O God, give the king your justice and the king’s son your righteousness so that he may judge your people with righteousness and your oppressed ⌊people⌋ with justice.
May the mountains bring peace to the people and the hills bring righteousness. May he grant justice to the people who are oppressed. May he save the children of needy people and crush their oppressor.
May they fear you as long as the sun and moon ⌊shine⌋— throughout every generation. May he be like rain that falls on ⌊freshly⌋ cut grass, like showers that water the land.
May righteous people blossom in his day. May there be unlimited peace until the moon no longer ⌊shines⌋.
May he rule from sea to sea, from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. May the people of the desert kneel in front of him. May his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings from Tarshish and the islands bring presents. May the kings from Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
May all kings worship him. May all nations serve him. [vss 1-11]
He will rescue the needy person who cries for help and the oppressed person who has no one’s help. He will have pity on the poor and needy and will save the lives of the needy.
He will rescue them from oppression and violence. Their blood will be precious in his sight. May he live long. May the gold from Sheba be given to him. May ⌊the people⌋ pray for him continually. May ⌊they⌋ praise him all day long.
May there be plenty of grain in the land. May it wave ⌊in the breeze⌋ on the mountaintops, its fruit like ⌊the treetops of⌋ Lebanon. May those from the city flourish like the grass on the ground.
May his name endure forever. May his name continue as long as the sun ⌊shines⌋. May all nations be blessed through him and call him blessed. [vss 12-17]
Thank the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does miracles. Thanks be to his glorious name forever. May the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen!
The prayers by David, son of Jesse, end here. [vss 18-20]
By Solomon. (Psalms 72:1-20 GW) [this is the end of Book Two of the Psalms]
King Solomon was a great king of Israel. He inherited a united kingdom that endured great struggles before he became king. His father, King David, was given a promise that looked ahead to the coming of the Messiah and an eternal kingdom (2 Sam 7:12-16).
God gave King Solomon great wisdom, along with great blessings. Solomon understood that the Kingdom of Israel was God's kingdom, not his own. This psalm reflects that insight.
It may appear Solomon is asking God's blessing for himself, but it is for whoever is the king of God's kingdom. To Solomon and other Jewish leaders, the kingdom of Israel represented the Kingdom of God.
But, as with his father David, God gave Solomon prophetic wisdom beyond himself and the kingdom of his time. In his limited understanding, he looked ahead to an eternal Kingdom of God ruled by the Savior of the world.
Consider the content of Solomon's prayer and blessing, especially the beginning, middle verses, and ending. He prays for God's justice and righteousness to be given to the king, so God would be honored by all.
Here is a guide for all people everywhere in praying for the leaders of their nation, and for justice and righteousness throughout the world.
If you live in a nation with great freedoms and blessings, pray for your leaders that they may worship and serve God. And that they would uphold justice and righteousness and kindness.
If you live where oppression and injustice exist, pray for your leaders that their hearts will be changed. That they may have compassion and concern for the poor, and to do what is right and just and good.
Great men like David, Daniel, Nehemiah, and the apostle Paul are examples of those who prayed this way. All these men served under tyrants, but they honored the Lord through their service and prayer for their people.
Do you regularly pray for your nation's leaders? If not, now is a great time to start!
Let us—you and me—be faithful to pray for our leaders, that God's justice and righteousness would prevail, and that the leaders of all nations would honor the Lord
©Word-Strong_2017
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I won't cover all 150 Psalms, but do selective devotionals through the rest of Psalms.
So if I skip one that you like... let me know and I'll try to cover it!
