Psalm 72:1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.

2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.

16 There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

MEMORY VERSE: His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. —Psalm 72:17

CENTRAL THOUGHT: The kingdom of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Savior, and King is a kingdom of righteousness, peace, judgment, and everlasting salvation to all mankind, especially to the poor and needy who sense their need of Him.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Psalm 72:6 “Like rain upon the mown grass”: rain or dew upon the pastured grass. The gentle rain and the silent dew from out of the cool of the night helps to restore the grass that has been eaten by the flocks and herds. Just so Christ, in His holy and soul-feeding doctrines, distills through His Holy Spirit the water of life to refresh and restore the soul. As it is prophetically said of Him in Deuteronomy 32:2, “My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.”

Psalm 72:9 “Lick the dust”: an expression meaning completely subdued and conquered.

Psalm 72:14 “Precious shall their blood be in his sight”: an expression of the ardent care and tender regard that Christ has for His saints and those who suffer and endure adversity for His sake. They will not be forgotten, and if because of vile abuse and persecution from the wicked their blood is spilled, He will recompense wrath upon the persecutors and will redeem His people to eternal life with Him.

Psalm 72:15 “Prayer also shall be made for him continually”: more properly expressed, “prayer also shall be made unto Him for His help and grace constantly.” This is a prophecy of the eternal, unchanging priesthood of Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, and it has been fulfilled. I am persuaded that since Christ ascended to the right hand of God He has been interceding to God on behalf of the souls of men, hearing their prayers coming up from the ends of the earth and relaying them to the Father, continually, without a break or vacation. He has been given that holy office and the power to fill it unfailingly.

Psalm 72:16 “An handful of corn”: from the Hebrew, “A fullness of grain.” This denotes fullness of bread, supply, grace, help or mercy, of which the children of His kingdom have need. “In the earth upon the top of the mountains:” within man’s reach but elevated up above the sinful realm of life upon the mountains of holiness and divine love. “The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon”: a reference to Lebanon, which is noted for its massive, spreading cedars. The fruit of righteousness shall wave and be spread forth in that copious and beautiful manner.

LESSON BACKGROUND

The title of this Psalm is “A Psalm for Solomon.” It is generally believed that David wrote this beautiful Psalm for his son Solomon in his last days, when he had set Solomon upon the throne of his kingdom. However, as it is true with other writings of David, the Holy Spirit shaped the message to reach into the future to foretell the beauty and majesty of Christ’s kingdom, of which the throne of David was a type and shadow. What was spoken primarily of Solomon is fulfilled spiritually in Christ. This Psalm, then, is a clear prophecy of the glory and majesty of Christ in His everlasting kingdom of peace and love.

Noteworthy are the expressions of care and regard for the poor and oppressed. This is very much fulfilled in Christ, as it says so in various places, namely, Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.” Matthew 11:5 says, “The poor have the gospel preached to them,” as also Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” and James 2:5, “Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” The truly poor in heart and attitude are the ones who are most sensitive and receptive to the grace of the Lord Jesus. The proud and self-sufficient have very little response to the gospel of Christ. It is the poor and depressed in mind and spirit, lowly and meek, humble, and broken in spirit who are able to receive the grace of God for their eternal good and salvation. This is a very important factor not to be overlooked.

“And he shall live” (verse 15). This is a simple statement, but so vital in importance and value. He shall live. He shall live forever. He will die, but He will not stay dead. He shall live again, never to die any more. And this life He will share with all who believe in Him and obey Him. Let us behold the glorious reign of our Lord and Savior and press our way into His blessed fellowship!

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

DISCUSSION:

1. Why are the poor so important to the kingdom of Christ?
2. What does it mean to be truly poor in spirit?
3. How is Christ like the showers upon the grass?
4. How and in what way will Christ make the righteous to flourish?
5. How does the kingdom of Christ fulfill this Psalm?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

What a wonderful scene of the grandness of Christ’s kingdom we have before us in the scope of the 72nd Psalm! Surely He fulfills and portrays all of it completely. God gave to Jesus, His Son, His judgments and righteousness. As it was also prophesied of Him in Isaiah 11:3-4, “He shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.”

Jesus was a poor man Himself. He sought not for earthly pleasure, nor treasures of this life. He was humble and meek and lowly in heart. He did not appeal to the proud and self- sufficient and those who were not aware of their need. He appealed to those who knew that they were sinful and condemned before God, for they were seeking help. He was welcomed by those who were hungry and thirsty for righteousness, open to receive His doctrines as the parched pastures welcome the showers of rain.

Though Jesus was kind and humble, yet He was bold and courageous to declare the judgments of God. He was triumphant even though He submitted to die at the hands of the ungodly. He came forth from death and the grave a Conqueror. All of His enemies will “lick the dust;” if not now, they will in that great day to come. He has redeemed us from the power of Satan and we can escape his pitfalls and live victoriously over sin.

Jesus lives today, and after nearly 2,000 years have come and gone in this age of mercy, He still is at the right hand of God interceding for all who come unto God by Him. Prayer is rising from the ends of the earth constantly. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. He reigns in the righteous might of His Father. He will live forever and ever and men shall continue to bless themselves in and through Him.

REFLECTIONS

Jesus chose to live this life in an impoverished state so that he would not be distracted by the cares of life or false security of riches. He told the account of two men who had very contrasting lives: one was a rich man; the other was a poor man named Lazarus. The irony of this account is that the end of these two men had a reversed effect. “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…”

The rich man was blessed with this world’s goods and had a comfortable living. His eternal destiny was not determined by the fact that he was rich. It is obvious that he did not bother to make preparations for his eternal destination while there was time and opportunity. The tragedy is that the torment for the rich man is still ongoing.

On the other hand, Lazarus did not inherit eternal life just because he was poor. He made certain that his calling and election was sure with God. This world’s goods did not interfere with his decision. Lazarus is continuing to enjoy eternal rest and peace.

Once we have drawn our final breath, we have no chance to change the decision we made while in this life. Life is a precious commodity; use it for the Savior. Put all of your energy and resources into eternal life, for yourself, as well as the world that surrounds you. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

—Sis. LaDawna Adams