God’s Faithfulness: A Light in Darkness

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-4-2026

Psalm 89

 

Introduction

A.  Psalm 89 is a psalm written by Ethan the Ezrahite.  He was a musician and a man of wisdom.  Not much is said about his musical talent, as he was more noted for his wisdom.  When speaking of the wisdom of Solomon, he is mentioned as one of the wisest men of the East.

 

1 Kings 4:30-31  And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.  (31)  For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

 

B.  Psalm 89 stands as a profound theological work, showing how a wise man wrestles reverently with God’s promises while still affirming God’s faithfulness.

 

C.  The time of Psalm 89’s writing could be debated, but the Psalm indicates that it was written after David and Solomon’s reigns.  A time when the Nation of Israel was in severe decline and being attacked from the outside.  It was evidently pre-Babylonish Captivity, but when the nation was ripe for invasion and captivity.

 

D.  I want to break the Psalm, which is a long one, down into its parts to get to the gist of what was disturbing Ethan the Ezrahite.

 

1.  Verses 1-4.  God’s faithfulness to His Covenant. 

 

a.  Verse 1.  God’s mercy and faithfulness.  “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.”

b.  Verse 2.  God’s Covenant with David.  “Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.”

 

c.  Verses 3-4.  God’s Promise concerning the Throne.  “Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.”

 

2.  Verses 5-18.  God’s Sovereignty and Power.

 

a.  Verses 5-8.  God’s Sovereignty and Power are Incomparable.  “And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.” 

 

God controls every dominion.  Philippians 2:10-11  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  (11)  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

b.  Verses 8-13.  God’s Sovereignty and Power are Omnipotent.  Psalms 89:9  Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.

 

c.  Verses 14-18.  God’s Sovereignty and Power are Righteous. “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. ”

 

3.  Verses 19-37.  Ethan the Ezrahite Reminds God of the Davidic Covenant.

 

a.  Verses 19-21.  God’s Sovereign Choice.  “I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him”

 

b.  Verses 22-25.  God’s Power to Protect.  “The enemy shall not exact upon him; nor the son of wickedness afflict him.”

 

c.  Verses 26-37.  God’s Unbreakable Promise.  “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.”

 

4.  Verses 38-51.  “But!”  Here is the message for tonight.  Notice the change with me.  Though God, who can neither lie nor change, made these promises concerning Israel and David’s Throne, the enemies of God had the upper hand.  Israel was doomed to spend 70 years in Babylonian Captivity!

 

a.  In the preceding verses, Ethan the Ezrahite has set forth the Person, Goodness, and Mercy, the unlimited power of Sovereignty, but now shows confusion. 

 

b.  What do we do when God’s Word says and promises, but circumstances seem to differ?

 

1)  Verse 39 – “Thou has cast off”

 

2)  Verse 40 – “Thou hast broken down”

 

3)  Verse 42 – “Thou hast set up … thou has made”

 

4)  Verse 43 – “Thou has turned”

 

5)  Verse 44 - :Thou hast made”

 

6)  Verse 44-45 – “Thou has shortened … thou has covered”

 

7)  Verses 46-48 – “How long, LORD”

 

8)  Verse 49-51 – “LORD, where are thy former lovingkindnesses?”

 

5. Verse 52.  Ethan’s Ultimate Reliance.  Psalms 89:52  Blessed be the LORD for evermore. Amen, and Amen.

 

a.  Ethan is learning a biblical principle that we all have wrestled with or will wrestle with.  There will be times when we have to wait upon the Lord!  Though he proclaims his faith in a God who can do everything, anywhere, at any time, Ethan does not understand why God has not answered his request. 

 

b.  We find this often in the Bible, especially in the Book of Psalms.  How Long? When? Why? Are words that are frequently read there.  I call this “Open-end waiting.”  A waiting that has no time limit.

 

c. Ethan learned to wait upon the Lord.  Ethan now boldly wrestles with the confusion between God’s promises and Israel’s present suffering.  This confusion but ultimate trust makes the psalm one of the most theologically rich covenant psalms in Scripture.

 

d.  Ethan the Ezrahite’s answer probably did not come in his lifetime, but he knew that God would ultimately bring things to the proper conclusion.  He maintained his faith in the Person, Power, and Promises of God. 

 

e.  Let us never give up on God because when we do not understand, it is then that we learn to trust. 

 

Psalms 27:13-14  I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  (14)  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

 

Isaiah 40:28-31  Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.  (29)  He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.  (30)  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:  (31)  But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

They That Be Planted

Temple Baptist Church - 1-4-2026

Psalm 92:12-15

 

Introduction:

 

Psalms 92:12-15 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. (13) Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. (14) They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; (15) To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

 

A. “A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day.” This morning is the first Sunday of the New Year. 2025 is behind us, and 2026 stands before us.

 

1. A clean year, with its pages empty. The passing of time is relentless, and no one can slow its march. “Time waits for no man!” We can neither speed time up nor can we slow time down. The “clock” just keeps on ticking.

 

2. Therefore, the question for this first Sunday in January 2026 is not “Will time pass?” It will. The question is, “How will you and I pass the time?”

 

B. Psalm 92 contrasts the wicked with the righteous.

 

1. The righteous love God!

 

2. The wicked are the enemies of God!

 

C. If the righteous love God, then they will love God’s church!

 

1. They will be faithful where they are planted.

 

2. They will be thankful where they are planted.

 

3. They will be flourishing where they are planted.

 

D. In verse 12, God uses two trees to show His will for God’s children in the passing of time.

 

1. The Palm Tree that withstands great storms of wind. They survive. Hurricanes come and go, but the Palm Trees remain. Palm Tree Christians survive the storms of this life.

 

2. The Cedars of Lebanon, though they grow slowly, are known for their strength and longevity. They not only survive, but they also thrive! God wants us to survive but not to just survive. God wants us to survive while continuing to thrive spiritually.

 

3. God wants us to survive in the hard times, but even more, God wants us to thrive in the hard times.

 

E. It is interesting that the Holy Spirit used the word “planted,” not attended, when referring to the faithfulness of God’s people to the house of God. That word is commonly used to describe trees, flowers, etc., that are permanently planted in the ground. Permanent fixtures that you see every time you come to church.

 

1. I only plant specific plants in my yard. I pick and choose which plants to buy because my yard is limited in size.

 

a) If they do not thrive, I usually dig them up and either plant something else that will thrive there or leave that place empty.

 

b) I remember well that my mom would plant anything and everything in our yard when I was growing up, and I had to mow around them. Most of them just looked like weeds and did not have flowers. Dad would mow them down.

 

2. I only plant in specific places. I try to plant them where there will be the fullest sun, which is hard in my yard, as I live in the woods. I try to plant them in an orderly fashion so that they will look well.

 

3. I only plant for specific reasons. For beauty and fruit!

 

F. Several kinds of plants come to mind when looking at them in light of God’s people and the church.

 

1. Special Occasion Plants – Easter Lilies and Poinsettias!

 

a) Some people only come to church on special occasions such as Easter and Christmas. We are always glad to see them when they come, and evidently, two or three times a year is plenty for them to get their “religion” for the year.

 

b) We leave them in the church for as much as a month around Christmas, but eventually, they begin to wither and drop their leaves, so we give them away to someone who will take them home and care for them.

 

c). You cannot lead them or feed them because they are a type of the “natural” man who cannot receive or know the word of God. They never seem to get it! They are satisfied with a little religion that soothes them a few days out of the year, yet they have neither love nor desire for fellowship with God’s people.

 

2. Artificial Plants – These are plants with no life in them that we buy that remain in certain places in the church. I have actually tried to water them because they often look so real. They cannot be watered with the Word of God!

 

a) They just “adorn” the church but never produce or grow. These are the unsaved that never get right with the Lord. They never get saved and become spiritually alive through the new birth.

 

b) They always sit in the same place, and they are always there. I am not knocking our people on sitting in the same places, nor am I indicting them for always being there. I saw a sign that said, “Visitors welcome, members expected!” I pay little attention to them because they require none. Now and then, Gracelynn will replace them or dress them up a little, and they are beautiful but not alive.

 

c) I have actually tried to water them at times because I took them for the real thing, but, alas, that never helped them. They never grow; they never need to be pruned; they never accept your efforts to care for them; they are just there and lifeless. You cannot lead them and you cannot feed them because they are the “natural” man who cannot receive or know the word of God.

 

3. Potted Plants – These plants do have life, but, like the Artificial Plants, are moved around quite a bit and eventually are replaced. Potted plants are high maintenance.

 

a) They cannot be planted because they are not able to withstand the elements. When it gets cold, you have a frost, or it becomes snowy, they must be brought in for the winter or they will die.

 

b) These are people, and many are true believers (because they do have life), who can never get settled and, continually, for always a “good reason,” move on. They will never get settled because they do not like problems or imperfections in the environment. Spring and summer (good times) are their favorites but fall and winter (hard times) are not.

 

c) Potted Plants need special care. You must be careful how you handle them so they don't get damaged. They often get root bound and their growth is stunted. They must be watered and fed continually or they will die. They constantly have to be moved for cleaning or re-potted.

 

d) Unfortunately, I have a brown thumb and almost always end up killing potted plants. I try my best to get them to live but everything I do with my “Brown Thumb” turns out wrong and they eventually die. I cannot lead them nor can I feed them because they have no need of either a pastor or a church family.

 

4. Planted Plants – These are the believers who come to get in, not get out.

 

a. They Are Righteous. “The righteous” Saved and know it; saved and show it! They are a vital part of the local church! These planted ones have an inward and outward testimony of God’s saving, changing, keeping grace.

 

b. They are Flourishing. “shall flourish” Not might but alive and flourishing in Christ Jesus, vibrant and serving in the local church.

 

c. They are Planted. “that be planted” Nothing moves or shakes them. They are with the local church through thick and thin. Through prosperity or poverty. I can’t run them off or preach them out! These are the faithful nucleus of the local churches that give the church life.

 

d. They are Faithful. “In the courts of our God” They can be counted on. I don’t worry about them showing up. I only get worried when they do not show up! I start calling the funeral homes and hospitals?

 

e. They are Fruitful. “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age” These add to the services, back their preacher, honor the Word of God, and are a blessing to all who are here.

 

f. They are a Blessing. “in old age” They are the heart and soul of the local church. I am so thankful for the people that God has given to us over the years who served until they went home to be with the Lord. The salt and light of the earth. People who have never required to be blessed but have endeavored to be one.

 

g. They are Happy. “fat and flourishing” A reflection of the of God. Love, kindness, goodness, and holiness.

 

1) They become a vital, living part of the local church. I have been a member of only three churches in the 49+ years since I was saved. I joined the church I was saved in and remained there until God called me into the ministry. I joined the church where I spent my Bible College years and remained faithfully there until God called me to pastor Temple Baptist. I joined Temple Baptist and have remained here. In March, it will be 39 years.

 

2) As a general rule, these planted plants feed and water themselves. I may have to pour a little water on them in drought or fertilize once a year, but they are self-feeders. About once a year, I prune them so as to help natural growth. I am careful in my pruning because they can be cut back too hard. They will still grow but may skip a year in fruit production. I prune as to leave buds for natural growth and buds for fruit.

 

c) I thank God for our people as most of you have been here for years and can be depended upon in both good and bad times. Planted plants are buried deep in the soil and survive because they can withstand the elements in the area in which they are planted. You can lead them and you can feed them.

 

4) Planted plants stay planted. We have a Windmill Palm in our front yard that is app. 25 feet tall now. It is a thing of beauty and adds so much to the overall décor of our yard and home. I never come home and find that my Palm tree has moved over to the neighbor’s yard or somewhere else. Planted plants are always where the planter puts them!

 

5) Planted plants will still be flourishing in old age! These “planted plants” are the “heart and soul” of the local church! It is them that carry on the work of the ministry. It is them that support the local church with their tithes and offerings. It is them that help missionaries get on the field and stay on the field with their missions giving. You cannot support new missionaries with inconsistent support! You cannot pay bills and maintain the church with inconsistent tithes and offerings. God bless these “planted plants!”

 

Conclusion: We need to remain or to become “planted plants” in 2026!