Psalm 72

From: Short Meditations on the Psalms: Chiefly in Their Prophectic Character By: John Gifford Bellett

Psalm 72 • 3 min. read • grade level: 6

The blessed One, who called Himself “greater than Solomon,” is surely “here.” Christ as King of kings, clothed in all regal dignity, and reigning in righteousness, with full universal and enduring dominion, as in the millennium or times of restitution and refreshing, is presented here. (See Psa. 45; 2 Sam. 23; Isa. 9; Isa. 11; Isa. 32; Jer. 23:5-8⁵Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. ⁶In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. ⁷Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; ⁸But, The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. (Jeremiah 23:5‑8).) This is the time of which it is said, “The Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and His name one” (Zech. 14:9⁹And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. (Zechariah 14:9)).

This king does altogether differently from the earthly gods who are found unfaithful to their royal or judicial commissions (Psa. 82). He will rule or judge wisely, as expressed by Solomon’s decree between the two harlots (1 Kings 3). And the scepter of righteousness in His hand will secure peace-mountains and hills, or governments and offices, bringing the one by the other (Psa. 72:3³The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. (Psalm 72:3)). In this way, that kingdom will express the presence of the true Melchisedec, or the sovereignty of Him who is both King of Righteousness and King of Peace. For righteousness being in power then, peace, godly peace, must be the result all the world over: all inconsistent with this must come into judgment. Isaiah 11 beautifully exhibits this also.

To get a name has been the great effort of man, even though the devil give it. (See Gen. 3:5; 4:17; 11:4⁵For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:5)
¹⁷And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. (Genesis 4:17)
⁴And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. (Genesis 11:4); Psa. 49:11¹¹Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. (Psalm 49:11); Dan. 4:30³⁰The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? (Daniel 4:30); Rev. 13:2²And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (Revelation 13:2).) But Jesus will receive a name from God (Psa. 72:17¹⁷His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. (Psalm 72:17); Phil. 2:9⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (Philippians 2:9)). And then the old promise to Abraham shall be made good in Christ his seed, for all shall be blessed in Him. (See Psa. 72:17¹⁷His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. (Psalm 72:17), and Gen. 12:3³And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:3).)

But all this royalty and power of Jesus is to God’s praise (Psa. 72:18-19¹⁸Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. ¹⁹And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. (Psalm 72:18‑19)). For in the kingdom all will own Him Lord to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2). And His throne shall then be an untransferable one, as His priesthood now is; for it is here written “he shall live”—it will be constituted in “the power of an endless life” (Heb. 7)—and prayer and praise shall sustain and surround it, like Solomon’s, forever. All desire ends in a scene like this, in such a kingdom as is here anticipated—the prayers of David cease—for this kingdom is their answer. And surely the thought is blessed and cheering. But we know that a gloomy night is to usher in this bright and happy day. Indeed we do—and that thought is serious. The “whole world is to wonder after the Beast,” before “every tongue confess Jesus Lord.”

I may just add, that this kingdom does not now bound the expectations of faith, though it answered the prayers of David. For the further light of the revelation of God has taught us to look for “new heavens and a new earth” after this kingdom. This kingdom is to be delivered up, and then God is to be all in all. (See Psa. 8.)

NOTE—Psa. 71 gives us the old age of Jewish sorrow; and then, Psa. 73 the morning, or spring time, of Jewish joy, or Solomon’s glory. For though there is the time of “Jacob’s trouble,” yet “he shall be saved out of it” (Jer. 30).

Here the second part of the book of Psalms, according to the Jewish division, ends.

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.