Psalm 72 reminds me that any time we place our hope in any man (or woman), no matter how smart, or kind, or righteous, we will be disappointed. Romans 3:23 says simply that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God“. I believe this is a psalm written by King David as his own son, Solomon, was beginning his reign over Israel. It seems to quickly turn from a prayer for Solomon into a description of the “King of Kings”, Jesus Christ. He begins, “Endow the king with Your justice… with Your righteousness. He will judge Your people… bring prosperity“. It is interesting to note that the beginning of Solomon’s rule was the most prosperous and peaceful time in the nation’s history. David continues, “He will defend the afflicted… he will crush the oppressor“. Then David adds “He will endure… through all generations“. Remember that David was given a promise from God that “I will raise up your offspring to succeed you… I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever” (2 Samuel 7:11-14). We must also point out that God made this promise to Solomon conditional, “do all I command and observe My decrees and laws, I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father… But if you or your sons turn away from Me and do not observe the commands and decrees… and go off to serve other god… then I will cut off Israel… and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name” (1 Kings 9:5-7). That is a lot of pressure to perform. Sadly many today live in this performance relationship with God. They believe God blesses them when they do good and curses them when they do bad. If this sounds familiar there is good news for you today.
The psalm continues describing the Forever King, “He will be like rain… watering the earth … the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound… He will rule… to the ends of the earth… All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him“. Philippians 2:10-11 says, “0that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord“. David also says of this King, “He will deliver… and save… He will rescue“. It is this king in whom I place all my trust!
The psalm ends with another reference to a promise of God, “May His name endure forever… All nations will be blessed through Him, and they will call Him blessed“. Before the Law was given to Moses, God promised father Abraham that through his descendents the Savior of the world would be born, “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you“.(Genesis 12:3). By the end of the reign of Solomon, he had broken nearly every rule given to kings, the kingdom was in civil war and he had set the nation on a path of idolatry and captivity. If David’s son blew it, what chance do you have to keep God’s commandments? To make it even tougher, the apostle James said, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). To the self-righteous, “sin” is what other people do, but to those that are humbled, sin is anything short of perfection. Here is the most important information in the history of man; Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. Only by being God could He be sinless and only by being man, could He redeem mankind. John 8:58 Jesus made a claim that caused the Jews to pick up stones to kill Him, “before Abraham was born, I am!“. Romans 10:9 explains the simplicity of salvation, “if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved“. In Acts 10:43, the apostle Peter taught “All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name“. If you try to earn God’s love through your own goodness, you will be frustrated, “for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21). This is why David can say, “Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel…Praise be to His glorious name forever“. Have you been disappointed by someone? Have you been trying to make yourself worthy? Perhaps today you will put your trust in the Savoir of mankind.
Galatians 2: 15“We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
17“If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God,”
Philippians 3: If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Galatians 3:6 explains that Abraham believed God’s promise and that simple faith made him fully accepted as righteous. “Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness“.