Psalm 89 — The Yeti Version
Ethan: “What happened to you saying you’d be faithful, God?”
This one is written by someone named Ethan. This perhaps is the most in God’s face that I’ve seen the Psalms get so far. You don’t see this song getting quoted very often, particularly the last twenty verses where he accuses God of a lot of crap (you promised David all this stuff and you failed him). What’s amazing to me is how the last verse is just tacked on at the end all happy and such even though the last twenty verses are accusing God of being poopy. I wonder if it was part of the original Psalm or if someone added it because it is the end of a section in the Psalms (book three out of five). For a reliable translation, please see the ESV version.
I’m going to sing about Jesus’s patient love for as long as I live. I’m going to tell everyone how reliable you are.
I keep saying, “There’s no exhausting Jesus’ patient love. He makes it clear that he’s reliable.”
God said, “I made an agreement with King David — I made him a promise.
There will never be an end to your descendants nor your kingdom.”
I love how all of the angels celebrate you and your loyalty in front of everyone.
Who else even comes close to you? Is there another spiritual being similar to you?
Among all of the spiritual beings, you are the most awesome.
Jesus, who is more powerful or loyal than you?
You control the oceans.
You destroy the most powerful evil men.
Everything in the sky above and on the Earth below belongs to you — the creator.
From the north pole to the south, it’s all your joyful creation.
You are so strong!
Your leadership exudes patient love, loyalty, reliability, fairness, and wisdom.
It is good to be the people celebrating the nearness of God.
You lift them up because they lift you up!
You are what makes them strong — you are what makes us strong.
You are our defense, Jesus!
You once spoke through a prophet to say,
“I picked someone good and strong, and I prepared them for leadership.
I chose David and made him king.
He helps me, and I help him.
No one will outsmart him. No one will crush him.
I will crush anyone who hates him.
I will be reliable, patient, and loving with him. He will become great and give me credit.
He will become so powerful he will be able to militarily control the oceans and the rivers.
He’ll call me Dad, God, and Savior.
I will make him more important than the most powerful man in the world.
I will always be patient, loving, and reliable for him. He has my word.
I will make his descendants and his kingdom have no end.
That said, if his kids break the terms of my agreement with him,
if they disobey my directions for them,
then they will suffer the consequences.
However, I will continue to be patient, loving, and loyal.
I will stay true to my original promise.
I’m different than the rest. I keep my word, and I’ll keep my promise to David.
His descendants will have no end — or his kingdom.
They will be as dependable and eternal as the moon.”
Remember you saying all that, God? Contrast that to now where you have pushed us away and punished us greatly.
You abandoned your agreement with him and ruined his kingdom.
You’ve knocked down every one of his walls and destroyed every defensive checkpoint of his.
Practically everyone passing through the area plunders his city. The neighboring cities just watch with pity.
You made his enemy strong and happy.
You made his army week and worthless.
Where he was powerful and regal, you made him worthless.
He was so young when you took so much of his dignity away.
How long will you do this, Jesus? How long will you hide? How long will you sit on your anger?
I’m not getting any younger here! Life is short for us mortals you made from the dust!
It’s not like we can live forever!
Where’s that patient love that you showed to our ancestors and promised to David?
Do you even think about how your servants are the butt of every joke?
That your enemies are mocking your chosen people? You should!
I hope Jesus is celebrated forever — amen.
