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Psalm 72

In eleventh grade I wrote my first actual poem title Autumn In The Mountains. The thoughts of autumn are always amazing, but adding the thoughts of mountains drew a much greater images of not only beauty, but unparalleled grandeur. Having never seen what was considered a mountain until about fourteen years after I wrote that poem it was fascinating to drive through the Appalachian Mountains for the first time. Then later to drive in the back country of those mountains to see what kind of farming, housing, and living there was. Then even years later having family drive to California and tell of crossing a rise in the plains and seeing the Rocky Mountains shooting up into the sky. And visiting them in California they took us toYosemite National Park which brought yet another up close view of the mountains.

The mountains and the hills shall bring peace to the people by justice.

Psalm 72:3 GNV

So with even all exposure to the mountains this verse just caught my attention. Just how do the mountains and hills being peace by justice? There were different ideas about this I read as I tried to understand this better. Some suggested that being less sparsely populated areas that theives, robbers, and the like use them as places to hideout or victimize those who might choose to live there. Others said thats where some of the better grazing or farming areas might be found. Indeed Austria is a country known for mountains and I have seen pictures of hay fields where it is impossible to drive a tractor yet the hay is raised there and hand cut with scythes. But how would these represent bringing peace by justice?

Since this is a psalm, possibly the only one attributed to Solomon which also ends saying that the prayers of David are ended the peace and justice may quite well represent the far reaching affects of the Solomon's opening prayer.

A Psalm of Salomon.

Give thy judgments to the King, O God, and thy righteousness to the King's son.

Then shall he judge thy people in righteousness, and thy poor with equity.

Psalms 72:1 - 2 GNV

David had Solomon made king in his stead just before he died. David's reign was one of conquering lands and nations all around that God had promised to Abraham nearly a thousand years prior. David wasn't allowed to build the temple because he was a "bloody" man from those wars. Solomon was asking for the king to receive judgments and the king's son, himself, would have righteousness. He desired to begin his reign even as David made preparation for the temple to be built by Solomon and the conquered lands to be ruled well, even into the farthest reaches of the hills and mountains that made up much of the land. To root out the thieves and robbers from their hiding holes in the caves of the mountains and hills would be a reasonable thought. Then also because true judgment and righteousness brings the prosperity as the Lord promised when Moses challenged the people before his death that the Lord had set before them a choice of life or death in His law that also sounds quite feasible. This wasn't a thought of some kind of "if we build it they will come". No, this is how God's blessings work, how God causes blessings in peace a justice come from Him. It isn't the king that causes the mountains and hills to bring peace by justice. No, that is how God's blessings come. He alone brings peace. He alone has established true justice. In a day like Solomon was experiencing, the newness of becoming the king after the kingdom and reign of his father, as might be said, very big shoes to fill. He had seen his father deposed from the throne and not that long afterwards restored What might have gone through his young memories at that time was the ascent from across the Jordan River up the mountains to Jerusalem. Possibly since Jerusalem was the main city of all Israel up on that mountain, then every other part of Israel considered Jerusalem to be that mountain from which everything came, including peace and justice.

Following Solomon's writing we've seen how he begins seeking God's judgment for the king (David) and the king's son (Solomon) and righteousness. So from Jerusalem where David and Solomon reigned their judging in righteousness. Specific people are mentioned to receive the reward of such judgments,the poor, the children of the needy, and against the oppressor. It is from here Solomon refers to the mountains and hills, length of time based on the sun and moon, then the rain on the mown grass and showers to water the earth, again the length of time the moon stands, the land marked by seas, the River and end of land. These all speak of God's creation. His creation is what God uses to demonstrate the source, the measure, and the boundaries of what God uses to work in all of who man is in the kingdom that Solomon is praying for God to cause to be right. It is only after this as the new king, a king who recognizes that God alone sets up kingdoms speaks of His work in the lives of kings around his own kingdom. As he finished Solomon recognizes the mountains again, only this time it's what man plants crops on the mountains knowing the peace and justice from God is also what grows those crops they plant, and so ends with praise to the Lord.

His name shall be for ever: his name shall endure as long as the sun: all nations shall bless him, and be blessed in him. Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel, which only doeth wonderous things. And blessed be his glorious Name for ever: and let all the earth be filled with his glory. So be it, even so be it.

HERE END THE prayers of David, the son of Jesse.

Psalms 72:17 - 19 GNV

Jesus, as the king who will reign in rhe future, the same as we do and as Solomon did certainly prayed looking at what was ahead, possibly using the very psalm.