PSALM 72

[A Psalm] of Solomon. Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s Son. 2 He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice. 3 The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness. 4 He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor. 5 They shall fear You As long as the sun and moon endure, Throughout all generations. 6 He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers [that] water the earth. 7 In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more.

PSALM 72:1-7

A GOOD GOVENMENT

I’ve been a few places outside of the United States and seen how a few different countries are governed. Sometimes the people have a voice in who will be the president or leader, other times they have no real voice. I’ve witnessed poverty in lots of places. Sometimes that poverty was caused by injustice that was unaddressed by the “rulers” and in some instances it was even caused by the “rulers.” Such instances should cause us to pause and consider what is a “good government?” Even in America there is turmoil and strife over how our country is run and for those who cry out for justice. It only makes it more evident that we live in a fallen world.

Solomon writes this Psalm calling out to God to bless him to be a good leader and ruler of his people. He doesn’t have a small job, it’s a big one. He is the first in the Davidic line of kings behind his father David. He wants to judge justly. He wants to honor God as king. And as we read through the scriptures we notice that he does several things right… but then we also note that he does several things wrong or not as rightly/ fully as he should. (It’s easy to see his mistakes from the outside, but I wonder how he felt when he was making them?)

The truth of the matter is that Solomon was a good king, but the end of his Reign not only had he built the temple to God, but he had build several places for idol worship in the land of Israel. We see he was wise and just, but he also had oppressed and perhaps overworked the people of the northern ten tribes to the point that they are willing to rebel when his son takes over.

We marvel at the Davidic line. How can someone who is said to be a man after God’s heart go an commit adultery and kill another man? How can a man be called the wisest man who ever lived and yet be at the center of rampant idolatry worship in Israel? We could probably say similar things about the people who have held office in our cities, states, and nations. We need a better leaders. We don’t just need sometimes godly leaders, we need God as our leader…. Enter Jesus Christ.

I’m convinced that our complaints of injustice can only be met when Jesus is king. Indeed we are taught to pray, “Thy Kingdom Come.” We are recognizing that as good as our politicians and leaders might be in their own generation, there is only truly ever good king and his name is Jesus. Only He can deliver us from sin, and death. He is the one who can undue the curse.

PRAYER

Father, Your kingdom come. Your will be done. I am asking for good and godly leaders for our nation. I am grateful for so much that has transpired recently in my nation with the supreme court. While I ask for your blessing on our leaders and for your will to be done and executed through good and godly politicians who would seek after you, I also know that no one will be as good for the world as Jesus. So I look to you and pray that in your timing, your kingdom would come, and those in Christ would be ready. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.