All the nations shall be blessed in Jesus
Psalms 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17. November 29, 2022 - Tuesday, 1st Week of Advent
Psalms 72 and 127 are the only two psalms in the entire Psalter assigned to king Solomon. He was known for judicial wisdom (1 Kings 3:16-28), the great extent of the kingdom and the gifts and tribute he collected (1 Kings 5:1-3), including from Tarshish (cf. 1 Kings 10:22), and Sheba (cf. 1 Kings 10:10). But at the same time, during his reign people were heavily taxed (1 Kings 12:1-19) and places of worship to foreign gods were established. Although he was the first king who could be called “the king’s son”, succeeding his father David as king of Israel, he failed to maintain justice and righteousness. So what kind of king do we need?
At the beginning of this psalm, the author asks God to endow the king with God’s judgment. This judgment refers to economic policies that sustain the life of the poor and the marginalised. This king should act on behalf of the poor and the needy to protect them from economic forces that make the rich richer and the poor poorer. More than two thousand years have passed since this psalm was written and not much has changed in the world. The rich keep getting richer and the poor remain poor. None of our leaders qualifies to fulfil the role of the king described in the psalm.
The psalmist hopes that the reign of this king will not be confined only to the people of Israel. He should be the ruler of the entire earth: “May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth” (Ps 72:8). His reign will be so extraordinary that it will bring blessing to all the inhabitants of the earth. His name will be remembered forever because, unlike all other kings, he is the only one who succeeded to establish justice and peace, and who cared for the vulnerable and the needy. But, who is that ideal king of justice and peace?
The Old Testament is known for three promises given by God. The first two were given to Abraham: countless descendants and land to live in (see Gen 12:1-2). The third one is in the writings of the prophets and refers to an ideal king of justice (Is 11:1-9). The prophets realised that all kings of Israel, even the best ones - like David or Josiah could not establish justice and peace upon the earth. After all, they were sinful people prone to the abuse of power like our leaders today. And so, they were prophesying and expecting a king who would establish justice within society and peace that embraces the entire creation.
The only possible candidate to fulfil the role of the king from the psalm is Jesus Christ and His universal kingdom of peace, love, and justice established in the hearts of those who believe in him and live by the values of Christ’s Gospel. His rule shall be fully established when Christ returns and transforms the old heaven and earth into a new creation.