wrath against Your anointed. You have spurned the covenant of Your servant; You have profaned his crown in the dust. You have broken down all his walls; You have brought his strongholds to ruin. All who pass along the way plunder him; He has become a reproach to his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice. You also turn back the edge of his sword And have not made him stand in battle. You have made his splendor to cease And cast his throne to the ground. You have shortened the days of his youth; You have covered him with shame. Selah.”
All he sees is an empty throne.
• He sees rejection
• He sees reproach
He is having a tough time reconciling what he sees with what he reads.
That is his problem.
#4 HIS PLEA
Psalms 89:46-51
Here we see the ever familiar “How long, O LORD?”
Now, let me just point out that in the context of this Psalm,
This prayer is a tremendous statement of faith.
After what we just read and the apparent failure of the promise of God, we would EXPECT the Psalmist pray, “What happened, O LORD?”
BUT HE DOESN’T.
He still doesn’t question the “if” only the “when”.
He still believes God will keep His promise,
It’s just a matter of when God will do it.
But make no mistake, he is confused.
(46-51) “How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire? Remember what my span of life is; For what vanity You have created all the sons of men! What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah. Where are Your former lovingkindnesses, O Lord, Which You swore to David in Your faithfulness? Remember, O Lord, the reproach of Your servants; How I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the many peoples, With which Your enemies have reproached, O LORD, With which they have reproached the footsteps of Your anointed.”
Can you hear his frustration?
• God, I’m not going to live forever (I don’t have all day)
• Where is this promise I read about?
• Where is that loyalty we sang about in verse 1?
• Can you see the reproach we are dealing with, where is the blessing?
• Do you see how the world mocks you, where is the king You promised?
And, AS WE SAID, it’s not the kind of frustration that we typically hear expressed in the church, but it is certainly that which may be more commonly expressed in the closet.
We come to church and we like to pretend it’s all under control,
But you and I both know there are days when we read the promises of God,
Then look at life and wonder what in the world happened.
I just finished another WWII documentary last week.
• There was about 3 minutes of footage on Holocaust survivors.
• It was almost more than I could bear…
Throughout the documentary excerpts are read from the published diary of a nurse named June Wandrey. The published diary is called “Bedpan Commando”. Upon treating some Holocaust survivors she writes:
“You have to gently shake some of the patients to see if they are still alive. Their breathing is so shallow. Each time I breathe a wee prayer for them. God are You there? God, where are You?”
Life can do that can’t it?
When you witness horror and tragedy and it doesn’t line up
With the prosperous blessings we see promised in Scripture.
It’s hard to mesh them sometimes.
That is where the Psalmist is.
• He isn’t quitting…
• He hasn’t defected…
• But he wants to know “How long..?”
And then he ends
#5 HIS PERSEVERANCE
Psalms 89:52
It seems so small, almost like an afterthought.
But contained here are the very words of Job
• Who witnesses the loss of all that he had, and who sat down in confusion in the ash heap and said, “Blessed be the name of the LORD”
It is worship in confusion.
It is singing a song to an empty throne.
“Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.”
That is faith over understanding.
And we certainly commend the Psalmist for that.
BUT THE PSALM HAS OPPENED UP QUESTIONS FOR US TO ANSWER.
What do we do with such a Psalm?
What do we do with such a dilemma?
There is a passage I want to read to you from the New Testament.
2 Corinthians 1:20 “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”
That verse is so important.
All the promises of God are fulfilled to us in Jesus.
John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;”
The Psalmist couldn’t figure out what was going on
Because the Psalmist had never seen Jesus.
I can almost picture Psalm 89 being Simeon’s prayer
• In the temple as day after day he waited to see a King.
• He wasn’t getting any younger and I can almost hear him saying, “Remember what my span of life is; for what vanity You have created all the sons of men! What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?”
Can’t you hear Simeon reminding God that I’m about to die
And I haven’t seen it yet.
The Psalmist was in despair because he hadn’t seen Jesus.
But when you see Jesus, all of God’s promises come into focus.
So let’s just make an obvious statement here.
Apart from Jesus God’s promises are unfulfilled.
Without Jesus there is only confusion.
Imagine reading the Old Testament WITHOUT KNOWING Christ.
Isaiah 9:2-7 “The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”
Apart from Jesus you wouldn’t know what to do with a promise like that.
• But Matthew 4:12 says Jesus fulfilled it.
• It was all about Him.
Isaiah 42:1-4 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. “He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. “A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. “He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”
What would you do with that if you couldn’t read Matthew 12 and here that it was talking about Jesus?
Isaiah 61:1-2 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,”
Isaiah made that promise over 2800 years ago.
What would you do with that if Jesus hadn’t walked into Nazareth in Luke 4, grabbed a scroll and said, “That is Me!”
Consider that poor Ethiopian Eunuch stuck
As he couldn’t rationalize the promises of God in the Old Testament.
Acts 8:29-35 “Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. “IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH.” The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.”
That man didn’t know what to do with Isaiah 53
Until Philip showed him Jesus.
This next week, if you’re following the Hebrews daily devotions,
We talk about Hebrews 2 and another apparent failed promise of God.
Hebrews 2:6-8 “But one has testified somewhere, saying, “WHAT IS MAN, THAT YOU REMEMBER HIM? OR THE SON OF MAN, THAT YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HIM? “YOU HAVE MADE HIM FOR A LITTLE WHILE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS; YOU HAVE CROWNED HIM WITH GLORY AND HONOR, AND HAVE APPOINTED HIM OVER THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; YOU HAVE PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him.”
The writer flat out says that God “placed all things in subjection”
Under the feet of man, but WE DO NOT SEE IT that way.
But then he says:
Hebrews 2:9 “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”
We may not see the promise exactly fulfilled as we expected it,
But we do see Jesus who IS the fulfillment.
SO HERE’S YOUR APPLICATION FOR TONIGHT.
• When you look at this crazy world where right is wrong and wrong is right.
• When you read your Bible and read about how God is sovereign and God is holy but it looks like Satan is having way more victories than God is.
Here’s what you do.
You pray: Psalms 89:46-52.
• You pray with eyes of faith.
• You DON’T pray “What happened?”
• You pray “How Long?”
• You pray, “Come Lord Jesus!”
The promise is clear.
That kingdom will last forever,
It still exists today “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.
We’re just waiting for God to manifest it on the earth.
So in the midst of seemingly irreconcilable promises
We recognize that all promises are fulfilled in Jesus
And we pray that He would return quickly to manifest them.
Right now, if you look at the world, it can look like there is an empty throne.
• That’s how it looked to the Psalmist.
• But that is only an illusion.
God’s promises have not failed.
They are fulfilled in Jesus and one day we will see them on the earth.
