The
PS 89 closes the
Book III of the
Book of PS composed of a collection of texts 150 poetry books organized by five. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament. Book III encompasses Psalms 73 to 89.
Psalm 89 is divided into 53 Verses.
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience . They portray the
common man , with his faults, insecurities, fears and hopes and, even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for any blessing received.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan
Psalm 89 - Messianic Alliance
1 Poem. From Etan the Ezraite .
2 I will sing for ever the mercies of the Lord;
from generation to generation I will announce
your fidelity through my mouth.
3 Therefore I proclaim that your mercy
is built forever,
and your faithfulness is steadfast as the heavens.
4 "I made a covenant with my chosen one,
I made an oath in behalf of David my servant:
5 I will establish your seed forever
and will establish your throne from generation to generation."
6 The heavens will praise your wonders, O Lord;
and the assembly of saints, your faithfulness.
7 Who on high can be equal to the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the gods?
8 God is respected in the counsel of the saints,
superior and fearful to all around him.
9 Who is like You, Lord God of hosts?
You are mighty, Lord,
and your faithfulness is the court around you.
10 You rule the fury of the seas
and calm the roar of its waves.
11 You have broken the corpse of Rahab, have
scattered your enemies with the strength of your arm.
12 Heaven is yours and the earth is yours too;
you formed the world and all that fills it.
13 The north and the south, You created them;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.
14 Your arm is mighty,
your hand is strong, and your right hand is exalted.
15 Justice and righteousness are the foundation of your throne;
truth and mercy walk before you.
16 Happy are the people of those who know how to cry out to you, Lord: they will
walk in the light of your face.
17 In your name they rejoice all day long
and pride themselves in your righteousness.
18 For You are our honor and strength;
and with your purpose you make us lift our heads.
19 Indeed, our shield is the Lord,
and our king is the Holy One of Israel.
20 Thou hast once declared in vision, and said to thy faithful ones,
"I helped a hero,
promoted a young man from among the people.
21 I found David my servant,
and anointed him with my holy oil.
22 For my hand will be firmly with him,
and my arm will make him strong.
23 The enemy will not rise up against him,
nor will the wicked man humiliate him.
24 I will overthrow his adversaries before him,
and destroy those who hate him.
25 My faithfulness and mercy will be with him,
and through my name his power will increase.
26 I will stretch out the power of his left hand over the sea,
and that of his right hand over the rivers.
27 He will call upon me, saying, "You are my father,
you are my God and the rock of my salvation!"
28 And I will make him the firstborn,
the most exalted among the kings of the earth.
29 I will assure him of my mercy forever,
and my covenant will remain faithful to him.
30 I will establish their seed forever,
and their throne will remain like the heavens.
31 If your children forsake my law
and do not walk according to my precepts;
32 If you transgress my orders
and do not keep my commandments,
33 then I will punish your crime with a rod
and your wickedness with a whip.
34 But I will not take away my mercy from them,
neither will I break my promise.
35 I will not profane my covenant,
nor change the word of my mouth.
36 I swore once by my holiness
that I would not deceive David.
37 His seed will remain forever,
and his throne will be like the sun before me.
38 It will stand forever like the Moon,
a faithful witness in the firmament."
39 But you have rejected and forsook your anointed one,
and have been angry with him.
40 Thou hast denied the covenant with thy servant
and has profaned his crown to the ground.
41 You have broken down all its walls, you have
reduced its strongholds to rubble.
42 All passersby plundered it;
he became a mockery to his neighbors.
43 You have raised the hand of your enemies, you have
filled all your enemies with joy.
44 But
thou hast worn out the edge of the sword to him, and thou hast not given him victory in battle.
45 Thou hast caused its splendor to cease, Thou hast
cast down its throne.
46 You cut short the days of his youth
and covered him with shame.
47 How long, Lord, will You remain hidden?
Will your anger burn forever like fire?
48 Remember me. What a brief existence!
What illusion did you create human beings for?
49 Who is so strong that he can live without seeing death
and can free his soul from the grip of the abyss?
50 Where is your former mercy,
which you swore to David for your faithfulness?
51 Remember, Lord, the insults against your servants,
for I carry in my heart the outrage of so many mighty nations!
52 How your enemies utter insults, Lord!
How insulting the steps of your anointed!
53 Blessed be the Lord forever!
Amen! Amen!
Meaning and interpretation
The
Psalm 89 is a kind of prayer
messianic , which celebrates God himself as
king of the universe and Israel . The Psalm ends in a tone of
lamentation and
supplication (Verses 39-53).
God exercises his power over the entire world and over the main forces of nature. The attributes of God are stated: his essence is
justice and
righteousness ; the
truth and
mercy are priority criteria in the application of justice. The
Psalm 89 ends the Third Book of Psalms.
The
Prophetic Psalms or
Royal Psalms are prayers of praise to the king, affirmations of God's favor to the king, prayers for the king, royal oracles, and descriptions of the righteousness and piety due to the figure who has the responsibility to govern the people. These Psalms were performed at court parties, in the presence of the king, in celebrations of victory over an enemy, among other occasions involving the government. Often, the text refers to a
messianic note where certain behaviors can lead to certain outcomes. The Prophetic Psalms reinforce the
holiness of God , creator of all that exists between heaven and earth. They also remember his
mercy and
eternal justice and the importance of showing your face to the believer and to the peoples. Their action provides a
guide to behavior not only for individuals but also for those responsible for governing and enforcing justice.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak with Him. Depicting the
common man , with his failures, insecurities, fears and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
The Psalms, despite being written in Antiquity, still
move ,
sensitize ,
awaken feelings ,
inspire and
enchant . In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy , deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations , some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's personal relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life, others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms is composed of a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God . The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation ,
supplication ,
praise, and
gratitude .
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine and
prayer is the
power of the word . Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word or image addressed to God is called
prayer . It is through it that we come into contact with our
God within and, therefore, it is so powerful in
transforming life . Prayer can produce
miracles , turn dreams into reality, give us hope for
change ,
harmony and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God . For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for the purpose of spiritual self-protection, family protection and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this
peace , well-being, hope and goodness in front of everyone and everything result.
The
faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination . The Psalms will guide you on a path of
peace and
communion with the higher energy.
