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A National Lament

July 4, 2021 Speaker: Kit Johnson Series: Psalms

Topic: Expository Passage: Psalm 89

Introduction

Today is the 4th of July, and I do believe that God would primarily have us use this day to give thanks for all that is good about our nation and for how God has used our freedoms and prosperity for the advance of the gospel. Yes, the USA has problems, and it always has, because we are a nation of sinners. But for the most part, the vision of our founding fathers was incredibly wise and consistent with biblical values. We should be proud of our heritage and thank God for his kindness.

But even as we give thanks for those things, doing so may feel bittersweet. That’s because our nation is rapidly changing, and most of it is not for the better. Much of our heritage is being replaced by bold rebellion against God and his Word. As a result, the future of our nation, our freedoms, and many other things are murky to say the least. So, how do we respond?

I’d like to answer this question by looking at an inspired national lament in Psalm 89. We don’t know exactly what the historical context was. The heading says it is the work of Ethan the Ezrahite. If this is the same Ethan who was one of Solomon’s officials, then he probably wrote during the reign of Solomon’s evil and foolish son Rehoboam. He was a terrible king. Israel divided under him, and he lost some embarrassing battles.

It’s also possible that the author is writing during another darker time, maybe the reign of another rebellious king, or maybe after Babylon removed the Davidic line from the throne. Regardless, it’s a dark time (vv. 38–45). The psalmist is clearly hurting and confused, and he’s trying to process what he sees. And God put this psalm in the Bible to set a pattern for how we should process that kind of grief and confusion ourselves.

Now, I want to say as clearly as possible at the outset that the USA is not the new Israel. This psalm rehearses a series of incredible promises that God made to David and to Israel, and God has never given these promises to the USA. We are not the new Israel, and the world does not revolve around the USA, like we sometimes want to believe.

So, Psalm 89 is not directly about us, but it still has much to say about how we should respond to the spiritual decline of our nation and to whatever other confusing, difficult hardships life brings. The psalm consists of 3 distinct sections, which I’d like to use to give 3 challenges regarding how we should respond when our circumstances seem to contradict God’s character and promises. First…

I.  Remember God’s character (vv. 1–18).

A fascinating aspect of this psalm is the stark differences among the 3 units. In particular, the closing lament is very dark and despairing, compared to the joy of vv. 1–18 (read).

These verses are so cheery and positive. If you were reading this psalm for the first time, you would immediately assume that the psalm was written during a happy time of blessing. But the fact that the psalmist praised the Lord like this in a time of sorrow and confusion adds great depth to what he says. Notice how the psalmist reflects on several attributes of God.

He begins in v. 1 by declaring his intent to sing of the Lord’s mercy and his faithfulness. Then he mentions both attributes again in v. 2.

Aren’t you thankful that God is merciful? Without God’s mercy, we would all be hopelessly lost. It’s also a valuable reminder during difficult times, because one of the reasons we despair in hard times is because we think that we deserve prosperity and blessing. How many times have we said something like, “God, I don’t deserve this!”

But God’s mercy reminds us that any good thing we enjoy is better than we deserve. And when we stop focusing on all that is wrong and instead focus on how God blesses us despite our sin, we all have more than enough reason to “sing of the mercies of the Lord forever.”

Then, considering that the psalm ends, with the writer openly questioning God’s faithfulness to his promise, it’s fascinating that he begins by highlighting God’s faithfulness.

Therefore, it is especially significant that while the psalmist is fighting these questions, he anchors his mind in what he knows to be true. God never changes, and he never breaks a promise.

We will not always know why, and we may not see how he will fulfill his promise. But we KNOW that God is faithful, and he will perfectly do everything he has said.

It’s so important that we anchor our minds in this reality. We live in dark times, and you may be tempted to think that God has abandoned us, and that evil will win. Or there’s no way we can expect to stand, so we might as well cower in the corner. We must remember that God is faithful.

The same goes for every other hardship. Sometimes, it feels like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, just unending, hopeless darkness. But God is faithful, and you can trust him to keep you and to fulfill every promise.

Then vv. 5–10 praise God for his sovereignty. First, they do so by comparing God to the heavenly host of angels. The NKJV uses saints a couple times, but the Hebrew means holy ones and probably refers to angels.

The Bible tells us that many of the angels, including Satan, have incredible powers. But notice the rhetorical questions in v. 6. The answer is no one! The mightiest angels are nothing in comparison to God.

Then vv. 9–10 turn to the greatest powers of the earth. In the ancient world, stormy seas were terribly intimidating and overpowering. But the psalmist rejoices that God “rule(s) the raging of the sea.”

You may wonder what he means by Rahab in v. 10. He’s not talking about the biblical character. Rather, Rahab was a symbol of Egypt, one of the most intimidating nations of the day. But even the greatest nation is no match for God. He can crush it with a simple command. Our God is strong!

It’s so important that we remember God’s sovereignty during dark days. So often we feel as if chance, chaos, and evil will win the day. But God is on the throne. Isaiah 40:15 states, “The nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales.” The same goes for whatever else you are facing. There is no power in heaven or on earth that can stand against God. He is in control, and his purposes will be accomplished.

Finally, vv. 14–18 rehearse God’s goodness. Considering the psalmist’s overwhelming sorrow and confusion, these words are especially powerful.

Verse 14 declares, “Righteousness and justice...” Aren’t you thankful for that? We don’t always understand God’s purpose, but we know that his reign is built on righteousness, justice, mercy, and truth.

As a result, v. 15 declares that we are blessed to know the Lord and to walk in his ways. And v. 16–17 add, “In your name…” We shouldn’t spend our days moping around in misery and despair. Our God is good; therefore, we always have reason to “rejoice all day long.”

That’s not to say that life isn’t hard. The ending of this psalm teaches that God doesn’t expect us to pretend like life is hunky dory when it’s hard.

But vv. 1–18 teach that even when life is difficult, Christians must not spend their days with their heads down moaning and complaining. Rather, we ought to known for thankfulness, joy, and hope, because our God is good. He is full of righteousness, justice, mercy, and truth.

Not only that, he is with us. Verse 18 closes the section by saying, “Our shield…” Shield is a reference to Israel’s king, so the idea is that God was with Israel’s king. God strengthened him and used him to care for Israel. Therefore, all of God’s glorious goodness that the psalmist has described in vv. 1–17 was channeled to Israel through their king.

And praise the Lord that he is our shield as well. We can rest secure behind the shield of all of God’s perfections.

So, the first challenge of this psalm is to remember God’s character. If you look at our nation and the world through the lens of the media and their worldly focus, there is little reason for hope. But if you look at it all through the lens of our great God, you can “rejoice all day long.” Make sure that God’s character drives your perspective, not the news and not temporal passions of your heart. 2nd, the psalmist’s example challenges us…

II.  Remember God’s promises (vv. 19–37).

These verses reflect on the Davidic Covenant, which is recorded in 2 Samuel 7. This covenant is at the center of OT theology, and it was vital to Israel’s hope for the future.

Remember that Israel’s first king was Saul. God chose him, and he started well, but his pride and hardheartedness drove him into rebellion against God and deep bitterness. God rejected him, and his reign ended in humiliation and shame.

Then God chose David to take his place, and David also started well. But how does David know and how does Israel know that he won’t trip up like Saul and face the same shameful end? And even if David stays faithful, who’s to say his son, grandson, etc. won’t rebel and face the same judgment as Saul? These are important and valid fears.

God answered them in resounding fashion with the Davidic Covenant. Verses 20–29 detail the incredible promises God gave to David and his descendants. God promised to conquer David’s enemies and to give him a great kingdom. Verse 25 says that he will rule over the seas and the rivers.

And vv. 28–29 are especially significant, because God says that none of these things would be temporary. God says, “My mercy I will keep for him forever.” God will never abandon the Davidic line.

And Scripture teaches that someday, Jesus, who is from the line of David, will establish his throne in the city of Jerusalem, and he will reign in glory and power. God will keep his promise.

That’s great, but an Israelite may think, “I know God will keep his end of the deal, but what if the king doesn’t? What if he rebels, and God judges him the way he judged Saul? Well, v. 32 says that God said, “I will punish their transgression with the rod.” God always corrects the sins of those he loves.

But vv. 33–34 are very important (read). No matter how David and his descendants sinned, God would not remove his blessing as he did to Saul. God corrected David’s descendants and sometimes in painful fashion, but he never abandoned them.

Again, all of this will ultimately be fulfilled in the 2nd coming of Christ and the Millennial Kingdom. God will do for David and for Israel everything that he promised.

But what about us? We aren’t Israel, so what does all of this mean for us? The simple answer is that the psalmist sets an important example of how we must respond to times of confusion and especially to times of national decay. We must anchor our minds in the promises of God, not in the hopelessness of the world.

Yes, our nation is in bad shape. It doesn’t appear to be getting any better, and God has not promised to revive America, though he is certainly capable of doing so. But he has promised to keep his children through every trial and temptation. God has promised to build his church. No matter what hostility the church faces, the gospel will spread to every corner of the globe, and God will draw worshippers to himself.

God will bring us to glory, and someday he will resurrect his people from the grave. Someday Christ will conquer every enemy, and he will crush the head of the serpent. Christ will reign in righteousness and glory.

All these things will come true, and there is nothing any evil power can do to resist it. Christ will win in the end.

It’s up to us to rehearse these truths just like the psalmist. Don’t be consumed by a narrative of evil and defeat. Instead, see all that God is doing for his glory in our day, because God is doing great things. Remember God’s promises and live with great expectation and anticipation of God’s mighty works in this life and in the one to come.

Our hope is not in this world but in the next, so live in light of the promises of God, not in the darkness of this world. 3rd, the psalmist challenges us to…

III.  Bring your questions to God (vv. 38–52).

It’s very important that we recognize the stark shift in mood between v. 37 and v. 38. The psalmist moves from the brightest hope to grief over the current state of the Davidic line and about what it means for the nation.

He doesn’t pull any punches. The situation is bleak. I can’t imagine how devastating it would be to see our military in shambles and our nation defenseless against whatever scumbag who wanted to take advantage of us. The psalmist is describing a devastating situation.

But what is most appalling is the fact that it seems to defy everything he just rehearsed in vv. 1–37 about the nature of God and his promises to Israel. Notice that the psalmist doesn’t hide from this. Look at the first line of v. 39. That is a serious charge considering who God is and the unconditional covenant God had given David.

As a result, vv. 46–49 record a series of painful questions for the Lord. The psalmist asks “how long” this will endure, and then he reminds God that he is just a man, who won’t live forever. He wonders if suffering is all he will know until he dies.

That’s tough, isn’t it? It’s one thing to walk through a dark tunnel, if you can see the light at the end, but it’s entirely different when all you see is darkness. That’s where the psalmist found himself.

As a result, he asks his primary question in v. 49. Have you ever felt that way? “Lord, what are you doing? You have been so kind in the past, and all of it seems to have disappeared.”

And what is especially troubling is that it certainly looked like God had abandoned his covenant with David. Of course, if this were so, it would mean that God is also not the God of vv. 1–18. The psalmist is raising some hard questions.

Then he closes with a request in vv. 50–51 (Most people believe that v. 52 is truly the conclusion to Book 3 of the Psalter, not specifically the conclusion of Psalm 89). He simply prays that the Lord will “remember” his servants and all that they are suffering and that he will act according to his character and promise.

Finally, he prays that God will see how his name is being blasphemed and that he will fight for his people and for his own glory.

In sum, the psalmist concludes by expressing his heartache and his questions to the Lord. He doesn’t ignore these feelings or pretend they aren’t there. He doesn’t try to hide them from God to appear more spiritual.

Rather, he comes to God respectfully but honestly seeking biblical answers to them. He doesn’t run to the media or some loud-mouthed friend for answers. He comes to God and leans on God’s truth to help him process it all and answer appropriately. So, what are the primary takeaways for us from this psalm. I’d like to close with 3 applications.

IV.  Application

God cares about our struggles. Many atheists claim that suffering disproves the existence of God, because a good and sovereign God would never permit it. If this were so, we would expect the Bible to avoid all conversations about suffering. But the opposite is true. The Bible talks about suffering all the time.

It is filled with laments and hard questions for God. We saw this over and over last year in the book of Job. God doesn’t run from suffering; he addresses it over and over.

Among other things, this all reminds us that God has not distanced himself from our suffering; rather, he cares about it very deeply. And in fact, he entered our suffering through the life and death of Jesus. The very fact that Psalm 89 is in the Bible is a statement to us from God, “I know life is hard, and you don’t always understand my purpose. I care. I will be faithful.”

Faith doesn’t need happy endings. I find it fascinating that the psalm never resolves the conflict. It just ends with lots of questions on the table. Why is that? For one, it preserves the psalm’s raw emotion. If the psalmist added a happy conclusion, we might quickly forget the heavy feeling of the psalm. But that heaviness is part of how God sympathizes with us in this psalm.

As well, it calls us to walk by faith. We don’t know why our nation is in such an evil state, why God doesn’t bring revival, or what the future holds. But we don’t need answers because we have God and his promises. And when you have faith in him, you don’t need a happy ending, at least not in this life.

Use temporal hardships to refocus on eternal joys and God’s eternal purposes. We should desire that righteousness, freedom, and prosperity continue in our nation for our good and for the spread of the gospel. But we also know that in the hands of sinners, such blessings often serve as distractions from our true hope in heaven.

Therefore, as we face the future of America, we have 2 options. One, we can obsess about all that is wrong and let fear, anger, and despair dominate our hearts. Or second, we can use all of it to refine our focus on the Lord, his character, and his eternal promise.

I hope we will choose the challenge of Hebrews 11:13–16, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”