FRAMEWORKS:
Psalm 9: A Cry for God to further deal with enemies
For
the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.”
A psalm of David.
[Preliminary
Comments: Again a song, this time set to an unknown
piece of music by David. He comes with a mixture of relief that
God has dealt with his enemies [v.3,6] yet still with a plea in
the awareness that some of them still threaten his life [v.13].
It would appear that such ‘enemies' are other nations [v.5,6,8,11,15,17,19,20]
and he calls on the Lord to deal with them, having seen how He
has already dealt with some [v.3-6]. It is the cry of a king with
responsibility for his nation, the people of God.]
v.1,2
Something has stirred David's heart to thank, praise and worship
God
v.1
I
will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
v.2 I
will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name,
O Most High.
v.3-6
His enemies who threatened him have been brought down by God
v.3
My
enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
v.4 For
you have upheld my right and my cause,
sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
v.5 You
have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever
and ever.
v.6 Endless
ruin has overtaken my enemies,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.
v.7-9
The Lord who is sovereign ruler & judge is thus a refuge for
the oppressed
v.7
The
Lord reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
v.8 He
rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
v.9 The
Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
v.10
Thus He is trusted by all who know Him
v.10
Those
who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those
who seek you.
v.11,12
His fame & wonder should be known by all, the One there for
the afflicted
v.11
Sing
the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has
done.
v.12
For
he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
v.13,14
on the basis of this, the persecuted David calls on the Lord for
help
v.13
Lord,
see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates
of death,
v.14
that
I may declare your praises
in the gates of Daughter Zion,
and there rejoice in your salvation.
v.15-18
The Lord deals with the wicked so the righteous can be secure
v.15
The
nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they
have hidden.
v.16
The
Lord is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of
their hands.
v.17
The
wicked go down to the realm of the dead,
all the nations that forget God.
v.18
But
God will never forget the needy;
the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
v.19,20
A final cry to the Lord to judge the unrighteous
v.19
Arise,
Lord, do not let mortals triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
v.20
Strike
them with terror, Lord;
let the nations know they are only mortal.
[Additional
Comments: David starts with praise and thanks to the
Lord [v.1 & 2] for what the Lord has done so far [v.3-6].
This reveals the nature of the Lord who is there for the oppressed
[v.7-9] and for those who seek Him [v.10], and who is, therefore,
worthy of their praise [v.11,12]. Having established this body
of truth, he then brings his petition for there are still those
who are a potential threat to him [v.13,14]. He knows the Lord
deals with injustice, bringing down the wicked but lifting up
the needy [v.15-18] and it is this that enables him to cry out
for the Lord to come and still deal with unrighteous, proud and
arrogant nations.]
Continue
to Psa 10