Three Musicians

Psalm 89:1-7

A psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1I will sing of the tender mercies of the LORD forever!

Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.

2Your unfailing love will last forever.

Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.

3The LORD said, “I have made a solemn agreement with David, my chosen servant.

I have sworn this oath to him:

4‘I will establish your descendants as kings forever;

they will sit on your throne from now until eternity.’”

Interlude

5All heaven will praise your miracles, LORD;

myriads of angels will praise you for your faithfulness.

6For who in all of heaven can compare with the LORD?

What mightiest angel is anything like the LORD?

7The highest angelic powers stand in awe of God.

He is far more awesome than those who surround his throne.

When the Ark of God was carried to the Tabernacle in Jerusalem, three men were given the honor of directing the choir for the festivities: Asaph, who wrote many psalms; Heman, who wrote Psalm 88; and Ethan, who wrote today’s psalm (see also 1 Chronicles 15–16).

Ethan takes quite a different approach from his colleague Heman when it comes to writing psalms. In Psalm 88 Heman holds a dour view of life—basically, “Life’s a mess and then you die” (see verse 3). But Psalm 89 starts by singing the mercies of God. We get three-quarters of the way through Ethan’s song before we realize anything’s wrong.

Do you know people like that? Such people have learned a crucial truth: God is bigger than our problems. Obviously Ethan knew that well.

“Oh, the kingdom of Israel is falling apart,” Ethan says, “but God is good. His unfailing love will last forever.” Ethan’s name means “steady, rock-solid,” and you can tell that his perspective keeps him steady through the storms of life. No matter what happens, he sees God’s great mercy, and he sings about it.

You should also know that Ethan later changed his name to Jeduthun, meaning “the Lord is steady.” Because of the Lord’s steadiness, we can live with a solid confidence, whatever our circumstances might be.

Be still, my soul! thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as he has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul! the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

KATHARINA VON SCHLEGEL

Bible Networking

Read God’s own words on mercy in Isaiah 55:3.

Notable Quotable

“Mercy is a structure never done, layer on layer, story on story, tier on tier. God’s faithfulness is sure as the heavens.”

F. B. MEYER