Dev: Dec 14 - Psalm 72

Psalm 72

 

One of the great prophetic Psalms is number 72. Today, let’s walk through it quickly.

 

It begins with this notation.

 

Of Solomon

 

In other words, “This is a Psalm of Solomon,” and Solomon was, of course, King David’s son. He was of the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He was from the stump of Jesse (who was David’s father, prophesied about in Isaiah 11:1). And finally, he was the heir of the line of David. And he prays …

 

¹ Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.

 

I suspect he was talking about himself first – “Give [me] your justice, O God.” But when he was talking about “righteousness” going to “a king’s son,” it was either wishful human thinking for his own boys (because it sure wasn’t fulfilled in Rehoboam who split the kingdom) or it was prophetic proclamation regarding a future king (the long anticipated Messiah) from his and his father David’s line.

 

And so the questions are these …

 

·         Did the Messiah “² judge [God’s] people with righteousness”? Yes.

·         Did Jesus, the Messiah, proclaim “² justice” for the “² poor”? Yes.

·         Does Jesus the Messiah usher in a new era of “³ prosperity” and “³ righteousness”? He inaugurates in his life on earth and promises an eternal kingdom when there will be no more mourning or crying or pain.

·         Does he “⁴ defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy”? We’ve already said “yes.”

·         Does he “⁴ crush the oppressor”? On the cross, he crushes three oppressors – sin, death, and Satan. They are permanently defeated! We may have to wait to heaven to see it fully, but we can see powerful glimpses of this victory every day when we trust our lives to his power.

·         Will Christ the King “live … throughout all generations”? Yes.

·         Because of the Prince of Peace, will “⁷ peace abound”? Again, he’s inaugurating it here and it will be the eternal reality in the age to come.

·         Will “⁸ he have dominion from sea to sea”? Yes.

·         Will “⁹ his foes bow down before him”? Will “¹¹ all kings fall down before him”? Will “¹¹ all nations give him service”? Ultimately, absolutely?

·         Will “¹² he deliver[] the needy when they call … ¹³ [have] pity on the weak and the needy … ¹⁴ redeem[ our] li[ves] from oppression and violence”? “¹⁵ Long may he live!”

Does that sound like Jesus? Does that sound like prophecy of the great and coming king?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who finishes

the way this Psalm finishes …

¹⁸ Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
¹⁹ Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.

 

P.S. ²⁰ The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.