Psalm 72: The Hope of an Eternal King

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We all know the value of good leader. We all desire to have leaders who are committed to what is right and who give themselves to upholding what is good. We should desire and pray for the success of our leaders, knowing that their success will lead to the prosperity and success of our society.

As we come to Psalm 72 we have a prayer for a new king. The reign of King David is coming to an end and Solomon is the heir to the throne; this psalm is a prayer for his reign and for his kingdom. But while it is clear that this psalm is intended for Solomon, it is also clear that Solomon could never fully live up to the hopes of this prayer. This is a prayer that can only be fulfilled by a greater king.

We know that God made a covenant with David about the kingdom that would be fulfilled through the reign of his descendants and Jesus is the fulfillment of that covenant. With that in mind we can recognize that while Psalm 72 was an appropriate prayer for Solomon it is also a portrait or a prophecy of the ultimate heir to the throne of David, King Jesus.