(By Ethan from Ezrah, accompanied by soulful sax.)
Forever.
That’s how long I could sing
About Yahweh’s great love.
Everybody
In every era.
That’s who I’ll tell
About Yahweh’s unbreakable bond with us.
So, I said,
“You built your love into the very fabric of the universe.
Your bond with us is as clockwork as
The sun in the sky.”
You replied,
“I swore an irrevocable oath to David,
Cut a covenant with my chosen servant:
‘I’ll never quit on your kids.
There will always be one sitting on your throne
Forever.’”
(Pause. Let that sink in.)
Look to the skies.
They are alight with every color
Of your wonder, Yahweh.
And those beings who fill your court,
Strange and marvelous beings,
They sing of your truth.
Who in the realm above us
Is even close in comparison to Yahweh?
Who among the citizens of heaven is remotely similar?
When these strange beings talk with each other,
God is the center of their conversation.
He outshines everyone around him.
Who can stand next to you,
Yahweh, God of all power?
You are the most powerful of all, Yahweh,
And yet it is your truth that shines brightly
In every direction.
Look to the seas.
Waves climb high,
Ready to crash down violently.
And you calm them into stillness.
Even that old sea monster, Rahab,
You crushed her like she was nothing.
With a flick of the wrist,
You scattered all your enemies.
The skies are yours.
The earth is yours.
You made the planet and all on it.
From north to south, it’s all yours.
Mount Herman in the north,
Mount Tabor to its south,
They sing a duet about you,
Welling up with joy.
All of this points to your power,
Might unmatched,
Strength unrivaled.
But the center of your rule
Are your commitment to doing what is right and just.
Mercy-love and truth
Are the flags you fly.
It’s a happy people whose lives have taught them
To keep you in the front of their thoughts,
To live every moment in the light of your Presence, Yahweh.
Their days are filled with joy,
Because they’re filled with you.
They know that you are committed to justice
And they’re thrilled in expectation of it.
Your strength makes them strong.
Your glory makes them glorious.
Your love makes them lovely.
Your protection keeps them protected, Yahweh.
You are our King,
Your holiness makes your people holy.
A vision from you;
An oracle to your mercy-hearted people:
I’ve gone all-in with a hero,
Picked from out of all the people.
I searched and I found him,
My servant David.
I set him apart,
Anointing him with oil.
I made him my right-hand man,
Keeping my hand close to support him.
No opponent will beat him.
No bent-hearted good-for-nothing will harm him.
I’ll slash his foes into pieces.
I’ll slam his haters head-first into a wall.
His constant companions
Will be my truth and my mercy-love.
His reputation will grow
Because I’ve tied mine to his.
He will rule from the Mediterranean Sea
To the rivers Nile, Jordan, and Euphrates.
He’ll call me:
My Papa,
My God,
My Foundation,
My Savior.
I’ll call him:
My Firstborn,
My Heir,
Greatest of earth’s kings.
I’ll surround him with my mercy-love
Always.
I’ll stick to my covenant with him
Always.
His family line will continue
Always.
They’ll sit on his throne
As long as there’s a sky above the earth.
But there’s a line they mustn’t cross.
If his kids walk away from my Law,
If they abandon my basic principles,
If they roll their eyes at what I’ve said,
If they intentionally break my rules,
I’ll come down hard on them,
Leaving scars as reminders of their sins.
But there’s a line I won’t cross.
I won’t cut off my mercy-love.
I won’t turn my truth into a lie.
I won’t break covenant.
I won’t go back on my word.
My words are so different from the hollow promises you hear.
What I said to David, I’ll do.
His family line will continue
Always.
They’ll sit on his throne
As long as there’s a sun in the sky,
As long as there’s a moon in the sky,
As long as there’s anything in the sky
Looking down on us.
Always.
(Pause. Prepare for a paradox.)
But wait a minute!
You walked away from us.
You sniffed your scorn at us.
You ripped your covenant to shreds.
You tossed your servant’s crown in the trash.
You bulldozed his fences.
You swung a wrecking ball through his house.
Looters have picked him clean.
Neighboring nations make jokes at his expense.
You allied yourself with his enemies
And they’re dancing in the streets.
You cut him with his own sword.
You walked away when he needed you most.
You turned his light off,
Left him in the dark.
You kicked him to the curb,
His kingship too.
You made him old before his time.
You dressed him up in humiliation.
(Pause. Let that sink in.)
How long, Yahweh?
Are you planning on going AWOL forever?
How long will you warm yourself
At the fire of your anger?
My life is slipping through my fingers.
You know this.
You’re the one who gave us
These throw-away lives.
Who gets out of this life alive?
Who treats death as a temporary vacation?
(Pause. Take a breath.)
Lord, where did your old mercy-love go?
Remember it?
You promised it,
Based on the truth at the center of your being.
Remember us, Lord.
Listen to how they laugh at your servant.
I can’t get the echoes of that scorn
Out of my mind.
That terrible mockery, Yahweh,
That terrible mockery,
It gets tossed at your anointed one
With every step he takes.
[Conclusion to Book 3 of the Psalms:]
Forever!
Pile on Yahweh’s praise.
Let it go on!
Yes, let it go on!