What is the meaning of Psalm 72:13? He will take pity • The verse opens with active compassion: “take pity.” This is not passive sympathy but deliberate movement toward those in distress. • God’s heart is consistently shown this way—Psalm 103:13 says, “As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.” • Christ mirrors this in the Gospels; in Matthew 14:14 He “was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick.” The royal son of Psalm 72 acts in the same spirit. on the poor and needy • Scripture links God’s rule with special concern for the vulnerable. Proverbs 19:17: “Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.” • Psalm 70:5 personalizes it: “But I am poor and needy; hurry to me, O God.” The king in Psalm 72 answers that cry. • This focus marks genuine, righteous leadership. Isaiah 11:4 foretells a ruler who “will judge the poor with righteousness.” and save • Pity moves to action—salvation. God never stops with feeling; He rescues. Psalm 34:6: “This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.” • The same saving intent motivates Christ’s mission (Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost”). • In Psalm 72 the king’s deliverance is comprehensive, covering earthly needs and pointing ahead to eternal security in the Messiah. the lives • More than temporary relief, the promise reaches to “lives”—the very breath and future of the oppressed. • Psalm 22:26 links life and hope: “The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise Him—may your hearts live forever!” • God guards life itself (Psalm 121:7: “The LORD will keep you from all harm; He will watch over your life”). of the oppressed • Oppression can be economic, social, or spiritual; whatever its form, the king stands as liberator. • Psalm 9:9: “The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” • Psalm 146:7 adds that He “upholds the cause of the oppressed.” Psalm 72 portrays those truths enacted through a righteous ruler, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus who breaks every chain (Luke 4:18). summary Psalm 72:13 paints a ruler whose heart beats with God’s own compassion: He notices the suffering, is moved by pity, takes decisive action to save, safeguards the very lives of those downtrodden, and ends their oppression. It is a portrait of ideal kingship realized perfectly in Christ—a Savior-King who feels, moves, and delivers, ensuring that the poor, needy, and oppressed find lasting rescue and life in Him. |
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