Psalm 72: “Give the king thy judgments, O God” – Part 1

Psa 72:1 A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
Psa 72:2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
Psa 72:3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
Psa 72:4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

This particular Psalm has a focus on the judgment from God that must befall all mankind and symbolically speaks of the order and the means by which God introduces that judgment into the earth, through the church – Christ’s body.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

David and Solomon are the types and shadows used to describe how God is giving his anointed elect (Solomon) through Christ (David) the ability to judge a matter righteously.

It is given to the king to be able to judge a matter justly, as Christ said of himself, and it is given to the king’s son to be able to judge a matter correctly by the same power of God’s holy spirit.

Joh 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

A most interesting story in (1 Kings 3:7-28) was inspired to help us understand how God gives wisdom to his people or to the “king’s son”, who demonstrated he had received the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment and equity after he was given a humble and contrite heart to ask not amiss of God in his dream for those things which he would need to be a proper ruler of the nation of Israel.

Pro 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;
Pro 1:2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
Pro 1:3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;
Pro 1:4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.
Pro 1:5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:
Pro 1:6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.

Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

A small breakdown of this story of King Solomon’s judgments on the two harlots

Knowing we are in over our heads: (Joh 9:41)

1Ki 3:7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.
1Ki 3:8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
1Ki 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

Knowing that God alone can make us pleasing and accepted in the Lord: (Eph 1:6)

1Ki 3:10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
1Ki 3:11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment;
1Ki 3:12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

God deeply blesses the first fruits of His creation for losing their lives: (Mat 16:25)

1Ki 3:13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
1Ki 3:14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. (Eph 6:2)

We are blessed to be spiritually awake and standing before the ark of the covenant of the LORD.(Eph 5:14)

When Solomon awakes it is symbolic of our being born again in Christ as we tarry in Jerusalem (Luk 24:49) because it is only there (Jerusalem above) that we can worship God in spirit and in truth (Gal 4:26, Joh 4:24).

1Ki 3:15 And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

Judging the harlots both within and without, and how to do this: (Joh 7:24)

1Ki 3:16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him.
1Ki 3:17 And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.
1Ki 3:18 And it came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.
1Ki 3:19 And this woman’s child died in the night; because she overlaid it.
1Ki 3:20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.
1Ki 3:21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear.
1Ki 3:22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king.

After the accounting is given judgment is accurate and swift: (Ecc 8:11, Mat 24:12, Rev 2:27, Dan 2:43)

1Ki 3:23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
1Ki 3:24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
1Ki 3:25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.
1Ki 3:26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
1Ki 3:27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof.
1Ki 3:28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

The heartless response of the false church (false mother) shows she has no real concern for the life of this child. Her heart was revealed by her own words that came out of her mouth on this day (Mat 12:36-37).

Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
Mat 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

The result of King Solomon having this sword in the earth sharply dividing the intents and thoughts of man’s heart, is that people learned righteousness. Whether they retain that righteousness or how long they retain it is another thing altogether, and God has decreed already who it is that will ultimately “go and sin no more” and how long we all must be that people who fall seven times, walking in the wilderness forty symbolic years, receiving the word on various types of ground, all until He grants that we receive “seed” on good ground. It’s important to notice that the reward is fruit that is “an hundredfold” for those who come to hear for they receive the full benefit of hearing that which each joint of the body of Christ has to offer via the word of God, which is a “an hundredfold” reward as well, described in.

Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Pro 24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Jos 5:6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

Luk 8:5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
Luk 8:6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
Luk 8:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
Luk 8:8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

1Jn 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Eph 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Mar 10:30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

You might think well “how can I receive an hundredfold houses?”; and scripture shows us the answer to this and every other spiritual statement being made.

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

With some of these stories and scriptural principles fresh on our hearts, let’s begin looking at this Psalm tonight to see how these verses, and righteous judgment, applies to each of our lives in Christ today.

Psa 72:1 A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.

It’s a simple point but one that James tenderly asks the brethren to remember that God gives every good and perfect gift. As we mature we will be more and more grateful for those gifts given to each member of Christ’s body which are for the overall good of our spiritual health.

Jas 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

In other words, our prayer today should be “Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son”.

Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

3Jn 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

This brings to mind Mike’s prayer request to the body to pray for Steven Crook to be strengthened and held up to do the studies during that time the Vinsons are on this remarkable “Grace and Peace Tour”. That is an example of the mature desire we have for each other, as was inspired by this prayer:

Eph 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Eph 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; [in other words “an hundredfold“]
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Psa 72:2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

Who is He that “shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment”? and just who is “thy poor” who is judged?

This is who “He” is:

2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2Ti 4:9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: [do your diligence to come to Christ in each other who you are – Heb 10:25].

Psa 110:6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

1Co 6:1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
1Co 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

And this is who “thy poor” is:

Psa 74:19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

Son 5:2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Isa 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Jas 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

Luk 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

Psa 72:3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

We are those mountains^H2022 and little hills^H1389 spoken of in this verse, just as much as we are his little flock, little children, apple of his eye, heirs of the promise, fruitful trees, thy poor and so many other parables to describe who we become in his sight (Psa 114:4, Psa 114:6, Psa 148:9, Pro 8:25, Nah 1:5). But we are both the negative as well as the positive connotation of each of those symbols. A simple search of those two Strong’s numbers (mountains^H2022 and little hills^H1389) tell of our story of becoming something we are not capable of without Christ.

It truly is every mountain and hill within man’s heart that will be brought low and the landscape will dramatically change for all the world’s inhabitants during the millennium when the Lord establishes His rule and reign over the kingdoms of this world in that day when “all flesh shall see the salvation of God”. Being saved in this age we know that seeing and even believing is not a true indicator of conversion, just as was the case in Christ’s day.

Luk 3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
Luk 3:6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Psa 102:25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
Psa 102:26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Joh 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Joh 8:35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. [another promise of the salvation of all].

Ruling with a rod of iron will create a temporary condition of peace, and this is a time of hedging humanity in from being ground to powder by the “rock of offence”.

Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Psa 2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Psa 2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Isa 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.
Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
Isa 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

Rev 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

Mat 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

1Pe 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

The world is blessed by the testimony of Christ’s Christ and seeing his rule on the exterior with a rod of iron ‘is was and will be’, as “mountains” and “little hills”; but true conversion comes only after those mountains fall on us. The great day of God’s wrath is when we are crushed by Christ, and prior to that the relationship reveals our hearts stumble over the word as God softens and hardens our hearts. True conversion can only happen through the chastening and scourging grace by which all men will be saved.

Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

Rev 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Psa 72:4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

Twice now God mentions the “poor of the people” and also “the children of the needy” and how He will “break in pieces the oppressor”.

Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

That breaking in pieces is going to be done with a rod of iron by those who will be given the authority to put down the nations, that God will cause to be yet disobedient to His rule over the kingdoms of this world. This again has an inward application for us today. Satan will be bound however at this time, so the only oppressor on earth is the natural enmity that man has against the spirit of God which enmity will be exposed and dealt with when the fullness of the Amorites occurs. This little by little falling back into iniquity is happening before our eyes in todays society and once again has an ‘is was and will be application’.

Rev 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Zec 14:17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Gen 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

The sum of God’s word shows how Christ will use the elect to be the ones who will judge these matters in the earth, the softening and hardening of hearts as they pray fervent prayers to God to withhold rain or to not withhold rain shadowed in the life of Elijah.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Jas 5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months [type of the time the two witnesses are given power to witness to the nations Rev 11:3].
Jas 5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

We are receiving the world as sons at this time and love them even while they are yet sinners just as God loved us when we were unable to obey God from our hearts. The lesson being laid out for all to see is that God is Sovereign over the entire process of the world’s conversion as He uses the elect to demonstrate His absolute power and authority, proving once again that all things are working according to the counsel of His own will and that when the psalmist prays saying “Give the king thy judgements, O God” he is speaking of His elect who will judge the earth and be given the power and authority to do this.

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

There is no true healing in the earth unless the Lord gives the increase (1Co 3:6) and so the world during this time is being brought to see with very real examples that they cannot confess their faults one to another, or pray for one another unless the Lord gives the increase for this to happen (the softening of the earth by the word of God). It is therefore the fervent prayer of Elias a type of Christ or the elect that brings healing and fruit to the earth as humanity are either dragged to Jerusalem to worship or are given hearts that are hardened to not do so (Joh 6:44, Zec 14:17). We can see through the sum of God’s word that He calls a few to be judges, kings and priest in the earth, and that perfecting of the saints is happening within the church today via the gifts that God gives. These realities bring us back to our title and the concept of God giving us the ability to judge a matter rightly which is a good and perfect gift from heaven “Give the king thy judgments, O God”

Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.