Psalms 89:30

30 If his children refuse to do what I tell them, if they refuse to walk in the way I show them,

Psalms 89:30 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 89:30

If his children forsake my law
The same with the seed before mentioned, the children of the Messiah: it is not said "if he forsakes", which cannot be supposed of Christ, because he knew no sin, nor did any; which yet might be supposed of David, had he been literally meant; but not he, nor his natural children, but the spiritual seed of mystical David, are here designed, who may sin, and do sin, of which there is too much proof and evidence; and who sin not only through infirmity, but sometimes very grossly, and which sins are here expressed by various phrases: they sometimes "forsake the law of God"; do not attend to it, as they should, as the rule of their walk and conversation; are remiss in their observance of it, and obedience to it, and transgress its precepts; or his "doctrine" F8, even the doctrine of the Gospel; which may be said to be forsaken when men grow indifferent to it; go off from it in any measure, drop their profession of it, or hold it remissly, or become careless in their attendance on it: forsaking the assembling together to hear it, in some sense, is a forsaking of it; and this the Lord takes notice of, and resents, in his people:

and walk not in my judgments;
those laws of his house by which he judges, regulates, and governs his people; by which they are directed by him, as their Judge and Lawgiver, how to behave themselves in the church of God; and in which they are to walk, and continue in the observance of; and so to do is to walk as becomes the Gospel, and worthy of their calling; but to do otherwise is to walk disorderly; and such are cognizable by the Lord, and by his people.


FOOTNOTES:

F8 (ytrwt) "verbum meaum revelatum", Gejerus; "legem et doctrinam meam", Michaelis.

Psalms 89:30 In-Context

28 I'll preserve him eternally in my love, I'll faithfully do all I so solemnly promised.
29 I'll guarantee his family tree and underwrite his rule.
30 If his children refuse to do what I tell them, if they refuse to walk in the way I show them,
31 If they spit on the directions I give them and tear up the rules I post for them
32 - I'll rub their faces in the dirt of their rebellion and make them face the music.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.