1 Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
Psalm 72:1-3 (ESV)
Britain’s constitution recognizes that all government comes from God and depends on Him if it is to be godly. Each parliamentary session opens with prayer, one of which begins, “Almighty God, by whom alone Kings reign, and Princes decree justice; and from whom alone cometh all counsel, wisdom, and understanding; we thine unworthy servants, here gathered together in thy Name, do most humbly beseech thee to send down thy Heavenly Wisdom from above, to direct and guide us in all our consultations . . .”1
When Israel first demanded a king, they sinned, because they wanted one like the nations around them (1 Sam. 8:4-9). However, Samuel had warned them that such a king would not rule them justly, but would be greedy for personal gain (1 Sam. 8:11-14).3 Years later, King David recognized that if his son was not to be like the sinful rulers of the world, prayer was vital.
David longed for Solomon, his firstborn son, to rule with God’s justice and righteousness. “Justice” when used together with “righteousness” represents an ideal of social justice. In Israel, where the king was also a judge (e.g., 1 Kings 3:16-28), it was vital for him to judge people justly, especially the poor. Rather than abusing his power to grab what he could, a godly king would treat even his poorest subject rightly. Whilst David longed for Israel to prosper after he died, he wanted that prosperity to be founded on righteousness (v. 3).
David’s prayer was answered. When the Queen of Sheba visited Solomon, she saw a wise ruler of a prosperous nation, executing justice and righteousness (1 Kings 10:6-9). Nevertheless Solomon eventually turned from the Lord, his justice and righteousness were imperfect, and his sin led to the division of his kingdom. The full answer to David’s prayer would have to wait until the arrival of the true Son of David—Christ Jesus, who rules with perfect justice and righteousness, giving decisions for the poor, and whose prosperous kingdom will have no end.
However, although the psalm speaks mainly of the Lord Jesus, it also has secondary applications to all those in authority, whether kings, prime ministers, or presidents. If Israel sinned by wanting a king like the nations around them, Psalm 72 explains what it means to be a godly king unlike the sinful rulers of the world. David’s prayer tells us what God values in any ruler: righteousness and justice, which leads both to prosperity for the nation and justice for the poor.
Such qualities are not found naturally in fallen men; they are a gift of God. Happy then is the nation where Christians and their pastors entreat the Lord for rulers endowed with His justice and righteousness.
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Endnotes
1 Companion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords (London: The Stationery Office, 2003), Appendix K, http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld/ldcomp/ctso01.htm (accessed October 16, 2003).