Read Psalm 89:1-8. 1I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. 2For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.” 3You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 4‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’” 5Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! 6For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, 7a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? 8O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?
Forever.
That was the promise God made to King David in 2 Samuel 7. My son forever. A throne forever. A house forever. God’s steadfast love forever.
Obviously forever is a big concept that we can barely comprehend. Maybe God just meant a really long time. Or until David himself dies. When God says forever should we take that literally?
This question becomes especially poignant when it appears that the covenant promise of God is not being upheld in real time. Like say your king, the offspring of David, gets dragged away by the Babylonians, and your royal city is plundered (v.38f), you might begin to question if God’s forever actually has no expiration date. Has God’s steadfast love finally run out? Has his faithfulness dried up? It’s almost as if the psalmist is trying to convince himself that it has not.
Where does he look for the answer? To heaven. To the council of the holy ones. The heavenly hosts. Where do we look for the answer? To heaven as well, but to Jesus Christ the Lamb that was slain, now seated on Heaven’s throne. Yes, surrounded by the same heavenly hosts, but more importantly, surrounded by all the saints who have cried out how long O Lord, will you hide yourself forever (v.44)?
To live is Christ is to live in the same covenant forever as King David. Christ on the throne with us, his saints, gathered around it crying worthy is the Lamb who was slain. It is to trust that our feeling rejected forever will one day end, while Christ’s forever love for us never will.
Prayer. Jesus, your love or me is forever. I can’t always comprehend that now, but one day I will. In the mean-time help me keep my eyes on heaven not earth. Amen.
To Live is Christ 