The entire gospel message surrounding the life of the Messiah is presented in Psalm 72. From the birth of Jesus to His death, and ending with His exaltation and the impact on those who believe…it’s all there. Some of it is symbolism and other passages are quite clear. I’m going to divide up the three phases in a table below and put them with their New Testament counterparts. As always, I would encourage a full contextual reading of all of the passages below.
| Theme | Psalm 72 | New Testament | Meaning |
| The birth of the Messiah | May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!
(verses 10-11) |
Matthew 2:1-11 | When Jesus was born, kings from all of the known world came to visit Him and bring Him gifts. |
| The death of the Messiah | May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field!
(verse 16) |
John 12:23-25
John 1:12-13 |
The grain in this passage is a symbol that Jesus used to reference Himself. When the “grain” dies or is harvested, it produces an abundance in the land. That abundance causes people to blossom or come to life. |
| The exaltation of the Messiah | May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun! May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!
(verse 17) |
Galatians 3:8
John 12:13 Revelation 5:8-12 |
The name of Jesus lives on forever and those who live in and believe in Him are blessed in the best possible way. |
In addition to all of these passages, the Psalm opens up with an address to God about His Royal Son. He is declared to be one who brings justice and care for the needy. The Son will uphold the cause of the oppressed and declare the righteousness of God. Any reading of the New Testament shows the life of Jesus did just that. Praise God for His Royal Son!
For Common Ground 