It didn’t work. Shalom, “peace,” did not return to I AM’s creation through the community of Israel. The laws, the sacrificial system, the priesthood, and the kings all failed to bring Israel back to shalom. Yet here is an interesting fact, some people saw that shalom was gone. Psalm 72 is a prayer either by King Solomon or for King Solomon for the king to bring back shalom. He prayed to I AM that the king would reign in righteousness and justice and fairness. The Psalmist wanted the king to liberate the oppressed and to extend forth godliness in his kingdom. This return to a place where peace will extend from sea to sea, from coast land to coast land, and the land will be at peace. This is a prayer for I AM to move the king to guide the people back to shalom, but not just the people of Israel but to extend Israel universally. This prayer concludes with the Psalmist’s faith in I AM to answer this prayer. Through his prophets, I AM does promise to raise up a king who will deliver the people from the chaos and destruction that happened when I AM cursed the created order with the removal of shalom.

I want to briefly look at three passages in the prophetic writings that show that I AM is going to raise up a king to bring back shalom to Israel, and by Israel the world. The first is Isaiah 9:6-7,

For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called: Extraordinary Strategist, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His dominion will be vast and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore.The Lord’s intense devotion to his people will accomplish this.

The prophet speaks of a child, a son, will be born to reign on David’s throne in Jerusalem. He will defeat Israel’s enemies and firmly establish the kingdom of David for forever. He will conquer Israel’s enemies because he is an “extraordinary strategist.” He will act as God’s own agent, ruling as I AM would rule if he were on the throne himself, and is thus seen as “mighty God.” He will protect the people of I AM during a prolonged reign as their “everlasting father.” He will rule the people in a period of great peace. He will reign over a great and vast kingdom in peace. The peace is a socio-economic peace. But for this to occur, for I AM to bless the people, this son must lead the people back into proper worship and love for I AM. The spiritual element must be present for the socio-economic element can take shape. That spiritual relationship must be maintained if the socio-economic peace stays put. One cannot separate out the civil from the ceremonial from the moral aspects of the law, it is all connected. But this king, who rules and reigns with “justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore,” will do so because I AM will see to it on the basis of his devotion to this community. This king will lead the people back to the way I AM intended the people to live, back to shalom.

At the same time Isaiah spoke of this son who will reign on David’s throne, Micah prophesied about a king from Bethlehem in Micah 5:2-9. This king is to be born while Israel is in captivity under Assyria. He is of the line of David, “whose origins are in the distant past” (Micah 5:2 NET). This king will unify the people who I AM will release from captivity and return to the land. He will rule over them by I AM’s strength and authority so that the people will live securely. This king-shepherd will be honored all over the world for his reign over the community of I AM. Shalom will return to Israel. While this speaks of a political and socio-economic peace, yet he must lead the people back to I AM and proper relationship with their God and Creator for this peace to come. He will bring them back to where I AM intended them to be, to make all well for Israel. He will give them shalom. If anyone were to rise up against this king, he would send eight commanders against them, speaking of Assyria, and rule or break them. This king will make Israel to be life among the people.

The third passage comes from Zechariah 9:9-10, given after Persia released Judah from her captivity and allowed the Judeans back to Judea to live in her home. Zechariah writes,

Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Look! Your king is coming to you: he is legitimate and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey – on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey. I will remove the chariot from Ephraim and the warhorse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be removed. Then he will announce peace to the nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth.

In this prophecy, I AM is speaking of his protecting Israel from her neighbors. I AM says that a king is coming to Israel. He is a legitimate Davidic king that will be victorious (Heb: saved). He is a humble king who comes riding on a young donkey that is the foal of a female donkey. Through this king I AM will remove the instruments of war from the people of God and declare peace to the peoples and nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth. Thus fulfilling the plea of Psalm 72. Note the language concerning the extent of the kingdom being parallel in Psalm 72:8 and Zechariah 9:10. I AM will deliver his people and bring about shalom with the nations, removing the weapons of war because of the peace that will be created. Peace will return to the land, to Israel and the nations. I AM promises to bring back shalom.

Now the people who have heard I AM’s promises and prophecies must now wait for when I AM fulfills them. Micah and Isaiah predicted this Davidic king before the fall of Israel to Assyria and Jersusalem to Babylon and yet Zechariah is saying this king is yet to come after Persia freed Judah from captivity. The community of I AM must wait for some time before this king comes to them and establishes shalom.