This Psalm ends Book 3 of the Psalms- Psalms 73-89
It is unique in that it moves from praise in vs. 1-18 to lament in vs. 38-52. Most psalms of lament move in the opposite direction- Pss. 13, 22, 31, 69 are examples. 

Lovingkindness- NASB or steadfast love- ESV is a key word in the Psalm appearing in vs. 1, 2, 14, 24, 28, 33, 49.

Faithfulness is also found 7 times in the Psalm- vs. 1, 2, 5, 8, 24, 33, 49.

The word forever appears in vs. 1, 2, 4, 28, 29, 36, 37

God's lovingkindess and faithfulness are forever displayed in His covenant with David. 

89:5-7 Even though people feared death when they saw an angel- Gen. 16:13; 32:3; Exodus 24:9-11; Judges 6:22-24; 13:19-22- the angels are overwhelmed with the presence of God

89:8-10 He is incomparable and He rules the seas- Ps. 65:7; 107:29

89:14 His throne is built on righteousness and justice and lovingkindness and faithfulness are fundamental to who He is

There is not sadder psalm that Psalm 88

it gives an extensive vocabulary of death
Sheol- 88:3; Pit- 88:4, 6; Dead/ death- 88:5, 10, 15;  Grave- 88:5, 11; Dark/ darkness- 88:6, 12, 18; shades- 88:10; Abaddon- 88:11; land of forgetfulness- 88:12

He describes God as being behind his problems- 88;6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 18

Lessons from Psalm 88
1. Some suffering in this life may never end
2. He does not give up on God and continues to pray
3. It makes us long for God's blessings and eternity

Jesus as an answer to Psalm 88
While Psalm 88 is not quoted in the NT and applied to Jesus, in many ways Jesus lived out the experiences of the author of Psalm 88.  
88:3 He is full of troubles- Mark 14:33-34
88:5 He was cut off from the land of the living- Isaiah 53:8
88:8, 18 He was shunned by those closest to Him- Mark 14:50-52
88:18 Darkness was his companion- Mark 15:33
88:10-12 The resurrection of Jesus transforms the questions expecting a no answer to a yes answer. 

It is a psalm of the sons of Korah
87:3 The psalm emphasizes the city of God as does Psalm 46:4 and 48:1, 2, 8, 8.

Notice the emphasis on those who were born in the city in 87:4, 5, 6. This city also clearly refers to a people who know God- 87:4

87:4 Rahab in this verse is tied to Egypt and proof of that word used is found in Isaiah 27:1; 51:9-11. God's people will include people from far away superpowers like Egypt and Babylon. God's people will include people from persistent enemies like the Philistines and trading powers like Tyre. Cush or Ethiopia was viewed as the most distant of nations and they will be among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

87:5 The LXX speaks of Zion as "my mother" in Gal. 4:26 contrast the "the Jerusalem above" with "the present Jerusalem" in Gal. 4:25.

87:6 God will write down the name of the citizens of the city- Isa. 4:3; Ezek. 13:9

Book III of the Psalms (73-89) have often pictured Jerusalem in ruins after the 587 BC destruction. Notice especially Ps. 74:1-7 and Ps. 79:1-4. The physical Jerusalem was sometimes destroyed because of her sin, but the spiritual ideal of a city built by God still existed- Hebrews 11:10; 13:14.

Babel is a picture of men seeking to build a city without God- Gen. 11:1-9- in contrast to God's city build by Him for His people. Revelation 17-22 ends as a tale of two cities, contrasting Babylon the harlot with Jerusalem the bride.

Zion in the New Testament
Matt. 21:5
John 12:15
Romans 9:33; 11:26
Hebrews 12:22
I Peter 2:6 
Revelation 14:1

This psalm focuses on God

The name Adonai is used and translated Lord in 86:3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 15.

The name Yahweh is used and translated LORD in 86:1, 6, 11, 17.

The word Elohim is used and translated God in 86:2, 10, 12, 14 and gods in 86:8.

The word El is used and translated God in 86:15.

The personal pronoun You is used of God in 86:2, 5, 10, 10, 15, 17.

Whatever else Psalm 86 is about, it is first and foremost about God.

86:1-7 He cries and begs for God to hear
86:8-13 There is no one like God
86:14-17 He pours out his crisis and begs God's deliverance.

The description of God in 86:5 and in a fuller way in 86:15 is one of the most frequently repeated statements about God in the OT- Exodus 34:6-7; Num. 14:18; Neh. 9:17, 31;  Psalm 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2

How does Jesus fulfill Psalm 86?

Notice what the Psalm says about the nature of God-
85:3-5 speaks of God's fury, burning anger, indignation, angry, anger
85:7, 10 God's lovingkindness
85:10, 11 God's truth or faithfulness
85:10, 11, 13 God's righteousness
85:8, 10 speaks of God's peace

The word   שוב in Hebrew used twice in vs. 1 and translated in the NASB "restore of captivty." It is used in vs. 3 and translated "turned away." In vs. 4 it is translated "Restore" and "again" in vs. 6 and in vs. 8 "turned back."

How does Jesus fulfill the words of Psalm 85?
85:9 Through Jesus God's glory dwelt among men- John 1:14
85:2 Through the cross God's forgives our iniquity and covers all our sins and 85:7 grants us salvation
85:8 Peace was spoken at His birth- Luke 2:14- at His resurrection- John 20:19, 21, 26
85:10 God's lovingkindness and fatihfulness meet in Christ and the cross
85:10 God's righteousness and peace kiss in Christ and the cross

What does the Psalm say about God?
LORD of hosts- 84:1, 3, 8, 12
the living God- 84:2
my King and my God- 84:3
O God of Jacob- 84:8
LORD is a sun and shield- 84:11

How does the Psalm describe the temple?
84:1 Your dwelling place
84:2 the courts of the LORD; 84:10 Your courts
84:4, 10 the house of the LORD 
84:3 Your altars

What are the motivations and results of public worship?
1. It is an expression of a deep longing for God- 84:2, 10
2.It reminds us God is our strength-84:5-7 and our trust- 84:12
3. It is a place God hears prayer- 84:8; Isaiah 56:7

How does Jesus fulfill Psalm 84?
John 1:14 God has come near in the person of Jesus
84:1 The word "lovely" is the term for Jesus as the "beloved" Son- Matt. 3:17; 17:5 etc.
84:9 Jesus is God's anointed
84:11 The LORD is a sun- Rev. 21:23
84:11 The cross shows He will withhold no good thing from us- Rom. 8:32

Name is a key idea in the Psalm appearing in vs. 4, 16, 18.

vs. 1-5 Petition to God in the midst of crisis
The enemies are God's enemies in vs. 2, 5
They are enemies of Israel in vs. 3-4

vs. 6-8 A roll call of the enemies
These 10 groups seem to represent Israel's enemies past and present

vs. 9-12 Deal with them as You dealt with the enemies of Your people in the days of the judges
Jabin and Sisera- Judges 4-5
Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah, and Zalmunna- Judges 7-8
Interestingly, the judges are not mentioned. The emphasis is on God and HIs deliverance.

vs. 13-18 Bring judgment upon them that all may seek You
Those who sought to destroy the name of Israel (vs. 4) and now called upon to seek the name of the LORD (vs. 16)  and it is the LORD's name who is exalted in all the earth (vs. 18).

The first podcast on Psalm 82 dealt with the question of who are the "gods" or "judges" of vs. 1 in whose midst God rules.

82:2-4 How long will you continue to judge unjustly?
vs. 3-4 use four imperatives to describe what the judges should have done.
vs. 3-4 some six terms are used to describe those who should have been the objects of the judges' mercy.

82:6 I said "You are gods"
82:7 These gods are told that they will die like men
Let apply this to our interpretation of vs. 1.
What is it speaks of pagan gods?The problem, Is the true God affirming the reality of the pagan gods?
What if it speaks of wicked angels or spirits? Is this then a reference to the fact that judgment will fall upon wicked spirits and angels- Matt. 25:41; II Peter 2:4; Jude 6
What if it speaks of human judges? If it does, would the fact they would die even need to be said? Apparently yes if we look at Isaiah 14:3-21 and Ezekiel 28:1-10.

82:8 All dominion belongs to God

John 10:34 quotes Psalm 82:6.
Jesus is charged with blasphemy "in making Himself out to be God."  The Father sanctified and sent the Son into the world- John 10:36.

How does Jesus fulfill Psalm 82?
82:1 He is judges of all- John 5:22-27
82:4 He rescues- Gal. 1:4- and delivers- Col. 1:13
82:4 Jesus brings mercy to the weak and poor- Isaiah 11:1-5; Matt. 5:3; 11:5; Luke 4:18; 6:20
82:6-7 He dies like man- Heb. 2:9
82:8 He arises- Mark 8:31; 9:9-10, 32; 10:34
82:5 His death and resurrection shake the earth- Matt. 27:51; 28:2

This brief psalm has engendered must discussion and debate. Therefore, we seek to cover it in two podcast. This is part 1. 

82:1 God stands in the congregation of God and He judges in the midst of the gods.
The Hebrew term Elohim is the first word and the next to last word in the verse. Much of the debate centers are who are intended by this second use of Elohim.

We mention three possibilities as to the identity of the second Elohim in 82:1.
1. They are human rulers. 
Human rulers seem to be indicated by the use of the term Elohim in Exodus 21:6; 22:8-9. The judges were to judge based on God's righteousness and holiness and therefore judgment is said to be for God in Deut. 1:17 and II Chron. 19:6-7.
Psalm 45:6-7 Though Israel did not view their king as Divine (God) as some nations, he is addressed as Elohim in Psalm 45:6-7. Solomon is said to sit on the LORD's throne in I Chron. 29:23. 

2. They are angels or spirits
Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7 The phrase "sons of God' seem to refer to angels. 
Deut. 32:8-9 especially the LXX translation
Deut. 32:17 compare I Corinthians 10:19-21
Daniel 10:13, 20-21; 12:1 shows angels and spirits active in the world though our knowledge of what they do is limited.
Ephesians 6:12 Angels and spirits are active in the ongoing struggle between right and wrong, good and evil. 
Revelation 12:7-9 

3. They are other gods- Ps. 95:3; 96:4
It may be a polemic against false gods to show them being rebuked by the true God.  Even if that is not done here, it is done in passages like Psalm 29. This is an understandable view. 

Was Israel monotheistic? Did they (and should we) believe in one God?
Just look at these verses 
Deut. 4:35, 39
Deut. 32:12, 39
II Kings 19:18-19; Isaiah 37:19-20
Isaiah 41:21-24
Isaiah 42:8
Isaiah 43:11-13
Isaiah 44:6, 24
Isaiah 45:5-7, 20-23
Isaiah 46:9
Mark 12:29-30, 32
Romans 3:29-30
Galatians 3:20
I Timothy 1:17

In the podcast I mistakenly say that the New Moon was a weekly feast.  That is incorrect. The New Moon was a monthly feast- Numbers 28:11-15. It is alluded to in the OT in several places like I Sam. 20:5, 18, 24, 27; II Kings 4:23; Isaiah 1:13-14; Amos 8:5.

What does Psalm 81 teach us about God?
1. God is worthy of praise- 81:1-3
2. God rescued Israel out of Egypt- 81:6-7, 10
3. God asks that His people listen to Him- 81:8- and serve Him alone- 81:9
4. God longs for His people to do the right thing and to bless them- 81:8, 13-16.

Jesus fulfills Psalm 81
81:8, 11, 13 God's people must listen to Jesus- Matt. 17:5
81:8, 13 Jesus longs for us to be saved- Matt. 23:37-39; Luke 13:34-35
81:10, 16 Jesus is the ultimate bread who can satisfy our deepest hunger- John 6:35
These are just a few of the ideas from this Psalm.