Week 10: When It Looks Like God Broke His Word (Psalm 89:1–4, 28–37)

The Big Idea

Psalm 89 begins by singing about God's steadfast love and faithfulness and his sworn covenant with David. Then it turns and accuses God of renouncing that covenant. The psalmist does not let go of God's promise. He holds it up to God and asks, "Where is it?" That is not unbelief. It is lament inside the covenant, and it is in the Bible for people who need it.

Before You Read

Psalm 89's heading attributes it to Ethan the Ezrahite. It is the last psalm in Book Three of the Psalms (Psalms 73–89). It looks back on the promise to David from 2 Samuel 7, which we studied last week, and calls it what David called it at the end of his life: a covenant. But something has gone badly wrong. The psalm does not say exactly what event the writer is lamenting, but the later verses describe the king defeated, his crown in the dust, and his walls broken down. To the psalmist, it looks as though God has broken his word.

Read

This week the assigned verses are Psalm 89:1–4 and 28–37, the promise. But the promise is only half of the story. Read 1–4 and 28–37 slowly, twice, once aloud. Then read on through verses 38–52 to hear the lament that follows.

Observe

1. What does the psalmist say he will do in verse 1? For how long, and to whom?
2. Underline every time the words steadfast love and faithfulness appear in verses 1–4 and 28–37. How often do they show up together?
3. In verses 3–4, who is speaking? What has God done, and what has he sworn?
4. In verses 30–32, what if does God name? What will he do if it happens?
5. In verses 33–35, list everything God says he will not do.
6. What does God swear by in verse 35? Why would that be the strongest possible oath?
7. What pictures from creation does God use in verses 36–37 to describe how long David's line will last?
8. Now look at verses 38–39 and 49. What does the psalmist accuse God of? What question does he ask?

A Word to Notice

Emunah (eh-moo-NAH) means faithfulness, firmness, reliability. It comes from the same family as emet, which we met in Exodus 34 and Joshua 24. Emunah is a key word in this psalm, appearing again and again. It is the quality of being steady and dependable over time. Verse 37 uses a related word from the same root: the moon is a "faithful witness" in the sky, night after night. The psalmist does not question that God has emunah; he builds his whole lament on it. His argument is essentially: You are faithful, you swore, so where is it? He uses God's own faithfulness as the ground for his complaint.

Interpret

1. How can the same psalm sing God's faithfulness in verse 1 and accuse him of renouncing his covenant in verse 39? Is this a contradiction?Consider: The psalmist is wrestling, not doubting God's character. He knows what God promised, and what he sees doesn't match it. He brings that gap to God honestly instead of pretending it isn't there.

2. In verses 30–33, God already said David's sons might sin and be punished, yet his steadfast love would not be removed. How might that help the psalmist, and us, interpret seasons of loss?Consider: Discipline and suffering are not the same as God breaking covenant. God built room into his promise for correction. Painful seasons don't prove the covenant is dead.

3. Why does the psalm end with verse 52, a blessing to God, after so much complaint? (Note that verse 52 also closes Book Three of the Psalms.)Consider: Verse 52 likely closes Book Three as a whole, but even so, God's people placed this lament inside a frame of blessing. Lament is not the final word. The psalm itself ends with a question (vv. 49–51), and the people of God answer it with worship.

4. What is the difference between lamenting to God and complaining about God to others?Consider: Lament keeps talking to God. It is a form of trust: it believes God is there, hears, and is able to act. Complaint that turns away from God loses that relationship.

5. Cross-reference: Read Luke 1:31–33 and Acts 2:29–36. How does the New Testament answer the question the psalmist asked in verse 49?Consider: God did not abandon his promise to David. When David's line seemed finished, God raised up Jesus, born of David's line, raised him from the dead, and exalted him at God's right hand as the King whose kingdom will have no end (Luke 1:33). The answer to "Where is your steadfast love?" is a Person.

Apply: Let the Text Read You

• Have you ever felt that God broke his word to you? What did you do with that feeling: bury it, walk away, or bring it to him?
• Does it surprise you that a prayer like this is in the Bible? What does that tell you about how God wants you to pray in the dark?
• The psalmist kept singing God's faithfulness while he could not see it. What would it look like to do that in your current season?
• Is there someone in your life walking through a Psalm 89 kind of season? How could you walk with them without rushing them to the last verse?

Pray

LORD, you have sworn by your holiness, and you do not lie. When what I see doesn't match what you have promised, teach me to bring it to you honestly. Hold me in your faithfulness when I can't feel it. And thank you that your answer to every broken thing is Jesus, the forever King. Amen.

For Groups (optional)

• Discussion starter: In your experience, do Christians feel free to be honest with God about disappointment? Why or why not?
• Some in your group may be in a season of grief, loss, or deep disappointment. Psalm 89 gives permission to say so. Listen more than you fix.
• Consider reading verses 1–4 and 38–39 back to back aloud, letting the group feel the contrast before discussing it.

---

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.