Psalms 72:1

Psalms 72:1-3, “A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.”

Psalms 72 is a prayer of King David for his son Solomon. But more importantly it is a description of the King of Kings Jesus Christ what the His rule on this earth will be like. Of course from a practical perspective you could say that any ruler should be a ruler that possesses these qualities.

The key word mentioned is righteousness. Righteousness refers to justice and to doing what is right. One of the primary results of righteousness is peace. This is one of the reasons there is so much war and violence in the world. Too many rulers lack righteousness.

One day however Jesus will rule this world and He will rule it in righteousness. In describing the world in the time when Jesus shall rule it Habakkuk 2:14 says, “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

It is amazing how the knowledge of the Lord changes a person from a selfish and cruel being into a being filled with love and joy and peace and longsuffering and gentleness and goodness and faith. Just imagine all the world being changed like this. What a wonderful place it will become in the day that Jesus sets up His kingdom on earth.

Psalms 72:4 says, “He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.”

A just ruler is one that does everything in his power to help the poor. This is one reason there are many poor in the world. Most people in the world who have power and riches use their power and riches to gain more power and riches even when that means taking advantage of the poor. Those who have power and riches often do little to help the less fortunate. King Jesus will not be like them. Jesus will use His power and riches to help the poor.

Another characteristic of a righteous ruler is that he or she uses their power to break in pieces the oppressor. An oppressor is someone uses violence and lies and riches and power to dominate and control the lives of other people. A righteous ruler will use His or her power to destroy such oppressors.

Psalms 72:5-13, “They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.”

When Jesus sets up His kingdom on this earth there will be great economic prosperity and there will be worldwide peace. Jesus will not just be King but He will be King of Kings and all the rulers of the earth will submit their selves to Him.

Psalms 72:14, “He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.” One of the great problems with the world is all the deceit and violence in society. But when Jesus rules the world humans beings will actually learn to value human life the way that they should.

One of the ways that we learn to value human life is by understanding that all humans are created in the image of God. False teachings such as evolution which teach that man evolved from an animal distort people’s ability to value human life.

Psalms 72:15-20, “And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised. There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.”

God is great and glorious. God possesses a majesty which is far greater than the majesty any mortal king has. One way we can come to realize the glory and majesty of God’s power is simply through His name, Jesus Christ. There is no name in all the world as famous as the name of Jesus. If you just study the way it is spelled the way it sounds you will marvel at its beauty. But most importantly there is power in the name of Jesus; the power to save a soul from its sins.

Psalms 73:1, “A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.”

God sends the rain on the just and the unjust but if you truly want to experience all the goodness of God then you need a clean heart. A clean heart comes by confessing your sins to Jesus and accepting Him as your Lord and savior. All the goodness of God can be summed up in two words, eternal life. To know that you are forever destined to have the love of God and the righteousness of Christ and to share in the power and glory of His everlasting kingdom that is goodness.

One of the great ways of understanding the goodness of God is by studying the history of the nation of Israel. Just look at how God has blessed Israel. God gave Israel His Word. God gave Israel victory over her enemies. And God even gave Israel great mercy when she turned away from Him. Yes God chastised Israel but God did not completely destroy her. O How good God is to His believers. The power of His love and redemption is so strong that even when they turn away from Him with all their hearts He finds a way to bring them back into His blessings.

Psalms 73:2-12, “But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.”

Is it actually possible that Christian who has eternal life, who is a joint heir with Christ and who has so many great and marvelous things that await him or her in the future, is it actually possible to become jealous of the lost people in the world around us. Sure it is. It even happened to King David.

When you look at the lives of the ungodly people in this world it can be tempting to be envious of them. In some ways they seem to prosper and prosper despite their wickedness while Christians suffer for righteousness sake.

They have their pleasures that they enjoy and their material possessions they have their status in society and their social lives. But the things they have are temporary not eternal.

Just think of what they go through life without. They go through life without the peace of God or the confidence of God. They go through life ignorant of God and His mighty works in the world. And they go through life without enjoying the sweet intimate friendship of God.

Psalms 73:13-20 says, “Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.”

When you think about how their riches and their pleasures and their power and their material possessions, even their education, their knowledge, their health, their social status and every other materialistic think you can think of really just becomes a stumbling block to them in regards to them every turning from their sins to Jesus. In addiction to this consider the final end of them. God uses some very strong language here when He says he shalt despise their image and when He says How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment!

When it comes time for the judgment of God it comes quickly. Some people don’t even get that extra chance to repent that chance of knowing that they are going to die. They die suddenly like in a car accident or from a heart attack. Anyway the point is there is no reason to be envious at the foolish, at those who reject Jesus, their final destiny is going to be hell unless they repent of their sins.

Psalms 73:21-28 says, “Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.”

In looking at these last few verses in Psalms 73 we have a great comparison and contrast made between those that trust in Jesus and those that do not. Those that trust in Jesus can say, “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” And those that turn away from the Lord we can say of them. “For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.”

Psalms 74:1-23, “Maschil of Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt. Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs. A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers. They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground. They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land. We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long. O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom. For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness. Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers. The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name. O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever. Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name. Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily. Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.”

Psalms 74 is a Psalms about God’s chastisement. Sometimes bad things happen in our lives. Sometimes bad things happen to the nation in which live. When these things happen sometimes it is because of God’s chastisement or punishment. In this particular situation Israel’s enemies were getting the victory over them. The hard work they were doing to build their country up was being destroyed. Even their synagogues were being burned and destroyed. David looked out at His society and he understood that it was the chastisement of God. David of course had the best response a person could have in this kind of situation and that is to turn to God in prayer and ask Him for mercy. “O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture? Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed.”

The most important thing you can do when your country in in danger of the judgment of God is to pray for God’s mercy. There are quite few instances in the Old Testament when God was going to completely destroy Israel for their wickedness but He did not simply because of one person’s prayer to Him for mercy.

It is very obvious however by looking at what goes on in society that most people fail to recognize when God is punishing them or chastising them. Why does a country run into economic problems? Why does an education system fail? How a does a country that should be so prosperous fall into so much debt? Why do the peoples of a particular country lose their freedoms? Why does a country lose in war? These things happen because God lets them happen. In some ways you could say it is partly a peoples own fault for making foolish decisions when they decide to turn away from truth and wisdom.

When we look at some countries and how wicked they are we wonder how they can last. And the answer is simple it is probably because of all the Christians in that country who pray for their country and pray for their leaders.

These words in Psalms 74 tell us just how bad things had gotten in Israel when they say, “there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.” In other words there was no one preaching God’s Word and there was no one who understood what God was doing to them. What a terrible situation it would be indeed for a country to be falling apart and no one to even understand why. It could even be possible to have leaders in your country who lie and deny that such problems even exist and instead say that things are going good when they are going bad?

This shows the important of the preaching of God’s Word. Someone needs to explain to people their own sinfulness. Someone needs to explain to people the consequences of each sinful action. Someone needs to warn people of the judgment of God. Someone needs to preach the message of the gospel and tell of God’s love and forgiveness and of the power of the blood of Jesus Christ.

If you have never turned from your sins to Jesus today is the day of salvation. You can pray to Him right now and He will save you from your sins.

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