The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; the world and all its fullness, You have founded them. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face.
--Psalm 89:11, 14 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on May 9, 2013 of Psalm 89:9-18; Mark 10:32-52; 1 Samuel 2:27-4.
This royal psalm may have been written at some point after the reign of King David but it celebrates the covenant between him and the Lord, praising God for His blessings and singing of His character. Attributed to Ethan, who may have been a musician appointed during David's time (please see 1 Chronicles 15:17-19), it uses poetic form to recount God's covenant with David and the king's humiliating defeat. It recognizes God as the Lord of creation and asks Him to remember His covenant and not forsake His children. This is the only Psalm attributed to Ethan.
In today's focus verses, the psalmist praises God for His mighty works, particularly for His creation of the world, of the entire universe and all that is in it. Our author rightly places ownership of all creation in the Lord's hands. "The heavens are Yours", he declares, and "the earth also". God built the earth and all that is on it, the world and all that is within it. And not only did He simply make the world, by forming some huge lump of dirt into a rough ball and tossing it into space alongside the other balls. He founded them. He set everything in motion. He established life and the means for life to be able to continue, to renew itself. He gave His creation breath, to live. He gave it seasons, times of rest, times of harvest, times of renewal. And He gave His dearest creation, mankind, the freedom to choose as they please, whether to follow and obey Him or not. The Lord brought it all into being. He founded all of creation.
And the psalmist notes that the very foundation of all creation, the base structure that firmly anchors all of creation in place and holds it up, is formed of the righteousness and justice of God. All of creation is the Lord's throne, and it sits firmly on His righteousness and from it justice will prevail. Justice issues from God's hand as He rules from His throne, and nothing but truth comes from His mouth. Everything He has ever said has proven true; every promise He ever made He has kept. And even though God is just and judges justly, we who are sinners can take great comfort in knowing that God dispenses justice but with mercy. Mercy goes before His face, it comes out first. If not for His mercy, we would be doomed to eternal damnation and separation from His Majesty and Presence, but because of His wonderful grace we can find salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Praise God. Praise Jesus. Amen.
Merciful and just Lord, we acknowledge You are the sovereign Ruler over all creation. You founded all upon which our very life is based on Your righteousness and truth. We thank You for tempering Your justice with mercy. For without Your grace and the sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb, we would surely be doomed forever. Instead, the blood of Jesus washes us clean and we are saved. Thank You, Father. Thank You, Jesus. In the perfect name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
In today's focus verses, the psalmist praises God for His mighty works, particularly for His creation of the world, of the entire universe and all that is in it. Our author rightly places ownership of all creation in the Lord's hands. "The heavens are Yours", he declares, and "the earth also". God built the earth and all that is on it, the world and all that is within it. And not only did He simply make the world, by forming some huge lump of dirt into a rough ball and tossing it into space alongside the other balls. He founded them. He set everything in motion. He established life and the means for life to be able to continue, to renew itself. He gave His creation breath, to live. He gave it seasons, times of rest, times of harvest, times of renewal. And He gave His dearest creation, mankind, the freedom to choose as they please, whether to follow and obey Him or not. The Lord brought it all into being. He founded all of creation.
And the psalmist notes that the very foundation of all creation, the base structure that firmly anchors all of creation in place and holds it up, is formed of the righteousness and justice of God. All of creation is the Lord's throne, and it sits firmly on His righteousness and from it justice will prevail. Justice issues from God's hand as He rules from His throne, and nothing but truth comes from His mouth. Everything He has ever said has proven true; every promise He ever made He has kept. And even though God is just and judges justly, we who are sinners can take great comfort in knowing that God dispenses justice but with mercy. Mercy goes before His face, it comes out first. If not for His mercy, we would be doomed to eternal damnation and separation from His Majesty and Presence, but because of His wonderful grace we can find salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Praise God. Praise Jesus. Amen.
Merciful and just Lord, we acknowledge You are the sovereign Ruler over all creation. You founded all upon which our very life is based on Your righteousness and truth. We thank You for tempering Your justice with mercy. For without Your grace and the sacrifice of the Spotless Lamb, we would surely be doomed forever. Instead, the blood of Jesus washes us clean and we are saved. Thank You, Father. Thank You, Jesus. In the perfect name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
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