Having a ruler over a country, whether president or king, that the people really like is so much better than the opposite. In the past, when a country really loved their ruler, they often came up with songs or poems expressing their love for their leader, singing of all his special qualities. Our psalm for today sings the praises of the king’s son, who will one day soon come to the throne. As we read through this Scripture, though, it is quickly seen that the words, the praises and blessings that are spoken are even grander than could be expected for any usual ruler, and can only be truly speaking of the coming Messiah.
Psalm 72 speaks of the perfect king, and is a prayer that the king’s son, the heir to the throne, will be like that perfect ruler. Perhaps at the time of writing, the current king was elderly, and there was expectation of a new monarch soon. This was possibly written during the last months or weeks of the reign of King David, and in anticipation of his son, Solomon, coming to the throne. The psalm was not just the prayer for a soon-to-be ruler over their nation, but also a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, the ultimate Ruler of not only the nation of Israel, but also of the whole world.
The first thing that the psalmist prays for, is that the king and the future king, the son who is heir to the throne, will rule with righteousness and justice (vs. 1-4). He prays that God will help the king’s son to rule the nation justly and wisely. This is a prayer that we should also be praying for our rulers, whether a president, prime minister, or a king. We don’t need to be told how often that is not the case, whether it is a national, state, or local government official. Corruption, shady dealings, and even outright wickedness seem to be the norm, not the exception, unfortunately. Even the best of leaders are not perfect, though. The only One who is perfect, who will bring true righteousness and justice, is the Lord Jesus. When He returns to reign in His Millennial Kingdom here on earth, and then throughout eternity, there will be perfect justice and peace.
The psalm continues, praying that the people will fear, or willingly follow and obey the king, for as long as the sun and moon endure (vs. 5), and that his reign will bring peace until the moon ceases to exist (vs. 7). That speaks of an eternal reign. The longest recorded reign of a monarch was King Louis XIV of France, at 72 years. Queen Elizabeth II comes in second, at 70 ½ years. Obviously no human ruler could rule as long as the psalmist prays for, so he is speaking prophetically of the Messiah.
The psalmist also prays that the king will rule over the whole earth (vs. 8). Various earthly monarchs have held rule over vast empires throughout history, but none have ruled over the whole earth. He also prays that his enemies will be prostrated before him, and that the kings and rulers of other nations will be subservient to him (vs. 9-11). Again, this could only refer to the coming reign of the Lord Jesus here on earth.
The psalm continues with prayer that the king’s son, when he comes to the throne, will care for the poor and needy (vs. 12-14). This is a prayer that we can make for our political leaders, as well. Many politicians make care for the poor a big campaign point, but when they get elected, little, if anything is genuinely done. In the past, monarchs all around the world took little, if any notice of the poor, as they lived their lives in wealthy palaces, oblivious to the poor, the starving, sick, and oppressed right outside their doors. 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 or our leaders ignore their plight?
Lastly, the psalmist speaks of how the king’s son’s name will endure forever (vs. 17-19). Outside of history books, after a generation has passed, how many people really remember the kings or presidents of the past? They are just names in history books. Nobody continues to sing their praises centuries later. Again, this psalm is being prophetic, and speaking about the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. His Name, alone, will endure forever, and people will always call Him blessed, and be blessed by His Name. Jesus alone fits the description of this future king, and one day soon He will return and take up His throne. Are you ready?
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