SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
4/10/2012 8:46:05 AM
My Worship Time Focus: Reigning in Righteousness and Peace
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm 72:1-7
Message of the verses: We will begin to look at Psalm 72 in today’s SD, and first we will look at the introduction.
I have read several introductions to this psalm and some credit Solomon with the writing and some David when he was old right before he made Solomon king. It seems to me that the author of some of the psalms is a great subject of debate by different commentators who have written commentaries on the psalms. I believe that the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is the author of all Scripture using man to render what He wants to be written, however it does seem more helpful at times in our understanding of Scripture to know the background and the human author.
“This is a Coronation Psalm, dedicated to the prosperity of Solomon at the beginning of his reign (1Ki. 2). No NT writer applies any of the psalm to Christ. Still, since the Davidic kings and the Messiah’s rule occasionally merge into each other in the OT literature, the messianic inferences here ought not to be missed (vv. 7, 17, cf. Is. 11:1-5; 60-62). This psalm describes a reign when God, the king, nature, all classes of society, and foreign nations all live together in harmony.” (The John MacArthur Study Bible)
“Solomon is connected with this psalm and 127. If the inscription is translated ‘of Solomon,’ then he was the author and wrote of himself in the third person. This would make it a prayer for God’s help as he sought to rule over the people of Israel. But if the inscription is translated ‘for Solomon,’ David may have been the author (v. 20), and the psalm would be a prayer for the people to use to ask God’s blessing upon their new king. If Solomon did write the psalm, then it had to be the early years of his reign, for in his later years, he turned from the Lord (1Kings 11; Prov. 14:34). But beyond both David and Solomon it the Son of David and the one ‘greater than Solomon’ (Matt. 12:42), Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel. The psalm is quoted nowhere in the New Testament as referring to Jesus, but certainly it describes the elements that will make up the promised kingdom when Jesus returns.” (Dr. Warren Wiersbe)
A Righteous King (vv. 1-7): “1 ¶ «A Psalm of Solomon.» Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s son.
“2 ¶ May he judge Your people with righteousness And Your afflicted with justice. 3 Let the mountains bring peace to the people, And the hills, in righteousness. 4 May he vindicate the afflicted of the people, Save the children of the needy And crush the oppressor. 5 Let them fear You while the sun endures, And as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 6 May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, Like showers that water the earth. 7 In his days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace till the moon is no more.”
In Deuteronomy 17:14-20 we see what God told the people of Israel through Moses were the qualifications of a king who would eventually reign over the nation of Israel. God was the true King in Israel, but He knew that there would come a day when the people would ask for a king and this king would be His representative, obligated to lead the people according to the law of God. “14 ¶ "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ’I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. 16 "Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, ’You shall never again return that way.’ 17 "He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. 18 "Now it shall come about when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. 19 "It shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.” Not many of the kings followed what these verses in the Law told them to do, especially Solomon.
We notice that “righteousness” is mentioned four times in verses 1-3 and verse seven, and when the day comes that Jesus Christ takes His seat in Jerusalem to rule the world for 1000 years that He will rule in righteousness. When Solomon begin his reign he was very young and the Lord came to him and asked him what he wanted and Solomon replied that he desired wisdom from the Lord in order to rule His people Israel and God gave him wisdom, more than any man would possess. There was peace during the reign of Solomon and Israel prospered more than any other time in her history. Both peace and prosperity depend upon righteousness and for the most part of Solomon’s reign that was true. When Jesus reigns for 1000 years on the earth it will be true for His entire reign upon this earth, and He will rule over all the earth for Jesus is are King of righteousness and our King of peace (Heb. 7:1-3).
Dr. Wiersbe points out that Solomon’s name is related to the Hebrew word shalom which means “peace, prosperity, and well-being.” We have seen from reading about Solomon’s reign that he cared for the poor and for the afflicted which reminds us of what Jesus did while ministering upon this earth. Early in his reign Solomon cared for all of the people, but in the later stages he burdened them with high taxes, which would eventually cause the division in the nation of Israel after he died.
In verse five of Psalm 72 we can see that the author could have written “long live the king” for that is what he is implying when he wrote that verse. Then we see in verses six and seven how the king should reign, as these verses speak of reigning in peace and righteousness. Dr. Wiersbe says “Godly leaders are like the refreshing rain that makes the land fruitful and beautiful, so that even the newly mown fields will produce a second crop. They are also like lamps that light the way (2Sam. 21:17), shields that protect (84:9; 89:16), and the very breath of life that sustains us (Lam. 4:20). Alas, very few of the kings who reigned after David were models of godliness.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: As I look at this psalm and think about righteousness it makes me think of what Jesus Christ did for me upon the cross. Jesus Christ took my sin, my unrighteousness upon Himself on the cross so that it was judged by His Father and therefore when His Father looks at me He sees His righteousness and not my unrighteousness and therefore I am one of His children. Jesus exchanged my sin for His righteousness and this is the most unfair exchange there can be, but because of His great love He did this.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Sanctification is a process in that we are sanctified at the new birth and that in position we are sanctified before the Lord. My walk must be moving toward a life that is what I am in position. Continue to learn contentment is also a step of faith for me and will be for the rest of my life.
4/10/2012 10:06:45 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment