A Prayer for Justice
Psalm 72 (RCL 1-7, 10-14)
Tony’s Overview Video
How to Use
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- Read the Bible Lesson by Tony Cartledge in this month’s issue of the Nurturing Faith Journal
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- Select either the Adult or Youth teaching guide and follow the directions
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Key Verse: Psalm 72:2 –
“May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.”
The Sunday we call “Epiphany” found its way into the church calendar as a remembrance of the wise men’s arrival to pay homage to Jesus, thought of as Christ’s first manifestation to the Gentiles.
The Magi had reportedly come in search of “the king of the Jews,” and brought gifts they considered to be fit for a king. They had been directed to Bethlehem by priests or rabbis who cited a line from the prophet Micah indicating Bethlehem as the messiah’s birthplace.
By the time Jesus was born, the “glory days” of a strong king in Israel were long gone. The country had been firmly under the Roman thumb for sixty years, but the desperate hope for a new king who would return Israel to both peace and prominence remained in full force.
As Jesus began to preach and perform mighty works, many Jews thought he might be the one to make Israel great again, but they were disappointed. Jesus had no intention of using his miraculous powers to wage war against Rome and set up another earthly kingdom.
Early Christians came to believe that Jesus was indeed the ultimate fulfillment of the Old Testament hopes, but with a twist: Jesus said he had come to introduce the “kingdom of heaven.” This rule and reign of God exists now, a spiritual glimmer of a “new heaven and a new earth” to come, a kingdom in which God is king and justice reigns.
A prayer for a just king (v. 1-4)
The authors of Israel’s psalms had no idea that God’s redemption would come through someone like Christ, through struggle and suffering, through small beginnings and a spiritual kingdom. For much of Hebrew history, the people’s hope had centered on a king who sat on a throne and was willing to “go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Sam. 8:20).
For the psalmist, then, the best way to intercede for his country and people was to pray for a wise, powerful, and long-lived king. [DD]
The first verse of the psalm sets the stage for all that follows: “Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son.” The Hebrew word order puts special emphasis on these desired qualities. Literally, it reads “O God, your justice to the king give; your righteousness to a king’s son.” The psalmist prays for the king to have nothing less than God’s own perfect justice and righteousness to guide him throughout his reign. [DD]
Although this psalm was likely composed for use in the coronation of a king, the author’s primary concern is with justice – the king is simply the one responsible for promoting and enforcing it.
The word for “justice” is mishpat, which has to do with making right and fair decisions, especially in legal matters. The king in Israel was the arbiter of last resort, so the psalmist prays that the king will make decisions as God would make them. [DD]
“Righteousness” translates the important term tsedaqâ, which refers to right doing in every sense: spiritual, social, and moral – right doing that grows from a right relationship with God and others.
Justice comes when right judgments (v. 2) are rendered for all people, including the poor. Disadvantaged people are often lost or underserved in a system run by the powerful. The true measure of a king, then, is whether he does right by the neediest of his subjects. The psalmist prays for such justice to pervade the land until the very mountains resound with wholeness and well-being (shalôm), as the hills are awash with righteousness (v. 3).
Other nations might oppress the poor, but Israel was to be different. The Torah included specific laws and warnings designed to protect the poor from usurious interest and the loss of their ancestral land (see, for example, Deuteronomy 15). Indeed, God’s intent was to bless faithful Israel to the extent that none would be poor.
Israel’s history was far short of sterling, however. Wealthy but unscrupulous people ignored the law or sought loopholes allowing them to take advantage of those who were less fortunate. Prophets like Isaiah lambasted those who amassed large holdings by squeezing out the poor (Isa. 5:1-10).
The word for “poor” in v. 2 is ‘ōnî. It describes one who not only lacks material things, but is “bowed down” by the circumstances of life. The verbal form could be used to describe intentional affliction or rape, as in Amnon’s abuse of his sister Tamar in 2 Sam. 13:14 – a reminder that unjust economic systems may actively hold others down, making it very difficult for even hard-working people to escape poverty.
We note that the psalmist speaks of your poor. Though God of all people, Yahweh displayed a consistent and special concern for those who lacked the necessities of life (Deut. 10:17-19; Pss. 9:12, 34:6).
As a rule, most wealthy people are far more interested in increasing their riches than in helping the poor improve their standard of living. The psalmist knew that if the king did not proactively advocate for the poor and weak, the status quo would prevail. A good king was one who cared for all persons by stepping in to help those who could not defend themselves against greedy lenders and corrupt officials (v. 4). In doing so, he championed the cause of God’s special people. [DD]
Prayer for an enduring kingdom (vv. 5-17)
Any king who could rule with such careful probity and concern for all people would certainly be a boon to his nation, beloved by his people. The only way to make his reign better would be to make it longer. Thus, the psalmist launches into a rhapsodic plea that the just king and his dynasty might last forever.
“May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations,” the psalmist prayed (v. 5). Ancient life was filled with many uncertainties, but there were two things that did not vary. The sun rose every morning to blanket the earth with its faithful, warming light. And, the moon moved so resolutely through its phases that the ancient Hebrew calendar was based on the lunar cycle.
The psalmist knew that a consistent, dependable, and trustworthy leader would be a boon to the land, bringing peace to the people.
As the sun and moon resided in the heavens, so did the rain, occasionally pouring itself onto the earth in a watery barrage of blessing. The rains in Palestine were not as certain as the sun and moon, but perhaps even more welcome.
Most of the annual rainfall in Israel occurs during the winter months, framed by less certain “early rains” in the fall and “latter rains” in the spring. The authors of scripture often employed the motif of early and late rains as signs of God’s special beneficence to Israel (Deut. 11:14; Jeremiah 5:24; Joel 2:23), for they allowed the planting of additional crops.
Thus, the author prays for a just king who would be as consistent as the solar system and as invigorating as welcome rain (v. 6). “Rain that falls on the mown grass” may be an intentional reference to the latter rains, which came after the harvest – after the fields had been cut. Or, the skillful poet may have intended to touch the hearer’s (and reader’s) senses by calling to mind the lush smell of spring rain on fields newly mown.
The king could not bring rain, but he could foster an atmosphere in which righteousness and peace might flourish throughout the kingdom (v. 7a). What more could one ask than for such leadership to last as long as the moon marks the passing of time (v. 7b)?
Verses 8-17 continue and expand the theme with prayers that the king’s dominion would extend from sea to sea as he defeated all enemies (vv. 8-11).
Power alone does not make a great king, however: the ideal leader is one who “delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.” Such a king “has pity on the weak and the needy” and saves their lives, for “precious is their blood in his sight” (vv. 12-14). [DD] A truly good leader has concern for all people.
In vv. 15-17, the psalmist returns to the hope for a long-lived king who would rule over a fertile and blessed land. No earthly king could live forever, but one could pray that his legacy would continue: “May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun.”
Beyond dominion and long life, the psalmist prayed for a king so just that all nations could benefit from his leadership – a hope that echoes God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3).
A blessing for the true King (vv. 18-19)
The final two verses of the psalm were probably a later addition. While the main body of the psalm is a carefully shaped prayer for the new king, these verses are a doxology to Yahweh, Israel’s God, “who alone does wondrous things” (v. 18). The poet praises God’s glorious name, and prays for the glory of God’s presence to pervade all the earth. The Hebrew word “amen” (repeated for emphasis) means something like “so let it be.” [DD]
The psalmist’s heartfelt prayer for justice has never been fulfilled by a king on a throne or any other national leader. Only in Jesus do we find a righteous ruler whose compassion extends to all people and whose reign will outlast even the sun and the moon.
Adult Teaching Resources
Download the PDF of teaching resources for this lesson.
This PDF contains the Teaching Guide, Digging Deeper, and Hardest Question pages.
Read Scripture online: Psalm 72
Youth Teaching Resources
Parent Prep
“I don’t need you.” How many times have parents, or people who work with youth, heard this phrase, or a phrase very similar? Students want to do it themselves; they want to be the ruler of their own dominion. This tune usually changes when they are in trouble and have tried every other way they know themselves to fix the issue. You’re never going to be able to force your student to be the first person they turn to when they need help. What you can do is be present and offer honest opinions on how they can get to where they need to be? There aren’t many people that look out for your student first and your student will figure this out.
Additional Links/Resources
Read Scripture online: Psalm 72
Download the PDF for youth teaching resources using the button below. This PDF contains the Teaching Guide for this lesson:
Video
Encourage youth to check out this video ahead of the lesson.
“Beowulf Shall Be King” from Beowulf
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