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Commentary on Psalms 89 verses 38–52
In these verses we have,
I. A very melancholy complaint of the present deplorable state of David's family, which the psalmist thinks hard to be reconciled to the covenant God made with David. "Thou saidst thou wouldst not take away thy lovingkindness, but thou hast cast off." Sometimes, it is no easy thing to reconcile God's providences with his promises, and yet we are sure they are reconcilable; for God's works fulfil his word and never contradict it. 1. David's house seemed to have lost its interest in God, which was the greatest strength and beauty of it. God had been pleased with his anointed, but now he was wroth with him (Psa 89:38), had entered into covenant with the family, but now, for aught he could perceive, he had made void the covenant, not broken some of the articles of it, but cancelled it, Psa 89:39. We misconstrue the rebukes of Providence if we think they make void the covenant. When the great anointed one, Christ himself, was upon the cross, God seemed to have cast him off, and was wroth with him, and yet did not make void his covenant with him, for that was established for ever. 2. The honour of the house of David was lost and laid in the dust: Thou hast profaned his crown (which was always looked upon as sacred) by casting it to the ground, to be trampled on, Psa 89:39. Thou hast made his glory to cease (so uncertain is all earthly glory, and so soon does it wither) and thou hast cast his throne down to the ground, not only dethroned the king, but put a period to the kingdom, Psa 89:44. If it was penned in Rehoboam's time, it was true as to the greatest part of the kingdom, five parts of six; if in Zedekiah's time, it was more remarkably true of the poor remainder. Note, Thrones and crowns are tottering things, and are often laid in the dust; but there is a crown of glory reserved for Christ's spiritual seed which fadeth not away. 3. It was exposed and made a prey to all the neighbours, who insulted over that ancient and honourable family (Psa 89:40): Thou hast broken down all his hedges (all those things that were a defence to them, and particularly that hedge of protection which they thought God's covenant and promise had made about them) and thou hast made even his strong-holds a ruin, so that they were rather a reproach to them than any shelter; and then, All that pass by the way spoil him (Psa 89:41) and make an easy prey of him; see Psa 80:12, Psa 80:13. The enemies talk insolently: He is a reproach to his neighbours, who triumph in his fall from so great a degree of honour. Nay, every one helps forward the calamity (Psa 89:42): "Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries, not only given them power, but inclined them to turn their power this way." If the enemies of the church lift up their hand against it, we must see God setting up their hand; for they could have no power unless it were given them from above. But, when God does permit them to do mischief to his church, it pleases them: "Thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice; and this is for thy glory, that those who hate thee should have the pleasure to see the tears and troubles of those that love thee." 4. It was disabled to help itself (Psa 89:43): "Thou hast turned the edge of his sword, and made it blunt, that it cannot do execution as it has done; and (which is worse) thou hast turned the edge of his spirit, and taken off his courage, and hast not made him to stand as he used to do in the battle." The spirit of men is what the Father and former of spirits makes them; nor can we stand with any strength or resolution further than God is pleased to uphold us. If men's hearts fail them, it is God that dispirits them; but it is sad with the church when those cannot stand who should stand up for it. 5. It was upon the brink of an inglorious exit (Psa 89:45): The days of his youth hast thou shortened; it is ready to be cut off, like a young man in the flower of his age. This seems to intimate that the psalm was penned in Rehoboam's time, when the house of David was but in the days of its youth, and yet waxed old and began to decay already. Thus it was covered with shame, and it was turned very much to its reproach that a family which, in the first and second reign, looked so great, and made such a figure, should, in the third, dwindle and look so little as the house of David did in Rehoboam's time. But it may be applied to the captivity in Babylon, which, in comparison with what was expected, was but the day of the youth of that kingdom. However, the kings then had remarkably the days of their youth shortened, for it was in the days of their youth, when they were about thirty years old, that Jehoiachin and Zedekiah were carried captives to Babylon.
From all this complaint let us learn, 1. What work sin makes with families, noble royal families, with families in which religion has been uppermost; when posterity degenerates, it falls into disgrace, and iniquity stains their glory. 2. How apt we are to place the promised honour and happiness of the church in something external, and to think the promise fails, and the covenant is made void, if we be disappointed of that, a mistake which we now are inexcusable if we fall into, since our Master has so expressly told us that his kingdom is not of this world.
II. A very pathetic expostulation with God upon this. Four things they plead with God for mercy: -
1.The long continuance of the trouble (Psa 89:46): How long, O Lord! wilt thou hide thyself? For ever? That which grieved them most was that God himself, as one displeased, did not appear to them by his prophets to comfort them, did not appear for them by his providences to deliver them, and that he had kept them long in the dark; it seemed an eternal night, when God had withdrawn: Thou hidest thyself for ever. Nay, God not only hid himself from them, but seemed to set himself against them: "Shall thy wrath burn like fire? How long shall it burn? Shall it never be put out? What is hell, but the wrath of God, burning for ever? And is that the lot of thy anointed?"
2.The shortness of life, and the certainty of death: "Lord, let thy anger cease, and return thou, in mercy to us, remembering how short my time is and how sure the period of my time. Lord, since my life is so transitory, and will, ere long, be at an end, let it not be always so miserable that I should rather choose no being at all than such a being." Job pleads thus, Job 10:20, Job 10:21. And probably the psalmist here urges it in the name of the house of David, and the present prince of that house, the days of whose youth were shortened, Psa 89:45.
(1.)He pleads the shortness and vanity of life (Psa 89:47): Remember how short my time is, how transitory I am (say some), therefore unable to bear the power of thy wrath, and therefore a proper object of thy pity. Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain? or, Unto what vanity hast thou created all the sons of Adam! Now, this may be understood either, [1.] As declaring a great truth. If the ancient lovingkindnesses spoken of (Psa 89:49) be forgotten (those relating to another life), man is indeed made in vain. Considering man as mortal, if there were not a future state on the other side of death, we might be ready to think that man was made in vain, and was in vain endued with the noble powers and faculties of reason and filled with such vast designs and desires; but God would not make man in vain; therefore, Lord, remember those lovingkindnesses. Or, [2.] As implying a strong temptation that the psalmist was in. It is certain God has not made all men, nor any man, in vain, Isa 45:18. For, First, If we think that God has made men in vain because so many have short lives, and long afflictions, in this world, it is true that God has made them so, but it is not true that therefore they are made in vain. For those whose days are few and full of trouble may yet glorify God and do some good, may keep their communion with God and get to heaven, and then they are not made in vain. Secondly, If we think that God has made men in vain because the most of men neither serve him nor enjoy him, it is true that, as to themselves, they were made in vain, better for them had they not been born than not to be born again; but it was not owing to God that they were made in vain; it was owing to themselves; nor are they made in vain as to him, for he has made all things for himself, even the wicked for the day of evil, and those whom he is not glorified by he will be glorified upon.
(2.)He pleads the universality and unavoidableness of death (Psa 89:48): "What man" (what strong man, so the word is) "is he that liveth and shall not see death? The king himself, of the house of David, is not exempted from the sentence, from the stroke. Lord, since he is under a fatal necessity of dying, let not his whole life be made thus miserable. Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? No, he shall not when his time has come. Let him not therefore be delivered into the hand of the grave by the miseries of a dying life, till his time shall come." We must learn here that death is the end of all men; our eyes must shortly be closed to see death; there is no discharge from that war, nor will any bail be taken to save us from the prison of the grave. It concerns us therefore to make sure a happiness on the other side of death and the grave, that, when we fail, we may be received into everlasting habitations.
3.The next plea is taken from the kindness God had for and the covenant he made with his servant David (Psa 89:49): "Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou showedst, nay, which thou swaredst, to David in thy truth? Wilt thou fail of doing what thou hast promised? Wilt thou undo what thou hast done? Art not thou still the same? Why then may not we have the benefit of the former sure mercies of David?" God's unchangeableness and faithfulness assure us that God will not cast off those whom he has chosen and covenanted with.
4.The last plea is taken from the insolence of the enemies and the indignity done to God's anointed (Psa 89:50, Psa 89:51): "Remember, Lord, the reproach, and let it be rolled away from us and returned upon our enemies." (1.) They were God's servants that were reproached, and the abuses done to them reflected upon their master, especially since it was for serving him that they were reproached. (2.) The reproach cast upon God's servants was a very grievous burden to all that were concerned for the honour of God: "I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people, and am even overwhelmed with it; it is what I lay much to heart and can scarcely keep up my spirits under the weight of." (3.) "They are thy enemies who do thus reproach us; and wilt thou not appear against them as such?" (4.) They have reproached the footsteps of thy anointed. They reflected upon all the steps which the king had taken in the course of his administration, tracked him in all his motions, that they might make invidious remarks upon every thing he had said and done. Or, if we may apply it to Christ, the Lord's Messiah, they reproached the Jews with his footsteps, the slowness of his coming. They have reproached the delays of the Messiah; so Dr. Hammond. They called him, He that should come; but, because he had not yet come, because he did not now come to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, when they had none to deliver them, they told them he would never come, they must give over looking for him. The scoffers of the latter days do, in like manner, reproach the footsteps of the Messiah when they ask, Where is the promise of his coming? Pe2 3:3, Pe2 3:4. The reproaching of the footsteps of the anointed some refer to the serpent's bruising the heel of the seed of the woman, or to the sufferings of Christ's followers, who tread in his footsteps, and are reproached for his name's sake.
III. The psalm concludes with praise, even after this sad complaint (Psa 89:52): Blessed be the Lord for evermore, Amen, and amen. Thus he confronts the reproaches of his enemies. The more others blaspheme God the more we should bless him. Thus he corrects his own complaints, chiding himself for quarrelling with God's providences and questioning his promises; let both these sinful passions be silenced with the praises of God. However it be, yet God is good, and we will never think hardly of him; God is true, and we will never distrust him. Though the glory of David's house be stained and sullied, this shall be our comfort, that God is blessed for ever, and his glory cannot be eclipsed. If we would have the comfort of the stability of God's promise, we must give him the praise of it; in blessing God, we encourage ourselves. Here is a double Amen, according to the double signification. Amen - so it is, God is blessed for ever. Amen - be it so, let God be blessed for ever. He began the psalm with thanksgiving, before he made his complaint (Psa 89:1); and now he concludes it with a doxology. Those who give God thanks for what he has done may give him thanks also for what he will do; God will follow those with his mercies who, in a right manner, follow him with their praises.
But the rest of this psalm runs thus: “Where are Thine ancient compassions, Lord, which Thou swarest unto David in Thy truth? Remember, Lord, the reproach of Thy servants, which I have borne in my bosom of many nations; wherewith Thine enemies have reproached, O Lord, wherewith they have reproached the change of Thy Christ.” Now it may with very good reason be asked whether this is spoken in the person of those Israelites who desired that the promise made to David might be fulfilled to them; or rather of the Christians, who are Israelites not after the flesh but after the Spirit. This certainly was spoken or written in the time of Ethan, from whose name this psalm gets its title, and that was the same as the time of David’s reign; and therefore it would not have been said, “Where are Thine ancient compassions, Lord, which Thou hast sworn unto David in Thy truth?” unless the prophet had assumed the person of those who should come long afterwards, to whom that time when these things were promised to David was ancient.
"Remember, Lord, the rebuke that Your servants have" [Psalm 89:50]. Even while Christ was living, and while He was sitting on His Father's right hand, reproaches were cast against the Christians: they long were reproached with the name of Christ. That widowed one who brought forth, and whose children were more than those of the married wife, heard ill names, heard reproaches: but the Church, multiplied as she is, extending right and left, no longer remembers the reproach of her widowhood. "Remember, Lord," in the memory of whom there is abundant sweetness. "Remember," forget not. Remember what? "the rebuke that Your servants have: and how I do bear in my bosom the rebukes of many people." I went, says he, to preach of You, and I heard reproaches, and bore them in my bosom, because I was fulfilling the prophecy. "Being defamed we entreat: we are made as the filth of the earth, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day." [1 Corinthians 4:13] Long the Christians bore reproaches in their bosom, in their heart: nor dared resist their revilers; before, when it was a crime to answer a heathen: it is now a crime to remain a heathen. Thanks be to the Lord! He remembered our rebukes: He raised the horn of His Anointed on high, He made Him the Wonderful among the kings of the earth. Now no one insults Christians, or if he does, it is not in public: he speaks as if he were still more fearful of being heard, than anxious to be believed. "I bear in my bosom the rebukes of many people."
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SUMMARY
Psalms 89:50 presents a poignant and urgent plea from the psalmist to the Lord, imploring Him to acknowledge and respond to the profound public humiliation and deep personal pain suffered by His covenant people. It articulates the overwhelming burden of national disgrace, which the psalmist internalizes, lamenting the apparent contradiction between God's steadfast promises to the Davidic line and the current overwhelming distress inflicted by powerful adversaries.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalm 89 is a meticulously structured theological drama, commencing with an expansive and majestic celebration of God's unwavering covenant faithfulness, particularly His eternal promise to David's dynasty as detailed in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. The initial verses are replete with declarations of God's immense power, righteousness, and steadfast love. However, the psalm undergoes a dramatic and jarring shift from verse 38 onward, transitioning into a profound lament. This lament details a catastrophic national defeat and public disgrace, where God's anointed king and His people are suffering devastating humiliation. The psalmist questions why God seems to have "cast off" His covenant and allowed such suffering. Verse 50 functions as a climactic, desperate cry for divine intervention, appealing directly to God's character and His past promises in the face of overwhelming adversity and a perceived divine abandonment. It is a final, impassioned appeal before the psalm's concluding doxology.
Historical & Cultural Context: While the precise historical event that occasions the lament in Psalm 89 remains a subject of scholarly debate, possibilities include the Babylonian exile, a significant military defeat (such as the battle of Megiddo), or an earlier existential crisis for the Davidic dynasty. The "reproach" (Hebrew: cherpâh) mentioned in the verse signifies more than mere physical suffering; it denotes a deep public shame, disgrace, and contempt. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, public honor was paramount, and shame was a devastating experience, often perceived as worse than physical pain or even death. It undermined one's status, dignity, and, crucially, the honor of one's patron deity. The humiliation of God's chosen people implied a dishonor to God Himself, making the reproach a profound theological crisis. The "mighty people" (Hebrew: ʿammîm rabbîm) likely refers to powerful foreign nations or groups who were oppressing Israel and mocking their God, highlighting the overwhelming nature of the opposition.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Psalm 89 and the broader biblical narrative. The central theme is The Burden of Reproach, highlighting the profound shame and contempt borne by God's servants, which is deeply internalized by the psalmist. This suffering is not merely personal but represents Corporate Suffering, as the psalmist bears the collective shame of the nation, embodying their distress. The plea "Remember, Lord" underscores the theme of Divine Remembrance, which is not a request for God to recall forgotten facts, but rather an urgent appeal for Him to act decisively on behalf of His covenant people, recalling His obligations and promises (as seen in Psalm 132:1). The psalm also grapples intensely with the tension between God's Covenant Faithfulness and the apparent contradiction of current suffering, ultimately appealing to God's character to uphold His word despite dire circumstances. This tension is a recurring motif in the Psalms, particularly in laments that wrestle with God's justice and sovereignty in the face of human suffering (see Psalm 44:23-24).
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 89:50 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its poignant message and amplify the psalmist's distress. The most prominent is Lament, as the entire latter half of the psalm, culminating in this verse, is a heartfelt cry of distress and complaint addressed to God in the face of national calamity and perceived divine abandonment. The direct address "Remember, Lord" is a clear example of Apostrophe, where the psalmist speaks directly to God, intensifying the personal, urgent, and intimate nature of the plea. The phrase "bear in my bosom" utilizes Metonymy, where "bosom" (a physical part of the body) stands in for the innermost being, heart, or soul, emphasizing the profound depth of internalized pain and emotional suffering. Furthermore, the use of "all the mighty people" can be seen as a form of Hyperbole or Intensification, underscoring the overwhelming, pervasive, and seemingly insurmountable nature of the opposition and the widespread disgrace, thereby amplifying the psalmist's sense of burden and the desperate urgency of his appeal to God.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse resonates deeply with the biblical theme of suffering for righteousness and the corporate solidarity in the experience of shame. It highlights the profound pain of public disgrace, particularly when it is endured for the sake of one's allegiance to God. The psalmist's plea for God to "remember" is a recurring motif throughout Scripture, signifying a call for divine action and intervention rooted in God's covenant promises and His character, rather than a suggestion of divine forgetfulness. It connects the suffering of God's people to His own honor and reputation in the world, implying that their vindication is also His vindication. This passage underscores the reality that faithfulness to God can lead to worldly reproach, yet it simultaneously affirms the hope that God will ultimately uphold His covenant and deliver His people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 89:50 offers a profound and enduring model for believers facing public scorn, opposition, or humiliation for their faith today. It validates the deep, personal pain that reproach inflicts, acknowledging its impact not just on reputation but on the very heart and spirit. In moments when circumstances seem to contradict God's promises, or when the world mocks the faith we hold dear, this verse encourages us to bring our most profound burdens directly to God in honest lament. It reminds us that our suffering for righteousness' sake is not unnoticed by Him, and indeed, it can be a powerful act of identification with Christ, who also endured immense reproach. This psalm fosters hope that even when God seems silent or distant, we can still appeal to His character, His covenant, and His unfailing faithfulness, trusting that He will ultimately remember and act on behalf of His people, transforming their shame into vindication and glory. It calls us to empathy for those who bear the corporate burdens of the Church or humanity's suffering.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does the psalmist ask God to "remember"? Does God forget?
Answer: No, the request for God to "remember" (Hebrew: zakhar) is not an indication that God is forgetful or has a flawed memory. Instead, it is a common biblical idiom, especially in laments and prayers, that serves as an urgent plea for divine action. When the psalmist implores God to "remember," he is effectively asking God to recall His covenant promises, His past acts of deliverance, and His own character, and then to act decisively and intervene on behalf of His people in the present circumstances. It's a call for God to manifest His power and faithfulness, transforming a state of perceived abandonment or inaction into one of active intervention and justice. This concept is seen throughout Scripture, as when God "remembered" Noah and the animals in the ark (Genesis 8:1), or when He "remembered" His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the time of the Exodus (Exodus 2:24).
What does it mean for the psalmist to "bear in my bosom" the reproach?
Answer: The phrase "bear in my bosom" (literally "in my lap" or "in my innermost being," from the Hebrew chêyq) signifies a deep, personal, and internalized experience of the reproach. It means the psalmist is not merely observing the public shame and humiliation of his people from a distance; he is feeling it profoundly within his own spirit and soul. This speaks to a profound empathy and solidarity with the suffering of the nation, where the collective disgrace becomes a personal, agonizing burden. It highlights the emotional and spiritual depth of the psalmist's lament, showing that the shame has penetrated beyond outward appearance to his very core, affecting his very being.
Who are "the mighty people" mentioned in the verse?
Answer: "The mighty people" (Hebrew: ʿammîm rabbîm) refers to powerful, numerous, and often hostile nations or groups who are inflicting the reproach and humiliation upon God's servants. In the context of the Davidic monarchy and Israel's history, these would typically be foreign empires or formidable adversaries who had defeated Israel or were oppressing them, thereby bringing shame upon God's people and, by extension, upon God Himself. The phrase emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the opposition and the widespread source of the psalmist's and the nation's distress, underscoring the severity of the challenge and the desperate need for divine intervention.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 89:50 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ, the true Son of David and the perfect Suffering Servant. While the psalmist lamented bearing the reproach of his people, Jesus perfectly embodied this burden, taking upon Himself the ultimate reproach of humanity's sin and rebellion against God. As prophesied in Isaiah 53, He was "despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." The New Testament explicitly states that Christ "did not please himself; but as it is written, 'The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me'" (Romans 15:3). He bore the public shame of the cross, being crucified outside the city gate, enduring the scorn and mockery of "mighty people" both religious and political (Hebrews 13:13). He felt the full weight of humanity's sin and the Father's wrath in His innermost being, truly bearing it in His "bosom" for our sake. Through His suffering and bearing of reproach, Jesus secured our eternal vindication and honor, transforming our shame into glory. Believers are now called to follow His example, willingly bearing His reproach, knowing that our temporary suffering for Him leads to eternal glory (1 Peter 2:23; Hebrews 12:2).