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As we read through these psalms we see that God speaks to His people and guides them in His way. They cry out to Him, and He hears and delivers them. He offers them precious and magnificent promises. They pursue those blessings by resolving to obey His Word. He delivers them from their enemies and hears their cries for renewal when they have drifted from Him. He spreads a banquet table for His people, in the very presence of their enemies, so that, as they feast with Him, none shall make them afraid, and none shall thwart the purposes of His divine economy.
All these blessings rest especially, and ultimately, with the King Whom God has chosen to set over His people (Pss. 2, 110). As the people love and serve their anointed King, they are able to go forth and proclaim His rule and bring the blessings of it to all the nations of the earth.
And nowhere is the grand, all-ruling, eternal plan more fully developed than in Psalm 72, David’s prayer for God’s King and His Kingdom.
Solomon and beyond
While Psalm 72 is first of all a prayer for Solomon, who inherited David’s kingdom and led it to its greatest heights of glory, it is more than that. It’s not difficult to see that, in Psalm 72, David is seeing beyond Solomon down the far stretches of history, to the unfolding of a Kingdom under a King Who is God’s own Son, and Whose rule will bring blessing to the whole earth.
Let’s take a quick look through this glorious psalm.
David foresees the King and Son of God ruling according to His Law, bringing righteousness and justice to even the poorest and oppressed (vv. 1-4).
His Kingdom is without end; He will rule as long as time continues (v. 5; cf. Is. 9.6, 7), and His reign will bring blessing like the dew and refreshment like a spring shower to all the earth (vv. 6, 7).
Under His rule righteousness and peace will flourish (v. 7; cf. Rom. 14.17, 18). His enemies will fall at His feet and people from every nation will come to praise, honor, and serve Him (vv. 8-11).
He will shepherd the poor, deliver the oppressed, and save the souls of the needy (vv. 12-14).
He will live and reign continuously, and the wealth of nations will flow to Him, along with the praise and prayers of the peoples of the world (v. 15).
The creation itself will blossom and bear abundant fruit, and those who dwell in cities will prosper with those who dwell in the countryside (v. 16).
His Kingdom, once established, will endure forever, and all peoples are called to bless and praise His holy name (vv. 17-19).
A framework for future development
Psalm 72 represents David’s clearest insight to the coming King and Kingdom of God. He brings forward all the thinking and hopes of the people of Israel and expands them into a horizon that reaches to the end of time and beyond. David’s psalms, and especially Psalm 72, teach us, as they taught Israel for generations, to think, pray, and work for the promised Kingdom of God (Matt. 6.33).
David, like no one else before him, established a framework for thinking about the nature and purpose of God’s Kingdom, and for setting the hearts of God’s people to seek that Kingdom as their highest priority.
As we turn next to the prophets, then to the Lord Jesus and the Apostles, we shall see, with increasingly clarity, how the outline of the Kingdom, which David described, becomes fuller and more complete as the history of God’s redemptive work continues.
Next steps
Meditate on Matthew 6.33. As you think about seeking the Kingdom as the highest priority of your life – seeking it in your Personal Mission Field – how does David’s vision in Psalm 72 inform your prayers, planning, and practice? Ask a church leader or pastor to help you think this through.
Additional Resources
Download this week’s study, Kingdom Visionaries 2: David, The Prophets, Jesus.
Sign up for ViewPoint Leaders Training and start your own ViewPoint discussion group.
For a concise explanation of the Kingdom of God, and help in learning how to proclaim it, order a copy of T. M.s little book, The Gospel of the Kingdom from our online store, by clicking here.
Men, join the movement of men at prayer! Download our free brief paper, “Men of the Church: A Solemn Warning,” by clicking here.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.