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highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity,
choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over
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Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for THERE IS
NEVER A WRONG TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
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Bishop Soc Villegas
25 July 2007
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LESSONS OF JOB
(Part 30)
REIGN OF THE MESSIANIC KING
December 1, 2009
In today’s reading, Solomon prays for the king. “Give the king
your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal
son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor
with justice!” (Ps 72:1-2, RSV)
A king’s authority and rule come from God, the King of kings. Here
Solomon looks to the Almighty and sees what kind of God He is, that
is, one who is just and righteous, and so he asks for the virtues of
justice and righteousness for the one who will rule over God’s
people, and finally prays that the king would indeed rule with such
justice and righteousness.
What is the effect of just and righteous rule?
First, the poor are defended, the poor saved, and the oppressor
crushed (Ps 72:4). Those who suffer will experience redemption from
affliction. “From oppression and violence he redeems their souls”
(Ps 72:14a).
Second, there will be bounty, prosperity and great abundance in the
land (Ps 72:3).
Third, the nations who witness what is happening will flock to him and
bless him. In effect, he will be evangelizing, proclaiming the good
news of just and righteous rule under God. Nations, seeking peace and
prosperity, will imitate what he does, as “all nations call him
blessed!” (Ps 72:17c, RSV).
The ultimate just and righteous king is of course our Lord Jesus
Christ. Isaiah in today’s reading prophesies about the new shoot
that will arise from the stump of the Davidic dynasty. Among his
virtues is “the fear of the Lord” (Is 11:3a). Further, this
king “shall judge the poor with justice” (Is 11:4a, NAB).
Another rendering says, “with righteousness he shall judge
the poor” (Is 11:4a, RSV). The belt or band around his waist will be
“justice” (Is 11:5a, NAB) or “righteousness” (Is
11:5a, RSV).
This prophecy about this rule of Immanuel finds ultimate fulfillment
in Jesus.
When the king is just and righteous, he helps the poor and the
oppressed, and he crushes the oppressor (Ps 72:4). By this he humbles
the proud and lays low the mighty. “May his foes kneel before him,
his enemies lick the dust.” (Ps 72:9). But being laid low is a
blessing, as it puts one in a right relationship with God. This leads
God to “decide with equity for the meek of the earth” (Is
11:4b, RSV).
Aside from helping the poor and oppressed, here we see that the result
of just and righteous rule will be peace and harmony. Such peace and
harmony are radical, as those who ordinarily cannot come together,
because one would devour the other, do so -- the wolf and the lamb,
the calf and the lion, the cow and the bear, the baby and the cobra.
“There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain” (Is
11:9a).
When something like that happens, that is great and amazing news. All
peoples are looking for peace and unity. And so something like that
cannot pass unnoticed. And when people see with amazement what is
happening, they will be struck with awe, and give praise to the only
one who makes such a thing happen, and that is God. “On that day,
the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles
shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (Is 11:10).
When the light of a nation shines forth like that, the whole world
will be evangelized. Then “the earth shall be filled with knowledge
of the Lord, as water covers the sea.” (Is 11:9b).
What a day to look forward to! When the whole world is in awe
of God the Almighty, when those who are suffering will be redeemed,
when peoples will be humbled and live in obedience to God’s
law.
Such a perfect world will not happen on this earth, but only
ultimately in heaven. But even then, we must work so that peoples have
a foretaste of what is to happen, and will look forward to being in
the eternal presence of the God who is just and righteous.
“May all kings bow before him, all nations serve him.” (Ps 72:11).
“May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun, may his name
endure.” (Ps 72:17a).
Postscript: Affliction and suffering can be blessings of God for our
purification. When a nation suffers devastating floods and
unimaginable massacres of innocent people, there is a cry for justice
and righteousness. When we see that the rulers of the world who are
unrighteous will not provide such justice, then in our helplessness
and hopelessness we cry out to God. Further, we see that the only
ultimate way is the conversion of peoples and the transformation of
their lives, thus necessitating the work of evangelization.
God allows suffering to discipline, to test (like Job), and to purify
His people. His aim to is to raise a nation that will be a light to
the world.
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