Seder 84: A Question about Psalm 72:20

 Psalm 72 concludes with the statement, "The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended" (verse 20).  

Psalm 72:20 sometimes raises questions, because Psalm 86 carries the superscription, "A Prayer of David."  So it appears that Psalm 72 is not the final prayer of David in the psalter.  Are Psalm 72:20 and Psalm 86:1 in contradiction?  

Here it is important to recognize that Psalm 72:20 is not just the end of Psalm 72; it is also the conclusion of Book 2 of the Psalms, which consists of Psalms 42-72.  So Psalm 72:20 may just be signaling the end of the prayers of David in Book 2, or in Books 1 and 2.  The compilation of Book 3, which includes Psalm 86, may have occurred later.  

There is also no reason to assume that the canonical order of the psalms reflects a strict chronological order.  There is a tradition that David in Psalm 72 was praying for Solomon, the next king.  If David composed this psalm shortly before he died, it could well be his final psalm, chronologically speaking.

Epiphany 2025: The Gifts from the Nations Motif

 The account of the visit of the Magi in Matthew 2 is part of a biblical motif in which foreign dignitaries come to Jerusalem bringing valuable gifts.

For example, during the reign of Solomon, the queen of Sheba comes from Arabia with questions for Solomon and lavish gifts (1 Ki 10:1-10).  

A prayer for Israel's kings says, "May the kings of Tarshish and the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts" (Ps 72:10).  

Israel was called to be a light to the nations (Isa 42:6; 49:6).  That light would attract people to the Torah and to the God of Israel (Dt 4:6-7), as is pictured in the beautiful prophecy of Isaiah 60.  There the light of the Messiah and his people brings delegations from the nations to Jerusalem.

The gifts brought to Jerusalem include "gold and frankincense" (verse 6), making a connection between Isaiah 60 and the magi.  The prophecy pictures the nations submitting to the rule of the Messiah (vv 10-14). 

Isaiah 60 goes on to picture God's light eclipsing the light of the sun and moon (vv 19-20).  This imagery is picked up in John's vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:22-27.  So it seems that Isaiah 60 is picturing a wide range of events, beginning with Jesus' first advent and continuing beyond the second one.

Seder 84: Psalm 72---Long Live the King!

 Psalm 72 is a royal psalm, a prayer for the King of Israel. It may be a prayer of  David that was preserved by Solomon.  (John Calvin, for example, held this view.) 

The prayer asks for the king to exemplify the justice and righteousness of God (v 1).  The king would have the task of making a copy of the Torah for himself (Deut 17), with the goal that he would rule with God's priorities---helping the needy, for example (v 4).  If the king ruled in this way, then the nation would prosper (v 3).  

The prayer then asks that the king's rule would be extended in both time and space (vv 5-11).  In the background is God's promise that David's dynasty would continue forever, culminating in the rule of the Messiah (2 Sam 7:12-16).  The prayer is for that promise to fully materialize.  

Verses 8-11 remind us of Israel's brief golden age under Solomon (1 Kings 4:21,34; 10), when Israel reached its greatest extent geographically and kings from around the region brought gifts.  There is wordplay in verse 10 with "Sheba and Seba", and also a picture of a large empire since Sheba represents Yemen, and Seba is in Africa (Gen 10:7).  The empire pictured here extends far in all directions.  

Verses 12-17 repeat the themes of verses 1-11.  Verse 17 ("may people be blessed in him") makes reference to the king's role in carrying out the Abrahamic blessing of Gen 12:1-3.  

Verse 20 ("The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended") concludes Book 2 of the Psalter.  The psalms that come next are attributed to Asaph and to the sons of Korah.  There is also a sense in which this prayer is a fitting "last word" on God's promise-plan to send the Messiah.

Seder 26: Genesis 27---Isaac's Prophetic Blessing on Jacob

 The ruse planned by Rebekah and Jacob was successful.  Isaac laid his hands on Jacob (thinking he was Esau) and pronounced the following blessing:

"May God give you the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine.  Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you.  Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you.  Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!" (Gen 27:28-29)

One detail that catches our attention in verse 29 is Isaac's reference to "your brothers" and "your mother's sons"---both plural, when Jacob had only one brother, and his mother had only one other son.  This detail suggests the possibility that Isaac was referring not just to Jacob himself, but also looking ahead to a special descendant of Jacob whom peoples would serve and to whom nations would bow down---the future Messiah!  (A similar blessing is given to Solomon---and ultimately to the Messiah---in Ps 72:11.)  

 Christian scholar Kevin Chen discusses Gen 27:28-29 as a Messianic prophecy in his recent book The Messianic Vision of the Pentateuch (IVP 2019).

Even though Isaac had intended the blessing for Esau, he and his family were confident that God would confirm this blessing upon Jacob.  "Yes, and he shall be blessed," Isaac says of Jacob in v. 33.

Looking back, it appears in hindsight that God's will was worked out by a circuitous means in Gen 27.  Esau did not seem to value or be in tune with his family's special mission, as evidenced by his lack of concern for the family birthright.  

This does not mean, however, that Esau did not figure in God's plan.  Esau and his descendants would have much to contribute, and Esau would have additional time to learn and grow.  His choice of wives changed when he finally became aware of his parents' preferences in the matter (Gen 28:6-9).  

In a sermon at Church of the Messiah on Sept 12, 2020, Kyle Kettering reflected on Esau's life.