“Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son. Help him judge your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly.” Psalm 72:1-2 NLT

Psalm 72 opens with a beautiful prayer. Solomon asks God to give the king justice, righteousness, and the ability to care for the poor. It is the kind of prayer every nation would want for its leaders.

What’s striking is that Solomon understood exactly what a good king should be. His theology was right. His prayer was right. His desire appears to have been right.

Yet as we read the rest of Scripture, we discover that Solomon did not fully live up to the words he wrote. His heart drifted. His kingdom became burdened with heavy labor and taxation. After his death, his son Rehoboam ignored wise counsel and made those burdens even heavier. The prayer was beautiful, but the next generation did not follow its message.

That should humble all of us.

It is possible to know what is right, teach what is right, sing what is right, and even pray what is right while still failing to live it consistently. Knowledge alone is not enough. We need God’s ongoing grace to shape our hearts.

The good news is that Psalm 72 ultimately points us beyond Solomon. It points us to Jesus.

Jesus is the King Solomon could never be. He never abuses His authority. He never ignores the weak. He never grows selfish or corrupt. He rules with perfect righteousness and perfect justice. The poor, the broken, the forgotten, and the sinner who comes to Him all find mercy in His kingdom.

When we look at the failures of human leaders, we are reminded not to place our ultimate hope in them. Our hope rests in the King who will never disappoint us.

And as we follow Him, we can pray the same prayer Solomon prayed—not only for presidents, pastors, and parents, but for ourselves. Lord, give us Your justice. Give us Your righteousness. Help us treat people the way You do.

Pray This

Lord Jesus, thank You for being the righteous King that no earthly leader can ever be. Give me a heart that loves justice, values righteousness, and treats others with compassion. Help me not merely to know what is right, but to live it faithfully. Amen.