Psalms 89:1-18

No God like Our God

Psalms 89:1

To understand this psalm we must turn to 2 Samuel 7:1, where God guaranteed that David's kingdom should be continued to his descendants. Nathan's words are quoted in Psalms 89:3. But in contrast with these promises, which were conditional upon the faithful obedience of David's descendants, the psalmist sorrowfully recites the disobedience of the Chosen People. There could be no doubt as to the divine faithfulness to Covenant engagements. See Psalms 89:1; Psalms 89:5; Psalms 89:8; Psalms 89:14. And the object of this psalm is to inquire whether that faithfulness does not include the recall and restoration of a sinful nation, as it most certainly does include the continued blessing of an obedient one.

In the first division, Psalms 89:1, the singer enumerates the divine attributes. God's mercy is conceived as a stately mansion, which is being reared, story by story, throughout the centuries. The enduring heavens, the mightiest natural forces, such as the tides, the glorious mountains, are emblems of qualities in God's nature. He is described as going forth in a triumphal procession, preceded by Mercy and Truth; and we are invited to accompany Him, and to walk in the light of His countenance.