Psalms 72:1–20

Psalm 72, which closes the second book, predicts the glory of His coming kingdom. David began to write his desires for Solomon in poetic form. But the Holy Spirit caught him up in the current of His thoughts about the One of whom Solomon was only a faint picture. The KING of this psalm is One to whom the kings of Tarshish and the islands, the kings of Sheba and Seba, shall pay tribute. He is so great that "all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him." He is most clearly the King of kings. No one is that but Jesus.

Verse 1 declares His title. It sets Him before God as the one who carries out His judgment, the accepted holder of His government in righteousness. His title is twofold. He is first King absolutely; He is also the King's Son. Dominion and fear belong to Him who is Lord of all (Acts 10:36). He is in His divine person the living God, and an everlasting King (Jer. 10:10). He is King of kings, and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16). But He is, as the incarnate fulfiller of divine counsel, the King's Son.

David, too, had sung of this same One, who would be the King's Son (Ps. 72:1), and therefore a man. The King was a man, David's son, but Jehovah too — God and man in one person.

The psalm asks God to give Him God's judgments and God's righteousness. The first is so that He may know God's mind in every situation that may arise in the kingdom. The second is so that He may judge God's people and God's poor rightly. Righteousness and judgment are the foundation of God's throne (Ps. 89:14).

The psalm opens with a prayer to God that the King may be guided by divine righteousness. Then He will be able to give decisions, or judgments, that agree with the will of God. So the blessing of the kingdom depends entirely on a King who carries out God's judgments according to God's righteousness.

Millennial peace depends on God giving authority and power to Christ, so that righteousness is established in the earth. Psalm 72 begins by asking God to give the king His justice, so that He will judge God's people with righteousness. And it is "in his days" that peace will abound, "till the moon be no more" (v. 7).

Psalm 72 does not show us David in suffering and conflict. It shows the full reign of peace and royal blessing. It is the Son of David we have here, the source and securer of millennial blessings… His kingdom has the full extent of promise, but all kings fall down before Him.

Only then will the poor receive proper care. Meanwhile the Spirit of God insists on it in the apostles: "Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I (Paul) was eager to do" (Gal. 2:10). So today, though public government does not care properly for the poor, the Church of God is made responsible to do so, though only in a limited way.

The psalm opens with a prayer to God. It asks that divine righteousness may guide the King, so that He can give decisions, or judgments, that match the will of God. We see in this way that the blessing of the kingdom depends entirely on a King who carries out God's judgments according to God's righteousness. We find this King only in Christ — the Son of David. Solomon was only a picture of Him.

David began to write his wishes for Solomon in poetic form. Then the Holy Spirit caught him up in the current of His own thoughts about the One whom Solomon only faintly pictured. The KING of this psalm is One to whom the kings of Tarshish and the islands, the kings of Sheba and Seba, will pay tribute. He is so great that all kings will fall down before Him, and all nations will serve Him. He is plainly the King of kings. No one is that but Jesus.

When the once rejected Jesus takes the throne, the earth will at last see a government marked by absolute perfection. First comes the establishing of righteousness — the first four verses are full of this. Jew and Gentile alike condemned Jesus. In His death, judgment was divorced from righteousness in the most outrageous way. When He returns in His glory and sets up His kingdom in power, that moment will arrive. Scripture says of it, "But justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it" (Ps. 94:15) [older translations read, "judgment shall return to righteousness"].

Think what it will mean for this oppressed and groaning earth to live under the excellent laws recorded in the inspired pages of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible! Then a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. "May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!" — no twisting of the law, no bribery, no biased verdicts then.

He will come to break the oppressor in pieces (verse 4), and to save the children of the needy. The psalm calls the remnant of the nation, taken together, God's poor (verse 2). Such a group will be left in the land after God removes the haughty and the scoffers in judgment (Zeph. 3:11-12). On them He will come down like showers of new life on freshly mown grass (verse 6). He will visit that nation with overflowing grace and blessing, once it has reached the end of its humbling.

This of course will mean the deliverance and vindication of the oppressed and afflicted. All through the ages, the scramble of life has trampled down the poor and needy. But "the poor and needy" in view here are, without doubt, the godly people whom the anti-Christian powers of the last days will persecute. The coming Roman leader will "wear out the saints of the Most High" (Dan. 7:25), but the King of kings will bring deliverance.

Only then will the poor get the care they should have. In the meantime, in the Church of God, the Spirit of God insists through the apostles, "Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do" (Gal. 2:10). So today public government does not care properly for the poor, and the Church of God carries that responsibility instead, even if in a very limited sphere.

Psalm 72 introduces us, not to David in suffering and conflict, but to the full reign of peace and royal blessing. It is the Son of David we have here, the source and guarantee of the blessings of that thousand-year reign. I do not think this psalm needs much explanation, because it is so clear. Here is the king to whom God gives His judgments. He is at the same time the king's Son, the Son of David, reigning in righteousness and peace, like Solomon or Melchizedek.

Here is a remarkable prophecy of David's Son. Solomon fulfilled only a small part of it. It still waits to be fulfilled in the true Seed, the Second Man… Most of this language cannot be applied to the Church in any sense. But read it as the literal fulfilment of the promises God gave Abraham and David about the earth — a kingdom that begins with judgment and brings in blessing for all. Read that way, the picture is divinely perfect.

Then comes the effect: "The mountains" — pictures of settled, established power — "shall bring peace to the people; and the hills" (the lesser authorities), "by righteousness." The perfect justice of the Head shows itself in everyone who represents Him.

The very presence of the Lord Jesus when His kingdom begins will so affect the governments that they too will act in righteousness (v. 3). So His authority brings justice to the poor of the people and salvation to the children of the needy (v. 4), breaking the oppressor in pieces.

The mountains and the hills will bring peace. Look up at them, and you will no longer see warning fires or signs of enemies on the way. Covered to their tops with rich harvests, they will drip with sweet wine and flow with the purest oil… Violence will no longer be heard inside the borders of Immanuel's land.

First, his name, Melchizedek, means king of righteousness. Then he is king of Salem, which means king of peace. These are the two characters in which Christ will reign in the kingdom: first as David, then as Solomon. He will always combine the two. He will reign right through the thousand years in righteousness, and the effect of this will be peace.

In the past Israel sought peace at the cost of righteousness. Now they find there can be no peace without righteousness. Righteousness and peace can only kiss each other because of the value of the sacrifice of Christ.

In the present age grace reigns through righteousness (Rom. 5:21). In the eternal state righteousness will dwell (2 Peter 3:13). But in the kingdom of the thousand years righteousness will reign. That will be its mark, as the prophet says: "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness" (Isa. 32:1).

In the thousand-year kingdom, righteousness must rule first, so that peace can come in… This is as true now as it will be then, and the gospel fulfils it in a far more wonderful way. Peace has come to us as the result of righteousness at the cross. Our Melchizedek has truly lived up to His name.

This is a remarkable prophecy of David's Son. Only a small part of it was fulfilled in Solomon. The rest still waits for the true Seed, the Second Man… Most of this language cannot be applied to the Church in any sense. But God made promises to Abraham and David about the earth. As a literal fulfilment of those promises, and as a picture of a kingdom that opens with judgment and brings blessing to the whole world, the description is perfect.

He is God's King. He will carry the government on His shoulder in the name of God and in the fear of God… He will come to break the oppressor in pieces (verse 4), and to save the children of the needy. But this Psalm praises Him most of all as the One who binds up the wound of His earthly people — the One who fulfils for Israel the mercy God swore to their fathers. It calls the remnant of the nation, taken together, God's poor (verse 2). Such a remnant will be left in the land after judgment has removed the proud and the scornful.

His reign of righteousness will surpass Solomon's reign, which was so sadly cut short. It will surpass it in splendour and in length… But it will also begin as Solomon's reign never began: "He will come down like rain on the mown grass" (v. 6). He brings heavenly blessing to the very place where judgment has done its work and has left nothing to harvest. Under His gentle care a new harvest will spring up… Notice this character of grace in our psalm. It brings compassion, deliverance and salvation, to bring the afflicted out from under the yoke of the oppressor.

Christ's kingdom is not only a reign of righteousness. It is, just as surely, a kingdom for salvation. You see this in the grand picture of Psalm 72… The saving side of the kingdom has to be in that picture, or the picture would not be a true one at all. Could any worthy idea of God leave out His grace?

People love to dream that this is the goal of human progress and enlightenment. But they do not know, or they forget, that human nature is corrupt beyond cure. So they never stop to think that even if the whole world were given fair and equal laws, those laws would still fail — either in the way they are run or in the way they are applied. No; Christ is the only hope for the earth.

Ever since the Lord Jesus was rejected — in fact, ever since Abel — righteousness has always suffered. Just try to live a righteous life in practice, and you will suffer… In the millennial day righteousness reigns.

Only then will the poor get the care they should have. Meanwhile, the Spirit of God presses this on the Church through the apostles: "They asked only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also (Paul) was eager to do" (Gal. 2:10). So today, though public government does not care for the poor as it should, God has made the Church responsible to do it.

This psalm is a prayer for Solomon, not of Solomon, for David wrote it (v. 20). Solomon's name means "peaceableness," for he is a picture of Christ reigning in the millennium. That reign follows His warfare, pictured in David's history, which has subdued all enemies. So it is fitting that David should write in this way for Solomon. He shows the great blessing that will come with the thousand-year reign of the Lord Jesus.

Psalm 72 introduces us, not to David in suffering and conflict, but to the full reign of peace and royal blessing. It is the Son of David we have here, the source and securer of millennial blessings... Here is the king to whom God gives His judgments. He is at the same time the king's Son, the Son of David, reigning in righteousness and peace.

We are now called to see the kingdom in progress. Years do not change it... Those glowing lights of heaven are fitting pictures of such power — the power that shines with its own light and the power that reflects it. They have never strayed from their appointed place since God set them to "give light upon the earth."

It is also established in righteousness. So it will be not a kingdom of peace only, but a lasting kingdom, marked by the fear of God throughout all generations (v. 5).

Men's fear of the King of kings will continue through the millennium — "while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations" (v. 5)... How different from a pelting flood that sweeps away everything before it! That is what the rule of some tyrants has been like. In Christ it is wonderful to see absolute power combined with the gentleness of tender compassion.

In Revelation 20 we learn that all who are of the first resurrection will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him a thousand years. That gives us the first full indication of how long the reign is meant to last. The Old Testament had stated it only in general terms, measured by how long the heavenly bodies last — the sun and the moon (Psalm 89:36-37; Psalm 72:5, 7, 17).

Next comes the length of the reign: "to the ages of ages." That means throughout all time to come, as long as sun, moon, and earth endure (Ps. 72:5, 7, 17). The reign extends to eternity. It shall never cease.

The fact lies everywhere, even on the surface of the prophetic Scriptures. Once the kingdom of Christ is established in the age to come, all men must submit to His rule. Even though hostility may still fill their hearts, they will offer their subjection. We read several times in the Psalms that many, afraid at the display of His power, will give Him a pretended obedience.

Psalm 72 does not show us David in suffering and conflict. It shows us the full reign of peace and royal blessing. It is the Son of David we have here, the source and securer of millennial blessings... This is the king to whom God gives His judgments. He is at the same time the king's Son, the Son of David, reigning in righteousness and peace.

Here is a remarkable prophecy of David's Son. Solomon fulfilled only a very small part of it. It is still to be fulfilled in the true Seed, the Second Man... In no sense does most of this language fit the Church. But take it as a literal fulfilment of the promises God gave to Abraham and David about the earth. Take it as a description of a kingdom brought in by judgment and bringing universal blessing. Then the picture is divinely perfect.

The scythe of judgment will have mown the earth. The great ones and their glory will be nothing but withered grass, as Scripture said long ago. Judgment will have been carried out first. Then He will come down on the earth like gentle showers on thirsty ground, and so the righteous will flourish in His days.

He will bring down heaven to earth for "He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass" (Ps. 72:6). But note well the figure. It is upon the mown grass that He comes down. The sickle will have done its work first.

Grass mowed down by judgment gives way to new grass: the remnant, a willing people. He descends like a refreshing rain on His humbled people. Then the shining of the sun of righteousness makes it sprout up with abundance of blessings.

His reign of righteousness will surpass Solomon's reign, so sadly cut short, in splendor and in length... And it will begin as Solomon's reign never began: "He shall come down like rain on the mown grass" (v. 6). He brings heavenly blessing to the very place where judgment has done its work and left nothing to harvest. Under His gentle influence a new harvest will spring up.

His rule of peace will be like the refreshing rain that waters the earth, to make it bring forth welcome fruit (v. 6). How different from a pounding flood that sweeps away everything in its path, as the rule of some tyrants has been! In Christ it is wonderful to see absolute power combined with the gentleness of tender compassion.

God's purpose is the blessing of men... but judgment must go before the blessing, because of what men are. It is the persistent rebellion of men against God that makes judgment a necessity. Yet judgment is God's strange work; He does not delight in it, He delights in mercy. This comes out in the very language that Scripture uses. When it is a question of judgment, we read that the Lord "will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay" (Romans 9:28). But when it is a question of mercy, He is "patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish" (2 Peter 3:9).

Psalm 72 introduces us, not to David in suffering and conflict, but to the full reign of peace and royal blessing. It is the Son of David we have here, the source and securer of millennial blessings. I do not think this psalm needs much explanation, because it is so clear. It is the king to whom God gives His judgments. He is at the same time the king's Son, the Son of David, reigning in righteousness and peace, like Solomon or Melchizedek.

Millennial peace depends for its realization on authority and power being placed in Christ, and so on righteousness being established in the earth. Psalm 72 begins with "Give the King Your judgments, O God … He shall judge Your people with righteousness," and it is "in His days" that there shall be "abundance of peace so long as the moon endures" (ver. 7).

The scythe of judgment will have mown the earth, and the great ones and their glory will be only withered grass, as the Scripture had said long ago. After He has executed judgment, He will come down upon the earth like gentle showers on thirsty ground. So the righteous shall flourish in His days.

the "poor and needy" in view here are without a doubt the godly people whom the antichristian powers of the last days will persecute.

Peace is much desired among the nations, yet how often it escapes them. If they enjoy it at all, it is in very scanty measure. There has never yet been abundance of peace; but there will be in the glad day of the kingdom. When righteousness reigns, when the needy are delivered, when blessing fills the earth, then an abundant peace will be the happy result.

Psalm 72:7 looks on to the day, in the world to come, when the peace secured will be universal. It will not be limited to any particular country or region… What a triumph for the Man of Golgotha! He secured peace for all who trust in Him now and in the future. Peace of soul and conscience now come before the reign of peace to come (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14, 17; Col. 1:20).

This little word "mainly" sets aside the coming of the One who alone is called in Scripture the "Prince of Peace." For if peace is established "mainly" without Him, by the efforts of Christians, His presence is only a secondary matter, not of prime importance or necessity. If "peace" is the question, Scripture says and insists that He is the necessity. (Ps. 72:7.)

"In His days the righteous shall flourish" (v. 7), though they had long been oppressed while the wicked prospered… But "until the moon is no more" no doubt reminds us that the moon pictures the nation Israel. Israel reflects the light of the Sun, the Lord Jesus.

Next, the duration of the reign is stated to be "to the ages of ages," that is, throughout all time to come, as long as sun, moon, and earth endure (Ps. 72:5, 7, 17). The reign extends to eternity. It shall never cease.

Psalm 72 does not show us David in suffering and conflict. It shows the full reign of peace and royal blessing. It is the Son of David we have here, the source and securer of millennial blessings. God gives His judgments to this king, who is at the same time the king's Son, the Son of David. He reigns in righteousness and peace, as Solomon or Melchizedek did. His kingdom has the full extent of promise, but all kings fall down before Him.

This psalm is a prayer for Solomon, not of Solomon, for David wrote it (v. 20). Solomon's name means "peaceableness". He is a type of Christ reigning in the millennium, after His warfare — pictured in David's history — has subdued all enemies.

"And He shall have dominion from sea to sea." This cannot be the Dead Sea. Israel's boundary goes far beyond that. So it seems to mean from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf. "And from the River to the ends of the land" (v. 8) is no doubt the Euphrates River to the western edge of the land of Israel. God promised that land to Abraham in Genesis 15:18. Israel has not yet held all that land, but will do so in the millennium.

The Kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of His father David refer to the earthly side of the kingdom. Christ's kingdom is the wider of the two. David's never reached far beyond the borders of Israel, as known in later days. But Christ's kingdom shall include every part of the earth. "He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth."

No one has ruled the world since the throne of Jehovah in Jerusalem fell, and the crown came off the head of David's unworthy heir. Nebuchadnezzar received a limited measure of supremacy, and that only for a time. Other empires followed as God allowed. But of no man yet has it been true: "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. … Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him."

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. After His crucifixion His executioners claimed His very garments, and His tomb was another's: He had nothing. It is written that His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth (Psalm 72:8). Yet, in Jerusalem, He found no throne, no temple, no priesthood. As the Anointed of the Lord He had a right of inheritance, but the people of the Jews and their rulers gave Him none of it.

The Lord's coming and His appearing differ. At His coming He comes for His saints; at His appearing He comes with His saints. So the kingdom is always connected with His appearing. It is then that He will take up His power, and "have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." (Ps. 72:8.) No one will expect it.

When David foresaw this reign by the Spirit, it satisfied every desire of his heart, and he had nothing left to pray for, as the last verse of the psalm tells us.

Psalm 72 introduces us, not to David in suffering and conflict, but to the full reign of peace and royal blessing. It is the Son of David we have here, the one who brings and secures the blessings of the thousand-year reign. I do not think this psalm needs much explanation, because it is so clear. He is the king to whom God gives His judgments. He is at the same time the king's Son, the Son of David, reigning in righteousness and peace, like Solomon or Melchizedek. His kingdom has the full extent of promise, and all kings fall down before Him.

This is a remarkable prophecy of David's Son. Solomon fulfilled only a small part of it. The rest still waits for the true Seed, the Second Man… Most of this language cannot be applied to the Church in any sense. But read it as a literal fulfilment of the promises given to Abraham and David about the earth, and as a description of a kingdom brought in by judgment and bringing universal blessing. Seen that way, the picture is divinely perfect.

But this land, as we find it today, contains many different peoples and wide stretches of desert. Notice, then, how natural the next verse is. It speaks of the King's competence to take possession of this wide and varied stretch of country: the dwellers in the deserts, or parched lands, will bow before Him, and His enemies will lick the dust. This explains why such people get a special mention as a victorious King advances. You would expect the writer to name strong peoples instead — enemies that would need special might to subdue! A glance at the map shows how fitting it is, and this "desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus" (Isa. 35:1).

Dust is the small particles of matter found on the ground. God formed man out of it, and told him, "you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Gen. 2:7; Gen. 3:19… Dust stands as a symbol of weakness: "he remembers that we are dust." Ps. 103:14. To "lick the dust" is a figure of defeat. Ps. 72:9.

…the fact lies everywhere, even on the surface of the prophetic scriptures: once the kingdom of Christ is established in the age to come, all men must submit to His rule. Even though hostility may still fill their hearts, they will offer their subjection. So we read several times in the Psalms that many, afraid at the display of His power, will yield to Him pretended obedience. As He Himself says, speaking in the Spirit, "As soon as they hear of Me, they obey Me; foreigners come cringing to Me" (Ps. 18:44-45).

Our Lord is coming back, dear fellow-believer. As "King of kings, and Lord of lords," He will come down from heaven to take His rightful throne and place here below… His enemies will lick the dust. Every knee will bow to Him. Every tongue will confess that He is Lord, to God the Father's glory. That will mean more to us than all the white-robed angels, the street of gold, and the pearly gates.

Psalm 72, which closes the second book, predicts the glory of His coming kingdom. David started to write his desires for Solomon in poetic form. But the Holy Spirit caught him up into His own thoughts about the One that Solomon only faintly pictured. The KING of this psalm receives tribute from the kings of Tarshish and the coastlands, and from the kings of Sheba and Seba. He is so great that "all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him." There is no doubt that He is the King of kings. No one is that but Jesus.

The ships of Tarshish were the most famous for merchandise in ancient times. Psalm 72:10 by itself shows that Tarshish was a large stretch of country. It was not just the well-known city of Tartessus at the mouth of the Baetis river.

Seba was a son of Cush, who was a son of Ham. The name also stands for the land where his descendants lived (Genesis 10:7; 1 Chronicles 1:9; Psalm 72:10; Isaiah 43:3). Those descendants have been traced to Meroe, west of Abyssinia. Josephus says that Meroe was once called Saba, or Seba.

Presents went from an inferior to a superior (2 Chronicles 9:24; 17:5, 11). They also took the form of tribute, an acknowledgement of submission (1 Samuel 10:27; 1 Kings 4:21). When Solomon reigned supreme, "all the earth" came to Solomon to hear his wisdom and brought presents, as the queen of Sheba did (1 Kings 10:2, 24, 25). This is a picture of Christ's kingdom set up on earth, when all nations will send presents, as willing tribute, to the Lord Jesus (Psalm 45:12; Psalm 72:10, 15; Isaiah 60:9).

So Christ as the King wins universal dominion by the display of His power in righteous judgment. After that, having put down all rule and all authority and power, He reigns as Prince of peace.

The nations will have their own kings in that day. But they will all recognise the supremacy of the Lord Jesus, as King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 21:24-26; Psalm 72:10-11).

The prophetic scriptures show this everywhere, even on the surface. Once Christ establishes His kingdom in the age to come, all men must submit to His rule. Even though enmity may still hold their hearts, they will offer their subjection.

The wise men from the East do not come to the meek and lowly One. They come to Him "who has been born king of the Jews." Their visit is a foretaste of the homage of the nations, when the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render Him tribute, and the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.

This psalm is a prayer for Solomon, not by Solomon, because David wrote it (v. 20). Solomon's name means "peaceableness". He is a picture of Christ reigning in the thousand-year kingdom, after His warfare — pictured in David's history — has defeated every enemy.

Here is a remarkable prophecy of David's Son. Solomon fulfilled only a small part of it. The true Seed, the Second Man, has still to fulfil the rest… Most of this language cannot be applied to the Church in any sense. But take it as a literal fulfilment of the promises God gave to Abraham and David about the earth. Take it as a description of a kingdom that comes in by judgment and brings blessing to the whole world. Read that way, the picture God draws is perfect.

Tarshish and the islands lie west of Palestine; Sheba and Seba lie south-east… so every family of the earth seems to be represented in the homage given here. These conquests may be entirely peaceful ones. Nothing else is suggested… The peoples seem to stand for the trade of the world, which now, for the first time in its history, owns Christ. Its profits are set apart for the Lord of the whole earth.

But the tide of homage swells: "all kings bow down before Him; all nations serve Him." The worldwide empire is complete at last. At last the cross truly becomes the symbol of power and rule over all, and under it the earth rests, quiet in sabbath rest.

The same difference appears in the kingdom of the thousand years. Speaking of the honour to be given to the Messiah, it says, "All kings shall fall down before Him; all nations shall serve Him" (Psalm 72:11). Both the rulers and their peoples will be of one mind… Today kings and nations serve and exalt themselves. But then, as we read in Zechariah, "everyone who is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles."

He alone is worthy to receive riches, honour, glory and might. He will use all of it to rescue the needy and the poor when they cry out. He will be the Helper of the helpless, and the Redeemer of people from corruption and violence. In His sight the lives of the poor and the helpless will be precious.

The fact lies everywhere, even on the surface of the prophetic scriptures. Once Christ's kingdom is set up in the age to come, all people must submit to His rule. Even if hatred still fills their hearts, they will offer their submission. So we read several times in the Psalms that many, afraid at the display of His power, will give Him a pretended obedience.

The works of creation led them to the God who made them. They recognised Him in the lowly Child in Joseph's house, and bowed in worship before Him, offering their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. So they gave a first pledge that the prophecy would be fulfilled: "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents… Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him."

Here follows the reason why this glorious kingdom should be given to Christ — a kingdom marked by righteousness and peace, endurance, prosperity, universality and supremacy. He alone is worthy to receive riches, honour, glory and might. He will use all these things to deliver the needy and the poor when they cry, to be the Helper of the helpless, and the Redeemer of men from corruption and violence. In His sight the lives of the poor and the helpless will be precious.

Once again, before the book closes, we are called to look at the blessing of a rule which is service. It is a glory with no stain or shadow on it. Here is a David who is free to show the "kindness of God" to the maimed and ruined children of shame wherever they may be found. Deliverance for the needy who cries, for the afflicted who has no helper — that is what the sign of the cross means, and by this we know the Lord. Everyone who owes his salvation to Him must know that no help was possible for him anywhere else, and that he could find it in no other.

But Christ's kingdom is not simply a reign of righteousness; it is emphatically for salvation. Psalm 72 gives the grand picture: He judges the poor of the people, saves the children of the needy, and breaks the oppressor in pieces. This saving side of the kingdom must be in the picture now, or it would not be an adequate representation at all. What worthy idea of God could leave out His grace?

His rule of peace will be like the refreshing rain that waters the earth, to make it bring forth welcome fruit (v. 6). How different from a pelting flood that sweeps away everything before it, as the rule of some tyrants has been! In Christ it is wonderful to see absolute power combined with the gentleness of tender compassion.

His righteous rule will of course involve the deliverance and vindication of the oppressed and afflicted. All through the ages the poor and needy have been trampled down in the scramble of life. But "the poor and needy" in view here are without doubt the godly people whom the anti-Christian powers of the last days will persecute.

Christ will put every injustice right at once. It follows of necessity from the Messiah's righteous rule. So the psalm says He delivers the needy who cries, and the poor who has no helper. Men like to dream that this is the goal of human enlightenment and progress. But they are ignorant of, or forget, the incurable corruption of human nature. So they do not consider that even if the whole world had just and equal laws, those laws would still fail in how men administer or apply them. No — Christ is the only hope for the earth, as He is for the believer.

Only under His righteous rule will the poor be properly cared for. In the meantime the Spirit of God insists through the apostles that we remember the poor — the very thing Paul himself was eager to do (Gal. 2:10). So today, though public government does not care properly for the poor, God has made His Church responsible to do so, though of course in a very limited sphere.

Here is a remarkable prophecy about David's Son. Only a small part of it was fulfilled in Solomon. The rest still waits for the true Seed, the Second Man, to carry it out… In no sense does most of this language apply to the Church. But take it as a literal fulfilment of the promises God gave to Abraham and David about the earth. Take it as a description of a kingdom that judgment brings in and that brings blessing to the whole world. Then the picture is divinely perfect.

Solomon's reign was cut short so sadly. This King's reign of righteousness will outshine it in splendor, and last far longer… But His reign will also begin as Solomon's never began. He will come down like rain that falls on the mown grass (v. 6). He brings heavenly blessing to the very place where judgment has done its work and left nothing to harvest. Under His gentle influence a new harvest will spring up… Notice this character of grace in our psalm. It brings compassion, deliverance and salvation, to bring the afflicted out from under the yoke of the oppressor.

But Christ's kingdom is not only a reign of righteousness. It is strongly a kingdom for salvation. You see it in the great picture of Psalm 72… The picture must show this saving side of the kingdom, or it would not be a true picture at all. What worthy idea of God could leave out His grace?

His reign will bring deliverance and vindication to the oppressed and afflicted. True, in every age the poor and needy have been trampled down in the scramble of life. But "the poor and needy" in view here are surely the godly people whom the anti-Christian powers of the last days will persecute. The coming Roman leader will "wear out the saints of the Most High" (Dan. 7:25). The King of kings will bring deliverance instead.

People dream that this is where human enlightenment and progress will end up. But they do not know, or they forget, how incurably corrupt human nature is. So they never stop to think that even if the whole world got just and equal laws, those laws would still fail — either when people run them or when people apply them. No. Christ is the only hope for the earth.

The nations long and cry out for peace, for righteousness in government, for justice between one person and another. They groan under poverty, tyranny and oppression. Who could meet their desires but the One who will judge His people with righteousness and His poor with justice? Let the nations read this Psalm 72, and verses 12-14 above all. Then let them say whether the answer to everything they want is not right here.

It is always so in the Scriptures: the lonely, the sorrowful and the oppressed are the special objects of His tender mercy. One of the psalms describes them as the needy, the poor, and the one who has no helper (Ps. 72), and says of them, "From oppression and violence He redeems their life, and precious is their blood in His sight." We can learn from a scripture like this. It teaches us how to share the heart of God in practice. If we want to walk with Him, His interests and His aims must be ours too.

Verses 12–14 give the reason why Christ should receive this glorious kingdom, a kingdom marked by righteousness and peace, endurance, prosperity, worldwide reach and supremacy. He alone is worthy to receive riches, honour, glory and might. He will use all these things to deliver the needy and the poor when they cry. He will be the Helper of the helpless, and the Redeemer of men from corruption and violence. In His sight the lives of the poor and the helpless will be precious.

It is true that all through the ages it is the poor and needy who have been trodden down in the scramble of life. But "the poor and needy" in view here are without doubt the godly people whom the anti-Christian powers of the last days will persecute. The coming Roman leader shall "wear out the saints of the Most High" (Dan. 7:25), whereas the King of kings will bring in deliverance.

Added to this is the assurance that their life is redeemed. That is, it is brought back from the bondage of oppression by the only redemption price God allows: the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on Calvary (v. 14). Their blood will be precious in God's sight, just as the blood of Abel was (Gen. 4:10). This will be true whether their blood is actually shed or whether the enemy only plotted their death.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." He learns this because God keeps him alive on the earth. As the context shows, this verse speaks of saints kept alive, not of saints who die. Revelation 14:13 will give comfort to those who die during the tribulation. Here it is one preserved alive who speaks. We have something similar to this in Psalm 72:14. "He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight." God will not allow it to be shed.

Deliverance had been experienced from death, which had threatened. Precious in the sight of Jehovah is the death of His saints, so He had kept them from it. What had been foretold in Psalm 72:14, they had now found to be true. So they would give thanks, and do it openly in the courts of the Lord's house, in the middle of Jerusalem.

Men foolishly dream that this is the goal of human enlightenment and progress. But they are ignorant of, or forget, the incurable corruption of human nature. So they do not consider that even if the whole world got just and equal laws, those laws would fail, either in how they are carried out or in how they are applied. No; Christ is the only hope for the earth, as He is for the saint.

It is always so in the Scriptures — those who are lonely, sorrowful, or oppressed are the special objects of His tender mercy. They are described in one of the psalms as the needy, the poor, and the one who has no helper (Ps. 72). Of them it is said, "From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight." Surely we may gather instruction for ourselves from such a scripture. It teaches us how we may have practical fellowship with the heart of God. If we want to walk with Him, His interests and objects must be ours too.

Psalm 72 is a psalm "concerning Solomon." At first glance, human reason may even doubt that it is prophetic and speaks of the reign of Christ. So many of its details fit Solomon's own reign exactly.

While the psalm speaks literally of Solomon, I think it points to Christ reigning as a true man on earth. Verse 17 shows that the point is not uncertainty about how long He rules, but the effect of His rule on the hearts of all who live under it.

The words "and he died," repeated so many times in this chapter, stand in striking contrast to the words "And He shall live," which are written of David's Son and Lord in Psalm 72:15.

It is true that the Christ will abide for ever (Ps. 72:15-17; Isa. 9:7; Ezek. 37:25; Dan. 7:14). But that would be in resurrection, when He reigns in power. His humiliation and death were predicted just as clearly, and they had not grasped this. So they were left with their difficulty.

A present goes from someone lower to someone higher… It also took the form of tribute, an acknowledgement of submission… When Solomon reigned supreme, "all the earth" came to Solomon to hear his wisdom and brought presents, as the queen of Sheba did. This is a picture of Christ's kingdom set up on earth, when all nations will send presents to the Lord Jesus as willing tribute (Ps. 45:12; Ps. 72:10, 15; Isa. 60:9).

The words "prayer shall be made continually for him" show one simple thing. The blessings people enjoy through Him make them long and ask for His glory and for His rule to continue.

And further still, if I may say it, He will depend on God in His day of strength, just as He has already done in His day of sorrow and weakness. That is why we read, "Prayer shall be made for Him continually." Solomon, the king who pictured Him, by a public act of prayer placed the kingdom he had received under the care of the God of Israel (Ps. 72; 2 Chr. 6).

The verse seems closely connected with verses 12-14. The godly remnant of Israel will not only be spared, saved and redeemed. "He shall live" — they receive a new life, eternal life. They are also given the gold of Sheba, which speaks of how precious it is to know Christ as the Son of God. How valuable this will be to them then, since Israel had first rejected Christ because He said He is the Son of God! Added to this blessing, we are told, "prayer shall be made for him continually" — that is, Christ Himself will keep interceding for the godly… "All the day shall he be blessed" — the whole day of the thousand-year reign.

Psalm 72 is a psalm "concerning Solomon": at first glance human reason may even doubt that this psalm is prophetic and applies to the reign of Christ, since so many of the details fit Solomon's reign so exactly… As to the blessings of his reign: "In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!" (v. 7). "All nations call him blessed" (v. 17).

Taken literally, the first line of our text says there will be so much grain in the land that the valleys cannot hold it all; it will reach up over the tops of the mountains. That is a great contrast to conditions now. Mountain tops are bare rock, and only tiny traces of plant life survive in their cracks. Trees often grow thousands of feet up the mountainsides, but grain does poorly far from the valley.

The empty, seldom-visited places ('the tops of the mountains,' v. 16) will yield plenty of food for people, while the crowded places will bloom with fresh green growth ('like the grass of the field,' v. 16), health, beauty, and prosperity.

He waits until He has gathered the heavenly saints to Himself above. Then He begins to sow, if I may put it that way, for blessing on earth. In that case His coming as Son of Man will remove the wicked and leave the righteous undisturbed in peace.

As we read of the Lord taking in His hands the few loaves that were to satisfy the crowd in front of Him, do we not hear again these vivid words of the millennial psalm: "there shall be a handful of grain in the land, on the top of the mountains; its fruit shall wave like Lebanon" (Ps. 72:16)? For in the renewal of all things the first penalty on Adam and his race — "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread" (Gen. 3:19) — will be set aside. The tree of life, yielding its twelve kinds of fruit month by month, will be constant evidence that the curse has gone from the ground for ever (Rev. 22:2-3).

That will certainly be a feature of the material creation during the millennium. But the same overflow of fruit will mark the spiritual sphere as well. "May its fruit be like Lebanon." Someone once asked a servant of the Lord for short Scriptural proof of the change the millennium brings. His reply was: "The meek shall inherit the earth." If so, a radical change must take place! Today the meek are pushed to the wall.

Psalm 72 does not show us David in suffering and conflict. It shows us the full reign of peace and royal blessing. The One here is the Son of David, the source of the millennial blessings and the One who secures them... He is the king to whom God gives His judgments, and He is at the same time the king's Son, the Son of David, reigning in righteousness and peace... Verse 17 shows, I think, that the point is not doubt about how long His rule lasts. The point is what His rule does to the hearts of all who live under it.

The law will go out from Him, for He administers the whole world. He will "judge the world in righteousness" — and what will He do? He will make people sing for sheer gladness! "Shall He die, and His Name perish?" Hallelujah! Psalm 72 gives the answer.

So the King's Name, which guarantees all this blessing, will last forever. His name will continue like the life-giving sun, which is His image. People will bless themselves in Him, because He is the highest thought of blessing there can be.

The first part of this promise certainly came true for Abraham. But the promise as a whole goes far beyond him. It looks ahead to the Seed, "which is Christ" (Gal. 3:16)... Not all Israel were blessed in faithful Abraham. But in his Seed, in millennial glory, all Israel and all the nations will be blessed. Israel will hold the first place in blessing, yet this far-reaching promise takes in all nations.

Verse 17 speaks plainly of Christ, whose name will last forever, for He is the One the godly depend on. People will be blessed in Him, the only One in whom there is real blessing. So all nations will call Him blessed, and they will do it willingly.

The coming age will show this in full, when people are blessed in Him and all nations call Him blessed (Ps. 72:17). But the same thing happens in principle today. People from a thousand different peoples hear the Gospel and find in Jesus the One who has been made both Lord and Christ. Let every reader put the question to his or her own heart. Have I really received His witness? Is He truly Leader and Commander in my life?

The Seventy-second Psalm reveals the glories of the coming kingdom of Him who is greater than Solomon. David catches a glimpse of it and declares: "The prayers of David, my prayers are ended; I have nothing greater to ask than what this Psalm reveals."

(vv. 18-20) In the end the praise of the King will lead to the praise of God. So men will say, "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only does wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name for ever." So through the reign of Christ in righteousness, the whole earth will be filled with the glory of God.

The blessing and the inheritance were settled in Abraham and in his Seed. They are now confirmed and fulfilled in righteousness in the King, the King's Son (v. 17, Gen. 22:18). He is none other than Jehovah Elohim, the Elohim of Israel (v. 18)… All nations call Him blessed, but the outcome is that Jehovah Elohim, the God of Israel, is the One blessed. So it seems that the seed of Abraham (Genesis 22:18), the Son of David, and Jehovah God are one and the same.

This is not heaven, and not eternity. It is not the present evil age either. It is the bright and holy age to come. Then the Lord Jehovah is blessed, and He blesses. He is the God of Israel who only does wondrous things. In that day His glorious name is blessed for ever, and the whole earth is filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.

Psalm 72 closes this second book, and it gives the reign and the royal glory of Christ. This book also ends with a double Amen and with words that suit it well: "And let the whole earth be filled with His glory." The book of Exodus ends with the glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle. The Exodus portion of the Psalms ends with His glory filling the whole earth.

The Spirit led David to describe the blessedness of that time in Psalm 72, and carried him far beyond himself into overflowing worship and praise. Faith looks at the future and breaks out with: "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel." The enemy outside can only say with sadness, "Alas! who shall live when God does this?" (Ps. 72:18; Num. 24:23).

This does not mean that David never prayed after he wrote Psalm 72. It means that, as a believer whose calling was on earth, he could ask for nothing beyond an earth filled with righteousness, peace, and glory under the rule of the Man of God's pleasure.

The Seventy-second Psalm closes this second book. It gives the reign and the kingly glory of Christ. This book also ends with a double Amen. It ends too with the statement so fitting for this book: "And let the whole earth be filled with His glory." The book of Exodus ends with the glory of the Lord filling the tabernacle. The Exodus portion of the Psalms ends with His glory filling the whole earth.

The Name of the Lord God of Israel is so glorious, and in this psalm it unites with the Name of God's King. For it is in the Person of Jesus that God's glory fills the earth. This fulfils the word of the Lord in Numbers 14:21: "But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD."

Lastly, the praise of the King will lead to the praise of God. So men will say, "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only does wondrous things. And blessed be His glorious name for ever." So through the reign of Christ in righteousness, the whole earth will be filled with the glory of God.

Men may appear to be doing wonderful things today with all their inventions, but they are not. Their inventions will probably yet fall disastrously on their own heads. When the King of kings takes His throne in glory, nothing will appear wonderful except what God has done in and by Him.

The Lord says in Numbers 14:20, "I have pardoned according to your word." He further tells Moses that those men shall not see the land, though all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. That will be the completion of everything. Three times we find this "filling": here in this passage, in Isaiah 11:9, and in Habakkuk 2:14. Each time it is connected with judgment.

The Seventy-second Psalm reveals the glories of the coming kingdom of Him who is greater than Solomon. David gets a glimpse of it and declares: "The prayers of David, my prayers, are ended; I have nothing greater to ask than what this Psalm reveals."

He has sung of the might, the majesty and the riches of Him whom "Solomon in all his glory" pictured. When the song is finished, with his harp's last note he cries, "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended." His hopes are fully realised, and the happy Israelite asks no more. But the Christian's expectations are higher, and beyond anything of earth.

In that bright day the whole earth will be filled with His glory. Even so, the excellent glories of the coming Kingdom will not exceed His far deeper glories as the Son of Man on the Cross. They cannot even equal them. The glory of His earthly throne is exceeded by the glory of His shameful Cross. The Kingdom will display His official glories; the Cross witnesses to His moral glories.

This psalm is a prayer for Solomon, not of Solomon, for David wrote it (v. 20). Solomon's name means "peaceableness." He is a picture of Christ reigning in the thousand-year kingdom. That reign comes after His warfare, shown in David's history, has subdued all enemies.

Notice that the first, second, and third books of the psalms end with the words, "Amen, and Amen." The fourth and fifth close with a "Hallelujah," or "Praise the Lord." The telling note attached to the second book, or 72nd Psalm — "The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended" — probably came from the inspired compiler.

Critics claim, for instance, that the statement at the close of Psalm 72 — "The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended" — is out of place, because other psalms of David come later. They say it is probably the work of some editor, and so on. But as we take it, the phrase at the close of Psalm 72 means something different. The Seventy-second Psalm reveals the glories of the coming kingdom of Him who is greater than Solomon. David gets a glimpse of it and declares: "The prayers of David, my prayers are ended; I have nothing greater to ask than what this Psalm reveals."

(vv. 18-20) Last of all, the praise of the King leads to the praise of God. So men will say, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be His glorious name forever." Through the reign of Christ in righteousness, the glory of God will fill the whole earth. Looking ahead to this prospect, David can say, "the prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended." What more, indeed, is left for David to pray? It only remains for him to say, with all others, "Amen, and Amen."

This does not mean that David never prayed after he wrote Psalm 72. It means that David's calling was an earthly one. From that standpoint he could ask for nothing beyond an earth filled with righteousness, peace, and glory under the rule of the Man in whom God delights. Believers with a heavenly calling look for much more.

"In that day you will ask nothing of me," Christ said on one occasion to His disciples. When we are with Him, our blessed and glorious Redeemer above, we shall be fully and for ever satisfied. We shall need nothing. We shall have no need, as now, to "watch and pray," nor to ask for anything. We shall not cry as now, "Come, Lord Jesus." Faith shall give place to sight. Hope will have its desire. Love alone shall remain… David's hopes are fully realised, and the happy Israelite asks no more. But what the Christian looks for is higher, beyond anything of earth.

The lowly Man of Luke's Gospel comes before us vividly, as He tells of "the son of David, the son of Jesse," unknown among those dressed in purple and fine linen. When royal courts asked, "Where is he?" the answer came back, as of David in 1 Samuel 17, "O king, I cannot tell." So he has to answer for himself, "I am the son of Jesse, the Bethlehemite" — a small, despised house, and he the least in the house.