David's Final Prayer

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 14-16; Luke 3; Psalm 72

The last line of Psalm 72 says, “The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.” In this Psalm, David is looking toward the reign of Solomon, his son. It is an extended prayer for him. In the first paragraph we see that David’s prayer for Solomon had a broader concern than just the concerns of a father for his son. David wanted Solomon to do well as the king so that the people might do well under his reign.

Going further we will see that David’s prayer was not nationalistic in the sense that he thought of Solomon’s reign as having boarders in and around Jerusalem. He prayed for him to have “dominion form sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.” He wanted “all nations to serve him!”

He saw Solomon as a deliverer, savior and redeemer (verses 12-14). He desired for Solomon’s name to endure forever. He asked that “all people would be blessed in him and all nations call him blessed!”

This is a lot to ask for Solomon and while Solomon’s reign was the apex of the Jewish nation, it doesn’t measure up to the lofty expectations and prayer that David prayed here. Was David just being hyperbolic in this Psalm? Was he simply exaggerating for effect, or was there something else going on here?

I believe that while David was praying for Solomon, whether knowingly or unknowingly, he was also praying for a Greater Solomon that was to come. He was praying for Jesus who would be King of Kings. I would encourage you to go back and read this Psalm again and while you are reading it to think not so much of Solomon, but of Jesus.

David’s prayer is being answered in the person of Jesus.