Psalm 72: Of Christ, the King of all kings!

                            1. The Marks of Godly Rule                    Psalm 72:1-3

Text: “Give the king Thy righteousness, O God, and Thy righteousness unto the king’s son.  He shall judge Thy people with righteousness, and Thy poor with judgement.”

Psalm 72:1-2.

Good morning, Christian subject!  In the temporal sense of earthly government, you are a subject of the sovereign authorities pertaining to the territory and within the borders of the land in which you currently live. 

You are subject to the laws of that sovereign government, and are called by God to live peaceably as a law-abiding citizen of the land/nation in which you abide. 

Yet often, in these times of increased political corruption, and increasing religious apostasy – you are vexed at the laws being legislated, often by unbelieving, and even atheistic politicians, who care nothing for Biblical principles or the Ten Commandments of the Living Lord God!

Psalm 72 helps to define what a Godly government of a nation should be, and describes some of the social aspects of what a Godly government should be doing consistently.

 Today’s government legislation process seems to be in chaos – as laws are being made, often clearly and blatantly against the Ten Commandment laws of the Lord God, which genuine Spiritually regenerate Christian believers are then required to follow!  Anti-Christianity is being promoted today in what once was known as the State of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, and genuine Christian believers must be very clear on what we permit ourselves to be subject to – the politically correct laws of an ungodly government, or the pure and Holy Law of God.

Verse 1. “Give the king Thy judgements, O God.  Living in what is still loosely defined as a Democratically governed country here in the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland, Bible-believing Christians are continually being vexed by the introduction of the vilest anti-Christian law-making in Parliament. 

Sodomy is made, not only legal, but promoted in every manner throughout public life – to speak out against such filthy, God-detested practice, is to call down upon oneself a barrage of intimidation and threat of being prosecuted in the courts for ‘Hate-crime’!

God Himself showed us clearly what His Holy judgement was on the practice of male and female Sodomy by raining down fire and brimstone upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah!  He made a burnt-out desert out of two large cities in His wrath against this particular mode of human sin – and yet temporal governments world-wide have ignored this Biblical fact, and actually shook their puny, politically-correct, fists at a Holy Lord of Heaven! 

“And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.”  (Genesis 18:20)

Abraham, in his compassion as a believer in God, sought to intercede in prayer and make intercession for the sinful citizens of the two Sodomite-infested cities – the Lord told him that He would not destroy the cities IF there were but TEN righteous people living there.  But, alas, there was not even ten citizens who were not involved in homosexual activity; therefore, the Living Lord God Jehovah utterly destroyed the cities for this particular sin.

“Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven.” (Genesis 19:24) So much for government legislation to permit such sin!

Brimstone:  an inflammable mineral substance found in quantities on the shores of the Dead Sea. The cities of the plain were destroyed by a rain of fire and brimstone ( Genesis 19:24 Genesis 19:25 ). In Isaiah 34:9 allusion is made to the destruction of these cities. This word figuratively denotes destruction or punishment ( Job 18:15 ; Isaiah 30:33 ; 34:9 ; Psalms 11:6 ; Ezekiel 38:22 ). It is used to express the idea of excruciating torment in Revelation 14:10 ; 19:20 ; 20:10 . (These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely)

Verse 1b. “…And Thy righteousness unto the king’s son.” Whether David or Solomon penned this Palm, David is noted as having prayed it at the end verse of the Psalm.

However, Spiritually speaking, what we can deduce from what is penned is the fact that Godly government and legislation is to be made in the spirit of God’s Absolute righteousness, and this is the law that committed Bible-believing Christians are encouraged to both obey and promote at all times. 

There can be no obedience subjected to, or promotion of rules and laws that a temporal government makes that are completely contrary to the full righteousness and Commandments of the Lord God Whom we love and seek to serve in Christ Jesus!

“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.  Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?  Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: for he is the minister of God to thee for good.  But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.  Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience’s sake.”  (Romans 13:3-5)

Present day ‘rulers’ in the United Kingdom have legislated this concept in a reverse, perverse manner – their laws on Sodomy promote the evil while suppressing the Christian good!

Verse 2. “He shall judge Thy people with righteousness and Thy poor with judgement.” “Jesus is here, beyond all doubt, in the glory of His reign, both as He now is and as He shall be revealed in the latter-day glory.” (C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, page 309)

Verse 3. “…Peace to the people.” True peace, Everlasting peace, is brought to the sinner’s soul, by the Lord Jesus Christ, for He alone is the true Prince of Eternal peace.  (John 14:27)

Thought: “In a Spiritual sense, peace is given to the heart by the righteousness of Christ; and all the powers and passions of the soul are filled with a holy calm, when the way of Salvation, by a Divine righteousness, is revealed.”  (C.H. Spurgeon,1834-1892)