8 May he reign from sea to sea,
and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.
9 Desert nomads will bow before him;
his enemies will fall before him in the dust.
10 The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands
will bring him tribute.
The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba
will bring him gifts.
11 All kings will bow before him,
and all nations will serve him.
12 He will rescue the poor when they cry to him;
he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.
13 He feels pity for the weak and the needy,
and he will rescue them.
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are precious to him. NLT
This section continues with the kingly blessing from the first seven verses. After reading verses 8-11, describe the extent of geographic impact and influence of the reign that the writer has in mind for the king. What would these relationships mean for Israel’s kingdom? (*If needed, see the note below on geography)
Read verses 12-4. What kind of ruler does the writer of this psalm want the king to be?
In the writer’s mind, how would the might of the king enable him to be caring in this section? How are both qualities (mighty power and a shepherding heart) necessary?
What are many people tempted to do with the power they inherit? How is God’s idea of the use of power different from many other leaders in the history in the world?
::::: EQUIPPING CHALLENGE :::::
Take some time in the next 24 hours to pray for the leaders of influence in your country or community. Apply what you have learned about leadership from these verses to your prayer for your leaders.
*Note: The Euphrates River is in what is today Iraq. Tarshish may refer to an area on the Western Mediterranean in what is today southern Spain. Sheba and Seba may refer to areas in North Eastern Africa in the region of southern Egypt and Ethopia.
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