The Perfect King
Notes
Transcript
The Perfect King
The Perfect King
For most of human history, when we built a civilization that group of people were ruled by a king.
And each civilization wanted a king that was good, powerful, and kind.
Unfortunately, many of those who ruled were not good and kind.
They may have been powerful, but with power comes corruption and tyranny.
And this isn’t just true for kingdoms, all people at all times want to be governed by those who have their best interest at heart.
We all long for a governmental overseer who is kind, compassionate, and loving toward their people.
While at the same time being powerful enough to overcome our enemies and provide protection against foreign invaders.
Without falling into corruption or withering away.
And the truth is this has never happened.
Even good rulers and governments have only lasted for miniscule amounts of time.
Kings have been replaced. Kingdoms have rose to power and collapsed in chaos.
And at times, especially when we look at the world around us the hope of a perfect king and kingdom seems like a fairy tale.
It seems so out of reach. Like this kind of thing can never happen and will never happen.
In fact, this longing for a good and perfect ruler is what the Psalm we are going to look at this morning is pointing toward.
The king spoken about in Ps 72 is one who is going to bring peace, prosperity, justice, mercy, and righteousness to the earth.
This seems like a pipe dream.
However, we believe and hope in the fact there will be a day when the perfect and irreplaceable king will reign.
When Jesus comes to rule and reign on the earth every wrong will be made right.
All corruption will cease.
The world will be filled with peace, prosperity, justice, mercy and righteousness.
When Jesus comes to rule and reign the heavens and the earth will be made new.
Corruption will be no more.
I love this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an advent season, that is a season of waiting for the last advent, for the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Advent makes us look at and long for the perfect established kingdom under the rule and reign of King Jesus.
Ps 72, helps us to see this kingdom clearly.
If you look at the title of this Psalm in most translations it says of Solomon.
It could also read for Solomon, to Solomon, the preposition used in the Hebrew is multifaceted.
But here’s what I believe.
This Psalm is for Solomon from his Father David.
As David is lying on his deathbed he writes this Psalm in hopes that Solomon’s reign looks like the one listed here.
The way the psalm is structured and the way it reads is very similar to a prayer.
An intercessory prayer.
So it’s like David is praying for his son.
He is praying that his rule and reign is honorable and pleasing to God.
But Spoiler alert for Solomon’s reign, it isn’t great.
Solomon is a good king, he has some bright spots, but he gets corrupted by power, money, and women.
So this Psalm is for Solomon, or Of Solomon, and it also foreshadows King Jesus.
No king that reigned in Israel fits the description of what is written here, so we look forward to the day that all this is fulfilled in Jesus.
Now before we look at the scriptures let’s pray.
1 God, give your justice to the king and your righteousness to the king’s son.
2 He will judge your people with righteousness and your afflicted ones with justice.
3 May the mountains bring well-being to the people and the hills, righteousness.
4 May he vindicate the afflicted among the people, help the poor, and crush the oppressor.
Righteous Rule
Righteous Rule
In these opening verses, we read that the request is for a righteous rule.
This is a prayer for God’s righteousness and justice to be given to the Son.
This is an interesting request. The Psalmist knows that all good justice and righteousness comes From God Alone.
That’s why he is very deliberate with his words.
Did you see that?
“Give your justice... and your righteousness”
These qualities alone belong to the Lord.
He is the giver and granter of these gifts.
And the only way for the ruler to have access is to live in submission to God.
To listen to and obey the instruction of the Lord.
If the king wants to judge people with righteousness and distribute justice throughout the land.
He must look past himself and look to the Lord.
He must consult and submit to the law of the Lord.
To the rule of the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords
The just and righteous king will reflect the Character of God and the only way to do that is to know who God is and follow his ways.
The law of the Lord must always be before as he examines the people
As he looks to grant justice and righteousness to the people.
This king that has been given the wisdom of the Lord in following after him wants to help those who are afflicted.
He wants to promote justice to those who are wronged.
He his desire is to crush the oppressor, b/c oppression is not justice.
This king want to set the wrongs of the world right.
Correct tyranny and oppression.
And not just correct it, but stomp it out.
Why b/c oppression and affliction are wicked.
And to follow the Lord means to vindicate those who are wronged.
Next year we are going to start going through the book of Luke.
And this is a key theme in Luke’s Gospel.
He is writing to those who are oppressed.
Showing that Jesus came to set wrongs right.
And even in Luke 4:18-21, Jesus tells us that this was his mission.
18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
20 He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21 He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”
That Jesus cares about all those that the world would as soon be thrown to the side.
This is the compassion and care of Jesus.
And here’s one of the best parts, Jesus’ rule isn’t short.
It isn’t going to be temporary, rather it will be eternal.
So his compassion, care, mercy, justice, love, and righteousness won’t run out.
They will endure forever.
5 May they fear you while the sun endures and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May the king be like rain that falls on the cut grass, like spring showers that water the earth.
7 May the righteous flourish in his days and well-being abound until the moon is no more.
Eternal Rule
Eternal Rule
As long as the sun and the moon rise and fall, this kingdom, the Kingdom of God will rule forever and ever.
For all Generations will get to see and experience his goodness and grace.
It’s not going to be a kingdom that is here today and gone tomorrow.
It will last.
It will endure.
Here’s the thing, earthly kingdoms come and go.
They don’t last forever, it may seem like forever to us, but this simply isn’t the case.
For example the Roman Empire lasted for about 1480 years.
That’s a long time, but it’s not forever.
The Pandyan Empire in of Southern India lasted for 1925 years.
Nearly 2000 years, but it’s just a blip on the radar when viewed in light of eternity.
And even within these empires they never had the same ruler or king.
They had several kings and rulers that would reign for a short time and then die.
But here we read about a King that rules and reigns forever over an eternal Kingdom.
One that will never go out.
One that will never cease.
One that last forever under the rule of the good and perfect king.
And under Jesus’ rule we there will be prosperity, peace, and plenty.
We won’t have to wonder if Jesus wakes up on the wrong side of the bed.
We won’t have to worry if today is a good day in Kingdom.
Jesus reign is going to be refreshing.
That’s the imagery that is in v. 6, when it talks about the King’s rule being like rain on the grass and showers that water the earth.
Our world, the New Heavens and new earth will be free from all corruption.
Will be free from any pain and heartache.
Why b/c the wicked, those who are unrighteous, will not live in this kingdom.
The new eternal kingdom will be ruled by the most Righteous King Jesus and those who have trusted and placed their faith in him.
And those who reject Jesus won’t be in the Kingdom.
So the Rule of Jesus is going to be Righteous and Eternal, but what else can we expect from it?
8 May he rule from sea to sea and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
9 May desert tribes kneel before him and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and the coasts and islands bring tribute, the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
11 Let all kings bow in homage to him, all nations serve him.
Boundless Rule
Boundless Rule
All people of the earth are invited into this kingdom.
There is not one group, ethnicity, or language that will be excluded from this kingdom if they bow the knee to Jesus.
And His rule is going to be over the whole earth.
I love this picture that is painted in v. 9, the desert tribes will kneel before him.
This may not mean much to you on the surface, but let’s think about it for a second.
If people are living in the desert, they don’t stay in one place very long.
They constantly move to find resources.
They are nomadic.
Meaning that they don’t live and rule over any one piece of land, rather they aren’t tied down to any singular spot.
But here we see that their allegiance is to King Jesus.
These desert dwellers who live nomadic lives, even they are invited into the kingdom, if they want to worship the King.
Unlike other kingdoms that are limited in their reach, Jesus’ kingdom is going to extend the outer most reaches of the earth.
It’s going to extend to the desert places.
Jesus kingdom is global in nature.
Jesus isn’t a tribal king, he is king over all.
And everyone who comes.
All those from the sea to the desert, from all nations are united under one King, King Jesus.
That’s the beauty of our faith.
That people from all walks of life.
People from every tribe and nations.
People from all socio-economic backgrounds.
Rich or poor, black or white, Educated or uneducated, all people are welcome to the Kingdom.
Why?
B/c we are united under the king of kings and the Lord of lords.
What unifies us is our love and devotion to Jesus.
Jesus brings us into his kingdom b/c of who he is.
Not because of what we can bring.
So we can all stand before him knowing that He’s the reason we are together.
We can link arms and know that it is his mercy, grace, compassion, and sacrifice that brings us together.
We need to be mindful and thoughtful when we say all are welcome.
This doesn’t mean that we are universalist thinking that all people will be saved and that all people will live in the Kingdom.
Only those who honor the king.
Those who bow down and pay homage are welcome.
Otherwise you are his enemy.
And as his enemy you will not enter into his eternal reign.
But if you bow down, if you worship, if you pay homage and trust Jesus you will be saved.
Here’s the push, all of history is moving toward this reality.
And there are people in our lives that are rebels against Jesus.
And we as those who have already been invited in need to know that it is our duty and devotion to Jesus to go tell others about this great King.
We shouldn’t just sit here and reap the benefits of the Kingdom we should go out and tell others about how great this king is.
How lovely, merciful, and gracious he is.
We should warn them that if they don’t bow down they will feel his wrath.
This is our calling as those who love Jesus.
To bring others to him.
To show them.
To tell them about this King who rules over all.
And we shouldn’t really be picky about who we tell.
We should tell everyone.
Even those that we think won’t believe.
Even those who think that they may believe.
Even those who we think are too far gone.
All are welcome if they bow down and worship.
If they recognize his lordship.
Jesus loves to be gracious to his creation listen to
12 For he will rescue the poor who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.
13 He will have pity on the poor and helpless and save the lives of the poor.
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious in his sight.
Gracious Rule
Gracious Rule
As we said earlier, This is one of the reasons that Jesus came was to lift the chin of those who are oppressed.
To heal the ones who have been broken.
There is compassion in the kingdom of Jesus.
Those who fell alone can know the presence of Jesus.
Those who are poor can know the wealth they have in this kingdom.
Those who are lost are found.
There is hope and grace at the foot of the cross.
Like we read in Luke 4 earlier, Jesus is full of compassion.
He acts with compassion.
Those who hurt are not alone.
There is no doubt heartache and pain in the world we live in.
There is oppression, violence, death, despair, heartache, and hopelessness.
And I know that some of you are feeling that at this time.
I know that there is heartache.
I know that you are overwhelmed.
I know that there are some of you who feel hopeless.
I know that though this season is supposed to be one full of Joy, you don’t have any.
All you feel is anxiety, pain, grief, and pain.
I want you to know that in those feelings.
In the despair and grief you are not alone.
Jesus hasn’t abandoned you.
He hasn’t left you alone.
He is with you.
He fights for you.
He comforts you.
In times of deep pain and anguish we often feel like God is so far off.
We can feel like we have been left alone or abandoned.
But in this passage and in the Life of Jesus we know that he isn’t far away.
I want us to look at a passage in the NT for a second.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.
4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.
7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.
God is the God of all comfort.
He desires to comfort us in our affliction.
In our pain.
In our suffering.
And Jesus can do that b/c he suffered too.
He doesn’t just have intellectual knowledge of suffering.
He has experiential knowledge.
He knows what it is to be in pain.
He knows what it is to lose a loved one.
He knows what it is to suffer.
And b/c he is sympathetic we should know that it is good for us to run to him.
Especially b/c where else can we go to find the fullness of comfort and grace.
Not only does he provide comfort, but he has also provided you with a family.
We as a church body are here to comfort and encourage those who are facing these types of Issues.
Paul reminds us in Romans 12:15
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
Let us be the hands, feet and shoulders of Jesus.
We have all received his compassion, let’s share it with others.
And demonstrate to the world how awesome Jesus is.
15 May he live long! May gold from Sheba be given to him. May prayer be offered for him continually, and may he be blessed all day long.
16 May there be plenty of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains. May its crops be like Lebanon. May people flourish in the cities like the grass of the field.
17 May his name endure forever; as long as the sun shines, may his fame increase. May all nations be blessed by him and call him blessed.
New Creation
New Creation
These verses of this psalm are almost like a summary of all that the Psalmist has said up to this point.
His desire is that the whole earth and everything in it will know the goodness of the King.
Again we see here prosperity, peace, and blessings.
Crops growing on the mountain tops.
Cities flourishing from the refreshing rule of the King.
I can’t help but think that this is the allusion to the New heavens and New Earth.
Even where things don’t grow there will be growth.
Grain on the tops of mountains.
There will come a day when all that is wrong and broken in this world will no longer be broken.
All things will be made new.
Not just the things on the earth, but we will be mended too.
Just like Jesus’ resurrection was an example of the new body we will receive there is a new creation coming.
Too often we forget that God’s ultimate plan isn’t that we would dwell in heaven as some ethereal place in the sky, but that God’s plan for his creation is that it is remade.
That his good creation is restored to its former Glory and he will dwell with us on the new Earth.
Our destination is a recreated earth.
Beautiful mountains.
Flowing fields of grain.
That the whole earth will look as the Garden was intended to look.
Everything we enjoy about earth and the beauty here will be amplified and magnified when all is recreated.
That is what we have to look forward to.
There will be no hunger b/c the fields are overflowing with grain.
There will be no death b/c we have inherited eternal life.
There will be no aching joints or hurting backs b/c we have been made whole.
That’s what Paul talks about in Rom8:18-25
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope
21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.
23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
24 Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?
25 Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.
We eagerly wait for the day when all is restored.
We wait for the fulness of God’s blessing to be restored.
We wait for all things to be made new
We wait, pray, and hope for the fullness of God’s glory to be revealed to us.
We wait for new creation.
And in this new creation Jesus’ name will be famous.
His name will endure forever.
All the nations of the earth will be blessed by who he is and what he has done.
And the response to Jesus’ rule and reign should be celebration.
Should be praise and worship.
And that’s how the psalmist closes out this Psalm with Doxology.
Giving God the Glory.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wonders.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; the whole earth is filled with his glory. Amen and amen.
20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are concluded.
Doxology
Doxology
God alone is the one who does wonders.
He alone is the one who is worthy of praise.
He alone is the one who works all things out for the greatest good, His Glory.
And his glory will fill the whole earth.
And the most wonderful thing that God does is invite sinners to become sons and daughters.
It was at the cross of Jesus that God’s glory was on the fullest display.
It was through the death and resurrection of Jesus that the enemies of God are called to worship him as friends.
Here’s the deal, if you haven’t given your life to Jesus you are an enemy of his kingdom.
What this means is that you are still in rebellion.
You are still his enemy and you aren’t a part of his kingdom.
But there is an invitation to you,
If you acknowledge that you are a hopeless sinner with no way to save yourself.
And you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came to redeem you.
Then you will be saved.
Now remember being part of this kingdom means that you live your life subject to Jesus.
Following after him.
Obeying his commands.
And loving him above all else.
That’s the invitation extended to you today.
If you have already been called into his Kingdom.
It’s time to do the work he has called for you to do.
Tell others about the good news of Jesus.
Do good works and honor the king in your daily life.
He is the good and gracious king who loves those who honor him.
He is the best king to love and serve.
He is irreplaceable and incomparable.
Find your rest, purpose, and life in the King today.
Let’s Pray.