Welcome to Day 2720 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Day 2720 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 89:1-8 – Daily Wisdom

 

Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2720

Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2720 of our Trek. <#1.0#> The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. <#1.0#>

The Title for Today’s Wisdom-Trek is: The Eternal Song of God's Unfailing Love - A Trek Through Psalm Eighty Nine 1-8 <#1.0#>

Today, we begin a new, pivotal, and magnificent chapter in our journey through the Psalms: Psalm Eighty-Nine. We are covering its opening, foundational verses 1 through 8, in the New Living Translation. <#1.0#>

This psalm is a Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite. Ethan, like Heman from the deeply sorrowful Psalm Eighty-Eight we just concluded, was one of the wise men and musicians of Solomon's time. Yet, where Psalm 88 ended in the absolute darkness of suffering and silence, Psalm Eighty-nine explodes with a powerful, unrelenting declaration of faith in God's two greatest attributes: His Unfailing Love and His Faithfulness.

This psalm is the theological answer to Heman's despair! It essentially says, "Even when I feel consumed by darkness, even when God's fury seems heavy upon me, I will still sing of His steadfast love!" Psalm 89 is a grand meditation on the Davidic Covenant, a promise from God that established David’s throne forever. The opening verses are a magnificent hymn, celebrating the God whose word is established in the heavens and whose power is unrivaled, even in the Divine Council.

So, let's allow this hymn of divine promise to lift our hearts and anchor our hope in the unwavering character of the Most High God. <#1.0#>

The first section is: The Eternal Covenant of Love and Faithfulness<#1.0#>

(Psalm Eighty-Nine 1-4)<#1.0#>

I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Your unfailing love will last forever; your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens. The Lord said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen servant; I have solemnly promised David: ‘I will secure your throne among your descendants forever; I will make your dynasty last as long as the skies!'" Interlude <#1.0#>

The psalm opens with an immediate, resolute, and eternal commitment to praise: "I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever!" This is a personal vow, made by the psalmist, that will last for all time. The focus is squarely on God’s "unfailing love" (ḥesed), that steadfast, covenant loyalty we’ve discussed so many times. It is the core quality of God's character that guarantees His adherence to His promises. The declaration to sing of it "forever" contrasts starkly with the finite life and suffering Heman described in the last psalm. Here, the emphasis is on the infinite nature of God's goodness. <#1.0#>

This praise is meant to be intergenerational: "Young and old will hear of your faithfulness." The truth of God's character must be passed down through history, fulfilling the educational command we saw in Psalm Seventy-Eighth. All generations need to hear and bear witness to God's faithfulness (’ĕmûnâ), His reliability and trustworthiness. <#1.0#>

The psalmist emphasizes the eternal nature of these two divine attributes: "Your unfailing love will last forever; your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens." The ḥesed of God is not subject to time; it "will last forever." And His ’ĕmûnâ is as sure and "enduring as the heavens," the visible cosmos. In the ancient Israelite worldview, the heavens were considered the ultimate symbol of permanence and stability. By equating God's faithfulness to the permanence of the sky, the psalmist affirms that it is unshakeable, reliable, and absolutely certain. <#1.0#>

The psalmist then moves from God’s general attributes to His specific, binding covenant with David, revealing the source of this certainty: "The Lord said, 'I have made a covenant with my chosen servant; I have solemnly promised David:'" This is God’s voice, speaking of His own initiative. A covenant (berît) was a solemn, legally binding commitment. God chose David, His "chosen servant," and bound Himself by His own word. <#1.0#>

The substance of that promise is staggering: "‘I will secure your throne among your descendants forever; I will make your dynasty last as long as the skies!'" The covenant promises two things: <#1.0#>

1. A secure throne (the continuity of the monarchy).


2. An eternal dynasty (lasting "forever" and "as long as the skies"). <#1.0#>

This is the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7). God promises an unbroken, perpetual lineage for the king, guaranteeing that a descendant of David will always occupy the throne. This hope—the eternal promise of a righteous King—was the ultimate hope for Israel and finds its perfect fulfillment only in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. <#1.0#>

The "Interlude" gives us a moment to absorb the weight of this divine promise: God's eternal character is tied to a promise made to a human king, a promise that transcends human time and ensures an everlasting reign. <#1.0#>

The Second Section is: The Cosmic Chorus of Praise <#1.0#>

(Psalm Eighty-Nine 5-8) <#1.0#>

All the heavens will praise your great wonders, O Lord; the assembly of holy ones will praise your faithfulness. For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord? What mightiest angel is anything like the Lord? The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne. O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, who is as mighty as you, O Lord? You are surrounded by your faithfulness. <#1.0#>

Having established God's faithfulness through the Davidic Covenant, the psalmist now envisions the cosmic response to God’s nature: "All the heavens will praise your great wonders, O Lord; the assembly of holy ones will praise your faithfulness." The praise is universal and celestial. The "heavens" (the physical cosmos) praise God's "great wonders" (pele’—His astonishing deeds). <#1.0#>

The "assembly of holy ones" (qehāl qedōšîm) is a direct reference to the Divine Council. In the ancient Israelite worldview, God presided over a council of angelic or spiritual beings. This council is here depicted as actively praising God, affirming His faithfulness. This shows that God’s trustworthiness is acknowledged and celebrated by the highest spiritual authorities in the cosmos. <#1.0#>

The psalmist then launches into a powerful rhetorical challenge to the entire Council: "For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord? What mightiest angel is anything like the Lord?" This echoes the unrivaled supremacy we saw declared in Psalm 86: "You alone are God." Here, the challenge is cosmic. The psalmist asserts that among all the spiritual, powerful beings of the Divine Council, none possess the unique attributes—the power, the holiness, and the unwavering ḥesed—that belong to Yahweh. The "mightiest angel" (bĕnē ’ēlîm, sons of God or mighty ones) is absolutely incomparable to the Lord. <#1.0#>

The council itself is depicted as standing in awe: "The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God. He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne." The reverence from these powerful spiritual beings highlights God's absolute transcendence. He is not merely the Chairman of the Council; He is the Most Awesome (nôrâ) being in existence. His majesty dwarfs even the most brilliant spiritual beings who serve Him. <#1.0#>

The psalmist concludes this section by uniting God’s power and His faithfulness: "O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, who is as mighty as you, O Lord? You are surrounded by your faithfulness." The title "Lord God of Heaven’s Armies" (Yahweh Elohei Tseva’ot) emphasizes His military and cosmic power. His might (ḥasîn) is unmatched. <#1.0#>

And the reason for His mighty and trustworthy nature is beautiful: