Slices
Prepare
Imagine entering the throne room of a king. What preparation, if any, would help you make sure you’re ready to meet him? But God the King wants us just to come as we are, but with love and respect. Ready?
Bible passage
Of Solomon.
1 Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
2 May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
4 May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor.
5 May he endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
6 May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
7 In his days may the righteous flourish
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.
8 May he rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 May the desert tribes bow before him
and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
present him with gifts.
11 May all kings bow down to him
and all nations serve him.
12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given to him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long.
16 May corn abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon
and thrive like the grass of the field.
17 May his name endure for ever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
Then all nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.
18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvellous deeds.
19 Praise be to his glorious name for ever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
Explore
You won’t have got far through this song before you realised there’s something strange about it. It seems to be a prayer for the ruler of Israel, who’s a descendant of King David, but then it uses phrases such as ‘May he endure as long as the sun…’ (v 5). Well, none of David’s descendants lived and reigned that long, did they? Except one, of course: the Lord Jesus himself (Matthew 1:6–16; Luke 1:32,33). The song is about Solomon or his son, but it also stretches to be about Jesus.
Scattered through the song are pointers to what the role of the king’s followers should be. Scanning the verses again, how much can you see in them about this, if we’re to work with him in what he’s doing?
One thing I notice for Jesus’ followers, from verse 17b, is that we are to join God in his mission, the same mission he wanted Abram and Sarai to join in with back in Genesis 12:1–3: ‘blessing’ everyone on earth by helping them to know God through Jesus.
Respond
Pray for yourself in your own community, that you’ll find ways of connecting with those who don’t yet know Jesus the King and pointing them to him.
Deeper Bible study
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days, / almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.’1
Has there ever been a leader so illustrious, so victorious and so magnificent as in this psalm? Among these proclamations of glory are hopes for the qualities we wish world leaders would display today, but which few attain – upholding justice and righteousness, helping the weak and marginalised, protecting the oppressed and needy. Psalm 72 was written for a coronation, possibly by David for the coronation of his son Solomon. It contains the exaggerated language traditionally used at coronations. In my youth, before Australia changed its national anthem, we sang ‘God Save the King’, calling upon God to give him victory over his foes, to make him ‘glorious’ and to give him long Iife. I have just watched British athletes mouth those very words about Queen Elizabeth on the Olympic podium.
Although Psalm 72 originated as a celebration of this earthly king, its lyrics dare to touch eternity. This king’s name will outlive the sun. This monarch will be eternally revered. Although the time-bound Jewish monarchy ended, the psalm lived on because of this eternal dimension, the hope of a holy and just regime which would last for ever. Verse 17 is quoted in the Talmud, the ancient Jewish interpretation of Scripture, as proof that the name of the Primordial Messiah, the Christ before time, was known before the universe began and will live beyond it into eternity.2 For Christians, verses like this leap from the pages of Scripture. We understand that Jesus, the true Messiah, was not just known about before time but existed before time. We also know that the Messiah became human. A king was born in Bethlehem, whose origins were ‘from of old, from ancient times’,3 that is, from eternity. Jesus rightly named himself the Primordial Messiah – ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’.4
Lord of eternity, thank you for caring about me. Lead me safely through the perils of this world. Thank you that, when life ends, you will grant me eternal life.
1 Walter Smith, 1824–1908, ‘Immortal, invisible, God only wise’ 2 Talmud Bavli, Nedarim 39b 3 Mic 5:2 4 John 8:58
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Ezekiel 40,41; 1 John 1
Pray for Scripture Union
More than 200 schools across Australia are urgently requesting SU school chaplains. Pray that God would raise up the right people to fill these positions so that more young people can experience God’s love in their time of need.
