A Psalm for Solomon.
1 Give the king Thy judgments, O God, and Thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
4 He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
5 They shall fear Thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
7 In His days shall the righteous flourish: and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him: and His enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him: all nations shall serve Him.
12 For He shall deliver the needy when he crieth: the poor also, and him that hath no helper.
13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.
14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in His sight.
15 And 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.
16 There 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.
17 His 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.
18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
19 And blessed be His glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with His glory: Amen, and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
Recognizing the righteous rule and powerful dominion of the King of kings, we bring glory and honor to the Son of David and the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.
An exhilarating surge of awe and exaltation sweeps over us as we contemplate the rule of our sovereign King, who brings nations to their knees before Him. Unlike the fallen kings of the earth, this One is perfectly righteous: He stoops to care for the orphan and the downcast, and He is worthy of our praise, honor, and glory.
Verses 1–5. Every godly king yearns to reign in perfect wisdom and righteousness. You may remember that King Solomon prayed for that wisdom. It is one thing to know God’s righteous law, but it is quite another to wisely apply it to the difficult situations that come before you. David begins this psalm by asking God to give him this ability to wisely apply God’s righteous law in judgment. Then he launches into a psalm of powerful prophetic import concerning one he calls the “king’s son.” As you read a psalm like this, you must remember the special covenant that God had made with David’s family. He had promised that the throne would never depart from David’s family, and David clearly held to this promise for the rest of his life. Undoubtedly, this promise plays a prominent role in David’s mind as he pens this beautiful psalm.
Righteousness marks this King’s reign. Put another way, righteousness describes how this King treats the people whom He rules. In short, He saves by righteousness, and He punishes by righteousness. Verse 3 introduces yet another mark of this King’s reign, and that is peace. It is a peace that comes by righteousness. Without righteousness, we have no peace with God and no peace with each other. From the prophecy of Isaiah we read, “There is no peace, saith the Lord, to the wicked.” By righteousness, our King saves the humble, the downhearted, and the needy. He puts His own righteousness to their account and justifies them, and He makes them willing in the day of His power, both to will and to do of His right and good pleasure (Ps. 110:3: Phil. 2:8–9). On the basis of the same standard of righteousness, He breaks in pieces the proud oppressor who refuses to repent.
Verses 4 and 5 contain a beautiful promise that Jesus will save the children of the humble and needy. Isn’t this the cry of the heart of every godly mother and father? This is followed up with the beautiful promise that our children will serve the King in reverence and fear throughout all generations. Jesus’ kingdom will grow throughout generations as faithful children carry on the godly vision of their parents.
Verses 6–16. At this point, we should consider the time frame in which this prophecy applies to our Lord Jesus Christ. Some suggest that Jesus’ rule is only realized at the end of the world or at some time later in history. But the Lordship of Jesus Christ is the very heart of the gospel preached by the Apostles in the book of the Acts. In fact, with Peter’s very first sermon in Acts 2, he declares that God has made “that same Jesus whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Quoting Psalm 110:1, Peter declares that Jesus Christ is now on the right hand of the Father until all of His enemies are brought under His footstool. Therefore, what makes this psalm so poignantly relevant to us is the very fact that Jesus is currently and actively engaged all around the world in the things listed in this psalm.
Jesus’ reign will bring life to a dead world. As the saving power of Jesus’ death and resurrection is brought to America, Africa, and Asia, spiritual and physical life will return. His dominion will know no end. It will spread from continent to continent and from remote island to island, and there is nothing the devil can do about that. David ruled in 1000 B.C., and his rule hardly extended several hundred miles north and south of Jerusalem. But now his Son’s reign will extend to the far corners of the earth. Moreover, Christ’s enemies will come to serve Him, and kings from distant lands will acknowledge Him as King. This has already happened with godly rulers from distant lands as far off as France, Germany, America, and Holland: rulers like Charlemagne, Alfred the Great, Oliver Cromwell, Patrick Henry, Ronald Reagan, Abraham Kuyper, and others acknowledged Jesus Christ as their Lord and King. Not all kings and nations serve Jesus our King today. But according to 1 Corinthians 15:25, He must reign until all of His enemies are brought under His footstool. Progressively, we are seeing the nations brought to the feet of Jesus our King.
Jesus’ reign is also marked by a tender care for those who are humble and weak. Of course, this could refer to all persons, especially those who are humble and see themselves as weak. Not everyone recognizes himself to be weak and helpless. It is only the weak and helpless that this King will stoop to help.
What an optimistic psalm we have here! David sees this King taking His rule over the entire earth. People come from all nations to give Him tithes and offerings. People of every skin color, language, and culture will offer praise to the Son of David. Moreover, this King’s reign will produce prosperity for those nations that serve Him. How beautifully this psalm has been exemplified in the life of our nation! The first governors and leaders of our nation in the 17th century brought homage to Jesus Christ as Savior and King, and God blessed our nation above and beyond any other nation in the history of the world. Indeed, Jesus is King, and He blesses those lands that acknowledge His kingship.
Verses 17–20. Powerful dictators and kings will live and die, but the name of our King will continue generation after generation. Stalin is dead, and so is Hitler. But the name of our King is still proclaimed in churches in Russia and Germany. He lives and rules in the hearts of men everywhere. In fact, this King will continue His rule as long as the sun endures, and then He will rule forever and ever.
Jesus is a blessing, says verse 18, and He blesses those who bless Him. Is it not fitting that David’s last psalm should turn all the praise and honor over to his own Son? Thus, in the final verses of this great psalm, he lays his warmest blessings at the feet of this great King. “Let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Let it be and let it be.” Here are words that could hardly be matched by any more beautiful words in all of Scripture. Can you say those words about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of David, our Savior and King?
As you look out over the history of Jesus’ reign since He ascended to the right hand of the Father on high, you must see that Jesus has not been wasting His time. Since A.D. 30, history is nothing more or less than a record of the progressive rule of Jesus Christ over the entire world. Cannibals in the New Hebrides that formerly committed egregious violations of the sixth commandment now serve Jesus as King—they minister the Lord’s Table as elders in the church of Jesus Christ. This is the rule of Jesus Christ. Some want to think that Jesus’ rule is some kind of a political rule, but it is far more than that. Jesus rules in the hearts of men, and the effects of His rule touch every part of our lives—every relationship and every institution.
Worship declares the Kingship of Jesus Christ and proclaims His rule over the whole earth. Our worship must be optimistic and hopeful in the powerful rule that Jesus our King holds over ourselves and millions of others across our world. To minimize the kingdom of Jesus Christ in its geographical and institutional impact is to bring impoverished worship to God. Let us never do that.
Worship blesses the name of our King. He is a good King. He has saved His people by giving His life for them. He rules us with infinite tenderness, power, and wisdom. The human heart is built for adoration and praise. The only trouble is that we resort to adoring things that are not worthy of adoration. Well, here is One worthy of all of our adoration and praise. Worship this King.
1. Who is the King’s Son mentioned by David in the first verse of this psalm?
2. What are the characteristics that mark the rule of this great King?
3. When did David’s Son begin His rule?
4. What are the geographical boundaries of the rule of this King?
5. How does Jesus’ rule differ from your typical political tyrannies that operate in the kingdoms of men?
6. Can you name some kings who have fallen down before Jesus and served Him since He began His rule?
1. How does this reminder that Jesus Christ is actively ruling as King of the nations form our perspective towards the present and the future? Does it encourage you to be more optimistic or pessimistic?
2. Is it our passion to see our children as part of His kingdom? Do we see ourselves as the humble and the needy, or are we a proud family?