Read
Psalm 89, 2 Samuel 7:8-16, Hebrews 6:16-20 (NLT)
Psalm 89
A psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite.
I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever!
Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.
Your unfailing love will last forever.
Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.
The Lord said, “I have made a covenant with David, my chosen servant.
I have sworn this oath to him:
‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever;
they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’” Interlude
All heaven will praise your great wonders, Lord;
myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness.
For who in all of heaven can compare with the Lord?
What mightiest angel is anything like the Lord?
The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God.
He is far more awesome than all who surround his throne.
O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies!
Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord?
You are entirely faithful.
You rule the oceans.
You subdue their storm-tossed waves.
You crushed the great sea monster.
You scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours;
everything in the world is yours—you created it all.
You created north and south.
Mount Tabor and Mount Hermon praise your name.
Powerful is your arm!
Strong is your hand!
Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne.
Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants.
Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship,
for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation.
They exult in your righteousness.
You are their glorious strength.
It pleases you to make us strong.
Yes, our protection comes from the Lord,
and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.
Long ago you spoke in a vision to your faithful people.
You said, “I have raised up a warrior.
I have selected him from the common people to be king.
I have found my servant David.
I have anointed him with my holy oil.
I will steady him with my hand;
with my powerful arm I will make him strong.
His enemies will not defeat him,
nor will the wicked overpower him.
I will beat down his adversaries before him
and destroy those who hate him.
My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him,
and by my authority he will grow in power.
I will extend his rule over the sea,
his dominion over the rivers.
And he will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’
I will make him my firstborn son,
the mightiest king on earth.
I will love him and be kind to him forever;
my covenant with him will never end.
I will preserve an heir for him;
his throne will be as endless as the days of heaven.
But if his descendants forsake my instructions
and fail to obey my regulations,
if they do not obey my decrees
and fail to keep my commands,
then I will punish their sin with the rod,
and their disobedience with beating.
But I will never stop loving him
nor fail to keep my promise to him.
No, I will not break my covenant;
I will not take back a single word I said.
I have sworn an oath to David,
and in my holiness I cannot lie:
His dynasty will go on forever;
his kingdom will endure as the sun.
It will be as eternal as the moon,
my faithful witness in the sky!” Interlude
But now you have rejected him and cast him off.
You are angry with your anointed king.
You have renounced your covenant with him;
you have thrown his crown in the dust.
You have broken down the walls protecting him
and ruined every fort defending him.
Everyone who comes along has robbed him,
and he has become a joke to his neighbors.
You have strengthened his enemies
and made them all rejoice.
You have made his sword useless
and refused to help him in battle.
You have ended his splendor
and overturned his throne.
You have made him old before his time
and publicly disgraced him. Interlude
O Lord, how long will this go on?
Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your anger burn like fire?
Remember how short my life is,
how empty and futile this human existence!
No one can live forever; all will die.
No one can escape the power of the grave. Interlude
Lord, where is your unfailing love?
You promised it to David with a faithful pledge.
Consider, Lord, how your servants are disgraced!
I carry in my heart the insults of so many people.
Your enemies have mocked me, O Lord;
they mock your anointed king wherever he goes.
Praise the Lord forever!
Amen and amen!
2 Samuel 7:8-16
“Now go and say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared: I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel. I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before your eyes. Now I will make your name as famous as anyone who has ever lived on the earth! And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”
Hebrews 6:16-20
Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.
Jesus Storybook Bible:
The King of All Kings (p.192)
Meditate
No, I will not break my covenant; I will not take back a single word I said. (Psalm 89:34)
Pray
O God, You are worthy of our trust. From the beginning until today, You have shown Yourself to be faithful to Your promises. Forgive us for doubting Your Word and following paths that lead away from Your Kingdom. Thank You for delivering us from the Kingdom of Darkness and into the light of Your Son. Strengthen us by Your Spirit to rest in Your unfailing love and root our hope in Your promises. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Take a moment to pray for others.
New City Catechism
Question 35: Since We Are Redeemed by Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone, Where Does This Faith Come From?
Answer: All the gifts we receive from Christ we receive through the Holy Spirit, including faith itself.
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