Psalm 9
1 For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son”. A psalm of David.
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. 4 For you have upheld my right and my cause; you have sat on your throne, judging righteously. 5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. 6 Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.
7 The LORD reigns for ever; he has established his throne for judgment.8 He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. 9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. 10 Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing praises to the LORD enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. 12 For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
13 O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, 14 that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah
17 The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. 18 But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.
19 Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. 20 Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. Selah
_____________________________
Psalm 9 – Praise, prayer, justice and judgment
This Psalm may seem a little ‘heavy’ about God as the righteous and just Judge. It also shows how to praise God for Who He is and what He has done and will do for those who trust Him. If you fear at the thought of how He judges and punishes, be very grateful because Jesus bore our sins, judgment and punishment when He died on the cross. You personally can know His forgiveness, eternal life, and living relationship with God if you are sorry for and turn from your sins (known as ‘repentance’) and trust in Him.
(Verses 1-2) David gladly praises his ‘Most High’ God wholeheartedly, shares God’s wonders with others, and will praise God’s name in song. The name ‘Jesus’ means ‘God saves’. His other name is ‘Emmanuel’, meaning ‘God with us’. Jesus is fully God and fully Man. We should praise Him too when we think about what His name means.
(Verses 3-6) describe unrepentant men and nations opposing God and His people. They are weak compared to God, who judges, rebukes, destroys and ruins them, while upholding now and eternally those who do repent and trust Him.
(Verses 7-8) The LORD reigns forever in judgment, justice and righteousness. He rules now too.
(Verses 9-10) God is a refuge and stronghold for the oppressed or troubled trusting Him. No-one seeking Him is ever forsaken. Think on His name.
(Verses 11-12) Those singing God’s praise must proclaim God’s deeds to nations. It must include creation, Jesus’ incarnation and sin-bearing, rising again, ascending to Heaven, and sending His Holy Spirit. He always listens to cries of the afflicted.
.
(Verses 13-14) David’s short prayer covers his persecution, need for mercy, uplifting by God, praising God, and rejoicing that he is saved.
(Verses 15-17) These point to God-less dying of the wicked, the grave and Hell. Ungodly nations go there. So do the wicked, who are ensnared by what they do. God is always known for His justice.
(Verse 18) God remembers the needy. The afflicted who hope in God are blessed. He will remember the poor. The hope of the afflicted will never perish. God sees and hears them.
(Verses 19-20) Man cannot prevail and never will prevail against God. Nations must know they are only collections of dying sinful people. They will be judged by God. God’s punishment is one of terror. ‘Selah’ means ‘Stop and think about that.’
