Wednesday Zoom study 6/24/26

 Psalm 89 by Ethan the Ezrahite

This Psalm captures the whole biblical story: creation, covenant, exile, lament, and final restoration through God’s chosen king. It teaches us how to remain faithful when God’s promises appear delayed or even lost.

Despite judgment, suffering, and the apparent collapse of the Davidic throne, Yahweh’s word—His covenant—will not fail. His Kingdom purpose will be fulfilled through His anointed king.

Opens with the typical theme, AB has reminded us: prophetic lament of doom and gloom mixed with hope and vindication.

1. Hope and vindication

The psalm celebrates and remembers the Davidic covenant: God’s promise to David that his seed, throne, and kingdom would be established forever (cp. 2 Sam. 7:4–16).

2. Doom and gloom

The psalm also mourns Israel’s rebellion, God’s wrath, the humiliation of the Davidic king, and the apparent collapse of the kingdom during the exile and wandering.

The theme reflects the nature of the gospel message: telling of the bad news, calling us to repent, followed by the good news of restoration by the Davidic promise, the KOG.

The opening verses set up the main theme: the Davidic covenant.

• Key texts: 2 Samuel 7:8–16; Psalm 132:11–12; Luke 1:32–33.

“The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” Luke 1:32–33

1. The Davidic Covenant: Psalm 89:3–5

• Vv. 3–4, God says:

“I have cut a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant, I will establish your seed forever and build up your throne from generation to generation.”

• The word “seed” in the LXX is sperma, meaning descendant. Cp. protoevangelion, Gen 3:15;
• This points to the one seed, the Messiah, Jesus, cp. Gal 3:14-18

• AB footnote on "Abraham": The blessing of Abraham is property (the land), prosperity and progeny (Gen. 28:4, 13; 35:12; 50:24; Ex. 6:4). The land promise to Abraham is repeated in the New Covenant as the blessing of inheriting the land and the world, and the Kingdom of God (Mt. 5:5; Rev. 5:10, etc).

2. A Unitarian Doxology: Psalm 89:2, 5–13

• Yahweh alone is praised as Creator and sovereign ruler, compare Isaiah 44:24:

“I, Yahweh, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself. And spreading out the earth all alone.”

• God alone created the world by His word, meaning He spoke and it was so: Key text: Psalm 33:

6 “By the Lord’s decree [His "word"] the heavens were made; by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created. [Heb. “and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”]

9 “For he spoke, and it ["all the earth" this "world"] came into existence, he issued the decree, and it stood firm."

• In the Old Testament, “the word of the LORD,” i.e., Yahweh is His speech, command, self-expression, and creative power.
• From Genesis 1, “God said” the Hebrew equivalent to “the word of God" in John 1. 
• God did not create through or by another person, Yahweh alone created by His word.
• In the OT LXX, logos is never a “he” or "him" a separate person apart from YHWH.

3. The Assembly of the Holy Ones: Psalm 89:5–7

• Some view these “holy ones” as parallel to the “sons of God” angels of God in texts such as: Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Job 38:7; Psalm 29:1; Job 5:1; Job 15:15; Zechariah 14:5.
• Cp. the angelic host in Ps 148:2: “Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts.”
• The point: Yahweh is incomparable, even among the heavenly beings.

4. The Raging Sea: Psalm 89:9

• In Scripture, the sea often symbolizes chaos, danger, rebellion, i.e., destructve forces.
• Psalm 74:12–15 God defeats the sea monsters and Leviathan:

“God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan.”

• The sea is also associated with monsters such as Rahab, Leviathan, and Jonah’s great fish. Again symbolizing forces hostile to God and His Creation.
• God’s control over the sea shows His power over chaos and destruction.
• Other key texts: Proverbs 8:29; Job 38:1–11.
• In Gen 6 God uses the Flood waters in judgment against human and angelic rebellion. 
• In texts such as Job 26:5, the Rephaim are pictured beneath the waters. The LXX and later Jewish texts associate these beings with the Giants whose bodies were destroyed, while evil spirits remain.
• In the NT the “Evil Sea” theme to showcase Jesus’ authority over them.

Mark 4:35–41 Jesus calms the storm.

Mark 6:45–52 Jesus walks on the water.

Mark 5:13 Legion is cast into the pigs, which rush into the sea.

• Integral to showing Jesus as God’s anointed Messiah and God-like, delegated divine authority over chaos and demonic power.
• In Revelation 12; 13:1; 20:13; 21:1, the sea is associated with the Beast, Satanic power, death, and chaos.
• In the end  "there is no longer any sea.” Revelation 21:1
• Meaning: the powers of Satan, death, chaos, and rebellion are finally broken.

6. Tabor and Hermon Psalm 89:12

• Tabor and Hermon symbolize Yahweh’s worldwide power and supremacy.
• Tabor is also traditionally associated by some with the Transfiguration.
• Tabor is in the west and is used as an image of majesty. Compare Jeremiah 46:18:

“Surely one shall come who looms up like Tabor among the mountains.”

• Hermon is in the east. Compare Psalm 133:3:

“It is like the dew of Hermon. Coming down upon the mountains of Zion.”

• Hermon was associated with many pagan temples and, in some Second Temple Jewish traditions, with the demonic outbreak connected to Genesis 6.
• The point is not to glorify these mountains, but to show that even they will praise YHWH.