Psalms 72:15

And He shall live, and to Him shall be given of the gold of Sheba.

The greatness of the Redeemer’s life

I. The greatness of His life is seen in the magnitude of its influence.

1. It is co-extensive with creation. Christ is to be the centre of universal attraction. Analogy, the greatness of the agencies employed, and the Word of God warrant the conclusion.

2. It is an abiding influence. “His name shall endure,” etc. Men, emperors, come and go like baubles upon the stream; but Christ lives for ever! Time destroys not His power, but unfolds it. “He reigneth king for ever.”

3. It is a blissful influence. “And men shall be blessed in Him.” A worm may make many miserable; but it requires a God-like nature to enhance the happiness of one soul. The life of Christ fills creation with blessedness. This great Benefactor does this by destroying the sources of misery, and by calling into exercise every fountain of bliss in the soul.

4. It is reflectively glorious. “Daily shall He be praised.” He is the grand object of universal admiration and love.

II. The greatness of His life is developed through means. What are the means?

1. Truth. The Gospel contains the great biography of Jesus, and this is the mighty instrumentality. “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ,” etc.

2. Wealth. “To Him shall be given of the gold of Sheba.” Ye men of wealth, remember that every piece of gold and silver ought to appear to you as if stamped with the image of the Son of God.

3. Prayer.

III. The greatness of His life is experienced in the heavenward direction it gives mankind. He makes men pray to and praise Him. “And daily shall He be praised.”

1. Such persons owe their existence to Christ. “We are His workmanship.”

2. Such persons are the finest specimens of human excellence. The highest types of character have always been found in men of earnest prayer. Abraham, Noah, Job, Daniel, Paul, and Christ all prayed.

3. Such men alone fully give scope to their faculties to honour Him.

IV. The greatness of His life is seen in the realization through eternity of His work on earth.

1. He will live in all that relates to man on earth; in such things as institutions, literature, etc. His name will be emblazoned upon the page of every new work, and His life will be the standard of all institutions.

2. He will live in the affectionate remembrance of a redeemed people.

3. He will live as the expression of all excellence--love, benevolence, truth, justice, authority.

4. He will live as the centre of all attraction to the glorified Church. (J. H. Hill.)

Messiah’s predicted life

We may view the text in a threefold aspect.

1. As a prophecy of the endless life to which our Saviour would be raised. “He shall live.” As “the high priest of our profession,” He was to die. This was the grand purpose of His mission; for it was by dying that He was to “finish the work given Him to do.” But having died, and thereby “put away sin,” and “abolished death,” He would live again, Himself the most satisfying evidence, and the most glorious example, of “the life and immortality He has brought to light by the Gospel.”

2. As a prophecy of the blessedness to which our Saviour would be exalted. “He shall live.” To live in the more common acceptation of it in Scripture, is to enjoy existence, to partake of true felicity, to be blessed. “Your heart shall live for ever” (Psalms 22:26); that is, shall be eternally happy. So, “your heart shall live that seek God” (Psalms 69:32); and, “we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 3:8). In this sense the text is to be understood. Messiah “shall live”: as He would be raised from the dead to die no more, so He would be exalted to boundless and endless blessedness.

3. As a prophecy of the prosperity and the perpetuity of our Saviour’s reign. “He shall live;” and in what character? As Zion’s King. He would not only be raised to an endless life, and exalted to the highest blessedness; but as the King of the Church, His reign would be prosperous and perpetual. The same idea is expressed in parallel prophecies (Isaiah 9:6; Jeremiah 23:5). (D. Young, D. D.)

Prayer also shall be made for Him continually; and daily shall He be praised.

Prayer for Christ

I. The text is a prediction; reminding us, in the first place, that the Bible is distinguished from every other book, professedly Divine, by the grandeur and the authoritative tone of its promises, and by the multitude and splendour of its predictions. Human philosophy may be said to have had three creeds; which might not improperly be distinguished as the creed of the past, of the present, and of the future. The books of Pagan antiquity sang only of the golden-aged pasta--of scenes of pastoral simplicity and happiness never to return; while, for the future, they could say nothing--their burden was despair. Then came the creed of the present. As early antiquity faded from view, man became prepared for the philosophy of Epicurus--for the optimism which professes to be satisfied with things as they are; and which, instead of aiming at human improvement, acts on the animal maxim, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.” But to this has now generally succeeded the creed of the future--a philosophical belief in the perfectibility of the species--a persuasion that man is, at length, on the high road to perfection. Now, all these voices are but perversions of the great truths of the Bible as to the past, the present, and the glorious future. The Bible is the true prophet of hope.

II. The means by which this prediction is to be fulfilled. It is by prayer. Philosophy may object, but we rely on it as indispensable in the order of means. For prayer is the condition on which God puts forth His power. For with even more clearness than the law of the Divine unchangeableness is revealed, the law that prayer prevails with God is revealed likewise.

III. But not only does the text predict a change, and represent prayer as a means of realizing that change; it describes that prayer as partaking of a specific character--as prayer for Christ; “prayer also shall be made for him continually.”

IV. The wisdom and grace of this arrangement. For--

1. It keeps us in our proper place, at the feet of God.

2. It gives us opportunity of afresh avowing our adoration of the scheme of redemption by Christ.

3. It affords the strongest assurance of success in prayer.

4. It enables all to show their love to Christ by aiding in the advancement of His Kingdom.

V. But let us regard the especial object of our prayer in the behalf of Christ: what are we to pray for? Our prayers cannot be necessary for Him, in the same sense in which they are necessary for ourselves, and for each other. He knows no want, for all things are given into His hands. The prayer, then, that is to be made for Him is not to be made for Him personally, but relatively--on account of His relation to other beings--His relation to us. But not only is prayer to be made for the reign of Christ--the text predicts its continuity, or uninterruptedness; “prayer also shall be made for Him continually.” Under the former dispensation, the fire which burnt upon the golden altar was never allowed to go out--and the ardent desire of the pious Israelites for the coming of Christ glowed continually on the altar of their hearts--it never went out. Observe, again, that prayer for Christ is to be offered conjointly with other things--“prayer also.” In all conquered lands, the subjection of the people was marked by two things--their money was stamped with the name of the conqueror, and they were obliged to pray for him in their public worship. In allusion to this fact, it is here said of the conquering Saviour--“To Him shall be given of the gold of Sheba, prayer also shall be made for Him continually.” The gold of Sheba--a portion of our worldly substance is to be devoted to Him, in connection with our prayers. For to pray in His behalf, without accompanying the act with this proof of our sincerity, would be as profane as to use all other kind of means except prayer would be impious. How many and how powerful the motives, then, which should induce us to pray for the reign of Christ! A sense of consistency demands it. A principle of benevolence to man requires it. A principle of gratitude requires it. He has prayed for us with strong crying and tears, or we should not, at this moment, be in a condition to pray for ourselves. He gave Himself for us. His priestly robes are never laid aside. And shall we intermit our prayers for Him? Let a sense of our obligation induce us to pray for Him. (J. Harris, D. D.)

Prayer for Christ

Is prayer, then, necessary for Him? Is He not above the reach of danger, pain, want? Has He not all power? Therefore, our prayer is not to be for Him personally but relatively, and we pray for Him when we pray for His ministers, His ordinances, His Gospel. What should we pray for on His behalf? We are to remember these four things.

I. The degree of the Church’s resources: that there may be sufficiency of fit instruments raised up.

II. The freedom of its administration--that all hindrances may be put out of the way.

III. The diffusion of its principles--that they may spread everywhere.

IV. The increase of its glory--that it may abound in all spiritual excellence. What reasons there are for such prayer: how certain it is to be heard if we be sincere in asking. Let our conduct prove this. (W. Jay.)

Praying for Jesus

We are, thank God, accustomed to praying to Jesus; we approach His footstool gladly, and believingly, and we are never sent empty away. We also pray through Jesus, appending His precious name to each petition presented to the Father. This it is that gives them worth. We cannot fail to recollect that He is now engaged in praying for us. It is perhaps somewhat of a novelty to call to mind the fact that we are privileged, nay, virtually enjoined, to pray for Him. It is a reversal of the accepted order of things, a delightful change of programme. It behoves us to be as continual in our prayer for Jesus as is our Mediator upon the throne in His pleading on our behalf.

I. What should be the burden of our prayer? We do not want in any case to utter vain words when our knees are bent before the throne, but when we are praying for Jesus we must exercise very special care. We must endeavour to discover what Christ desires. We must pray intelligently, reverently, lovingly, and to purpose. How may this be done? The best way to plead intelligently for Christ is to remember the promises that are given concerning Him. Get hold of a promise and wrap our prayers about it; let the Word of God be the nucleus of your petition, and then frame your own loving supplications round the Spirit-breathed predictions. I have found, also, that in this matter of praying for Jesus a consideration of the character of His work is of considerable assistance. If you are wishing to do a friend a good turn, or to give a relation a present, you will naturally consider the bent of that friend’s mind, the purpose of his life, the task that he may happen to have in hand, that you may give an appropriate present, or offer acceptable service. Act after the same manner with regard to Jesus. Contemplate Him, meditate upon His character, reflect on His tastes and predilections. Try to discover what would please Him most. Why was He hero on earth? He said Himself, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to Save that which was lost.” Then pray that the lost may be saved; that will please Him well. He was here to make disciples; to gather round Him and behind Him a fitting retinue, as became the Prince of Life, albeit He was in disguise. Pray that the number of the disciples may be increased, that those who profess to follow Him may follow, not afar off. He was here to sanctify the saints, to wash them with the washing of water by the Word; He was here to make them clean away every whir, head, and hands, and heart, and feet. Well, pray that the saints may be made holy and kept holy, for this will please Jesus; it will mean the completion of the work that He came to earth to start,

II. How to pray.

1. It must be continually, for so says the text, “Prayer also should be made for Him continually.” Our interest in Christ should never subside; it should not even know the changes that affect our prayers for others. I am not sure that they should be so changeful, but certainly in our desire for Jesus there should be no sort of variation.

2. Then pray loyally. “Vivat Rex!” “Long live the King!” “Hosanna!”

3. Then pray generously and practically, for the text says that the gold of Sheba shall be given to Him. Praying and giving go well together. Let there be self-denial with all your supplications. Give to Him gold if you have it, or silver if you have nothing better. Give Him the best you possess.

4. Then pray praisefully, for those who pray continually are to praise daily. “Daily shall He-be praised.” Adore Him while you pray for Him. And with all your praying let there be much of faith. Our prayers are wasted sometimes. Why? Because they are not prayers of faith. (T. Spurgeon.)

Prayer a vital force

I. Prayer is a vital force in the kingdom of Christ.

II. The sort of prayer spoken of in the text explains, illustrates, and justifies these statements. It is quite certain that Christ is to live and to prevail: it is equally certain that prayer is to be made for Him. Prayer is to be the great means of bringing in the kingdom: because Christ lives, prayer will be made: because prayer is made, His kingdom will continue to grow. He Himself has taught us thus to pray: when we say to the Father, “Thy kingdom come,” we are truly praying for Christ, and the prayer is necessary to the coming of the kingdom.

III. Prayer for Christ is the highest form of prayer, It is much more important that He shall prosper than I or you. He is greater. He lives, I die. He lives not for Himself but for others; His prosperity will mean that abundant grace shall come to others; and my prayer for Him will help to hasten the day of His glory. So in praying for Him I am actually praying for all His people. Surely such prayer is the highest. (W. Y. Fullerton.)

Pray for Jesus

Many people misunderstand such expression. If He were still on earth we might pray for Him, but surely not now. But His cause is here, His work needs prospering, and if we pray for this we pray for Him.

I. Such prayer elevates the tone of our prayers. We can be selfish in prayer, and narrow, and sectarian, and even bitter; but praying for Christ will lift us above all this.

II. Suggests many themes of prayer--for fitting witnesses for the truth; for those labouring in the field; for doors of utterance to be opened; for conversion of many souls; for those who are saved; for the coming of Christ’s kingdom.

III. Inspires us with peculiar earnestness. Consistency with my profession; gratitude, love to Him--all prompt such prayer.

IV. Gives special encouragement in our prayers. For the worthiness of Christ and the promise of God encourage us.

V. Demands consistent action. It will hold us back from sin; make us thoughtful; diligent in service, etc. But let His great love constrain us. (C. H. Spurgeon.)