Connect Psalm 89:46 with another scripture about God's faithfulness during difficult times. Setting the Scene Psalm 89 is a psalm of Ethan the Ezrahite that celebrates God’s covenant with David yet wrestles with apparent divine silence and discipline. Verse 46 captures the aching tension: “How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath keep burning like fire?” (Psalm 89:46) The Cry of Psalm 89:46 • The psalmist speaks from deep distress, convinced of God’s covenant love yet confused by present hardship. • The lament is honest, direct, and assumes God alone can resolve the crisis. • The literal wording affirms real wrath, real time passing, and real yearning for God’s visible intervention. Responding with Lamentations 3:22-24 Into that same atmosphere of suffering, Jeremiah testifies: “Because of the LORD’s loving devotion we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in Him.’” (Lamentations 3:22-24) Observations • God’s covenant love (ḥesed) remains active even while discipline is felt. • Mercy (raḥămîm) is continual, “new every morning,” grounding daily hope. • The phrase “great is Your faithfulness” stands as a direct answer to “How long?” by spotlighting an unchanging character rather than an immediate timetable. • Jeremiah, like Ethan, faced ruin; yet he anchors confidence in the Lord’s portion rather than outward circumstances. Connecting the Dots 1. Psalm 89:46 voices the valley experience of covenant people. 2. Lamentations 3:22-24 affirms the summit view of the same covenant God. 3. When the Psalm asks, “Will You hide Yourself forever?” Lamentations replies, “His mercies never fail.” 4. The two texts together reveal that perceived distance does not equal abandonment; steadfast love undergirds every season. 5. Both writers ultimately point to the Messiah, the ultimate proof of faithful love (cf. Luke 1:72-73). Living the Connection Today • Acknowledge seasons when God seems hidden; Scripture legitimizes that feeling. • Speak honestly to the Lord as Ethan did, confident He welcomes lament. • Recall daily the mercies Jeremiah saw, rehearsing specific expressions of God’s kindness. • Fix hope on God’s unchanging character rather than transient circumstances. • Expect the eventual unveiling of His purposes, since His covenant promises cannot fail (cf. Hebrews 10:23; 2 Timothy 2:13). Additional Passages for Support • Isaiah 54:10 — “Though the mountains may be removed… My loving devotion will not depart from you.” • Psalm 36:5 — “Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” • 1 Corinthians 1:9 — “God, who has called you… is faithful.” Together, Psalm 89:46 and Lamentations 3:22-24 frame both the anguish of waiting and the assurance of unfailing covenant love, inviting believers to rest in God’s proven faithfulness even during the longest night. |
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