He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, and His enemies will lick the dust. (Psalm 72:8-9)
If we simply consider this psalm as a father’s prayer for his son, then David’s prayer was answered. Scripture records that, “All the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom and each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold … at a set rate year by year. (1 Kings 10:24-25). In Israel’s history, no king had ever accomplished so much as Solomon in terms of power, influence, wealth and peace. Jewish history teaches that his court was recognized around the world as the international center of wisdom and justice. The powerful bowed to him; the lowly revered him as their defender. But alas, in time, Solomon turned his heart away from the Lord and joined himself to strange women.
Therefore, we once again come to realization that this psalm speaks ultimately of the Messiah who will rule with justice over all the earth. Leaders and rulers from every nation will bow before Him; the peoples of the earth will not serve Him out of fear, but out of love and admiration and His enemies will “lick the dust,” which is to say, they will fear His power and authority.
Thematically, this phrase is similar to what was told to the serpent after he successfully seduced the woman, and consequently, Adam to sin. The Lord told him, “On your belly you shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:14). Being driven to the ground, the serpent’s head was in the proper position to be crushed by the heel of the Seed of the Woman. In other words, David prophesied of the time when Messiah would govern the nations and subject His enemies to His authority, ruling them with a “rod of iron.” The Adversary would no longer be able to freely “steal, kill and destroy,” but would be forced to “lick the dust” in defeat.
If you are like me, you long for the Lord to hasten this day. But as we wait and anticipate this great day, remember that God has not left us powerless against our Adversary. In Messiah, we have been given the authority and power to “trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). We don’t have to live in fear for what the enemy may do to us; to the contrary, God’s people are to prevail over all the power of the enemy and command him to “Eat dust!”
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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