Year 8, Day 211: Psalms 71-72

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Today we have two unique psalms.  The first is a psalm of praise to the glory of God.  The second is a psalm of David as he looks upon the imminent reign of his son Solomon.  Both psalms have something to teach us about life today.

First, look at what we can learn about our relationship with God.  In the first psalm, we have the typical sentiments. The Lord is our rock.  He is our refuge.  He is our shelter.  He is our deliverer.  These are all expected sentiments with a psalm.

There’s more to this psalm than a list of the characteristics of God, however.  In this psalm we also see the human response to the character of God.  We come to Him as we go to a rock for shelter and stability.  We trust in His rescue.    We hope in His presence.  We speak of His righteousness.  As human beings, we have an active role to play.  Relationship is best when it is two-way, not one way.  As great as God is, we have a role to play in the relationship.

This leads us to Psalm 72.  We know David’s relationship with the Lord was strong.  God protected David.  God prospered David.  God called David a man after His own heart.  In all of this, though, David did not desire to keep the relationship between the two of them.  David, and no doubt God as well, desired that his relationship with the Lord would be passed along into others.  Specifically, David desired that his relationship with God would become a relationship between God and his son, Solomon.

As David looks to Solomon’s impending reign, David writes this psalm.  Notice, though, how much the things that David says about the role of the king mimics that of the role of God.  The king is responsible for prosperity of the land.  The king is a defender of the defenseless.  The kings sees that the righteous prosper.  The king has pity on the needy.  David sees the role of the king as the avatar of God’s ways.

This is what relationship with God is all about.  God draws us close to Him so that we can know His goodness.  As we know His goodness, we become representatives of that goodness.  As we represent His goodness, we model it to others and invite them intothe same goodness.

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