"The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor." [Psa 72:3-4]
In The Bible, mountains are sometimes used symbolically in place of governments. In Daniel we see this through Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and interpretation thereof. When the great king of Babylon dreamed a dream, it did not fade quickly, but haunted him, for we read that by reason of this dream, “his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.” [Dan 2:1] So strong upon his soul was the memory of this dream, that upon the “magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans’,” failed attempts at interpretation, Nebuchadnezzar, “was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.” [Dan 2:2-12] But according to the word of his unable men, “there is none other that can shew [the dream] before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh,” [Dan 2:11] so it was: for The Lord GOD, who “dwelleth between the cherubim,” and “that revealeth secrets,” [1 Sam 4:4, Dan 2:28] gave unto Daniel the dream and its interpretation.
In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, he saw “a great image,” whose “head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, [and] his feet part of iron and part of clay.” [Dan 2:31-33] The LORD reveals through Daniel the different pieces of the great image are kingdoms. Nebuchadnezzar, representing Babylon, was “this head of gold.” [Dan 2:38] After him would “arise another kingdom…and another third kingdom of brass…and the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron.” [Dan 2:39-40] But what grabs our attention today is the symbolic use of a mountain. For in the dream,
“A stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces…and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.” [Dan 2:34-35]
The interpretation of the stone and mountain is that of Jesus Christ, for it is written,
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” [Dan 2:44]
Thus, through this dream, we can see how God uses the mountain to describe a government. Specifically, in this case, the government of the Messiah, of Jesus our Lord, to whom it was promised,
“He shall be great, and shall be called The Son of The Highest: and The Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” [Lk 1:32-33]
And in a vision given to Daniel,
“There was given [The Son of Man] dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” [Dan 7:14]
And so, we come to our verse for today, which speaks of Christ’s kingdom. Unlike the kingdoms of this earth, which are often cruel and tyrannical, hungry for power and devoid of righteous ambition, Jesus’ kingdom is that which, “shall bring peace to the people…by righteousness.” Jesus as “King over all the earth,” [Zech 14:9] and as “the governor among the nations,” [Psa 22:28] will “judge the poor of the people, [and] He shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.” Jesus will rule the earth with uprightness; He will not be as the kings of this earth, who are unyielding and inept, who are ignorant of the trials of their people. No, but Jesus, as a good and righteous King, as one who “was made in the likeness of men,” and as one who “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” [Phil 2:7, Heb 4:15] will, “come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.” [Psa 72:6] Jesus Christ, “King of kings, and Lord of lords,” [Rev 19:16] shall rule with grace and mercy, taking thought for the poor and the needy, (yea, He “shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.” [Psa 72:12]), and dashing to pieces all those who are evil. As it says in Isaiah,
”Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” [Isa 32:1-2]
Jesus’ kingdom and rule will offer such a drastic and welcomed contrast to the kingdoms of this world. No longer will there be enforced poverty, famines, nor the production and distribution of all manner of vileness as there is today. In Christ’s kingdom, there shall be a great abundance of “righteousness, and peace, and joy in The Holy Spirit,” for of such is His kingdom. [Rom 14:17] Yes, “in His days shall the righteous flourish [also], and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.” [Psa 72:7] Praise to our coming king! As John prayed, let us joyfully agree, “even so, come, Lord Jesus[!]” [Rev 22:20]
Let us conclude with this. Have you found a leader, or some authoritative figure, acting unjustly or out of turn? May we change our way of thinking; may we not sulk in discouragement at such offences to righteousness, as though there is no hope; let us not diminish our spirits as do others – may these things provoke us to hope: to the hope and reminder that our Lord Jesus is yet coming; as He Himself said, “surely I come quickly.” [Rev 22:20] May we see that which falls drastically short of God’s ideal and be reminded that these men are not our true kings, “for our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ;” [Phil 3:20] and, “nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness;” [2 Pe 3:13] and again, “for here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come.” [Heb 13:14] Ah, so let us take comfort and rejoice! For our King doth yet come, “His kingdom ruleth over all,” [Psa 103:19] and blessed in His name forever and ever, amen.
Click here to see more posts in Daily Meditations on Jesus’ Glory, Vol III