Psa 89:37 | KingComments | STEP | The covenant with David, that is, the old covenant, means that his sons cannot “forsake” God’s “law” with impunity ( ). The law is the expression of God’s will for their entire social and religious life. If they forsake the law, they do not walk in God’s “judgments” that He has given for certain aspects of their lives. Nor can they “violate” [literally: profane] His “statutes”, His rules for dealing with Him and with one another, without consequences ( ). If they violate or profane them, that is, see them as ordinary, human statutes that they can willfully ignore, they will be punished. Likewise, the failure to keep God’s “commandments” will bring God’s punishment upon them. His commandments are an explicit expression of His will. If David’s descendants do not heed all these different manifestations of God’s will, He will “punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes” ( ; cf. ). God has done this by having the Assyrians and the Babylonians remove respectively the ten tribes and the two tribes from the land. He used these nations to punish and strike His people with the rod. In spite of this, He did not “break off” His “lovingkindness from” David ( ). It is impossible that He will fail in His faithfulness to His covenant. God has not made a final end to His disobedient people. He is not embarrassed by their unfaithfulness. God always keeps for the fulfillment of His covenant a remnant according to the election of grace ( ). This grace is possible because Christ, as Mediator of the new covenant, took upon Himself the curse of the first or old covenant. God could not, of course, act contrary to the content of the covenant, that is, God had to punish the sin and failure of the people. Yet if God were to achieve His purpose, Christ had to undergo the people’s punishment, or the covenant would be nullified. In strong terms, God declares the firmness of His covenant ( ). He calls it “My covenant”. He has made it and guaranteed its fulfillment. Therefore He will “not violate” [literally: not profane] it by not acting upon it. What has come from His lips are not thoughtless statements, as is often the case with us. He does not change what He has said, He does not alter the conditions, but keeps His original agreement. What He has said, He has sworn ( ). It is the most powerful way of promising something, which with Him at the same time implies absolute fulfillment in the right time and manner. He has sworn “by My holiness”. He does not profane His covenant, as He said in , because it is contrary to His holiness. He is perfectly holy, fully separated from evil and sin. God says all this in this way in order to convince His weak, often doubting people that He is fulfilling His promises. As an additional confirmation, He says: “I will not lie to David” (cf. ). It is impossible for God to lie, for He cannot lie ( ; ). Lying is completely foreign to His nature. He has said that David’s descendants shall endure forever, therefore they will remain forever ( ). There will always be someone from his descendants sitting on his throne. This is none other than the Messiah, the Son of David and also the Son of God. His throne “as the sun before Me” means that God always sees that throne. Here is a government that perfectly and continuously answers to His holiness. Therefore, that throne is as fixed “as the sun” is fixed in the sky. The reign of the Messiah “shall be established forever like the moon” ( ). The moon is connected to the sun; it derives its light from the sun. The sun stands firm, the moon endures forever. Both symbolize the reign of light in the realm of peace ( ). Both the position and the duration of the reign are unchanging. The kingdom of the Messiah will endure forever ( ). The moon is “the witness in the sky”. This witness “is faithful”. The moon has changes in her appearance. She goes in a cycle from new moon to full moon and from full moon to new moon. Although there are changes, there is no surprise. It is a faithful image that returns every month. In this way God points to His faithfulness, which always remains, even though it is more noticeable to man at one moment than at another.

‏ Psalms 89:37

If … Then … But

The covenant with David, that is, the old covenant, means that his sons cannot “forsake” God’s “law” with impunity (Psa 89:30). The law is the expression of God’s will for their entire social and religious life. If they forsake the law, they do not walk in God’s “judgments” that He has given for certain aspects of their lives.

Nor can they “violate” [literally: profane] His “statutes”, His rules for dealing with Him and with one another, without consequences (Psa 89:31). If they violate or profane them, that is, see them as ordinary, human statutes that they can willfully ignore, they will be punished. Likewise, the failure to keep God’s “commandments” will bring God’s punishment upon them. His commandments are an explicit expression of His will.

If David’s descendants do not heed all these different manifestations of God’s will, He will “punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes” (Psa 89:32; cf. Isa 10:5). God has done this by having the Assyrians and the Babylonians remove respectively the ten tribes and the two tribes from the land. He used these nations to punish and strike His people with the rod.

In spite of this, He did not “break off” His “lovingkindness from” David (Psa 89:33). It is impossible that He will fail in His faithfulness to His covenant. God has not made a final end to His disobedient people. He is not embarrassed by their unfaithfulness. God always keeps for the fulfillment of His covenant a remnant according to the election of grace (Rom 9:27-29 ; Rom 11:5).

This grace is possible because Christ, as Mediator of the new covenant, took upon Himself the curse of the first or old covenant. God could not, of course, act contrary to the content of the covenant, that is, God had to punish the sin and failure of the people. Yet if God were to achieve His purpose, Christ had to undergo the people’s punishment, or the covenant would be nullified.

In strong terms, God declares the firmness of His covenant (Psa 89:34). He calls it “My covenant”. He has made it and guaranteed its fulfillment. Therefore He will “not violate” [literally: not profane] it by not acting upon it. What has come from His lips are not thoughtless statements, as is often the case with us. He does not change what He has said, He does not alter the conditions, but keeps His original agreement.

What He has said, He has sworn (Psa 89:35). It is the most powerful way of promising something, which with Him at the same time implies absolute fulfillment in the right time and manner. He has sworn “by My holiness”. He does not profane His covenant, as He said in Psa 89:34, because it is contrary to His holiness. He is perfectly holy, fully separated from evil and sin.

God says all this in this way in order to convince His weak, often doubting people that He is fulfilling His promises. As an additional confirmation, He says: “I will not lie to David” (cf. Heb 6:17-18). It is impossible for God to lie, for He cannot lie (Tit 1:2; Num 23:19). Lying is completely foreign to His nature.

He has said that David’s descendants shall endure forever, therefore they will remain forever (Psa 89:36). There will always be someone from his descendants sitting on his throne. This is none other than the Messiah, the Son of David and also the Son of God. His throne “as the sun before Me” means that God always sees that throne. Here is a government that perfectly and continuously answers to His holiness. Therefore, that throne is as fixed “as the sun” is fixed in the sky.

The reign of the Messiah “shall be established forever like the moon” (Psa 89:37). The moon is connected to the sun; it derives its light from the sun. The sun stands firm, the moon endures forever. Both symbolize the reign of light in the realm of peace (Gen 1:14-16). Both the position and the duration of the reign are unchanging. The kingdom of the Messiah will endure forever (Dan 2:44).

The moon is “the witness in the sky”. This witness “is faithful”. The moon has changes in her appearance. She goes in a cycle from new moon to full moon and from full moon to new moon. Although there are changes, there is no surprise. It is a faithful image that returns every month. In this way God points to His faithfulness, which always remains, even though it is more noticeable to man at one moment than at another.