Psalms 89:17-32: a reflection

17For you are the glory of their strength. In your favor, our horn will be exalted. 18For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. 19Then you spoke in vision to your saints, and said, “I have given strength to the warrior. I have exalted a young man from the people. 20I have found David, my servant. I have anointed him with my holy oil, 21with whom my hand shall be established. My arm will also strengthen him. 22No enemy will tax him. No wicked man will oppress him. 23I will beat down his adversaries before him, and strike those who hate him. 24But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. In my name, his horn will be exalted. 25I will set his hand also on the sea, and his right hand on the rivers. 26He will call to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation!’ 27I will also appoint him my firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. 28I will keep my loving kindness for him forever more. My covenant will stand firm with him. 29I will also make his offspring endure forever, and his throne as the days of heaven. 30If his children forsake my law, and don’t walk in my ordinances; 31if they break my statutes, and don’t keep my commandments; 32then I will punish their sin with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

In recounting God's covenant with David, the psalm shows both the greatness of God's promise and its faithfulness even in the face of failure. God promises to keep his loving kindness for David forever, to make his covenant stand firm. And then he addresses what will happen if David's descendants stray: If his children forsake my law, then I will punish their sin with the rod; but my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. Even if his children forsake God's law, God will correct them with discipline, yet without abandoning his covenant love. He would discipline their sin, but not withdraw his steadfast love; the correction would come, but the covenant would stand.

Notice the balance: God would correct his children's sin, yet keep his loving kindness. He does not overlook their sin; if they forsake his law, he will discipline them with the rod. But the discipline does not mean abandonment; his faithfulness and loving kindness remain, his covenant stands firm. God corrects his children when they stray, but he does not cast them off; his discipline is the discipline of a father who keeps his covenant love even while he corrects. The straying brings correction, not abandonment; God remains faithful to his covenant even when his children are not faithful to him.

That is worth taking to heart, for God corrects his children when they stray, yet does not abandon his covenant love. We can fear, when we stray and are corrected, that God has cast us off, that his discipline means abandonment; but God promised to discipline David's children's sin yet keep his loving kindness with them. God's correction of his children is not rejection; he remains faithful to his covenant even while he corrects. When you stray and feel God's correction, do not fear that he has abandoned you; he disciplines his children yet keeps his covenant love, faithful even when we are not. Trust that God, though he corrects your straying with discipline, does not abandon his covenant love, remaining faithful even when you are not, as he promised to discipline David's children yet keep his loving kindness; for God's discipline is a father's correction, not rejection, and he remains faithful to his covenant even when his children stray.

Lord, in recounting your covenant with David, the psalm shows both the greatness of your promise and its faithfulness even in the face of failure. You promise to keep your loving kindness for David forever, to make your covenant stand firm. And then you address what will happen if David's descendants stray: if his children forsake my law, then I will punish their sin with the rod; but my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with him. Even if his children forsake your law, you will correct them with discipline, yet without abandoning your covenant love. Show me the balance: you would correct his children's sin, yet keep your loving kindness. You do not overlook their sin; if they forsake your law, you will discipline them. But the discipline does not mean abandonment; your faithfulness and loving kindness remain, your covenant stands firm. You correct your children when they stray, but you do not cast them off; your discipline is the discipline of a father who keeps his covenant love even while he corrects. Take that to my heart, for you correct your children when they stray, yet do not abandon your covenant love. I can fear, when I stray and am corrected, that you have cast me off, that your discipline means abandonment; but you promised to discipline David's children's sin yet keep your loving kindness with them. Your correction of your children is not rejection. When I stray and feel your correction, keep me from fearing that you have abandoned me; you discipline your children yet keep your covenant love, Lord, faithful even when we are not. Help me trust that you do not abandon your covenant love even while you correct my straying.