Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleThe Righteous King Reigns
Bible TextPsalm 72:1-8
Synopsis Being in Christ’s kingdom under Christ our King’s rule, we have the assurance of knowing that Christ is ruling with perfect judgment in righteousness in this earth. He is working everything just for you and me who are members of his heavenly kingdom and holy nation. He is doing so to keep us looking to Christ our King. He is doing to to remind us Christ is our righteousness alone. Everything that comes to pass is for our good to make us know Christ alone is our All and in all! Listen
Date21-Jan-2021
Series Psalms 2011
Article Type Sermon Notes
 
Series: Psalms 
Title: The Righteous King Reigns 
Text: Ps 72: 1-9 
Date: Jan 21, 2021 
Place: SGBC, NJ
  
Subject: The Righteous King Reigns 
  
Several things were used of God to give me this message.  One, I was thinking about your burdens this year, as well as the suffering of brethren in other places: personal heartaches, heartaches over brethren you love who are suffering, a nation divided, and so on.  Two, having been studying Psalm 72, yesterday’s inauguration made this Psalm speak to me in an extra special way 
  
Psalm 72: 1: «A  Psalm for Solomon»  Psalm 72 is a prayer of king David for the king succeeding him, which was his son Solomon.
  
Psalm 72: 1: Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
  
David knew God had chosen Solomon to be king after him.  David knew only God can make a man a wise king.  So David asked God to bless Solomon with the heart to be a just king who ruled in righteousness. 
  
Whether we agree with any president’s politics or not, fact they are president means God put them in that office.  That means something. We ought to pray that God would give them wisdom to rule with God’s judgment, in righteousness. 
  
But as I watched the inauguration of a new president, I thought on David being replaced by Solomon as king.  Old, earthly Israel, like the government of this nation, was temporal.  It was a temporary nation with temporary kings and priest which had to be replaced due to death or due to God’s good pleasure.  So it is in our nation and every earthly nation. 
  
Solomon was a type of the son of David, Christ Jesus.  For you and me born-again of God, we have been born into his holy nation, our citizenship is above.  We are citizens in a kingdom wherein dwelleth righteousness by the righteousness of our King.  Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.  It means Christ’s kingdom is the kingdom of kingdoms.  Believer we belong to the Kingdom of Kingdoms. 
  
By creating his kingdom—you and me—in his righteousness and holiness his kingdom shall never end, his holy nation is for eternity.  Our King shall be our King forever!  We are birthed again into his kingdom—like we are born into this earthly government—except, Christ has made us holy and righteous.  We are sinless, king priests by his blood, who shall never see death but right now have eternal life.  The only reason God says we have eternal life is because we are righteous and have no sin, that is fact!  Therefore, we shall reign with our King forever, without change.  Brethren, do not get caught up in the division in this earthly nation.   
  
Philippians 3: 20: For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. 
  
Christ is King of kings and LORD of lords—he is ruling every king and kingdom in this earth.  He gives lesser rulers for our good, as he says in Romans 13.   Therefore, we submit to them as unto Christ so long as they do not keep us from worshipping our King. 
  
Proposition: Being in Christ’s kingdom under Christ our King’s rule, we have the assurance of knowing that Christ is ruling with perfect judgment in righteousness in this earth.  He is working everything just for you and me who are members of his heavenly kingdom and holy nation.  He is doing so to keep us looking to Christ our King.  He is doing to to remind us Christ is our righteousness alone.  Everything that comes to pass is for our good to make us know Christ alone is our All and in all! 
  
When we suffer trials, when we disappoint ourselves, when our brethren disappoint us, when other trials make us sorrowful, beholding Christ we have him who is the only comfort for us in the midst of every trial.  He is our peace.  He gives his Peace.  Not as the world gives.  He gives his peace in the heart.  Beholding him, we remember Christ sent the trial.  We are reminded Christ rules the trial in righteousness just for us personally.  And Christ shall make us experience the truth that his grace is sufficient. 
  
RULING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
  
Psalm 72: 2: He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. 3: The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. 4: He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. 5: They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations…12: For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 13: He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. 14: He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.
  
Who is Christ exercising judgment for in this earth, who makes up his kingdom?  David is praying to God, he says, “He shall judge thy people.”  Christ is exercising perfect judgment for God’s people, God elect.  He is ruling all things for those God chose by his free grace in Christ from eternity not based on anything in us.  He is ruling for those Christ redeemed by his blood and made righteous.  Christ our King is ruling for you who he has proven to be his elect by giving you faith in Christ through sanctification of the Spirit. 
  
We are poor—"He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.”  I listened to the speakers yesterday talk of the greatness of our nation and how good the people are.  “God says there is none good, no not one.” Christ said, “there is none good but God.”  In ourselves, we are poor.  Every child of Adam is bankrupt of righteousness and holiness.  In ourselves we are poor in poverty of spirit, in the poverty of sin and inability.  But notice, we are God’s poor.  Christ “shall judge thy people with righteousness and THY POOR with judgment.”
 
Being poor, we are needy—"he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor…For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.”  He is shown us we are the needy.  We need everything spiritual and everything temporal.  We have no helper but Christ.  As John the Baptist declares, “a man can receive nothing except it be given him from above.”  The devil is the oppressor.  Also, our sinful flesh is the oppressor.  So we are the needy. Christ only can provide! 
  
But in his righteous judgment he has provided for his poor and needy people.  David was looking forward to it, we now know he has done it—"He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.”  To judge in righteousness requires a heart of love, a heart of compassion and mercy for the poor and needy.  That is the heart of our Redeemer.  No one has the perfect heart of love that Christ has!
  
Therefore, our King judged us with righteousness on the cross.  His judgment was that we could not make ourselves the righteousness he requires.  His judgment was to bring glory to his name by making us righteous himself.  So he answered his own judgment for us.  He took our place.  He suffered in our stead.  So by satisfying justice for us, he made us righteousness in him.  Doing so he fulfilled the prophecy in our text.  “He broke in pieces the oppressor….He spared the poor and needy, and saved the souls of the needy. He redeemed their soul from deceit and violence.”
 
Child of God we are already saved by Christ our King.  His righteousness will not permit us to perish.  He already broke to pieces the oppressor: the devil, our body of sin, death and hell.  Brethren, beholding how he already judged us in his righteousness, we are assured he shall do so for us in this earth against every enemy.  It is who our King is!  
 
WHERE DOES HE GIVE HIS PEACE?
 
Psalm 72: 3: The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness…16: There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
 
Christ gives us spiritual discernment and peace in believing through the gospel as we assemble with his people.  THE Mountain is Mt Zion, heavenly Jerusalem, where Christ dwells.  And the mountains and little hills in the earth are his churches where he sends his gospel declaring that he alone is our King and our Righteousness.  Christ is in the High Mountain—heavenly Jerusalem—that mountain the Hebrew writer tells us every believer has come to, from where Christ speaks to us through the preaching of the gospel that glorifies him alone! 
  
Isaiah 2: 2  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3: And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4: And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 5: O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. 
  
The churches he establishes in this earth are the mountains and hills were he brings peace to his people through the gospel.  From THE high mountain, Christ feeds us in these earthly mountains which are all little hills—"There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.”
 
Ezekiel 34:13: And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14: I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 
  
Joel 3:18: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim. 
 
Knowing it is Christ speaking to us through the gospel, we say, 
  
Isaiah 52:7: How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 
 
Believer do you want strength in the trial?  Assemble with his people in one of his mountain-hills and hear the gospel of Christ.  Christ alone is our Strength and he strengthens us through the preaching of his gospel.   Do you want peace knowing the Righteous King reigns in the midst of so much corruption in governments below.  Then assemble with his people in one of his mountain-hills where the gospel is preached in truth and he shall make his child know he is the King of kings.  There is no peace except Christ from above, given in one of his mountain-hills through the gospel which gives him all the glory 
 
THE PEACE WE WALK IN
 
Psalm 72: 4:…and shall break in pieces the oppressor. 5: They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. 6: He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. 7: In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.  8: He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.  9: They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
 
The light and peace that Christ gives us is knowing that Christ our King alone breaks the oppressor.  He has broken the devil.  And he subdues the oppressor of your flesh and mine, and every other enemy.  He does it through this gospel.  So we speak the gospel of peace to one another.  For my sorrowing brethren, when your flesh just will not let you find any comfort, he will make you know his grace is sufficient!  He has given this trial to make you experience it and know it!
  
The result he makes us walk in is his peace by faith—"They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.”  He creates reverence for him—fear for him—in our hearts.  After every trial he grows us in fear of him.  He shall do so as long as the sun and moon endure.
  
Our fruit and our peace is Christ himself who comes down through his gospel and revives our inward man so that we flourish—"He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.”  He comes down in the gospel like rain.  He told Moses his doctrine will distill as the rain and showers on the fresh cut grass.  He first cuts down our flesh which is grass so that we cease trying to effect this by our hand.  Then he makes us know he is our peace so that we flourish in his righteousness and peace endures. 
  
This dominion of our King is all over the world.  Wherever his child is, he is there"He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.”
 
Now here is what we must remember, Christ is doing all this, not by giving us ease in this world.  He does this not by freeing us from the sinful body of this death while in this earth.  He will not give us perfect freedom from the oppressors in this earth so long as we abide here below.  He is not sparing us the sorrow of trials in this earth. 
  
But Christ uses our sin, our inability, our falls, and the power of all ungodly oppressors to teach us to look to Christ our King.  He is teaching us that Christ alone judges in righteousness for us.  Christ alone saves his needy people.  Christ alone is the riches that overcomes our poverty.  Christ alone has power to break the oppressor in us and in our enemies. 
  
He does this in our hearts without removing the troubles so that we know Christ is our Peace.  Our Righteousness is Christ our King.  He makes us adorn the gospel, not by adding to it, but with that which the gospel has adorned us.  He makes us walk in his light in holiness.  When a brother falls we have to be merciful and gracious and forgiving.  And if we are not gracious and forgiving be thankful he works in our brethren to be gracious and forgiving to us until Christ restores us. 
  
We want that from our brethren because the grace he has given us at this point in our lives will not be as mature as our elder brethren.  We could not see we were teenagers when we were teenagers.  But now we see how wise our parents were.  He has provided elder brethren who recognize our sin and pride.  But they are so merciful and gracious and forgiving to us because they know only Christ can grow us and he does it through this gospel.  As Christ grows us in grace and knowledge that he alone is our King ruling in our midst, he matures us the same way so that we learn to be more gracious and merciful to those younger in the faith.  
  
He works this by continually making us see that by Christ alone, the mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.  He makes us fear him as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.  He does it by coming down in the gospel like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.  By him, in his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.  He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. 
 
Amen!