What makes this psalm especially interesting is the very last verse. At the top, we see that this psalm is "of Solomon," and so we assume that it means "by Solomon." But when we get to the bottom, we see that this is David's last psalm. "Of Solomon" means "for Solomon." These are David's recorded wishes for Solomon, his son. And he wants all the best for him- tributes and power and a big kingdom. However, what David really wants to communicate to Solomon is his most important responsibility- the afflicted. It easy, when power is involved, to ignore the powerless. After all, it's much easier to spend one's time focusing on people who have resources. But to step into the world of someone in such totally different circumstances can be difficult. Many times, it doesn't even cross our minds. It may be why David not only repeats the thought several times in the psalm, he also makes it into a song that Solomon may have heard many times in his long reign.
Protecting the powerless and delivering the marginalized was/is as major theme to our king as well. Jesus often opted for the people on the fringe of society, even choosing their situation rather than a place of privilege that could have been afforded him. May we have the heart of Jesus today.
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