He Shall Reign Forever! 8 April 2018
He Shall Reign Forever!
D6 Series— Songs from the Heart (Psalms)
Psalm 72
Series Overview: The Psalms reveal hearts poured out in inspired song.
Big Idea: We are to honor, serve, and submit to King Jesus…who is coming soon.
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word…king?
Chess?
Burgers?
The British Royal family?
The Lion King?
A fiction writer?
A tennis player?
A Cleveland basketball player?
Elvis?
This past week we remembered the horrific assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. 50 years ago.
We really have nothing in our culture quite like a king. No mayor, movie star, president, or billionaire CEO possesses the authority of a king.
Human Kings
The Bible is filled with kings, queens, and kingdoms. In the Old Testament alone, the word melek or “king” in English appears almost 2700 times! Human kings first appear in Genesis 14. Saul, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah are just a few of the biblical kings. Wealth and power surrounded them, though they often faced opposition from other kings and kingdoms.
The kings of Israel had to meet several strict criteria, according to Deuteronomy 17:14–20:
chosen by God
not a foreigner
must not accumulate horses (i.e., build up and trust in military might)
must not accumulate many wives
must not accumulate wealth for himself
must write a copy of the law for himself
must read it and obey it
Unlike foreign kings who were often considered to be gods themselves, the kings of Israel were not to be above the law, but rather subject to God’s law. The king was to be an example of a humble servant of God leading the people in keeping God’s law. Oh that all of our leaders would have such a posture!
In his book Kingdom Conspiracy, Scot McKnight argues that in the Bible, “kingdom” implies five things
- A king
- A rule
- A people
- A law
- A land (Israel)
In short, the biblical understanding of “the kingdom’ is a people governed by a king. Today, the Kingdom of God, then, is the church.
Psalms
Today we continue our month-long look into the book of Psalms. Last Sunday we began with Psalm 22 and those unforgettable words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The book of Psalms was Israel’s hymnbook. I’d love to hear the melodies of these songs! It probably won’t surprise many of you to know Psalms is my favorite book of the Bible, at least in the Old Testament. The passion, authenticity, and artistry of these lyrics are so real, relevant, and inspiring…thousands of years after their writing.
Just as there are different types of hymns, there are different types of Psalms. Psalm 72 is a Messianic Psalm, viewing the Messiah—which literally means “the anointed one”— as King. It was written by or for Solomon (by his father David) as a prayer, also prophetically speaking of Jesus the Messiah. They helped prepare the saints of the Old Testament for the coming of Christ. What’s fascinating about this Psalm is it’s written by a king…about King Jesus.
Of Solomon.
Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice. (Psalms 72:1-2)
I love the heart of the writer. The king has power, but wants it used wisely, benevolently. He seeks to be righteous and just. Of course, everything he seeks will ultimately be fulfilled in King Jesus.
May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor. (Psalms 72:3-4)
Does anyone have a problem with this? Of course not. We all want to see prosperity. We want the suffering defended, the children saved, and the oppressors crushed. That’s justice. And I might add the subjects of the king carry out the wishes of the king.
May he endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more. (Psalms 72:5-7)
A common theme in kingdom language is longevity and legacy. A member of the British royal family has been on the throne for centuries. Spoiler alert: King Jesus will rule forever!!!
May he rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May the desert tribes bow before him
and his enemies lick the dust. (Psalms 72:8-9)
Verse 8 is similar to Zechariah 9:10. I love the imagery, especially in verse nine. May his enemies lick the desert dust!
May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
present him gifts. (Psalms 72:10)
One day we will present King Jesus with gifts, laying our crowns before him (Revelation 4:10-11).
May all kings bow down to him
and all nations serve him.
For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death. (Psalms 72:11-13)
King Jesus will rule over all nations! Once again we see references to the needy, weak and afflicted. The Bible is loaded with concern for the vulnerable.
He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long. (Psalms 72:14-15)
There’s a lot in these two verses which pretty much speak for themselves. Note the prayers. The psalmist recognized the need for prayer, for divine intervention. While we pray to Jesus more than pray for Jesus, we can certainly pray for our human leaders. The Presidential Prayer Team has a website where you can learn how to pray for our president and his colleagues. Our mayor, city council, governor, judges, and congress all need our prayers.
May grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon
and thrive like the grass of the field. (Psalms 72:16)
We would probably never think to pray for grain and crops in a nation so agriculturally rich, yet we are not beyond drought, floods, and other natural disasters which could spoil our food supply.
May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
Then all nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed. (Psalms 72:17)
Again we see all nations impacted by the royal son of David, the Messiah, not just Israel. Thus concludes the prayer. The rest of the chapter is a doxology, the response of the people.
Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse. (Psalms 72:17-20)
The LORD God is the One we are to praise. He is the source of all blessings, provisions, gifts, and wisdom.
May the name of the LORD be forever praised!
May the whole earth be filled with the glory of the LORD!
So What?
Although we may not be ruled by an earthly king, we are subjects to a heavenly King. He longs to see the vulnerable cared for, the oppressed released, and justice served. Every follower of Jesus has a duty, a responsibility, an obligation, and a privilege to glorify the King by carrying out His will, His desires in our world today. In His absence, we are to re-present the King well to our broken world.
Our Messiah, King Jesus, will one day return to rule and reign forever. Listen to these words most commonly recited around Christmastime:
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
Do you hear echoes of Lamentations?
You, LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. (Lamentations 5:19)
There’s more to Christianity than the cradle and the Cross. There’s also the crown. Chiseled into the cornerstone of the United Nations building is an unfulfilled quotation from Isaiah in the Bible. It reads,
They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)
Won’t that be the day?! This is a prophecy of when the Messiah will reign over the earth. The prophet Ezekiel wrote,
A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to him I will give it.’ (Ezekiel 21:27)
The King is coming!
The NIV translation of the Bible includes 365 mentions of the word “kingdom.” Perhaps the most famous is in what we call the LORD’s prayer: Jesus said,
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)
The late Dallas Willard said we ask that the kingdom would “take over at all points in the personal, social and political order where it is now excluded.”
This should be our constant prayer, for the rule of the King to be real and present in our lives. As subjects to the King, we are to seek the will of the King. We are to pray for heaven to kiss earth. We are all aware that we are in the now and the not yet, the in between time, the space where good and evil battle…but not forever!
Someday Jesus will return to the earth he created, the earth he visited, the earth where he lived, died, and rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven but promised to return. When he returns, he won’t come as a baby. His mission won’t be to surrender his life. He won’t ride a donkey. No, the return of the King will be much different. He will come back as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Revelation tells us there will be a battle.
They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” (Revelation 17:14)
In fact,
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16)
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
D6 Series— Songs from the Heart (Psalms)
Psalm 72
Series Overview: The Psalms reveal hearts poured out in inspired song.
Big Idea: We are to honor, serve, and submit to King Jesus…who is coming soon.
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word…king?
Chess?
Burgers?
The British Royal family?
The Lion King?
A fiction writer?
A tennis player?
A Cleveland basketball player?
Elvis?
This past week we remembered the horrific assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. 50 years ago.
We really have nothing in our culture quite like a king. No mayor, movie star, president, or billionaire CEO possesses the authority of a king.
Human Kings
The Bible is filled with kings, queens, and kingdoms. In the Old Testament alone, the word melek or “king” in English appears almost 2700 times! Human kings first appear in Genesis 14. Saul, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and Josiah are just a few of the biblical kings. Wealth and power surrounded them, though they often faced opposition from other kings and kingdoms.
The kings of Israel had to meet several strict criteria, according to Deuteronomy 17:14–20:
chosen by God
not a foreigner
must not accumulate horses (i.e., build up and trust in military might)
must not accumulate many wives
must not accumulate wealth for himself
must write a copy of the law for himself
must read it and obey it
Unlike foreign kings who were often considered to be gods themselves, the kings of Israel were not to be above the law, but rather subject to God’s law. The king was to be an example of a humble servant of God leading the people in keeping God’s law. Oh that all of our leaders would have such a posture!
In his book Kingdom Conspiracy, Scot McKnight argues that in the Bible, “kingdom” implies five things
- A king
- A rule
- A people
- A law
- A land (Israel)
In short, the biblical understanding of “the kingdom’ is a people governed by a king. Today, the Kingdom of God, then, is the church.
Psalms
Today we continue our month-long look into the book of Psalms. Last Sunday we began with Psalm 22 and those unforgettable words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The book of Psalms was Israel’s hymnbook. I’d love to hear the melodies of these songs! It probably won’t surprise many of you to know Psalms is my favorite book of the Bible, at least in the Old Testament. The passion, authenticity, and artistry of these lyrics are so real, relevant, and inspiring…thousands of years after their writing.
Just as there are different types of hymns, there are different types of Psalms. Psalm 72 is a Messianic Psalm, viewing the Messiah—which literally means “the anointed one”— as King. It was written by or for Solomon (by his father David) as a prayer, also prophetically speaking of Jesus the Messiah. They helped prepare the saints of the Old Testament for the coming of Christ. What’s fascinating about this Psalm is it’s written by a king…about King Jesus.
Of Solomon.
Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice. (Psalms 72:1-2)
I love the heart of the writer. The king has power, but wants it used wisely, benevolently. He seeks to be righteous and just. Of course, everything he seeks will ultimately be fulfilled in King Jesus.
May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
may he crush the oppressor. (Psalms 72:3-4)
Does anyone have a problem with this? Of course not. We all want to see prosperity. We want the suffering defended, the children saved, and the oppressors crushed. That’s justice. And I might add the subjects of the king carry out the wishes of the king.
May he endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
May he be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish
and prosperity abound till the moon is no more. (Psalms 72:5-7)
A common theme in kingdom language is longevity and legacy. A member of the British royal family has been on the throne for centuries. Spoiler alert: King Jesus will rule forever!!!
May he rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May the desert tribes bow before him
and his enemies lick the dust. (Psalms 72:8-9)
Verse 8 is similar to Zechariah 9:10. I love the imagery, especially in verse nine. May his enemies lick the desert dust!
May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba and Seba
present him gifts. (Psalms 72:10)
One day we will present King Jesus with gifts, laying our crowns before him (Revelation 4:10-11).
May all kings bow down to him
and all nations serve him.
For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death. (Psalms 72:11-13)
King Jesus will rule over all nations! Once again we see references to the needy, weak and afflicted. The Bible is loaded with concern for the vulnerable.
He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long. (Psalms 72:14-15)
There’s a lot in these two verses which pretty much speak for themselves. Note the prayers. The psalmist recognized the need for prayer, for divine intervention. While we pray to Jesus more than pray for Jesus, we can certainly pray for our human leaders. The Presidential Prayer Team has a website where you can learn how to pray for our president and his colleagues. Our mayor, city council, governor, judges, and congress all need our prayers.
May grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon
and thrive like the grass of the field. (Psalms 72:16)
We would probably never think to pray for grain and crops in a nation so agriculturally rich, yet we are not beyond drought, floods, and other natural disasters which could spoil our food supply.
May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
Then all nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed. (Psalms 72:17)
Again we see all nations impacted by the royal son of David, the Messiah, not just Israel. Thus concludes the prayer. The rest of the chapter is a doxology, the response of the people.
Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse. (Psalms 72:17-20)
The LORD God is the One we are to praise. He is the source of all blessings, provisions, gifts, and wisdom.
May the name of the LORD be forever praised!
May the whole earth be filled with the glory of the LORD!
So What?
Although we may not be ruled by an earthly king, we are subjects to a heavenly King. He longs to see the vulnerable cared for, the oppressed released, and justice served. Every follower of Jesus has a duty, a responsibility, an obligation, and a privilege to glorify the King by carrying out His will, His desires in our world today. In His absence, we are to re-present the King well to our broken world.
Our Messiah, King Jesus, will one day return to rule and reign forever. Listen to these words most commonly recited around Christmastime:
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33)
Do you hear echoes of Lamentations?
You, LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. (Lamentations 5:19)
There’s more to Christianity than the cradle and the Cross. There’s also the crown. Chiseled into the cornerstone of the United Nations building is an unfulfilled quotation from Isaiah in the Bible. It reads,
They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)
Won’t that be the day?! This is a prophecy of when the Messiah will reign over the earth. The prophet Ezekiel wrote,
A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to him I will give it.’ (Ezekiel 21:27)
The King is coming!
The NIV translation of the Bible includes 365 mentions of the word “kingdom.” Perhaps the most famous is in what we call the LORD’s prayer: Jesus said,
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)
The late Dallas Willard said we ask that the kingdom would “take over at all points in the personal, social and political order where it is now excluded.”
This should be our constant prayer, for the rule of the King to be real and present in our lives. As subjects to the King, we are to seek the will of the King. We are to pray for heaven to kiss earth. We are all aware that we are in the now and the not yet, the in between time, the space where good and evil battle…but not forever!
Someday Jesus will return to the earth he created, the earth he visited, the earth where he lived, died, and rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven but promised to return. When he returns, he won’t come as a baby. His mission won’t be to surrender his life. He won’t ride a donkey. No, the return of the King will be much different. He will come back as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Revelation tells us there will be a battle.
They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” (Revelation 17:14)
In fact,
On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. (Revelation 19:16)
In possibly the greatest musical composition of all time, The Messiah, George Frideric Handel wrote
The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever.
King of kings, and Lord of lords,…
And He shall reign forever and ever,
King of kings, forever and ever,
And Lord of lords,
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Conclusion
Dallas Willard explains in The Divine Conspiracy, “God’s own ‘kingdom,’ or ‘rule,’ is the range of his effective will, where what he wants done is done. The person of God himself and the action of his will are the organizing principles of his kingdom, but everything that obeys those principles, whether by nature or by choice, is within his kingdom.” This kingdom is among us, and is accessible now. Jesus said,
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)
May we seek first his kingdom, bringing honor and glory, praise and worship to the king of Kings and the lord of LORDs. He shall reign forever! Amen!
Credits: some notes from Dallas Willard, Scot McKnight, D6