A KING'S JUSTICE (7 OF 52)
Scripture: Psalm 72:1-14
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A King's Justice (7 of 52)
Series: Lectionary, Year A
Christopher B. Harbin
Psalm 72:1-14
We tend to think of concepts like justice in terms of punishment, holding people accountable, and wielding power to keep people in line. We think of justice as being hard-nosed, intractable, and repaying evil deeds with harsh treatment. When the Bible speaks of justice, it is looking at a different set of issues. At heart, it is concerned with how political and economic decisions made by those in power affect the most vulnerable people. It is much more about protection than retribution. What kind of justice do we seek from those in power and influencing our lives?
The Psalm in today's Lectionary reading begins seeking God's justice in the king. It is a plea for God to endow the king with divine understanding of what is just or righteous, that the king might bring that same justice to bear in his policies, actions, and dealings with the people. There is nothing in this Psalm about revenge, retribution, or punishment. There is nothing here about seeking power. There is nothing here about force or coercion. There is nothing here about throwing people in prison or becoming an executioner. There is nothing here about so many things we associate with justice on a day to day basis. Instead, this is a cry for God's justice to prevail and establish the nation in righteousness.
If we read further into the Psalm, it is cast as David's prayer for his son Solomon in preparation for his rise to the throne of Israel. The psalmist presents this as what David saw as essential for a king to lead the nation under Yahweh, establishing it as a hallmark of righteousness that other nations would seek to emulate. In the sense of Ronald Reagan's casting America as a ''City on a Hill'' as an example to the world, so this psalm is a prayer for Solomon to follow after the righteousness or justice of Yahweh as his guiding star. The results would be blessing and well-being for all.
The cha ...
Series: Lectionary, Year A
Christopher B. Harbin
Psalm 72:1-14
We tend to think of concepts like justice in terms of punishment, holding people accountable, and wielding power to keep people in line. We think of justice as being hard-nosed, intractable, and repaying evil deeds with harsh treatment. When the Bible speaks of justice, it is looking at a different set of issues. At heart, it is concerned with how political and economic decisions made by those in power affect the most vulnerable people. It is much more about protection than retribution. What kind of justice do we seek from those in power and influencing our lives?
The Psalm in today's Lectionary reading begins seeking God's justice in the king. It is a plea for God to endow the king with divine understanding of what is just or righteous, that the king might bring that same justice to bear in his policies, actions, and dealings with the people. There is nothing in this Psalm about revenge, retribution, or punishment. There is nothing here about seeking power. There is nothing here about force or coercion. There is nothing here about throwing people in prison or becoming an executioner. There is nothing here about so many things we associate with justice on a day to day basis. Instead, this is a cry for God's justice to prevail and establish the nation in righteousness.
If we read further into the Psalm, it is cast as David's prayer for his son Solomon in preparation for his rise to the throne of Israel. The psalmist presents this as what David saw as essential for a king to lead the nation under Yahweh, establishing it as a hallmark of righteousness that other nations would seek to emulate. In the sense of Ronald Reagan's casting America as a ''City on a Hill'' as an example to the world, so this psalm is a prayer for Solomon to follow after the righteousness or justice of Yahweh as his guiding star. The results would be blessing and well-being for all.
The cha ...
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