Does Psalm 89 support the claim of a divine council.
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In order to correctly understand this Psalm we must also understand the context of the situation in which it was written.
At the time Jerusalem was in ruins, the people of Israel without a godly king. The situation seemed rather bleak.
Despite the severe and seemingly destitute situation the Psalm starts with the psalmist proclaiming that he will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever. He also states that he will do so with his mouth, demonstrating a verbal proclamation rather than simply an inner declaration, of God’s faithfulness to all generations.
The Psalm itself is both a call for God to remember his promise to David and a song of hope to Israel to know that despite the situation that God is merciful and faithful to his promise.
Psalm 89:1 Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
The Psalmist then reiterates what God himself had stated. God had stated that his mercy would be built up forever.
Psalm 89:2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
In verses 3 and 4 the Psalmist brings to attention the covenant that God had made with David and the promise to establish the throne of David forever.
Psalm 89:3I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, 4Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
This promise to David is found back in 2 Samuel
2 Samuel 7:12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
We also see this in Isaiah.
Isaiah 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Then the psalmist states, which is commonly used to assert the divine council, that the heavens shall praise thy wonders in the congregation of the saints.
Psalm 89:5 And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.
It being asserted that this congregation being in the heavens.
However, this is simply an incorrect reading of the text.
We also have the Hebrew word אַף־ Ap which means ALSO. This is an adverb. It means in addition to, as well as.
So here, in addition to the statement the heavens shall praise thy wonders, thy faithfulness ALSO, as well, it will be done in the congregation of the saints. The congregation of the saints will ALSO, in addition to the heavens, praise the LORDS wonders and faithfulness.
The text here simply does not allow that the congregation of the saints be the same as in the heavens. They are very clearly distinct and separate.
The congregation of the saints are the Israelites, the children of Israel. Saints is the Hebrew קָדוֹשׁ qadosh
Psalm 148:14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord.
Congregation is the Hebrew קָהָל qahal. This is used for the congregation of Israel who are the saints. This can be found in numerous verses. I shall just provide a couple of examples.
Exodus 12:6 6And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
Leviticus 4: 13And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty; 14When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation.
The reference to the heavens shall praise thy wonders may also be referring to the literal bodies of the heavens. The psalms, beings songs, often use this type of figurative language. We also find in another Psalm the command for the sun, moon and stars to praise God.
Psalm 148:3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.
David himself declared that the heavens declare the glory of God, the firmament shows his handywork
Psalm 19:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
This very clearly a reference to the literal heavens and in no way referring to angels.
We find in Nehemiah a statement regarding God creating the heavens and the host of heaven worshipping him.
Nehemiah 9: 6Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.
The Host of heaven at creation being a clear reference to God creating the sun, moon and stars during that creation and them being referred to as the host of heaven
Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them
There is no reference to angels being created during the creation week and so this simply cannot be referring to angels.
The Psalmist then asks the questions, who amongst the heavens can be compared to the LORD? And who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
Psalm 89: 6For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?
These two questions are distinct. They are not attempting to link the two as one. Who amongst the heavens and the sons of the mighty are not in any way the same referent.
The ESV renders this, who amongst the skies can be compared and renders the Hebrew Bene Elim as heavenly beings.
Psalm 89:6 For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,
Bene means sons and Elim another variation on Elohim, God. Therefore, it must already be assumed that the sons of Elim are heavenly beings in order to make this rendering correct.
Now let’s look at the first question being asked. Who amongst the heaven can be compared to the LORD (YHWH).
It is possible that the Psalmist is referring to angels here. Which of the angels, in heaven, can compare to YHWH?
However, it is also just as possible that the Psalmist is referring to the sun, moon, stars etc.
We know that many nations have indeed worshipped the celestial bodies as Gods.
In Deuteronomy God warns the Israelites NOT to create idols for themselves and to NOT look upon these celestial bodies and worship them.
Deuteronomy 4: 15Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: 16Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, 18The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:19 And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
This though, is exactly what the Israelites partook in. They repeatedly fell into pagan worship and created Idols for themselves. One of the very reasons that they found themselves in the position they were in while the Psalmist wrote the Psalm.
Also in the book of Deuteronomy we see that God specifically refers to these celestial bodies as objects that are worshipped as gods.
Deuteronomy 17: 3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
In Isaiah we find a very similar question being asked. The prophet asks who will you liken God to? What likeness will you compare him?
Isaiah 40: 18To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
This before Isaiah refers to graven images.
19The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.
Very clearly this being a reference to idols and graven images that the Israelites had created.
So, while it is possible that angels were the referent it would be far more likely that the Psalmist is asking which of these celestial bodies, the idols that the Israelites created compared to YHWH.
However, whatever the referent in this question it is in no way linked to the referent of the following question. They are separate questions.
Who amongst the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD.
Then we have another reference to the assembly of the saints.
Psalm 89: 7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.
It again being asserted that the sons of the mighty being the ones of the congregation.
However, we already know from verse 5 that the congregation or assembly of the saints are the Israelites.
Saints again being the same word Qadosh. This being a council of the saints.
The hebrew assembly is סוֹד Sod meaning a council usually denoting of secret. The word is used 21 times in the OT and NEVER, apart from this one usage can it be inferred that it is in reference to a divine council.
This word is used in Psalm 111 where we see the Psalmist proclaiming to praise the LORD in his assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
Psalm 111:1 Praise ye the LORD. 2 I will praise the LORD with my whole heart. 3 in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.
The Psalmist would not be part of a heavenly council. We also have the word Edah used here which is the same word as used in the congregation of the Israelites.
The word Sod is also used by Ezekiel to refer to the assembly (council) of Gods people.
Ezekiel 13:9 And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
It is used in reference to an assembly of young men in Jeremiah
Jeremiah 6: 11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.
The sons of the Mighty, therefore, would not be a reference to angels.
In context of the Psalm and along with the declaration of scripture the council of the saints is not a divine council but the council of God’s people.
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