“Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.” (Psalm 72:18)
Do you ever wish you could be a king or queen? It seems like kings and queens have everything! They have whatever food they want. They have servants to do their every bidding. People have to bow down to them out of respect. They tell their military leaders when to go to war. They can give away their money or jewels to whomever they want. It seems like being a king or queen would be the best thing in all the world.
David was a king, but he knew that his subjects, the people of Israel, deserved a better king than he was. So he prayed for a great king to rule perfectly over Israel. He wrote this prayer down in Psalm 72.
God is going to send a righteous king (vv.1-3, 7). Because God’s king will treat all people fairly, whether they are rich or poor, there will be peace for a very long time. When God’s king rules, there will be peace all over the world. God’s king will rule “from sea to sea and….unto the ends of the earth” (v. 8). Kings from all over the world, including places such as Spain and Saudi Arabia, will come to him with gifts because of how great he is.
God is going to send a king who will protect the “poor and needy” from evil. He will “redeem their soul from deceit and violence.” This king will care for his people so much that he will protect them not only from physical danger but also from spiritual harm.
God is going to send a king who will rule forever! Sometimes people in history have been glad when a king died, because he was not a good king. But the king that God will send will be blessed – that means honored – by all nations because of how wonderful he is.
So David blesses the Lord God because He will do the wondrous thing of sending this great king. David did not know who the king would be, but you and I do. Jesus is the king! When the wise men came looking for Jesus, they asked where the King of the Jews would be born. At the triumphal entry the people called Jesus a king. When Jesus spoke to Pilate at His trial, He told Pilate about His kingdom. Jesus is the king for whom David prayed.
God has sent a King for you to honor – and that King is coming again!
My Response:
» King Jesus came once to redeem sinners, and He is coming again to be King of All. Are you praying for Him to come as David prayed? Are you expecting Him to come as David expected Him?