Psalm 72:16-20 NKJV
16 There will be an abundance of grain in the earth,
On the top of the mountains;
Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon;
And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17 His name shall endure forever;
His name shall continue as long as the sun.
And men shall be blessed in Him;
All nations shall call Him blessed.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who only does wondrous things!
19 And blessed be His glorious name forever!
And let the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
The Messiah’s kingdom will be unlike any earthly kingdom, but so that we might begin to understand its blessedness—and look forward to it all the more—the Lord describes His kingdom in earthly terms. Abundant grain, fruit waving like Lebanon, and those of the city flourishing like grass are pictures of prosperity and security. St. Paul says it another way in Romans 14:17 that reminds us that the Messiah’s kingdom is not of this world. He writes, “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” In this kingdom God richly and daily forgives the sins of believers and gives them His Son’s perfect righteousness. All who believe the gospel have peace with God which surpasses understanding. The Holy Spirit dwells in believers’ hearts by faith (Eph 3:17). Believers have the abundance of God’s blessings, though during this life we have them by faith.
Those who live in the Messiah’s kingdom of grace now, by faith, look forward to fully enjoying these blessings when Christ returns in glory. On that day He will bring them into eternal blessedness. The pictures of abundant grain, fruit waving like Lebanon, and those of the city flourishing like grass show us, in earthly terms, the blessings of everlasting life. But these are still only earthly images that encourage anticipation of the heavenly prosperity and security we will experience in His kingdom of glory. In this life we have sin in our flesh that daily attempts to lead us away from God’s word and faith. In this life we are surrounded by the effects of sin, so that in the very midst of life we are in death. But when Christ takes us into His eternal kingdom, these will be gone forever. There will be an abundance and security which we cannot begin to imagine while we are in this life. “As it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him’” (1 Cor 2:9).
Let us pray: O LORD God, who alone does wondrous things, grant us persevering faith so that, remaining safely in Your kingdom of grace, we may enter Your kingdom of glory with its eternal abundance and security on the Last Day. Amen.