Remembering the Covenant of David

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Psalm 89:1-29

 

Psalm 89:1

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever;
With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.

(NKJV)

 

David, the second king of Israel, was promised an eternal covenant with God (2 Samuel 7:1-17). Even though David died, God’s covenant with him is eternal, with the covenant having an eternal existence through Jesus Christ, who conquered death by resurrecting from the grave. Jesus is the Son of David but also the Son of God, and why we can, with confidence, put our faith in Him to save us from our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

Psalm 89 begins with Ethan the Ezrahite declaring that he will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever and speak of his faithfulness to all generations (Psalm 89:1). He has also said that mercy shall be built up forever with the Lord’s faithfulness established in the very heavens (Psalm 89:2). He then mentions how God has chosen His servant David, promising to establish his seed forever and to build up his throne to all generations (Psalm 89:3-4).

 

Ethan continues by declaring that the heavens will praise the wonders of the Lord, with the saints praising his faithfulness, because no one in the heavens can be compared to the Lord, with none of the mighty likened to Him (Psalm 89:5-6). God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints and held in reference by those around Him for who is mighty like the Lord (Psalm 89:7-8). The Lord rules the raging sea, stilling its rising waves (Psalm 89:9). The Lord has broken Rahab into pieces as one slain and scattered His enemies with His mighty arm (Psalm 89:10).

 

The heavens belong to the Lord along with the earth and the world because He founded them (Psalm 89:11). The north and the south were created by the Lord, with Tabor and Hermon rejoicing in the name of the Lord, for He has a mighty arm, strong hand, and a high right hand (Psalm 89:12-13). Righteousness and justice are the foundation of the Lord’s throne with mercy and truth before His face (Psalm 89:14). Those knowing the joyful sound are blessed as they walk in the light of the Lord’s countenance, rejoicing in His name all day long, exalted in His righteousness (Psalm 89:15-16). The Lord is the glory of their strength, and in his favor, their horn is exalted (Psalm 89:17). Their shield belongs to the Lord with their king, the Holy One of Israel (Psalm 89:18).

 

Then the Lord spoke to his holy ones in a vision, telling them He has given help to one who is mighty and exalted, one chosen from the people (Psalm 89:19). The one chosen is David, who has been anointed with His holy oil, the one His hand shall establish, and His arm shall strengthen (Psalm 89:20-21). David’s enemies shall not outwit him, nor shall the son of wickedness afflict him, for the Lord shall beat down his foes and plague those who hate him (Psalm 89:22-23).

 

The Lord’s faithfulness and mercy shall be with David, and in the name of the Lord, his name shall be exalted, setting his hand over the sea and his right hand over the rivers (Psalm 89:24-25). David shall cry out to the Lord, calling Him his Father, God, and the rock of his salvation, with the Lord making him His firstborn and the highest of the kings of the earth (Psalm 89:26-27). The Lord’s mercy will keep him forever, with his covenant standing firm with him, and his seed enduring forever and his throne as the days of heaven (Psalm 89:28-29).   

 

Ethan remembers David's eternal covenant. The covenant of David is eternal; even though David died, the lineage of his kingdom is eternal through Jesus Christ. The Gospels refer to Jesus as the Son of David in several places. The genealogy of Jesus begins by referring to Jesus as the son of David (Matthew 1:1). Two blind men seeking healing from Jesus referred to Him as the Son of David (Matthew 9:27). Two blind men who were sitting by the roadside as Jesus went by cried out to Him, calling Him Lord and Son of David, asking for Him to have mercy on them (Matthew 20:30). However, unlike David, Jesus is also the Son of God, something He did not deny (Matthew 26:63-64), and without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

When we take communion, we are remembering God’s eternal covenant He established through His Son Jesus Christ. While Jesus is the Son of David and Son of God, all who believe in their hearts that He died and rose from the dead to forgive their sins, and confess with their mouths that He is their Lord, are saved (Romans 10:9-10). Jesus is not just a Jewish God but can be anyone's savior, giving them eternal life if they will just believe (John 3:16). This is the eternal covenant of God that we remember when taking communion.

 

If you are reading this and have never prayed to have the Lord forgive you of your sins and to make Him the Lord of your life, I invite you to pray with me now

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

If you meant what you just prayed, know that God has forgiven all your sins and that you now have a relationship with God and are a child of God (Romans 8:16). Like any relationship, it grows as we get to know each other. While God already knows all about us, we must study the Bible, the word of God, to learn more about Him. If you just prayed, I encourage you to find a Church that teaches the truth of the Bible so you can learn more about the Lord. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.