Psalm 71 — 72
righteousness (Isa. 32:17). It is because Jesus fulfilled God's righteousness in His life and death that sinners can be forgiven and have peace with God (Rom. 5:1–8), and He is our "King of righteousness" and "King of peace" (Heb. 7:1–3). Solomon's name is related to the Hebrew word shalom, which means "peace, prosperity, well-being." The king's ministry to the poor and afflicted reminds us of the ministry of Jesus (vv. 2, 4, 12–14; Matt. 9:35–38). Early in his reign, Solomon had that kind of concern, but in his later life, his values changed, and he burdened the people with heavy taxes (1 Kings 12:1–16; 4:7; 5:13–15).
in Isaiah but only three times in The Psalms (71:22; 78:41; 89:18). The name connects with the emphasis in the psalm on God's righteousness. "Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen. 18:25). The psalmist sang and shouted all day long (vv. 24, 8), not just during the stated services at the temple. He opened the psalm with a request that he would never be put to shame and confusion, and now he closed the psalm with the assurance that his enemies would be put to shame and confusion! He had looked back at a life of trials and blessings from the Lord; he had looked around at his enemies; he had looked ahead at old age and its problems; and he had even looked down into the depths of the earth (v. 20). But it was when he looked up and realized that God's righteousness "reaches to the heavens" (v. 19 nasb; see 36:5; 57:10; 108:4) that he grew in confidence and left his worries with the Lord. This is a good example for us to follow.
"Long live the king!" is the burden of verses 5 and 15, as long as the sun and moon endure (89:29, 36–37; 1 Sam. 10:24; 1 Kings 1:31, 34, 39; Dan. 2:4). God promised David an endless dynasty (2 Sam. 7:16, 19,26), and this was fulfilled in Jesus, the Son of David (Luke 1:31–33). The image of the rain (vv. 6–7) reminds us that a righteous king would encourage righteousness in the people, and a righteous people would receive God's promised blessings, according to His covenant (Lev. 26:1–13; Deut. 11:11–17; 28:8–14). David used a similar metaphor in 2 Samuel 23:34. Godly leaders are like the refreshing rain that makes the land fruitful and beautiful, so that even the newly mown fields will produce a second crop. They are also like lamps that light the way (2 Sam. 21:17), shields that protect (84:9; 89:16), and the very breath of life that sustains us (Lam. 4:20). Alas, very few of the kings who reigned after David were models of godliness.