“Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.” (Psalm 72:1-2)
This is a Psalm apparently penned by King Solomon. The Psalm gives praise to the Lord for the coming Messiah. It describes the one true King who will reign over all the nations with righteousness and peace forever. Yet the Psalm is also a prayer for God’s blessing on the king. Perhaps it was sung at his coronation or at an annual feast to confirm the king as God’s anointed. It asks the Lord to ensure that the King rules with wisdom and justice and that He not neglect the needs of the poor and oppressed. As long as He rules with fairness and mercy then the prayer is that he and the nation be blessed.
It is appropriate at Advent for us to remember the coming of Jesus to establish peace and rule with righteousness. This Advent we are also recovering from a brutal and divisive presidential election. Many across the land are quite displeased with the results and some have reacted with violence and demonstrations. This should not include Christians for we are first and foremost citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom. The results of the election may increase our yearning even more for the return of Jesus our King and ruler. Yet in the meantime, we must pray as did Solomon for the rulers of our nation. We should ask the Lord to grant them His wisdom so that they would rule with truth, fairness and justice for all, especially the oppressed and the needy. In addition we the church of God must seek to preach the gospel to all that they might repent and reach out to Jesus, the only who can change the hearts of the wicked. Then they too may enter this joyous Kingdom of God.