Sunday Devotional: Psalm 72: The Reign of Peace

As so often of late, the plight of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, especially in Iraq but other places as well, has been heavy on my heart. We watch from afar and feel helpless to affect the situation. We cry out for God to intervene. We might rail at the current state of affairs and the lack of action or even proper direction from our leaders. All the while, people are suffering ... people are dying.

Psalm 72 (NKJV) ~ A Psalm of Solomon.

The end notation tells us that this psalm was composed by David, so I surmise that this might also be called a psalm for Solomon, the son David had just handed the throne he knew was given by covenant with God. His words are full of the hope that Solomon, as his name implies (derived from the Hebrew word shalom, or peace) would bring about the peace that David was never able to achieve.

Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
² He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
³ The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
⁴ He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will break in pieces the oppressor.

How we long for a ruler who will administer true peace and justice! Who will not just serve his own needs or some hidden agenda, but save the innocent and then punish those who deserve it, and who will point us to worship in the One True God ...

⁵ They shall fear You
As long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
⁶ He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
Like showers that water the earth.
⁷ In His days the righteous shall flourish,
And abundance of peace,
Until the moon is no more.

None knew the limitations of earthy kingship better than David. Did he really believe Solomon’s reign would last until the moon was no more? Of course not ... and so what we see here is a shift in David’s focus from Solomon’s reign to that of the One who would be the ultimate successor to his throne, the Messiah Himself.

⁸ He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River to the ends of the earth.
⁹ Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him,
And His enemies will lick the dust.
¹⁰ The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
Will bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba
Will offer gifts.
¹¹ Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.

There was a taste of all this in Solomon’s kingdom, true, but only the Messiah could deliver on it all that is promised, to fully redeem others’ lives.

¹² For He will deliver the needy when he cries,
The poor also, and him who has no helper.
¹³ He will spare the poor and needy,
And will save the souls of the needy.
¹⁴ He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;
And precious shall be their blood in His sight.

¹⁵ And He shall live;
And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him;
Prayer also will be made for Him continually,
And daily He shall be praised.

¹⁶ There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

¹⁷ His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
All nations shall call Him blessed.

Solomon, yes, was counted blessed among the nations—the one who in his youth chose wisdom above all else, and was granted riches and fame along with it. There truly was peace in the kingdom during that time, such as no other time—but it was just a foretaste. The peace of Solomon’s reign would not, could not last forever.

¹⁸ Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
¹⁹ And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.

²⁰ The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

David’s prayers, ended? How could that be, when God inscribed this man’s prayers in a book that has lasted for millennia, that provides the inspiration for countless other prayers and songs throughout time?

But it’s true, David was aged and dying. He knew it. And so he expended the last of his creative energy on a prayer that not only served as a benediction on his son’s reign, but on that of the eventual, ultimate King of kings. We hear it in that ending stanza, a glorious burst of praise to the Creator of all, “who only does wondrous things!”

Go back and read it. Linger over it. Regardless of the horrors one human inflicts on another, regardless of the idiocy and apathy and idolatry that might blind us to the good we can and should do, the glorious name of the Lord God is forever blessed. The earth will be filled with His glory, and He will put an end to oppression. He will redeem the needy.

He is coming.

The final and true King is coming!