It is Good

How would you finish this sentence? It is good to ____________. This past weekend I said that it was good to have warm enough weather to sit on our deck again. After additional fatigue from a cold the past three weeks, I would say it is good to make it out of bed. There are many ways we could finish that sentence, and many of them are God-glorifying ways. This week I want to study what the psalmist said is good in Psalm 92.

A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath.

1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

and your faithfulness by night,

3 to the music of the lute and the harp,

to the melody of the lyre.

4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;

at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

5 How great are your works, O Lord!

Your thoughts are very deep!

6 The stupid man cannot know;

the fool cannot understand this:

7 that though the wicked sprout like grass

and all evildoers flourish,

they are doomed to destruction forever;

8 but you, O Lord, are on high forever.

9 For behold, your enemies, O Lord,

for behold, your enemies shall perish;

all evildoers shall be scattered.

10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;

you have poured over me fresh oil.

11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;

my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.

12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree

and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

13 They are planted in the house of the Lord;

they flourish in the courts of our God.

14 They still bear fruit in old age;

they are ever full of sap and green,

15 to declare that the Lord is upright;

he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. [1]

The first thing to note is that this is a song for the Sabbath. This is the only psalm with that designation although that doesn’t mean that other psalms weren’t sung on the Sabbath. I didn’t find any clear reason why Psalm 92 had that designation. However, verses 1-5 and verse 8 are about praising God. As we will see, this psalm is about praising God even when wickedness seems to be prevailing. Isn’t that what we should do in corporate worship (or anytime)? Worship God whether circumstances are good or bad, whether wickedness is flourishing or not because God is unchanging.

A second note is Psalm 92’s ties with Psalms 88-91. Psalms 88 and 89 are darker. They question God’s steadfast love and faithfulness (see particularly Psalm 89:49), but in Psalm 91, the psalmist declares the truthfulness of these two “God is…” truths. Psalms 90 and 91 speak of God as a refuge. Psalm 92 builds on God as our refuge with the affirmation of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness as well as His righteousness and being our rock (safety).

One last connection is from verse 5: “How great are Your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep!” “The psalmist has here come to understand truly, though not comprehensively, something of God’s thoughts and ways. This is in contrast to the doubts that characterize Psalm 88.”[2]

The third note is that this is a psalm of praise. It is worship through thanksgiving, singing (including instruments), and declaring who God is and what He has done both day and night (vs 1-3). God has made the psalmist glad and sings for joy at the works of God’s hands. God’s deeds (vs 4) flow from His character (vs 2). The psalmist voices no complaint, only praise.

The final note is verse 8: “but You, O Lord, are on high forever.” I do not see these structural things on my own, so I am thankful for Mark Futato’s commentary on The Book of Psalms (see footnote). He points out that Psalm 8 is the center of the psalm not just in its placement but also in its content. Lord is used three times before verse 8 and three times after. There are fifty-two words (in the Hebrew) before verse 8 and fifty-two words after verse 8. The centrality of placement spotlights the centrality of the content. The psalm is anchored in this truth: God is exalted forever.

God being exalted forever is contrasted with the wicked being doomed to destruction forever (vs 7b). We will compare the wicked and the godly in a minute, but for now, I hope you will see how verse 8 frames the verses about the wicked. God is still the exalted, sovereign, ruler even when wickedness seems to flourish. He alone holds the wicked’s past, present, and future.

For the rest of the psalm, I think it would be helpful to compare the wicked and the godly. Seeing it side-by-side can aid our understanding.

The Wicked Won’t Flourish (vs 5-7, 9-11)	The Godly Will Flourish (vs 1-4, 12-15)
They sprout like grass or weeds (vs 7).	They flourish like a palm tree which is evergreen (vs 12).
They flourish (vs 7) · They do prosper, but · Their good fortune is short-lived	They grow like a cedar which is tall, strong, useful, and enduring (vs 12).
They mistake temporary prosperity as permanent.	They are planted and flourish in God’s presence (vs 13, Psalm 1:3). They know God’s character.
They are doomed to destruction forever (vs 7) and will perish and be scattered (vs 9) because God is the exalted, sovereign ruler.	They bear fruit and are green in old age (vs 14). This is not the fountain of youth, but rather keep in mind 2 Corinthians 4:16 – outwardly our bodies deteriorate but inwardly we are being renewed.
	They bear fruit and are green in old age sothey can praise God (vs 1-4, 15).

As in the time this psalm was written, Israel still has wicked enemies surrounding her. They often seem to be flourishing. This psalm encourages me as I pray for Israel. But this psalm encourages me personally as well. Everywhere we look there is wickedness. The wicked seem to be flourishing, but we have hope. The wicked may flourish for a time, but it is temporary. They will perish because God is the exalted sovereign ruler. For the godly, they will know His steadfast love and faithfulness. He will be their safe rock. It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to His name.

Reflection

1. What are some examples of flourishing wickedness that you observe? How do you respond to it?

2. How has your understanding of God as the exalted, sovereign ruler encouraged you as wickedness still flourishes?

3. Take time to thank and praise God because His steadfast love and faithfulness towards you never change. His has always been and always will be righteous. He is your rock. His works are great.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ps 92:1–15. [2] Mark D. Futato, “The Book of Psalms,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 7: The Book of Psalms, The Book of Proverbs (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2009), 300.