In ending this history, we would like to set two Psalms before our readers, one of them having Solomon as its subject, and the other composed by him. We would run out of space were we to attempt to set forth the wisdom of Solomon in the various writings of which he is the inspired author. We shall therefore limit ourselves to this short appendix.
Psalm 72 is a psalm “concerning Solomon”: human reason at first glance may even doubt that this psalm is prophetic and applies to the reign of Christ, since so many of the details apply so exactly to that of Solomon. “And he shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. The dwellers in the desert shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer tribute: Yea, all kings shall bow down before him; all nations shall serve him” (Psa. 72:8-118He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 9They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. 10The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 11Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. (Psalm 72:8‑11)). “And he shall live; and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba; and prayer shall be made for him continually: all the day shall he be blessed” (Psa. 72:1515And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised. (Psalm 72:15)). As to his character: “He will judge thy people with righteousness, and thine afflicted with judgment” (Psa. 72:22He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. (Psalm 72:2)). As to the blessings of his reign: “In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon be no more” (Psa. 72:77In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. (Psalm 72:7)). “There shall be abundance of corn in the earth, upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon; and they of the city shall bloom like the herb of the earth” (Psa. 72:1616There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. (Psalm 72:16)). “All nations shall call him blessed” (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)).
Truly, there is scarcely one characteristic feature of that reign with which we have been occupied missing here. Nevertheless we find one thing that is not mentioned in Solomon’s reign: grace. That is why, too, this reign speaks less to our heart and conscience than that of David does. Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of the lilies of the field. His glory speaks less to the soul than the tender care of a father for his children and the grace with which his love overwhelms them. We find this stream of grace, which characterized David much more than it did Solomon, throughout our psalm.
We must therefore look to Him who will unite in His person the characters attributed to these two men of God in order to understand the millennial reign of the Messiah. His reign of righteousness will not only surpass Solomon’s reign, so miserably interrupted, by its splendor and its length, for they shall fear Him “as long as sun and moon endure, from generation to generation” (Psa. 72:55They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. (Psalm 72:5)), and there shall be “abundance of peace till the moon be no more” (Psa. 72:77In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. (Psalm 72:7)); but it shall begin as that of Solomon never began: “He shall come down like rain on the mown grass” (Psa. 72:66He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. (Psalm 72:6)), bringing heavenly blessing there where judgment has done its work and has left nothing to harvest. Under His gentle influence a new harvest shall spring up. David had predicted this of One greater than his son: “From the sunshine, after rain, the green grass springeth from the earth” (2 Sam. 23:44And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. (2 Samuel 23:4)). Observe this character of grace in our psalm bringing compassion, deliverance, and salvation, in order to bring out the afflicted from under the yoke of the oppressor: “He will judge... thine afflicted with rectitude” (Psa. 72:22He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. (Psalm 72:2), margin). “He will do justice to the afflicted of the people; he will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor” (Psa. 72:44He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. (Psalm 72:4)). “For he will deliver the needy who crieth, and the afflicted, who hath no helper” (Psa. 72:1212For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. (Psalm 72:12)). “He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy” (Psa. 72:1313He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. (Psalm 72:13)). “He will redeem their souls from oppression and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight” (Psa. 72:1414He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. (Psalm 72:14)). It is this that will give its incomparable stamp to Christ’s glorious reign, as it is said again: “I will satisfy her needy ones with bread” (Psa. 132:1515I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. (Psalm 132:15)). Thus thought the rejected Messiah here on earth when He fed the multitudes, and if the people would have had Him, He would have manifested Himself as the Messiah entering into His reign. But when He shall take His power to Himself and shall shine upon the earth as the Sun of Righteousness, He will rejoice in the work of His grace and will bring healing in His wings.
Psalm 127 is the only psalm of which Solomon actually is the author. He speaks of the house, the great object of his reign; but he announces a future time when men shall turn to building it and to laboring in vain, to watching in vain to keep the city from the enemy. Such a thing never took place under his scepter. That which Solomon established of course was not final; that which men shall set up will be even less so. But the time will come when Jehovah Himself will build the house and keep the city. Then His Beloved shall at last find “sleep,” that rest of which it is said: “He will rest in his love” (Zeph. 3:1717The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)). Then shall He have children as “an inheritance from Jehovah,” a new people; “from the womb of the morning shall come to thee the dew of thy youth” (Psa. 110:33Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. (Psalm 110:3)). Then shall He be called happy.
Solomon, just like David, looks on to Christ. Each of them knows that he cannot be that righteous ruler over men. Both of them rejoice to see their dignity conferred upon Him who will never use it except for the glory of God.