#803 The Poor and Those That Think They Aren't

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!

4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,

give deliverance to the children of the needy,

and crush the oppressor!

5 May they fear you while the sun endures,

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!

6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

like showers that water the earth!

7 In his days may the righteous flourish,

and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth!

9 May desert tribes bow down before him,

and his enemies lick the dust!

10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands

render him tribute;

may the kings of Sheba and Seba

bring gifts!

11 May all kings fall down before him,

all nations serve him!

12 For he delivers the needy when he calls,

the poor and him who has no helper.

13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,

and saves the lives of the needy.

14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,

and precious is their blood in his sight.

15 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!

16 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!

17 May his name endure forever,

his fame continue as long as the sun!

May people be blessed in him,

all nations call him blessed!

18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

who alone does wondrous things.

19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory!

Amen and Amen!

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

A Psalm (of, or for) Solomon.

Give the king your justice - This seems to have been penned by Solomon, but as David's prayer to God for his next in line. It is not the esteem of just an office, lineage or other fanciful reverences that men place, out of context with where authority comes from. No, he is desirous of doing the job well, in righteousness and reason. In other words, with God's blessing.

…21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He wishes. 22 Furthermore, the Father judges no one, but has assigned all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.… John 5: 21-23

May he defend the cause of the poor of the people - The poor are with you always, and it is often because of men's depravity that they take the position of the poor to be their advantage over them. In our own country men came after the abolitionist, saying that it was not right of them to put their religious views, interpretations of the Bible regarding human treatment against those who wished to use the poor, the slaves. It took away their means toward greedy ambition. It is also not right for the courts to be swayed by position or money, for that is not justice that the poor cannot afford. It is not truth that can be changed with dollars. If I am to be just then I must know the truth, not look at the name or station, but at the matter. As a man, to be just, I must also know mercy, otherwise I will condemn a better man than myself from the soap box of self righteousness. Those that we punish should be measured against the law, the spirit of the law, and then what would be done to us for the same infraction. I have too often seen men in power commit the worse of a similar offense, excepting anywhere from nothing to a slap on the wrist, then throwing the book at someone who did the same thing but in ignorance. 

…4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while there is still a beam in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite! First take the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6 Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.… Matthew 7: 4-6

- It is much better to be poor than to be an oppressor; for both the needy and their children find an advocate in the heavenly Solomon, who aims all his blows at haughty ones, and rests not till they are utterly destroyed. - C. H. Spurgeon

…5 For if you really change your ways and deeds, if you act justly toward one another, 6 if you no longer oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, and no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will allow you to live in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.… Jeremiah 7: 5-7

May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass - It never fails my eye the morning after the mowing. There is a tinge of brown, like every blade has been burnt or sucked dry, but oh how it responds to a good rain that evening, and like the breaking of a fever or the quenching of the thirst, how much better things look the following day. We will be cut down at times in this life, but to them that love God, to those who are called according to His purpose, they know that this marks the time of coming growth. We look to the heavens for rain.

…15 What can I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has done this. I will walk slowly all my years because of the anguish of my soul. 16 O Lord, by such things men live, and in all of them my spirit finds life. You have restored me to health and let me live. 17 Surely, for my welfare I had such great anguish; but Your love has delivered me from the pit of oblivion, for You have cast all my sins behind Your back.… Isaiah 38: 15-17

He delivers the needy when he calls -

- He permits them to be so needy as to be driven to cry bitterly for help, but then he hears them, and comes to their aid. A child's cry touches a father's heart, and our King is the Father of his people. If we can do no more than cry it will bring omnipotence to our aid. A cry is the native language of a spiritually needy soul; it has done with fine phrases and long orations, and it takes to sobs and moans; and so, indeed, it grasps the most potent of all weapons, for heaven always yields to such artillery. The poor also, and him that hath no helper. The proverb says, "God helps those that help themselves; "but it is yet more true that Jesus helps those who cannot help themselves, nor find help in others. All helpless ones are under the especial care of Zion's compassionate King; let them hasten to put themselves in fellowship with him. Let them look to him, for he is looking for them. - C. H. Spurgeon

Precious is their blood in His sight - God is not a respecter of persons, neither the Son of God, nor the His Spirit, and so no man should sacrifice another to his own ego, life belongs to the Creator of life. A king must and should always respect all men as made in the image of God. Whatever allowance you make against this is against all men. Those that hold themselves up in such a fashion will find themselves against a Holy God, and will find that He is in need of nothing from them. 

1 This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be? 2 Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being, declares the LORD. This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word. 3 Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who praises an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.… Isaiah 66: 1-3