Psalm 72

Title:   'of Solomon'.  RSB study notes indicate some historical disagreement about whether Solomon is the author or the subject of the Psalm.   I lean toward David being the author, writing about his son as king.  I will explain later.

Either/or, this is a psalm with both present and future implications.

Recall, first Solomon's prayer and God's answer in I Kings 3:5-14.  He asks not for long life or prosperity, but for wisdom to rule the people rightly.  God is pleased and grants him this, telling him that there has never been one like him, nor will there ever be.  He also grants him what he didn't ask for....riches and honor.

This prayer implores God to grant the king His wisdom....to rule in righteousness and justice. He is asking for divine intervention in a fallen human heart that is prone to sin.  True righteousness and justice must come from God.

May the people dwell in peace,  protected by a secure kingdom.

The king is responsible for the vulnerable in the land.....the poor and needy.  He is to protect defend, and provide for them.

May his kingdom flourish in peace and prosperity, spreading to the ends of the earth!  All kings will come before him in service, bringing gifts. (note the reference to the gold of Sheba....and the story in I Kings 10 of the queen of Sheba coming to bring gifts).   He will be revered because of his treatment of the needy, providing for them.

May all oppressors fear the king--through all generations.  This is "poetic overstatement" in an immediate sense, referring to Solomon, but carries eternal implications, as we know Solomon died.

Verses 5 and 7b, 11 and 17 particularly carry an eternal bent.....speaking of the king reigning forever, and his reign encompassing all the nations.

At the end of the prayer, the author bursts into an anthem of praise....recognizing God's mighty and wondrous works.  Bless His Name forever, and let the whole earth be filled with His glory!
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I lean toward David as the author, writing about his son that will reign after him.
First, see the last verse of the psalm.  "The prayers of David, the son of Jesse are ended."
I wonder if the Psalm is somewhat prophetic?  Most of what was prayed here did happen.  Solomon was wiser than any before him or after him, only because God gave him that wisdom.
He was also rich beyond comprehension, and provided well for his people. Many came to seek his wisdom and see his riches.  God did, indeed, bless the king and grant peace and abundance during his reign.

But........

See I Kings 11:1-13.   Solomon displeased the Lord in that he married many foreign women and followed after their gods.  For this, God promises to rip the kingdom from him.  Not, however , during his lifetime, because of his father David (this prayer?).  No, he would sustain Saul, but after his death, the kingdom would be ripped in two leaving his line only one of the 12 tribes.  All others would split off and become a different nation, and the two would be in civil war for a long time.

God gives, and He takes away......when we do not walk in His ways.