PSALMS 144: Mahx Note
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10 Who gives salvation to kings*, Who delivers David His servant from an evil sword.
יהַנּוֹתֵן תְּשׁוּעָה לַמְּלָכִים הַפּוֹצֶה אֶת דָּוִד עַבְדּוֹ מֵחֶרֶב רָעָה:
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Rashi's comment:
*Who gives salvation to kings:
"This speaks about the Rock of the Divisions, when David was close to being seized by Saul (I Sam. 23:27): 'A messenger came to Saul, saying, — Make haste and go, etc. ' He saved Saul from shedding innocent blood, and David from being killed."
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Mahx Note:
Prophetically, this verse, (as explained by Rashi) refers to the tension between the rulers of Israel and the Mashiach the Son of David.
Due to the element of unbelief found among the children of Israel from the beginning until the time of the revelation of Melech HaMashiach, all the kings and leaders of Israel were burdened with the need to establish the kingdom by means of violence. [See 1 Chronicles 22:8; 28:3, (see fn. below for more on this)]
This means that a foundational aspect of their government was of the same nature as the kingdoms of this world. It is this that creates the tension between the kings and other rulers of Israel (up to the time of Mashiach's rule) and Mashiach himself, whose kingdom is not of this world but is the kingdom of G-d, which dethrones fallen Adam, as well as sin and death, entirely.
This tension is analogous to the tension between King Saul and King David. Neither Saul nor David are completely representative of Mashiach and yet G-d brings to them (both together) a salvation that makes both serve, according to their place, as representative of Mashiach.
Here in this psalm, Rashi points out, David is thanking G-d for bringing forth such a great salvation that it is a salvation for King Saul as well as for himself, King David. This same salvation can be seen when the two "kings" were Joseph and Judah. Likewise, Mashiach's rule will come in a manner that does not condemn but fully justifies the witness of the faithful kings and rulers of Israel from Moshe until the last hour.
Footnote on 1 Chronicles 22:8; 28:3
— Since it was not acceptable to G-d that David build the Temple, seeing that he had established the kingdom through warfare, why was it acceptable that Solomon build the Temple, since he was also a military king? G-d does not say to David that the problem was that he went to criminal excesses, etc. Literally, it was simply stated by Scripture that he was a warrior. It was this fact, in other words, that he had taken, (established) the kingdom by force that disqualified him from building the Temple.
In this we not only see that the Temple is a representation in itself of the Kingdom of heaven, but also that the Kingdom of Mashiach does not come by means of human military violence. Instead, just as G-d took Israel out of Egypt without any need for Moshe or the children of Israel to engage in a military action against Pharaoh, so they also would have entered into the Land of Israel by means only of G-d's own power and miraculous actions on their behalf, had they believed G-d, in the same way they did in leaving Egypt.
It was G-d's covenant promise to Abraham to both bring Israel out of Egypt and bring them into the Land by His own hand, without the need for human military force. And this will yet be accomplished in accordance with the word of God.
Nevertheless, G-d was merciful and gracious toward the children of Israel to bring them into the Land, even by assisting them in their own military efforts, so that through the long, long process that would follow, they would learn to repent and have faith in him. And for this reason it was not acceptable that David should build the Temple but that, once the kingdom had been established, Solomon should build the Temple, showing that when Mashiach would establish the kingdom through the power of the miracles of G-d he would redeem and justify all the efforts of the children of Israel, and it is on account of this that he would be called the Son of David.
Accordingly, when we seek to designate Mashiach as the Son of David only according to his genealogy and not according to this prophetic reason he would be called the Son of David, we err. For there are many who are the sons of David genealogically. But there is only one who is the Son of David in fulfilling the prophetic capacity of establishing the kingdom only through the power of Hashem, (in the manner that Israel left Egypt), and not through the human force which is always required on account of some measure of unbelief.
See my poetic commentary on Psalm 144, entitled: Israel’s Joy
here:
http://tinyurl.com/hqseryz (scroll down)
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