They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
The verse belongs to the inspired picture and prophecy of the reign God purposed for Solomon as a reign of righteousness guided by God. It promises that reverence for God will endure as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations, like the lasting course of the sun and moon. In the setting of Solomon's ideal reign, that enduring reverence accompanies justice, peace, and the flourishing of the righteous.
What it describes was conditional: had Solomon obeyed God's law and followed the instruction given by his father, his rule would have produced that enduring fear of God continuing through all generations. Exalted to a position of sacred trust, Solomon for a time fulfilled it by heeding the wise counsels of David and bringing glory to the name of the God of Israel, establishing reverence for God that was to endure as long as the sun and moon, throughout all generations. The later years of his reign marred that fulfillment through pride, self-sufficiency, self-exaltation, desire for political power and self-aggrandizement, alliances with heathen nations, conformity to worldly customs, and marriage with worshipers of false gods ending in idolatry. This corrupted his faith, weakened his moral power, and broke down the barriers God had erected for the safety of His people.
The verse also belongs to the glorious promises made to David and his house concerning the promised King, looking forward to the eternal ages and finding complete fulfillment in Christ, for whom reverence will last as long as the sun and moon last, through all generations. It belongs to a psalm whose portions Christ often sang to teach others, and He observed the sun and moon as part of nature's witness to God.
The verse belongs to the inspired picture and prophecy of the reign God purposed for Solomon as a reign of righteousness guided by God. It promises that reverence for God will endure as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations, like the lasting course of the sun and moon. In the setting of Solomon's ideal reign, that enduring reverence accompanies justice, peace, and the flourishing of the righteous.
What it describes was conditional: had Solomon obeyed God's law and followed the instruction given by his father, his rule would have produced that enduring fear of God continuing through all generations. Exalted to a position of sacred trust, Solomon for a time fulfilled it by heeding the wise counsels of David and bringing glory to the name of the God of Israel, establishing reverence for God that was to endure as long as the sun and moon, throughout all generations. The later years of his reign marred that fulfillment through pride, self-sufficiency, self-exaltation, desire for political power and self-aggrandizement, alliances with heathen nations, conformity to worldly customs, and marriage with worshipers of false gods ending in idolatry. This corrupted his faith, weakened his moral power, and broke down the barriers God had erected for the safety of His people.
The verse also belongs to the glorious promises made to David and his house concerning the promised King, looking forward to the eternal ages and finding complete fulfillment in Christ, for whom reverence will last as long as the sun and moon last, through all generations. It belongs to a psalm whose portions Christ often sang to teach others, and He observed the sun and moon as part of nature's witness to God.