greatest characteristics of our great God is that He is utterly faithful to His word. It is

upon this that all hope depends. If God promises and does not perform, but breaks His

word, then we are of all men the most miserable. It is because of the unchangeability of

that Word that the nation of Israel has a future which this Psalm makes so clear. This is

true of course of the Body of Christ and the whole redemptive plan of God. No wonder

we are all called to be faithful in response to such a God Who changeth not.

The Psalm consists of an introduction (verse 1-4) and three main sections dealing with

hope (5-18), promise (19-37) and trouble (38-51), and ends with praise and a double

Amen, thus concluding the third book of the Psalter. Not only do we have faithfulness

occurring 7 times but also the word mercy or loving kindness (1, 2, 14, 28, 33, 49). The

Psalmist commences with song, resulting from his personal experience of this God of

faithfulness and grace, Who had dealt so wondrously with David in making His

unconditional covenant concerning his throne and its perpetuity.

The majesty of God is now stressed. He is incomparable among the angels of heaven.

The "sons of the mighty" bow down before Him (6 and 7). On earth below He is

incomparable in nature (9) and in history (10). He broke the power of Egypt (Rahab) and

the whole creation of heaven and earth are His (11-13). His people are those who "know

the joyful sound" (15) possibly the jubilee trumpet which heralded deliverance from debt

and bondage.

The second section (19-37) deals with promise, specially that related to the Davidic

Covenant concerning David's seed and his throne. II Sam. 7: should be read here, for

this section cannot be properly understood without it. Verses 19-28 deal with God's

promises to David personally and then his seed in verses 29-37. This purpose of God

cannot be frustrated or annulled, even though the seed fails, whether it is Solomon

(II.Sam.vii.12-15) or Israel (Psa. 89: 29-33).  They may profane God's statutes

(89: 31 margin) yet God will not profane His covenant (34, break = profane).

Three outstanding unconditional covenants of God relate to Israel and God's purpose

for them and world blessing cannot be appreciated or understood unless the covenants are

born in mind. To Abraham, Isaac and Jacob God promised a perpetual seed and a land

from the Nile to the Euphrates (Gen. 13: 14-17; 15: 17, 18). To David the Lord repeats

His promise concerning the seed and adds the throne. In the final fulfillment, the Lord

Jesus Christ, as the true seed of David, will surely bring all this to pass, but we must not

make the mistake that some do, specially those of amillennial persuasion, that all these

promises relate solely to Christ, for sometimes the word `seed' is used in the plural and

must refer to Abraham's posterity (see Gen. 17: 4-8 and note verse 7). There are too

many verses declaring God's intention of preserving the people of Israel for ever for them

to finally fail or be wiped out.

True it is that if everything depended upon them, then this great purpose would

founder, but it rather depends on the Lord's new covenant of grace with the house of

Israel and the house of Judah (Jer. 31:) which rests upon the shed blood of the Lord

Jesus on Calvary's cross.