It’s
so easy in American politics to place your hope on political parties and
candidates but our hope is not found in them. 
I saw a little three-part lesson in American politics on Facebook
recently:

1.   
The red and blue candidate will let you down.

2.   
The red and blue candidate will let you down.

3.   
The red and blue candidate will let you down.

 

Anyone
who’s followed politics very long has realized the truth in this repetitive
lesson: regardless of party affiliation, these are human beings and they will
make mistakes.  We seem to always hope a
candidate will come along and like a third Moses (Jesus was the second), lead
us “out of Egypt.”  Matter of fact,
candidates count on this.  It helps them
raise funds, drive conventions, and excites their voting base.  In the end, however, their claims are
ultimately impossible to achieve. 
Forgetting the typical “opposing party being against everything you
propose” issue, these candidates are human and by nature are sinful.  If they are Christian, at least we know their
guiding principles and the fruit of their lives will reveal their loyalty to
Christ but still, they are human and will fail. 
“The red and blue candidate will let you down.”

 

Israel
felt the same way when kings would ascend to the throne.  They didn’t deal with the political
grandstanding we do and they certainly didn’t vote on it, but they had their
hope nevertheless.  Although Psalm 72 was
used as a coronation psalm for each successive king, when it was first
composed, it was first heard at Solomon son of David’s coronation.  In it, the overtones of the Messiah are
present.

 

Ending
this coronation Psalm of the King of Israel, verse 20 concludes “the prayers of David son of Jesse.”  What a fitting and humble tribute to Israel’s
favorite human king: a man of praise and prose who led the people not only in
war but in worship.

 

15 Long
may he live! May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him and bless him all day long. 
16 May
grain abound throughout the land; on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops flourish like Lebanon and thrive like the grass of
the field. 
17 May
his name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun.

Then
all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed.

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of
Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds. 
19 Praise
be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his
glory. 
Amen and Amen.

20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

Psalm 72:15-20

 

Don’t
let it escape your mind, this Psalm was used for earthly kings but there was no
doubt that the hopes expressed could only be accomplished by the Great King of
Israel.  The covenant the Father made
with Israel assured them prosperity as long as the rulers led the people down
the paths of obedience.  In 2 Samuel 2:11-12, the Lord promised
King David as long as his descendants were faithful to the Lord, the sons of
David would sits on his throne.

 

The
prayer of this Psalm (verse 15) is “long live the king.”  When Jesus came along, His rule on the throne
of David did not come to an end because He is alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18).  In the fulfillment of this prayer, He lives
forever blessing His people. 

 

And
the name of the Lord Jesus does endure forever and will continue forever, just
as this Psalm petitions in verse 17.  We are reminded of the validity of Jesus’ claims to His eternal Kingship in Philippians 2:9-11.

 

9 Therefore God
exalted him to the highest place

and
gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in
heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every
tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to
the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9–11 (NIV)

 

 It is a fitting song of
praise concluding this Psalm (verses 18-19) as it is the Lord “who alone
does marvelous deeds.”  Indeed, “may the
whole earth be filled with His glory. 
Amen and Amen.”  

 

These verses remind us that the main thing in
our lives must be the eternal praise and glory of the Lord.  When Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray,
they were taught to bless the Lord’s Name (Matthew 6:9) for this principle governs all requests we make from
God.  As God answers prayer, it is not to
make us more comfortable, but to bring glory to His name.

 

In His glory, majesty, and power, King Jesus, the
Son of God, will reign forever and ever. 
Amen!

 

Verse 1

Come Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it

Mount of Thy redeeming love

 

Verse 2

I was lost in utter darkness

‘Til You came and rescued me

I was bound by all my sin when

Your love came and set me free

Now my soul can sing a new song

Now my heart has found a home

Now Your grace is always with me

And I’ll never be alone

 

Verse 3

O to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be

Let Thy goodness like a fetter

Bind my wand’ring heart to Thee

Prone to wander Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here’s my heart Lord take and seal it

Seal it for Thy courts above

 

Chorus

Come Thou Fount come Thou King

Come Thou precious Prince of Peace

Hear Your bride to You we sing

Come Thou Fount of our blessing

Come Thou Fount come Thou King

Come Thou precious Prince of Peace

Hear Your bride to You we sing

Come Thou Fount of our blessing

“Come Thou Fount, Come Thou King”

John Wyeth | Robert Robinson | Thomas Miller

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