Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor. He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more. He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. … May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. Psalm 72:1-14,17 Psalm 72 was written by wise King Solomon, the 3rd king over God’s people, Israel, and King David’s son. Was it about himself that he prayed, “Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness”? Maybe. God had blessed him with an extraordinary gift of wisdom for ruling his people. God also gave him the privilege of building Jerusalem’s first temple in accordance with the plans God had laid out for his father. King Solomon’s reign over Israel lasted 40 years—the same amount of time David ruled. Not only did he construct a beautiful palace and a temple for the LORD that was overlaid with gold so that it’s massive dome gleamed in the sun to be seen for miles, but he extended the boundaries of his kingdom far beyond its original borders and gained a reputation throughout the ancient world as a ruler who was wise beyond his peers and years. Monarchs from distant nations sent envoys to listen to and learn from him, so that they could also rule their kingdoms with the same kind of insight and knowledge. What an amazing king Solomon was! But he knew he owed it all to God’s mercy. And, like his father David, he also believed that the LORD would one day send a future descendant whose “kingdom (would) never end”—One through “whom all nations on earth (would) be blessed.” He wrote about that coming heir in Psalm 72. He foretold Jesus. Jesus likely quoted portions of Solomon’s Psalm 72 when he spoke with his disciples on Easter evening. The evangelist Luke tells us: Jesus said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:44-45). With that thought in mind, read Psalm 72 and note all the verbs that describe the holy work that the Savior Jesus did for you. Pray as you do this. Ask that Jesus will open your mind so that you, too, can “understand the Scriptures.” Prayer: Jesus, open up my mind by the power of your word to know your love and mercy as my Savior. Give me a greater understanding of the Scriptures that are written about you. Amen. This message has been brought to you by Prince of Peace SLC, Palos Evangelical Lutheran Church, the WELS (Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod), and WhatAboutJesus
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 22:53:20 +0000
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