Psalms 72:1

The Bible says in Psalms 72:1-3, “Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.[2] He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.[3] The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.” David was the king of Israel. That carried a lot of responsibility, and David knew that he needed help from God. Everyone needs help from the Lord in order to carry out their responsibilities. If you try to do it on your own, you will not do the Lord’s work, and you will not make the right decisions. David used the word “righteousness” in verses one, two, and three. That refers to doing the right thing. David wanted to do right, but he knew that he needed God’s help for that. The phrase, God’s “judgments,” refers to the Word of God. How else will we know God’s will and God’s righteous ways unless we are reading and studying and hearing His Word? David was concerned about the “poor.” David knew that his decisions would affect the average citizens and those less than average: the poor. David wanted to do what was right for the sake of the poor in the land. Too many rulers make decisions that only help the rich. And David also knew that if he had God’s help, the result would be to “bring peace to the people.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Leaders of any country should be peacemakers because they have the power to make war or peace. The people suffer horribly when there are wars. When there is war, the people give their sons and daughters to die and to be maimed for life. Wars are expensive and drain the treasury. Many innocent people also suffer greatly in war because of collateral damage. Unfortunately, because of the existence of aggressor nations, there will be war from time to time, but war should always be a last resort. And every leader should be like king David: to plan and pray for peace whenever possible.

The Bible says in Psalms 72:4, “He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.” Notice who are mentioned in this verse: the poor, the children, and the needy. These are the very ones that our hearts go out to when we hear or think of their plight. If we can care about them and would like to help them, then the God of love does so even more. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor.” Jesus said, “Permit the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Since sometimes the poor, the children, and the needy do suffer in this life, that means the Lord is going to make it all up to them some day. That is why He said, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The Bible says in Psalms 72:5-6, “They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.[6] He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.” Starting with these verses and continuing through the next several verses, David is being used by the Spirit to speak about the future reign of Christ. David was king of Israel from Jerusalem: King Jesus will be king of the whole earth from Jerusalem. Verse five starts with the word “They.” Who is it talking about? It is talking about the ones mentioned in the previous verse: the poor, the children, and the needy. These are the ones who are most likely to turn to God and believe in Jesus. The poor are certainly more likely than rich people to turn to God. The rich have been made proud by the good fortune of life and they see no need of God. But the poor have been humbled by life and they are more likely to have a humble heart and to be able to say to Jesus, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner.” Children still have an innocent heart that is more likely to seek and to welcome the truth about Jesus when they hear it. Adults have hardened their own hearts over the years because of the number of times that they have already turned away from the Spirit of God who would have touched their hearts already, but they refused. All children will go to heaven anyway because Jesus accepts all children. Jesus said, “Permit the little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Heaven will be filled with children: laughing and happy children. The needy will also be in heaven: anyone who has a true need that cannot be satisfied or resolved in any human way has a chance to turn to God and Christ for help. Those that are flat on their backs have no place to look but up.

Psalm 72:5 uses the words “endure” and “all generations.” This speaks of eternal life. Where you live forever will far outweigh your temporary life on this earth. Make sure that you find the path that leads to heaven because the kingdom of Christ is eternal. If you become a citizen of His kingdom by trusting in Him for forgiveness and salvation, you will live forever.

Notice that the start of Psalm 72 verse six says, “He shall come down…” This is a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah. We know that there are two comings. Jesus came the first time and He will come again to fulfill all the prophecies of the Old Testament. Some of the prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled in the first coming of Jesus, and the other prophecies will be fulfilled in the Second Coming of Jesus. When verse six says, “He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth,” it is referring to the universal nature of the Second Coming. The whole earth shall see the Lord. The whole earth shall be touched by His teachings. The knowledge of the Lord shall be universally accepted.

The Bible says in Psalms 72:7-8, “In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
[8] He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” “His days” are the days that the Messiah will rule the earth. The book of Revelation tells us that this reign of Christ on the earth will last one thousand years. And so, we call it the millennial reign of Christ, or the one-thousand-year reign of Christ. When Jesus comes back at His Second Coming, Jesus will show how the earth should be ruled and how the current leaders could have ruled the earth if they had been godly. Interesting that it will not be a democracy, but it will be a benevolent monarchy. And then the reign of Christ will go from the Millennial Reign into eternity and into all that God has planned for our everlasting existence.

It says in Psalm 72:7 that in the Millennial Reign of Christ shall “the righteous flourish.” Sometimes this life for a believer is a time of struggle and trial and persecution. Some Christians have been killed for their faith, starting with Stephen in Jerusalem two thousand years ago. The greatest time of persecution will come in the seven-year Great Tribulation just before the Second Coming of Christ. But all of that will end when Jesus comes back. It will be wonderful for the believers, but not so good for the unbelievers. Which do you prefer: a temporary time of flourishing or a permanent time of flourishing? Choose Jesus and you will be given eternity.

Notice also that according to Psalm 72:7 the reign of Christ will be known for “abundance of peace.” What a contrast that will be to the life that we live on this earth. Jesus described the age in which we now live, and Jesus said that there will be “wars and rumors of wars,” and so there have been. Every nation must be prepared for the next war and the next Hitler that might come along. Every generation of parents must be prepared to give up their sons and daughters to go and answer the call to defend their nation. We have Memorial Day in which we remember all those who gave everything, meaning their lives, because of all the wars. We should seek peace and strive for it, but only King Jesus will bring a lasting peace.

Psalm 72:8 states one more time the world-wide extent of the reign of Christ. It says, “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea…” One of the reasons that Jesus will be the greatest of all kings is that He will be the King of the whole world. The antichrist will attempt to have such a reign, but the antichrist will be destroyed suddenly when Jesus returns to the earth.

The Bible says in Psalms 72:9-11, “They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.[10] The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.[11] Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.” These verses are an emphasis on the fact that the Messiah is the King of kings. There may be many who rebel against Him now, but every single one of the leaders and rulers and kings of the earth will one day bow before the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know someone or do you read in the news about someone that you think might be an enemy of Christ? Look into the future and see their future: “his enemies shall lick the dust” and “all kings shall fall down before him.”

The Bible says in Psalms 72:12-14, “For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.[13] He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.[14] He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.” These verses tell us about how much God cares about the down-trodden and those who are hurting. They are called “the poor,” “the needy,” and “him that hath no helper.” Of course, you do have a helper if you turn to the Lord. Verse twelve says that God helps them when they cry out to God. It says in Romans 10:13, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The most important need that anyone has is the salvation of their souls. That is why verse thirteen says that God “shall save the souls of the needy.” Those who are of low estate are more likely to look up to the Lord Jesus. God cares about our souls, and He also cares about what happens to us on this earth. It says at the end of verse fourteen, “precious shall their blood be in his sight.” Yes, many believers have become martyrs. But God has a plan to make things right. It will finally be set right for all who have suffered at the Second Coming, the Battle of Armageddon, and the Judgment.

The Bible says in Psalms 72:15, “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.” Jesus lives. That is one reason that He is the life-giver. Because He lives, we shall live also. We are talking about eternal life here. We are also being told once again about the preeminence of Christ. The gold and all other riches of the world shall be brought to Him because He will disperse them fairly to all. Prayer shall be made to Jesus as it ought to be made. Maybe only a few pray to Him now, but in the Kingdom of Christ shall everyone pray to Him. And everyone shall praise Him. He deserves our praise because of all that He did for us with His death and sacrifice of Himself.

The Bible says in Psalms 72:16, “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.” The kingdom of Christ shall be a kingdom of great prosperity. Today many people are hungry in the world. Man has never totally figured out how to fulfill one of the most basic requirements of life: to make sure that everyone has enough food to eat. Jesus will fix that too.

The Bible says in Psalms 72:17-20, “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.[18] Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.[19] And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.[20] The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.” The key words in these verses are “His name.” These words are used three times in these verses. We cannot overstate the importance of God’s name. How we use God’s name demonstrates are relationship with Him. One of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” We should use His name with respect and honor. Actually, God has many names and each name reveals some important truth about Him. Jehovah means “the ever living One” because He gives eternal life. Jesus means “Savior” because Jesus saves from sin. Every true believer will say with David, “blessed be his glorious name for ever.” It is interesting that verse eighteen says that God “only doeth wondrous things.” Notice the word “only.” God (Jesus) created the universe. God created this miraculous planet earth. God created life on earth. God planned the future. God has given us salvation so that we can live in heaven forever. God has spoken through holy men of God and given us the Bible. And then there are all the details of each of our lives where God has worked wondrously and marvelously, such as answered prayer, the birth of a child, accomplishing a goal, eating a good meal, looking at a beautiful sunset, or walking along a beautiful beach, etc. Yes, only God doeth wondrous things, and we will be praising Jesus for those wondrous things forever. And therefore, it is good to start praising Him now.

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