Psa 89:15 | KingComments | STEP | The description of God’s exaltation is followed by the happy praise of the people who know that God as their LORD ( ). This people know “the joyful sound” of the trumpet (cf. ). This is reminiscent of the Feast of the blowing of the Trumpets, which is celebrated when it is new moon ( ; ). This feast points to the restoration of the relationship between God and His people. Here the emphasis is on the blowing of the trumpet as the starting signal to sing praises to the LORD ( ) and to walk confidently in the light of His presence ( ). In Israel the month always begins with new moon. On the fifteenth of the month, the beginning of the Feast of Booths, it is full moon. Then the moon, which receives its light from the sun, reflects the light of the sun. On the first day nothing of this can be seen. In picture this indicates that the testimony of Israel has been obscured. At the same time, this is also the turning point toward the time when the moon will begin to shine again. In spiritual terms, Israel will have a full moon – that is, the beginning of the Feast of Booths – when the church is caught up. The light that Israel will once again receive comes from God. God will deliver His people from their enemies ( ). When they are delivered from their enemies, they will again “walk in the light of Your countenance”. They do not even have to wait until their enemies are defeated, for they can already rejoice in the LORD by faith. We too can already know that we are more than conquerors in Him Who loves us. This means that they live in His favor and in the awareness of His attention, that He looks after them again. God, Who had to hide His face from them for so long, has turned back to them in grace. This walking in the light causes joy: “In Your name they rejoice all the day” ( ). A people who have such a King are filled with great joy. Their joy concerns Him; they are grateful to Him for the change He has wrought in their need. They find their happiness in Him, in Who He is, in His government and protection. This is so “all the day”. This refers to the period of the millennial realm of peace. God, their King, is always the same. Therefore their joy is always present. This joy can also be always present with us ( ). He has lifted them up from the dust. They are no longer the tail of the nations, but God has exalted them by His “righteousness” and made them the head of the nations ( ). They certainly owe their exalted position to His grace. But it is grace based on righteousness, for the Lord Jesus did the necessary work for it on the cross of Calvary. They glorify God for what He has done to and for them ( ). They attribute everything to Him. He is “the glory of their strength”. What they are, they are through Him. Of that strength nothing can be seen now, but they know and say in faith: “By Your favor our horn” – the horn is a picture of strength – “is exalted.” He will give them their exalted position of dominion as proof of His good pleasure in them. They have not deserved it, but He gives it by grace. They realize that they are protected by their King, which is the Messiah ( ). He is their “shield” which “belongs to the LORD”, He has given Him to them as their shield. They call Him “our king” Whom they have received from “the Holy One of Israel”. This again refers above all to the Lord Jesus. He has been given by God to His people as King. He will reign on behalf of God, “the Holy One of Israel”, and then do so in perfect accordance with God’s holiness. “The Holy One of Israel” is the title of God in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah uses that title 25 times for the God Who appeared to him as the three times Holy God ( ). Israel has taunted and tested and limited Him each time ( ). Yet this same God will protect them.

‏ Psalms 89:15

The People of That God

The description of God’s exaltation is followed by the happy praise of the people who know that God as their LORD (Psa 89:15). This people know “the joyful sound” of the trumpet (cf. Num 23:21b). This is reminiscent of the Feast of the blowing of the Trumpets, which is celebrated when it is new moon (Lev 23:24; Num 29:1). This feast points to the restoration of the relationship between God and His people. Here the emphasis is on the blowing of the trumpet as the starting signal to sing praises to the LORD (Psa 89:16) and to walk confidently in the light of His presence (Psa 89:17-18).

In Israel the month always begins with new moon. On the fifteenth of the month, the beginning of the Feast of Booths, it is full moon. Then the moon, which receives its light from the sun, reflects the light of the sun. On the first day nothing of this can be seen. In picture this indicates that the testimony of Israel has been obscured. At the same time, this is also the turning point toward the time when the moon will begin to shine again. In spiritual terms, Israel will have a full moon – that is, the beginning of the Feast of Booths – when the church is caught up. The light that Israel will once again receive comes from God. God will deliver His people from their enemies (Psa 81:4).

When they are delivered from their enemies, they will again “walk in the light of Your countenance”. They do not even have to wait until their enemies are defeated, for they can already rejoice in the LORD by faith. We too can already know that we are more than conquerors in Him Who loves us. This means that they live in His favor and in the awareness of His attention, that He looks after them again. God, Who had to hide His face from them for so long, has turned back to them in grace.

This walking in the light causes joy: “In Your name they rejoice all the day” (Psa 89:16). A people who have such a King are filled with great joy. Their joy concerns Him; they are grateful to Him for the change He has wrought in their need. They find their happiness in Him, in Who He is, in His government and protection. This is so “all the day”. This refers to the period of the millennial realm of peace. God, their King, is always the same. Therefore their joy is always present. This joy can also be always present with us (Phil 4:4).

He has lifted them up from the dust. They are no longer the tail of the nations, but God has exalted them by His “righteousness” and made them the head of the nations (Pro 14:34). They certainly owe their exalted position to His grace. But it is grace based on righteousness, for the Lord Jesus did the necessary work for it on the cross of Calvary.

They glorify God for what He has done to and for them (Psa 89:17). They attribute everything to Him. He is “the glory of their strength”. What they are, they are through Him. Of that strength nothing can be seen now, but they know and say in faith: “By Your favor our horn” – the horn is a picture of strength – “is exalted.” He will give them their exalted position of dominion as proof of His good pleasure in them. They have not deserved it, but He gives it by grace.

They realize that they are protected by their King, which is the Messiah (Psa 89:18). He is their “shield” which “belongs to the LORD”, He has given Him to them as their shield. They call Him “our king” Whom they have received from “the Holy One of Israel”. This again refers above all to the Lord Jesus. He has been given by God to His people as King. He will reign on behalf of God, “the Holy One of Israel”, and then do so in perfect accordance with God’s holiness.

“The Holy One of Israel” is the title of God in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah uses that title 25 times for the God Who appeared to him as the three times Holy God (Isa 6:1). Israel has taunted and tested and limited Him each time (Psa 78:40-41). Yet this same God will protect them.