Psalm Chapter 89 - Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite

Psalm 89: The Covenant That Seemed to Break

Ethan the Ezrahite begins with singing and ends with weeping, and the distance between the two is the whole terrain of faith in a world that does not behave as promised. The first half of this great psalm is magnificent — a soaring rehearsal of God's covenant with David, His faithfulness set firm as the moon, His throne established forever. But then comes the turn, sudden and devastating: "But thou hast cast off and abhorred, thou hast been wroth with thine anointed." The crown is profaned. The walls are broken down. The enemies rejoice. What makes the psalm so searingly honest is that Ethan does not pretend these two realities — the promise and the ruin — can be easily reconciled. He holds them both before God and asks, in essence, "Where is Your former lovingkindness?" It is the prayer of anyone who has ever believed a promise and then watched it apparently shatter. And yet the psalm ends not with despair but with "Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen, and Amen." The praise is not an answer to the question. It is a decision to keep singing while the question remains unanswered.

00:00 The Mercies of the Lord Forever
01:00 The Covenant with David
02:00 Faithfulness Established in Heaven
03:00 The Turn — Cast Off and Abhorred
04:00 How Long, O Lord
05:00 Blessed Be the Lord Forevermore