Psalm 72
This Psalm is a musical prayer sung and prayed to God with complete confidence as David readies to turn his throne over to the next reigning monarch in line leading to the King of Kings, our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the elderly King David praying for Solomon and we will see for Jesus as well. This is a prophetical prayer that the Prophet David prays making ready for the Messiah.
David prays that the next monarch would be the man of Psalm 1 and the King of Psalm 2. So, the heading of Solomon or in Hebrew, literally…for Solomon.
What we also note is that David’s prayer extends through the centuries to Jesus’ earthly reign. So, when God fully answers David’s prayer made here in Psalm 72, we will be in the New Heavens and New Earth. The covenant promise made to Abraham will find its ultimate fulfillment and truly blessings from the Messiah will extend throughout all the earth.
This is also the grand finale of Books 1 and 2 of the Psalter. The first two Books end with an eruption of praise to the Sovereign God who brings all things to pass according to His will.
This Psalm contains many things but the two themes that seem to keep surfacing are Justice and Righteousness. What a Kingdom God is preparing for His people!! Jesus will rule with Justice and Righteousness for all eternity.
72 Of Solomon.
1. The Righteous Kingdom of Christ (72:1-4)
1 Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!
What does David request for Solomon? That he would exhibit justice and righteousness toward his kingdom. What a wise prayer request for the coming king. Solomon would receive the kingdom and he would reign in righteousness, at least in so far as a human could.
Luke 1:30–33 (ESV)
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Speaking of the coming Jesus, the Messiah, Isaiah wrote…
Isaiah 32:1 (ESV)
32 Behold, a king will reign in righteousness,
and princes will rule in justice.
This King will judge fairly and with righteousness…
John 5:22–24 (ESV)
22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Verses 3-4 speaking of a time of great prosperity and of fairness among all within the kingdom.
During Solomon’s reign there was great prosperity and great fairness toward all.
Solomon (Jedidiah) reigned over Israel after his father David and was on the throne c. 970–930 BC. This was despite the efforts of Solomon’s half-brother Adonijah to take the throne during David’s final days. At the beginning of his reign, Solomon/Jedidiah was asked by the Lord what he desired, and Solomon’s response reveals a soft heart. The king asks not for great honor or wealth but for wisdom to govern God’s people well and for discernment between right and wrong. Because of this response, the Lord not only granted Solomon wisdom far beyond that of other kings, but He also blessed him with wealth, honor, and other pleasures (1 Kings 3:4–15; 4:29–31). Even the Queen of Sheba traveled well over 1,000 miles to see the glory and wisdom of Jedidiah, the Beloved of the Lord (1 Kings 10:1).
Many things in the life of King Jedidiah/Solomon point to the fact that he was indeed beloved of the Lord. Under the rule of Jedidiah/Solomon, Israel enjoyed a time of great peace and prosperity (1 Kings 4:25). Solomon built the temple of the Lord, a task that God had reserved specifically for him (2 Samuel 7:13; 1 Chronicles 17:12; 22:6–11). Under his reign the kingdom was extended to its largest geographical capacity with victories over the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, and Edomites. Jedidiah/Solomon was by no means a perfect king; in fact, he strayed into idolatry (1 Kings 11:4), which makes God’s blessing and steadfast love even more remarkable.
It is a big part of a good and righteous kingdom that the poor also are treated with dignity and fairness. A good King will defeat the oppressor not be the oppressor.
2. The Blessings of the Righteous Kingdom of Christ (72:5-11)
5 May they fear you while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may the righteous flourish,
and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth!
9 May desert tribes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust!
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
11 May all kings fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
Here, we must see together that David’s prayer rises far above Solomon who reigned for a
generation. David’s prayer is that this King would be feared 5 May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
May the Lord’s reign be eternal…even outlasting the sun and moon.
Isaiah 24:23 (ESV)
23 Then the moon will be confounded
and the sun ashamed,
for the Lord of hosts reigns
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and his glory will be before his elders.
I’d like to look with you at God’s particular sovereignty here…
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
11 May all kings fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
Look as this verse is fulfilled…
1 Kings 10:22 (ESV)
22 For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
1 Kings 10:1–9 (ESV)
10 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones. And when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. 3 And Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his cupbearers, and his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more breath in her.
6 And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, 7 but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report that I heard. 8 Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 9 Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may execute justice and righteousness.”
2 Chronicles 9:22–28 (ESV)
22 Thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. 23 And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind. 24 Every one of them brought his present, articles of silver and of gold, garments, myrrh, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year. 25 And Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 And he ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. 27 And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 28 And horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.
The authority and dominion of Christ is eternal. His wisdom is supreme so, as these things were true of Solomon, think how much more they will be true of a sinless, righteous and holy King.
3. Redemption on Display in Christ’s Kingdom (72:12-14)
12 For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and precious is their blood in his sight.
Solomon took pity on all in his kingdom. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of all for which David prayed. In Christ’s kingdom all who cry out to Him will find redemption. He is forever the righteous King.
These verses are redemption on display. He pities the weak and needy. Those who have no one to help, He is their helper. The King, Himself will come to their rescue.
4. The Miraculous Increase of Christ’s Kingdom (72:15-19)
15 Long may he live;
may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field!
17 May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
all nations call him blessed!
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!
20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.
Solomon’s reign was long and prosperous. Prosperity, safety, justice and righteousness marked his Kingdom.
The land was fruitful
1 Kings 4:20–21 (ESV)
20 Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy. 21 Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
1 Kings 4:29–30 (ESV)
29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, 30 so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt.
John 1:14 (ESV)
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Resources Used:
Psalms by George Horne
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