Psalm 72

Bringing the sermon home:

Every nation in every age is equally in desperate need of just and righteous rulers who fear God and who spread that fear among their citizens. This psalm describes the blessings that flow from such rulers, so we should pray for such rulers and for these blessings for our nation and for all the nations of the world.

However, the more time we spend looking at the world and praying these kinds of prayers, the more we begin to grieve over the lack of any perfectly just, righteous, and trustworthy rulers, and over the lack of the blessings that would flow from them. To a degree, that’s really the point of this psalm, as this is a prayer for the promises of the Davidic Covenant of 2 Samuel 7 to finally be fulfilled.

Not only will the reign of the Messiah from David’s line have no end and no boundaries, this psalm shows us that the eternality and universality of His reign come as a result of Him ruling as God the Father rules, with perfect justice and righteousness, for He is God the Son.

As we pray for Christ's return and for the final establishment of His eternal kingdom, may our hearts be further aligned with His, and may we increasingly become His instruments of justice, righteousness, and peace on the earth.

 [To David] When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you… and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-13)