Psalm 88. In this psalm the suffering remnant have a sense of what it is to have to do with God for their part in rejecting the Messiah, though not fully conscious of the real cause of their afflictions. It is a time of deep distress. Lover and friend had been put far from them. They will have to acknowledge that they had forsaken His law and rejected the Messiah, before they can have complete restoration.
Psalm 89. This psalm, while starting out with the singing of the mercies of the Lord forever, rehearses His dealings with them, and particularly the covenant which He had made with David, whose throne was to be built up for all generations. But they feel that Jehovah had cast them off, and been angry with His anointed, casting His crown to the ground. They do own that He had said that if those of the house of David did forsake His law, then He would visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquities with stripes. But they can count upon His loving kindnesses, that He would not utterly forsake them. So they have the confidence that the throne of David was to be restored and continue as the sun before Him. This can only be when they really see how far they were from Him, in rejecting the Messiah, and then He comes in with a great deliverance and restores them. The cry is heard again, “How long, Lord?” and He is asked to remember the reproach of His servants, and wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of His anointed. But the psalm ends with, Blessed be the Lord for evermore. Amen and Amen.”
This psalm closes Book Three with these last words of praise. Book Four gives us something of the progress of the people of God in their exercises concerning their condition before Him, during the time which He had been leading on, until the Messiah could take His place among them.
Book Four
There had been in Book Three an additional faithful remnant from the whole nation of Israel brought back. They were in the land, but not yet in possession of the privileges of the sanctuary of the temple for worship. But in Book Four we have the introduction of the Messiah, the One in whom all their promises centered, taking His place in power among them in the land, as the One who is to reign in righteousness.
The palms of yore their branches waved
When Judah’s sons were singing;
“Hosanna! Zion shall be saved,”
Their gentle Monarch bringing.
But the sun’s light at midday died,
And Judah’s matrons, wailing,
Lamented loud the Crucified
All trace of glory failing!
Those gloomy years have rolled away,
The years of Israel’s mourning;
The rising sun with healing ray
Proclaims the King’s returning.
Lift up your heads, eternal gates,
Transcendent dawn glows o’er ye!
At Salem’s door Messiah waits;
He is the King of glory.
ML 02/19/1961