Psalm 72:1,2 - "Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. 2-He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice"
What qualities do we want most in our leaders? God desires all who rule under him to be righteous and just. Think how the world would change if world leaders would commit themselves to these two qualities. Let us pray that they will.
Psalm 72:12-14 - "For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. 13-He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. 14-He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight"
God cares for the needy, the afflicted, and the weak, because they are precious to him. If God feels so strongly about these needy ones and loves them so deeply, how can we ignore their plight? Examine what you are doing to reach out with God's love - are you ignoring their plight or are you meeting their needs?
Psalm 72:17 - "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"
Solomon, David's son, reigned in Israel's golden age. He built the magnificent temple, and the land rested in peace. This psalm, though written by Solomon, looks beyond Solomon's reign to that of Jesus the Messiah, whose kingdom extends "to the ends of the earth" and is greater than any human empire. This will be fulfilled when Christ returns to reign forever. When we anticipate his worldwide rule, it fills our hearts with hope.
Book II ends with "Amen and Amen" as did Psalm 41, which closed Book I of Psalms. The last verse does not mean that David wrote this psalm, but that he wrote most of the psalms in Book II. Tomorrow we will begin Book III of Psalms, which will include chapters 73:1-89:52.
Psalm 72 / New International Version
ReplyDelete1-Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
2-He will judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
3-The mountains will bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
4-He will defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
he will crush the oppressor.
5-He will endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
6-He will be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
7-In his days the righteous will flourish;
prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.
8-He will rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9-The desert tribes will bow before him
and his enemies will lick the dust.
10-The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
will bring tribute to him;
the kings of Sheba and Seba
will present him with gifts.
11-All kings will bow down to him
and all nations will serve him.
12-For he will delivery the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
13-He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.
14-He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
15-Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long.
16-Let grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon;
let it thrive like the grass of the field.
17-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.
18-Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
19-Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
20-This concludes the prayers of David, son of Jesse.