The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of righteousness.
– Psalm 45:6
This psalm is a song to the king in Israel, the king in the Davidic line, and it honors the king. It talks about the king’s glory, the king’s family, and the king’s rule in righteousness as a reflection of God the King. This is the whole picture in the Old Testament, that God designed the king to be a reflection of his rule, his righteous leadership of his people. Now, obviously, anyone who reads the Old Testament knows that most kings did not reflect the righteous rule of God, but that was the design. This is why the author of Hebrews later quotes from this verse and this chapter to talk about how Jesus is the King we need, and that all of those imperfect kings created a longing for a perfect king who would rule in perfect righteousness.
Psalm 45:6 points to Jesus as our perfect King.
And the author of Hebrews applies this verse and this chapter ultimately to King Jesus. The scepter of his Kingdom is a scepter of righteousness. This Psalm leads us to praise God as the perfect King, to praise Jesus as the perfectly righteous King we need. And at the same time, reading the Psalm, we’re driven to pray for righteous rulers, leaders in this world who reflect the righteousness of God.
The very next verse talks about the king loving righteousness and hating wickedness. So, let’s praise Jesus as the perfect King. Praise our God as the perfectly righteous King. And let’s pray for leaders who reflect his righteousness. Oh God, you are the King forever. As Psalm 40:5–7 say, “Your kingdom rules forever,” and we are so glad that you are ultimately the King, and we praise you for your revelation of yourself in Jesus.
Jesus, we exalt you as the perfect King who came in the line of King David. And who ruled with a scepter of righteousness and then took our sinfulness, our wickedness upon yourself on a cross. And then rose from the dead in victory over sin and the grave. You are the risen and exalted and ascended King on high who now rules with a scepter of righteousness. And your righteousness is one day coming to this earth.
Psalm 45:6 reminds us not to place our hope on flawed leaders.
Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly, we pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name as King. Your kingdom come, we pray. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And as we pray that, God, we ask that in your mercy, you would provide righteous leaders for us, over us. God, we pray for righteousness over leaders in your church, among your people. Lord, we pray for leaders in your church to be righteous, pure, holy as you are righteous and pure and holy.
God, we pray for the sanctification of our leaders. We pray for their holiness. And God, we pray in our cities and our states. And provinces and in our countries and our nations. God, we pray that you would raise up righteous leaders, men and women who love righteousness and hate wickedness as you do. God, we ask for that. Have mercy on us and help the leaders over us to pursue righteousness and hate wickedness. Oh, God, even as we pray for them, we know, Jesus, you are the perfectly righteous King we need. Help us to put our hope in you and not in the leaders of this world. And God, we pray that you’d help us to spread the good news of King Jesus today among people around us.
I think about even election season in my country. God, help us to faithfully point people to King Jesus during these days. And to point to King Jesus all around the world.
Prayer for the Balkan Egyptian People
Lord, we pray for the Balkan Egyptian people… For the small people group of 20,000 Muslim men, women, and children. God, we pray for the spread of the good news of your Kingdom, the gospel of your Kingdom… Of you, King Jesus… To the Balkan Egyptian people… That they might know you as the perfectly righteous king who has paid the price for their sin. God, may it be so, we pray. Cause the Balkan Egyptian people to be reached and brought into your Kingdom. We pray all this according to your Word in Psalm 45. In the name of Jesus, our King, Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
