Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. He will judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. The mountains will bring prosperity to the people, the hills the fruit of righteousness. He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor. He will endure as long as the sun, as long as the moon, through all generations. He will be like rain falling on a mown field, like showers watering the earth. In his days the righteous will flourish; prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.
He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight. Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him. May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long. Let grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway. Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon; let it thrive like the grass of the field. May his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. All nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed. Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen. This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.
This prayer of David’s evokes images that can only be Messianic in their fulfillment. Jesus alone has the capacity to rule in justice with righteousness. Only He can endure through all the generations, and only He can bring endless peace and prosperity to His people. And we can only imagine what that will be like.
If you’ve ever endured persecution, been at the mercy of an unjust person or system, or been hated just because you look different or hold different beliefs then you know how debilitating it is. Imagine the sense of freedom that will come from knowing that it can never happen to you again. Imagine the release of energy and creativity it will bring you.
If you’ve worked all your life just to support yourself and your family, and awaken each Monday morning with that hollow feeling that comes from knowing that even a minor interruption in the cash flow could be devastating, then you know how it feels to be enslaved. Imagine the burden being lifted from your heart on the day you realize you’ll never again toil in vain.
If accident or illness has made pain your constant companion and every movement brings a reminder that good health, something so many take for granted, is gone for life, imagine how you’ll feel the morning you wake up and discover that not only is the pain gone, but its weakening effects have been reversed and you feel as if you’ll live healthy forever, because you will.
If you’ve become addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex, money, or any one of a hundred other things that this world has to offer and realize that your life is no longer your own but is now ruled by a force so powerful that only death can bring release, imagine the moment when you first notice its hold over you has finally been broken.
If demonic oppression has covered your life with a dark cloud of hopelessness and desperation, and you find yourself going to bed wishing it was morning and waking up wishing it was evening, imagine the bright new dawn of optimism and enthusiasm.
If the loss of a loved one, either through death or the end of a relationship, has you drowning in a sea of grief, imagine the day when that overwhelming sense of loss is gone for good.
Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) In His first visit He paid our price of admission into the abundant life. On the eve of doing so, He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Even though the world’s an evil place fraught with fear and disappointment, injustice and uncertainty, we can have hope in a better day.
This time He’ll bring us His Kingdom and when He does He’ll say, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.“(Rev.21:3-4)
How will that feel? We can only imagine, for no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him — but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.(1 Cor. 2:9-10) Next time you have a few quiet moments, ask Him to reveal it to you. When He does, “The things of Earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His Glory and Grace,” and you’ll never look at life in the same way again.