Part 2: Solomon (72, 127), Heman (88), Ethan (89)

Psalm 72 is one of 2 (127) believed to have been written by King Solomon. It seems to have been written to his son as a model of kingship to emulate. We know, of course, from history and from our humanity, that no merely human king fulfills these ideals. Because of this, Psalm 72 is seen as a Messianic Psalm, foreshadowing the perfect rule of Jesus Christ.

Solomon’s vision for his descendant…

He will be just (1a, 2b, 4, 12-14)
He will be righteous (1b, 2a, 3)
He will reign for many generations (5, 15, 17)
His reign will be prosperous (6-7, 15, 16)
His reign will be the whole earth (8, 15, 17)
His reign will be powerful (9-11)
His reign will be to the glory of God (18-19)

Psalm 88 is a surprising Psalm in terms of it's lack of hope. Many Psalms entail strong critiques of God's apparent in-actions, but usually they end with a firm hope that God will come through when all is said and done. Not so here! The entire Psalm seems to be one of critique. The fact that it is found within the 150 'inspired' Psalms speaks to the honesty God desires in our relationship to Him, similar to Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane.

Psalm 88 seems to have been written by Heman, though exactly which Heman wrote the Psalm is unknown. In any case...

He wants God to hear him (1-2)
He felt as good as dead (3-5)
He felt isolated & trapped by God (6-9)
He felt unsure of life after death (10-12)
He felt ignored by God (13-14)
He felt bitter at God’s affliction (15-18)

Psalm 89 seems to have been written by a man named Ethan (probably the Ethan of 1 Chronicles 15:17-19). The Psalm contains a startling transition at verse 38 that speaks to the context of the time of writing. If the Psalm ended at verse 37, we'd imagine that it was written at a time of great exaltation of David or one of his descendants. But verse 38 and onward reveals that this Psalm was actually written at a point when the promises of God to David seemed extremely suspect.

God made great promises to David (1-37)
God seemed to be unfaithful (38-45)
Ethan wonders where God is (46-52)

Despite God's amazing promises that David's line would be established forever, the author interprets his historical context as a reason for doubting God's faithfulness. He wonders where God is and whether the promises to David will ever come true. The first section is positive. The second section is negative. The third section is up in the air. What will God do. The concluding verse, however, reinforces that the author has faith that God will do right in the end.

Psalm 127