Out Standing In His Field

Psalm 89:19-28

19You once spoke in a vision to your prophet and said,

“I have given help to a warrior.

I have selected him from the common people to be king.

20I have found my servant David.

I have anointed him with my holy oil.

21I will steady him,

and I will make him strong.

22His enemies will not get the best of him,

nor will the wicked overpower him.

23I will beat down his adversaries before him

and destroy those who hate him.

24My faithfulness and unfailing love will be with him,

and he will rise to power because of me.

25I will extend his rule from the Mediterranean Sea in the west

to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the east.

26And he will say to me, ‘You are my Father,

my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’

27I will make him my firstborn son,

the mightiest king on earth.

28I will love him and be kind to him forever;

my covenant with him will never end.”

Saul just wasn’t working out. This first king of Israel kept doing his own thing, not waiting for God’s direction. Finally, God decided to make a change. He sent the prophet Samuel to the fields of Bethlehem to find a new ruler, one who would honor and obey him. One of the sons of Jesse would be anointed king. But which one?

It’s a Cinderella story, when you think about it. Seven big, strong sons of Jesse came before the prophet for their interviews. God’s glass slipper didn’t fit any of them. Sure, they looked like king material—but so did Saul. God wanted someone with a heart that would serve him.

They almost forgot about David, the youngest son, who was out in the fields minding the flocks. Somebody had to do the dirty work—and perhaps it was that servant attitude that qualified David for the job. Any fool can be a king, but only a wise king can be a servant.

Psalm 89 celebrates the selection of this shepherd David as king of Israel. He wasn’t just second in a long line of monarchs—he was the founder of an enduring dynasty. David’s descendants would rule God’s people forever. The psalmist, looking ahead to a shaky future, clung to this promise for national security. Christians today look back and see it fulfilled in Jesus, the servant-king, shepherd of God’s people, son of David.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! rejoice! Emanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

JOHN M. NEALE

A Word on Words

“[God’s] firstborn son” (verse 27) is a term that, in its strictest application, belongs to Christ alone. See Romans 8:29. We need to read this passage with Christ in mind, not just David.

Bible Networking

This part of Psalm 89 concerns God’s solemn promise found in 2 Samuel 7:8-16.