Psalm Meditation 894
Proper 13
August 6, 2017

Psalm 72
1 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains yield 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 needy, and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live 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 righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service.
12 For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have 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 day long.
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains; 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 all nations be blessed in him; may they pronounce him happy.
18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.
(NRSV)

This psalm is addressed to God, about the king. It can get confusing since the king was the representative of God on earth. The king was expected to live out the priorities of God as he ruled over the people of God. The concerns are in some kind of order of importance. The top priority is righteousness and justice, especially for the poor. When wealth and prosperity come to the nation, the psalmist knows that the king will distribute it righteously, with a special consideration for those who are poor and in need.

The defense of the nation isn’t mentioned until the middle of the psalm, after a long reign of righteousness and peace, with expanded borders. Once the realm has expanded there is another call for care of those who are not able to care for themselves. The psalmist, at least, sees the care of the poor, needy, and oppressed as being the responsibility of those who have wealth, power and influence.

These days we tend to believe that wealth and poverty are the rewards and punishments of individual behavior; we are rich or poor because we deserve to be. The psalmist tells us that we who have resources have some responsibility to those who don’t. We care for each other as people of God. It is not about what we deserve, it is about what God calls us to do with the resources we have.

July 31, 2017
LCM