Psa 72:15 | KingComments | STEP | The exclamation “so may He live” is a wish ( ). Life is the great characteristic of the Messiah. That He will live means that His life will have no end ( ). He lives “according to the power of an indestructible life” ( ). His kingdom is therefore an eternal kingdom. The blessing of the realm of peace is inseparable from His life. Where He reigns in blessing, life is enjoyed in all its fullness. Life is only really life and is only really lived when it is lived in fellowship with Him. The appreciation of that life, which is visible everywhere in the realm of peace, is expressed by people in various ways: 1. “May the gold of Sheba be given to Him.” The gold that is given to Him is His ( ). That they give it to Him means that they acknowledge His right to the most precious thing in creation. In doing so, they are acknowledging His right to all of creation. 2. “Let them pray for him continually.” In the preceding verses, the King has brought blessings to the needy, to His people, and to the world. In response, they will pray for Him and wish Him God’s blessing. There will be prayed for Him “continually” that He will continue His blessed reign throughout the realm of peace. These prayers reflect the desire for an endless continuation of His reign. 3. “Let them bless Him all day long.” To bless Him “all day long” means to wish Him well throughout ‘all day’ of the realm of peace, to speak good things of Him. Literally it says ‘always all the day’ and has the meaning of ‘every day’. Under the blessed reign of the Messiah, there “may be abundance [or: handfuls] of grain in the earth, on the top of the mountains” ( ). Not only does the realm of peace have no lack, but it is characterized by abundance. Faith is already experiencing that a handful of grain can become a great quantity if we go to the Man of God with that little bit ( ). In the realm of peace, there is an abundance of grain in the valleys and on the mountains. On the mountains, grain normally does not grow, but then it will. The full ears of corn will “wave like [the cedars] of Lebanon”. Abundant harvests will keep pace with the growth and flourishing of the population in the cities (cf. ; ; ). There is no fear of over-population, no fear of shortage of food, no fear of mismanagement of supplies. Everything is perfectly managed and distributed by the Ruler in righteousness, Who also acts absolutely righteously in this. Everything depends on Him, Whose Name will endure forever ( ). With His Name He guarantees the immediate enjoyment of all benefits and abundance of blessing. He also guarantees that this will not end. The eye is turned away from the blessing to Him Who blesses, to His Name. The blessing can only be enjoyed by the coming generations in connection with His Name. It is not the blessing that will increase or sprout forth, but His Name, and with it the blessing. This will happen “as long as the sun [shines]”. He Himself is “the sun of righteousness” ( ). In the light of the Sun, the coming generations will be “blessed”. The blessing of the realm of peace will continue uninterrupted because He is and remains the Source of blessing. This He is not only for His people Israel, but for “all nations”. They, too, do not bless themselves because of the blessing, but bless Him through Whom they receive the blessing.

‏ Psalms 72:15

Blessing of the Reign

The exclamation “so may He live” is a wish (Psa 72:15). Life is the great characteristic of the Messiah. That He will live means that His life will have no end (Psa 21:4). He lives “according to the power of an indestructible life” (Heb 7:15-17). His kingdom is therefore an eternal kingdom. The blessing of the realm of peace is inseparable from His life. Where He reigns in blessing, life is enjoyed in all its fullness. Life is only really life and is only really lived when it is lived in fellowship with Him.

The appreciation of that life, which is visible everywhere in the realm of peace, is expressed by people in various ways:

1. “May the gold of Sheba be given to Him.” The gold that is given to Him is His (Hag 2:8). That they give it to Him means that they acknowledge His right to the most precious thing in creation. In doing so, they are acknowledging His right to all of creation.

2. “Let them pray for him continually.” In the preceding verses, the King has brought blessings to the needy, to His people, and to the world. In response, they will pray for Him and wish Him God’s blessing. There will be prayed for Him “continually” that He will continue His blessed reign throughout the realm of peace. These prayers reflect the desire for an endless continuation of His reign.

3. “Let them bless Him all day long.” To bless Him “all day long” means to wish Him well throughout ‘all day’ of the realm of peace, to speak good things of Him. Literally it says ‘always all the day’ and has the meaning of ‘every day’.

Under the blessed reign of the Messiah, there “may be abundance [or: handfuls] of grain in the earth, on the top of the mountains” (Psa 72:16). Not only does the realm of peace have no lack, but it is characterized by abundance. Faith is already experiencing that a handful of grain can become a great quantity if we go to the Man of God with that little bit (1Kgs 17:12-15). In the realm of peace, there is an abundance of grain in the valleys and on the mountains. On the mountains, grain normally does not grow, but then it will. The full ears of corn will “wave like [the cedars] of Lebanon”.

Abundant harvests will keep pace with the growth and flourishing of the population in the cities (cf. 1Kgs 4:20; Gen 15:5; Isa 9:3a). There is no fear of over-population, no fear of shortage of food, no fear of mismanagement of supplies. Everything is perfectly managed and distributed by the Ruler in righteousness, Who also acts absolutely righteously in this.

Everything depends on Him, Whose Name will endure forever (Psa 72:17). With His Name He guarantees the immediate enjoyment of all benefits and abundance of blessing. He also guarantees that this will not end. The eye is turned away from the blessing to Him Who blesses, to His Name. The blessing can only be enjoyed by the coming generations in connection with His Name. It is not the blessing that will increase or sprout forth, but His Name, and with it the blessing.

This will happen “as long as the sun [shines]”. He Himself is “the sun of righteousness” (Mal 4:2). In the light of the Sun, the coming generations will be “blessed”. The blessing of the realm of peace will continue uninterrupted because He is and remains the Source of blessing. This He is not only for His people Israel, but for “all nations”. They, too, do not bless themselves because of the blessing, but bless Him through Whom they receive the blessing.