Introduction

Today marks the halfway point on our 40 day journey to the cross. It is such a beautiful thing to see the truths of the Old Testament come to life through Jesus Christ. Today is no different. As we venture into the Davidic covenant, we know that the promised messiah will come from the line of David. Psalm 72 is a beautiful Psalm where we see David praying to God that his heir has success in this calling. The Psalm titled, “Of Solomon” looks to be written for him, but so many beautiful truths of Christ come from this Psalm.

Of Solomon.

Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!
May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!
Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness!
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!
May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!
In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth!
May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust!
May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!
May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!
For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live; may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day!
May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field!
May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him, tall nations call him blessed!
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!

The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended. – Psalm 72

Beautiful to imagine the future king and Christ and his worldwide rule! Blessed are we whom He died for to take away our sins! We eagerly wait his return!

We leave today with this quote from Charles Spurgeon about Psalm 72:

“Where Christ is highest and we are lowest, and the two meet, there is ‘glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.’ I might almost raise the question whether this psalm is more a tribute of homage to the Messiah, or a treasury of comfort for his poor subjects. We will compound the controversy by saying that as Christ here is highly exalted, so his poor needy ones are highly blessed, and while it is a blessing to them that he is exalted, it is an exaltation to him that they are blessed.”

Adoration

Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen! – Psalm 72:18-19

Oh Father God! Your are too glorious for words! Your light shines as bright as ten thousands suns! How unworthy are we of such love! We honor you Lord! We exalt the King of David, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace-the Messiah! Glory to God in the highest. Amen.

Confession

“O Father, we are gathered before you, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, whose chosen dwelling place is with the broken and contrite, to confess that we have sinned in thought and word and deed; we have not loved you with all our heart and soul, we have not loved you with all our mind and strength; we have not even loved our neighbor as ourselves. In your mercy, deepen our sorrow for the wrong we have done and for the good we have left undone, so that we may hate our sin with a holy hatred. But, please Father, do not leave us in sorrow. With you, O Lord, there is forgiveness. In your mercy,restore the joy of our salvation; so that we may love you with a holy love. Amen. ” – Missio Dei Confessional.

Thanksgiving

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill. – Psalm 3:3-4

Lord, thank you for hearing our prayers! Thank you for loving us while we were still sinners and sending your son to die for our sins. Lord, you are so precious to us. May we forever be grateful for all that you gave to us on the cross and may we live for your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

Supplication

Local Church
Pray that your local church continues to be a light for the community, that the church shares the love of God to the ends of the earth. Pray that the local church becomes a new home for many this Easter Sunday! Pray that those within the church who are sick stay healthy.

Community

Pray for your community, that the lost are found and the found grow closer to the Lord. Pray that kindness between community members reign supreme and that peacemakers step forth to be a light for Christ in the everyday battles of darkness. Pray for finances throughout the community and those that hurt.

World
Pray for the Ukraine/Russia Conflict. Pray for softening of hearts, persevering of the saints, provisions and safety of civilians, God’s glory to be shown throughout the war. Pray that as tensions continue to grow, that communication would strengthen and compromises would be made. Pray that those displaced can return home soon. Pray for the financial consequences of war on society that God continues to meets the needs of His people. Pray for those who are hurting internationally and nationally. Pray for the missionaries carrying out the message of God.