The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  84:10 doorkeeper. One day standing at the door of the temple, or just being near even if not inside, was better than a thousand days fellowshiping with the wicked.

  84:11 sun and shield. This pictures God’s overall provision and protection.

  Psalm 85

  85:1–13 The psalmist pledges that God will again demonstrate His covenant love to Israel. God has been merciful in the past; He is angry presently; but He will restore Israel in the future (cf. Deut. 30; Hos. 3:4, 5). Though God judges, He is faithful to His promises. The feelings expressed in this psalm may describe those of the Jews returning from exile in Babylon. Though they were grateful for restoration to their land, they were disappointed that the conditions did not measure up to the glory of the pre-Exilic life there (cf. Ezra 3:12, 13).

  I. Review of God’s Past Mercies (85:1-3)

  II. Recognition of God’s Present Anger (85:4-7)

  III. Revelation of God’s Future Salvation (85:8-13)

  85:Title. sons of Korah. See note on Ps. 84:Title.

  85:1 favorable to Your land. In the past, God deemed His nation, Israel, to be acceptable.

  85:3 fierceness of Your anger. See note on Ps. 56:7.

  85:7 mercy. The word means “loyal love” or “unfailing love,” and specifies God’s faithfulness to His people through His covenant relationship.

  85:8 peace. Ultimately this comes in the Messiah’s kingdom (cf. Matt. 10:34; Luke 2:14).

  85:9 salvation…who fear Him. Only those who renounce their sinful autonomy and put their complete trust in the living God will participate in the blessings of salvation and the future kingdom (cf. John 3:3–5). glory may dwell in our land. The departure of the glory of God, which signified His presence, is described in Ezek. 10, 11. He withdrew His glory because of the apostasy of the nation immediately preceding the Babylonian Exile (cf. Ezek. 8–11). The return of the glory of the Lord in the future millennial temple is foretold in Ezek. 43:1–4 (cf. Pss. 26:8; 63:2; Is. 40:3–5; 60:1–3; 62:1–5). See note on Lev. 9:23.

  85:10 Mercy…truth…righteousness…peace. These 4 spiritual qualities characterizing the atmosphere of the future kingdom of Christ, will relate to each other in perfect harmony and will saturate kingdom life (cf. vv. 10, 13).

  85:12 our land…increase. Increase in the fertility and productivity of the land will also characterize the future kingdom of Christ (cf. Is. 4:2; 30:23–26; 32:15; Jer. 31:12; Ezek. 36:8–11; Amos 9:13–15; Zech. 8:11, 12).

  Psalm 86

  86:1–17 This psalm is an individual lament (cf. Ps. 56) in which David expresses his distress and overcomes that distress through praise and worship. There is a sense of urgency demonstrated by some 14 prayer requests. Undergirding the requests is the covenant relationship (vv. 2, 5, 13).

  I. The Request for God’s Attention (86:1-7)

  II. The Testimony to God’s Uniqueness (86:8-13)

  III. The Plea for God’s Deliverance (86:14-17)

  86:2 I am holy. David, though recognizing his sinfulness (v. 1), insisted that by the grace of God he had not broken his covenant with the LORD.

  86:4 soul…soul. The psalmist requests that his inner person would be preserved according to the covenant agreements (cf. Deut. 7, 8, 20).

  86:8 Among the gods. David is here contrasting the true God with the imaginary deities of the heathen nations (cf. v. 10; also Ex. 15:11; Ps. 89:6; Is. 46:5–11).

  86:9 All nations…worship. The psalmists and prophets often look into the future messianic age when all the nations of the world will worship the LORD (cf. Ps. 22:27; Is. 2:3; Zech. 8:21, 22; 14:16–19; Rev. 15:4).

  86:11 Unite my heart. The psalmist prays that he would have an undivided heart, single-heartedly loyal to his Lord (cf. Rom. 7:15; James 1:8).

  86:14 the proud. The proud (i.e., arrogant, insolent) are those who act independently from God, rebelling against Him and His people (cf. Pss. 119:21, 51, 69, 78, 85, 122).

  86:16 the son of Your maidservant. David asks for special favor from God just as a servant born in the household would receive more than a servant brought in from outside the household (cf. Ps. 116:16).

  86:17 a sign. A request for a favorable indication that would demonstrate that God was truly on David’s side.

  Psalm 87

  87:1–7 This psalm describes the Lord’s love for Jerusalem and exalts this city as the religious center of the world in the coming messianic kingdom (cf. Ps. 48). Though the nations of the world (even including some of Israel’s former enemies) will worship the Lord then, Israel will still be the favored nation (cf. Is. 2:2–4; 19:23–25; 45:22–25; 56:6–8; Zech. 8:20–23; 14:16–19).

  I. The LORD’s Love for Zion (87:1-3)

  II. The LORD’s Favor of Israel (87:4-6)

  III. The Musicians’ Exultation over Jerusalem (87:7)

  87:Title. sons of Korah. See note on Ps. 84:Title.

  87:1 His foundation…holy mountains. “His foundation” means “His founded city,” namely Jerusalem, located in the hill country of Judea.

  87:2 gates of Zion. Zion is a poetic description of Jerusalem, seemingly used by the OT writers when special spiritual and religious significance was being attached to the city. Though God certainly loved other cities in Israel, He did not choose any of them to be His worship center (cf. Pss. 122, 125, 132, 133). The gates represent the access of the potential worshiper into the city where he could come into a special worshiping relationship with God. More than all the dwellings of Jacob. The other cities in Israel were not chosen by God to be the place of His special dwelling.

  87:3 O city of God! Jerusalem was God’s city because there God met His people in praise and offerings.

  87:4 Rahab and Babylon. Rahab was a monster of ancient pagan mythology and symbolized Egypt in the OT (cf. Ps. 89:10; Is. 30:7; 51:9). Two of the superpowers of the ancient world, fierce enemies of Israel, will one day worship the Lord in Zion (cf. Is. 19:19–25). Philistia…Tyre…Ethiopia. Three more Gentile nations, ancient enemies of Israel, whose descendants will worship the Lord in Jerusalem (cf. Is. 14:28–32; 18:1–7). This multinational worship is pictured as a great joy to the Lord Himself. This one was born there. To be born in Jerusalem will be noted as a special honor in the messianic kingdom (cf. vv. 5, 6; also Zech. 8:20–23).

  87:7 “All my springs are in you.” “Springs” is a metaphor for the source of joyful blessings. Eternal salvation, including the death and resurrection of Christ, is rooted in Jerusalem. The prophets also tell of a literal fountain flowing from the temple in Jerusalem which will water the surrounding land (cf. Joel 3:18; Ezek. 47:1–12).

  Psalm 88

  88:1–18 This lament is unusual in that it does not end on a happy note. The psalmist has been ill or injured since the days of his youth (v. 15) and bemoans God’s failure to hear his prayer for good health. He assumes that God is angry with him, but like Job, he knows of no cause for that anger. But though he does not understand God’s ways, the psalmist does turn to God, thus indicating an underlying trust.

  I. Complaints Against God’s Action (88:1-9)

  II. Challenges to God’s Wisdom (88:10-12)

  III. Charges Against God’s Conduct (88:13-18)

  88:Title. sons of Korah. See note on Ps. 84:Title. “Mahalath Leannoth.” “Mahalath” is either the name of a tune or an instrument, possibly a reed pipe which was played on sad occasions. “Leannoth” may mean “to afflict” and describes the despair which permeates this psalm. Contemplation. See note on Ps. 32:Title. Heman the Ezrahite. Heman was a musician from the family of the Kohathites, who founded the Korahite choir (cf. 1 Chr. 6:33; 2 Chr. 5:12; 35:15). He may be the same person who was one of the wise men during Solomon’s reign (1 Kin. 4:31). “Ezrahite” may mean “native born,” or may be the name of a family clan (cf. 1 Chr. 2:6).

  88:4 go down to the pit. “Pit” is one of several references to the grave in this psalm (cf. the dead, vv. 5, 10; the grave, vv. 3, 5, 11; place of destruction, v. 11).

  88:5 Adrift among the dead. Expresses t
he idea that death cuts off all ties to friends and family as well as to God.

  88:7 all Your waves. Like the waves rolling onto the seashore, so God has directed trouble after trouble on the psalmist (cf. v. 17).

  88:8 put away my acquaintances. The psalmist claims that the Lord has turned his friends against him. Some see this as a quarantine experience, as from leprosy (cf. v. 18; also Job 19:13–20).

  88:9 eye wastes away. This could be a description of the psalmist’s tears, used as a figure for his entire collapse under this distress.

  88:10 wonders for the dead. The psalmist reminds God, through a series of rhetorical questions, that the dead cannot testify to God’s goodness.

  88:14 hide Your face. That is, not answer prayer.

  88:15 die from my youth. The psalmist has had some serious illness or injury from the time of his youth.

  88:18 Loved one…friend…acquaintances. See note on verse 8.

  Psalm 89

  89:1–52 This psalm describes the author’s attempt to reconcile the seeming contradictions between his theology and the reality of his nation’s conditions. Through the first 37 verses, he rehearses what he knows to be theologically accurate: God has sovereignly chosen Israel to be His nation, and David’s descendants to rule. The last third of the psalm reflects the psalmist’s chagrin that the nation had been ravaged and the Davidic monarchy had apparently come to a disgraceful end. To his credit, the psalmist refuses to explain away his theology, but instead keeps the tension, hopefully to be resolved at a later time with the promised reestablishment of an earthly kingdom under one of David’s descendants (cf. Pss. 110, 132).

  I. God’s Manifest Faithfulness to the Davidic Covenant (89:1-37)

  A. God’s Covenant Love (89:1-4)

  B. God’s Praiseworthiness (89:5-18)

  C. God’s Covenant with David (89:19-37)

  II. God’s Apparent Neglect of the Davidic Covenant (89:38-52)

  A. The Psalmist’s Lament (89:38-45)

  B. The Psalmist’s Consternation (89:46-51)

  C. The Doxology (89:52)

  89:Title. Ethan the Ezrahite. Possibly the Levitical singer mentioned in 1 Chr. 6:42 and 15:17, 19 (see note on Ps. 88:Title.).

  89:1 mercies. See note on Ps. 85:7 (cf. vv. 2, 14, 24, 28, 33, 49).

  89:2 You shall establish…heavens. The psalmist exults that the Lord Himself will guarantee the eternality of the Davidic dynasty (cf. 2 Sam. 23:5).

  89:3 covenant with My chosen. The Davidic Covenant, culminating in Messiah’s reign, was established in 2 Sam. 7 (cf. 1 Kin. 8:23; 1 Chr. 17; 2 Chr. 21:7; Pss. 110, 132). The covenant was in the form of a royal grant covenant as God, the Great King, chose David as His servant king. In this type of covenant, the person with whom the LORD established the covenant could violate the terms of the covenant and the LORD would still be obligated to maintain the covenant.

  89:4 seed…forever…throne. The covenant with David was extended to his descendants. The throne promise guaranteed that the rightful heir to the throne would always be a descendant of David (cf. vv. 29, 36; see also 2 Sam. 7:13, 16, 18; Luke 1:31–33). The genealogies of Jesus qualify Him for the throne (cf. Matt. 1:1–17; Luke 3:23–38).

  89:5 faithfulness. The word suggests constant and habitual actions, meaning here that God was reliable. For God to violate this consistency of actions would be to violate His very nature (cf. vv. 1, 2, 8, 24, 33, 49).

  89:6 sons of the mighty. Lit. “sons of God,” i.e., angels.

  89:7 assembly of the saints. Lit. “holy ones,” which pictures a gathering of the angels around their sovereign Lord.

  89:10 Rahab. A figurative term for Egypt. See note on Ps. 87:4.

  89:12 Tabor and Hermon. Mountains in Israel pictured joining in praise with the rest of creation.

  89:15 the joyful sound. Refers to a cheer, a shout of joyful homage to God (cf. Pss. 33:3; 47:5; 95:1; 98:4; 100:1. See note on Ps. 66:1).

  89:17 our horn is exalted. See note on Ps. 75:4 (cf. v. 24).

  89:18 shield belongs to the LORD. The “shield” was a metaphor for the king (see note on Ps. 84:9).

  89:19 Your holy one. The “holy one” was the prophet, Nathan, whom the Lord used to tell David about His covenant with David (2 Sam. 7:4ff.).

  89:25 hand…sea…rivers. A reference to the promise of Ex. 23:31 that the Lord would give Israel the land between the Red Sea and the Euphrates River.

  89:27 My firstborn. The firstborn child was given a place of special honor and a double portion of the inheritance (Gen. 27; 2 Kin. 2:9). However, in a royal grant covenant, a chosen person could be elevated to the level of firstborn sonship and thus have title to a perpetual gift involving dynastic succession (cf. Ps. 2:7). Though not actually the first, Israel was considered the firstborn among nations (Ex. 4:22); Ephraim the younger was treated as the firstborn (Gen. 48:13–20); and David was the firstborn among kings. In this latter sense of prominent favor, Christ can be called the firstborn over all creation (Col. 1:15), in that He is given the preeminence over all created beings.

  89:32 rod…stripes. The rod was an instrument for inflicting wounds, and the stripes were marks left by such a flogging. God’s warning reflects His knowledge of the evident potential for disobedience among the descendants of David (cf. 2 Sam. 7:14). In the lifetime of David’s grandsons, for example, the kingdom was split with the 10 northern tribes leaving the rulership of the Davidic line (cf. Jer. 31:31 and Ezek. 37:16, 17 for the future reunification of the 12 tribes).

  89:33 My lovingkindness. Though the Lord might have to severely discipline David’s descendants, He would never remove His covenant from this family (cf. 2 Sam. 7:15). Thus the covenant could be conditional in any one or more generations and yet be unconditional in its final outcome (cf. Ezek. 37:24–28).

  89:37 faithful witness in the sky. God’s covenant with David regarding his descendants was as certain as the establishment of the sun (v. 36) and the moon in the heavens (cf. Jer. 33:14–26). The promise involved a kingdom “in the earth” (Jer. 33:15).

  89:39 renounced the covenant. The Heb. word behind “renounced” is rare, and it may better be translated “disdained.” It seemed to the psalmist that the condition of Israel indicated that God was neglecting His covenant with David (cf. Ezek. 37:1–14). profaned his crown. This depicts a serious insult to the dynasty because it is of divine origin.

  89:40–45 The ruin is depicted in several images: left with broken hedges, thus defenseless; a stronghold whose ruins invite invaders; a weakling plundered by all his enemies; a soldier with a useless sword; and a youth prematurely old.

  89:45 days of his youth…shortened. This is a figure for the relative brevity of the Davidic dynasty. The dynasty was cut off in its youth.

  89:46 hide Yourself forever. By God’s seeming refusal to answer prayer and restore the Davidic kingship, it seemed as though God was hiding Himself. Of course, the discipline of disobedient kings had been foretold (v. 32). According to the prophets, God would eventually restore Israel and the Davidic throne in an earthly kingdom (cf. Hos. 3:4, 5). Never in the OT is there a sense that this Davidic promise would be fulfilled by Christ with a spiritual and heavenly reign.

  89:47 The prosperity of the Davidic kingdom is linked to the welfare of all people (cf. Ps. 72:17; Is. 9:7; 11:1–10). If the kingdom fails, who can survive? (v. 48).

  89:49–51 Here is a final plea for God to come to the help of His people, so as to avoid reproach (cf. Is. 37:17–35).

  89:52 Blessed be the LORD. This blessing, indicating returning confidence, closes not only Ps. 89, but all of Book III (Pss. 73–89) of the Psalms.

  Psalm 90

  90:1–17 The thrust of this magnificent prayer is to ask God to have mercy on frail human beings living in a sin-cursed universe. Moses begins the psalm with a reflection on God’s eternality, then expresses his somber thoughts about the sorrows and brevity of life in their relationship to God’s anger, and concludes with a plea that God would enable His people to live a significant life.
The psalm seems to have been composed as the older generation of Israelites who had left Egypt were dying off in the wilderness (Num. 14).

  I. The Praise of God’s Eternality (90:1, 2)

  II. The Perception of Man’s Frailty (90:3-12)

  III. The Plea for God’s Mercy (90:13-17)

  90:Title. Moses the man of God. Moses the prophet (Deut. 18:15–22) was unique in that the Lord knew him “face to face” (Deut. 34:10–12). “Man of God” (Deut. 33:1) is a technical term used over 70 times in the OT, always referring to one who spoke for God. It is used of Timothy in the NT (1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 3:17).

  90:1 our dwelling place. God is our sanctuary for protection, sustenance, and stability (cf. Deut. 33:27; Ps. 91:9).

  90:2 from everlasting to everlasting. God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all succession of time, and contains in itself the cause of time (cf. Ps. 102:27; Is. 41:4; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:4; 1 Tim. 6:16; Rev. 1:8).

  90:3 You turn man to destruction. The unusual word for destruction has the idea of crushed matter. Though different from the “dust” of Gen. 3:19, this phrase is no doubt a reference to that passage. Humanity lives under a sovereign decree of death and cannot escape it.

  90:4 a watch in the night. A “watch” was a 4-hour period of time (cf. Ex. 14:24; Lam. 2:19; 2 Pet. 3:8).

  90:5 like a flood. Humankind is snatched from the earth as though it were being swept away by floodwaters. like a sleep. Humanity lives its existence as though asleep or in a coma. People are insensitive to the brevity of life and the reality of God’s wrath.

  90:7 consumed by Your anger. The physical bodies of the human race wear out by the effects of God’s judgment on sin in the universe (cf. Deut. 4:25–28; 11:16, 17). Death is by sin (Rom. 5:12).

  90:8 the light of Your countenance. All sin is in clear view to the “face” of God.