PSALM 89
2 Outlines
Psalm 89:1,7,15,18
WALKING WITH GOD
MY SONG - Vs. 1 - I will sing of the mercies of the Lord
forever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
MY SANCTIFICATION - Vs.
7 - God is greatly to be feared in the
assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all
them that are about him.
MY SMILE (From God) -
Vs. 15 - Blessed is the people that know
the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.
MY SHIELD - Vs. 18a - For the Lord is our defense;
MY SOVEREIGN - Vs. 18b -
and the Holy One of
***************************************************************************
Psalm 89:7-18
WHY REVERENCE?
Psalm 89:7 - God
is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
Most commentators think that this verse is referring
to a Heavenly scene with the Angels being the “holy ones” or saints mentioned
here. And this is probably true.
But if God is to be reverenced by all those that are
about Him that would also apply to those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our
Savior. We are “about him” because we are the
In Psalm 9:7-18 I found some
of the reasons why Christians should reverence God.
WE SHOULD REVERENCE GOD BECAUSE HE IS STRONG – Vss.
8-10, 13
Vs. 8 – Nobody is stronger than God!
Psalm 89:9 - Thou
rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof
arise, thou stillest them.
There are at least two times in the Bible when God
stilled the ragging sea.
·
When God parted the
·
When Jesus stood up in the boat and calmed the
And Jesus still calms the ragging seas of our anxiety
today, if we but let Him. He is strong enough to give us peace through any
difficulty.
Vs. 10 – Rahab is a
term used to refer to
Hebert Lockyer says that “Rahab”
means both “Strength” and “pride”. Heberbert Lockyer, Psalms: A Devotional Commentary (Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids Michigan, 1993), pgs.
300-301
But God is stronger.
The same sea God calmed to protect
And just think.
No enemy of God can stand against His strength. Even Satan is no match for God and is doomed
to defeat!
Psalm 89:13 - Thou
hast a mighty arm: strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
God is pictured with a mighty arm, strong hand, and a
powerful right hand.
Our problem is we don’t remember how strong God is
when we worship. And we don’t remember
how strong God is when we face troubles. Jeremiah 32:17,
WE SHOULD REVERENCE GOD BECAUSE HE OWNS EVERYTHING –
Vss. 11-12
Psalm 89:11 - The
heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness
thereof, thou hast founded them.
How much should we worship God because He owns all the
stars and the planets!
And how much more should we worship God because He
owns the whole world.
God particularly owns the Christian. 1 Corinthians
6:19-20
Psalm 89:12 - The
north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon
shall rejoice in thy name.
Tabor and Hermon were
mountains east and west of
WE SHOULD REVERENCE GOD BECAUSE OF HIS CHARACTER – Vs.
14
Psalm 89:14 - Justice
and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before
thy face.
The word justice means “righteousness”.
God is righteous.
He can always be counted on to do what is right.
Because God is righteous, his judgments are accurate.
When the wicked are judged at the Great White Throne,
they will be judged righteously. Revelation 20:12
When you and I are judged at the Judgment Seat of
Christ we will be judged righteously. 2 Corinthians
I am so glad there is balance with God.
Yes, there is righteous judgment.
But part of God’s character is also mercy and truth,
or we may use the words “love and faithfulness”.
WE SHOULD REVERENCE GOD BECAUSE OF THE JOY HE BRINGS –
Vss. 15-16
Psalm 89:15 - Blessed
is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light
of thy countenance.
The Christians who know the joyful sound of worship
are happy people.
The Christians who know the joyful sound of worship
don’t just worship with a congregation on Sunday. They worship God continually.
Psalm 89:16, Ephesians 5:18-20, Hebrews 13:15
Notice please that if you reverence God enough to
worship God, God’s smile will be upon you.
they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy
countenance.
WE SHOULD REVERENCE GOD BECAUSE OF HIS HELP – Vss.
17-18
Psalm 89:17 - For
thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy favour
our horn shall be exalted.
What true strength we have comes from God. Psalm 27:1
Our horn shall be exalted
– Albert Barnes said, “The horn is a symbol of power... The meaning here is,
that their power had been derived from God; or that all which contributed to
their exaltation and honor in the world, had been derived from him.” Barnes’ Notes
on the Old Testament
Psalm 89:18 - For
the Lord is our defence; and the Holy One of
What better defense can we ask for than to be
protected by God?