For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Psalm 72:1-11

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.

A. Find Out: 

1. What does the psalmist first ask? v.1,2 (for ‘Who?’)
2. What will be two primary characteristics of his reign? v.3
3. How will he care for his people? v.4
4. What will be characteristics of his reign? v.5-7
5. How extensive will be his reign? v.8-11

B. Think:

1. What is said about the extent of this reign?
2. What is said about the nature of it?

C. Comment:

There are some unclear things about this Psalm. It appears to be the request of God by a king for his son who will follow on. Verse 2 can be read, “May he judge your people”. At the end of it comes the editorial note about the end of David’s prayers, so it may be we should see this not a psalm ‘ Of Solomon’ but ‘ for Solomon’, In that sense it becomes very prophetic because all that is here, happened – but it didn’t for Solomon’s son who reigned.

Noting the characteristics that David (let’s assume it was him) asked for, it starts with justice and righteousness (v.1,2), two characteristics close to God’s heart. If the nation is founded on these it will be in good standing with God. When that happens, a number of things will follow.

Mountains and hills normally water the land (the rain runs off them to water the land below) but these mountains will know prosperity and righteousness flowing down over the land (v.3). This will be a good land to be in because there is plenty of provision (prosperity) and goodness before God (righteousness).

There will also be security for all (v.4) as he cares for the weak and needy and deals with oppressors. His reign will go on and on (v.5) bringing ongoing blessing (v.6,7) and his reign will spread and be mighty (v.8-11). The unlimited extent of v.5 & 11 have led some to suggest that this king is in fact the coming Messiah.

D. Application:

1. Jesus comes to bring law and order and blessing. Worship him.
2. Jesus comes to provide all we ever need. Hallelujah!

Passage: Psalm 72:12-20

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.

20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

A. Find Out:  

1. Who will this king be there for? v.12,13
2. How will he do it? v.14
3. What two sorts of blessing are anticipated? v.15
4. How is the first also seen? v.16
5. How will the second be seen? v.17
6. What does this all evoke in the psalmist? v.18,19

B. Think:

1. Who will be blessed by this king?
2. Why?

C. Comment:

The second half of this psalm reflects the first half that we have already considered. This king has a heart for the weak – the afflicted (v.2,4,12), and the needy (v.4,12,13), and he will deal with all who oppress them (v.4c,14). These are the expressions of the man after God’s own heart. He wants them for his son.

There is a call for this king’s reign to endure and go on and on (v.5,15a,17a) but there is now an added recognition that it will be as his people pray for him (v.15b). In that verse, there is a desire for material blessings (gold) and spiritual blessings (from prayer). The material blessings are shown as the fruit of his reign (v.6) and implied in v.15b,16) and such will it be that it will overflow from the land of Israel to distant lands (v.8-11, 17b). David brought stability and security to the land and Solomon, with God’s gift of wisdom capitalised on that and made the land incredibly prosperous so that affected all these other nations. When Israel was truly led by the Lord then great blessing flowed. The terrible lesson is that so often they weren’t submissive to the Lord and forfeited the blessing. How foolish is Sin in the human race!

As the psalmist anticipates all this blessing from God, his heart is lifted in praise to the Lord (v.18,19), for he recognises that the blessing is solely from the hand of the Lord. It is to Him alone that glory is given for it is by His hand alone that this blessing comes.

D. Application:

1. Those who seek the Lord with all their heart find Him.
2. Those who find the Lord find blessing.