PRAISE FOR THE POWER OF GOD
TEXT: Psalm 9:1-20
Psalms 9:1-20 KJV To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David. I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. [2] I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. [3] When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. [4] For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. [5] Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. [6] O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. [7] But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. [8] And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. [9] The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. [10] And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. [11] Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. [12] When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. [13] Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death: [14] That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation. [15] The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. [16] The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. [17] The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. [18] For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. [19] Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight. [20] Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
I. INTRODUCTION—A CONNECTION WITH PSALM 9 & 10
-Psalm 9 and 10 are connected in the form of a Hebrew acrostic. To get an idea of how this works, it would be very similar to taking all twenty-six letters of the English alphabet and beginning a sentence of a verse with A, B, C, and continuing on through Z.
-Psalm 9 is primarily dealing with praise and Psalm 10 is solely focused on prayer.
• Psalm 9—Predominantly focused on praise for deliverance over hostile nations.
• Psalm 10—Predominantly focused on prayer against unscrupulous nations.
-Prior to Psalm 9, we have noticed a connection with the psalms and prayer. But there are some other examples of this kind of activity throughout the rest of the Psalms.
• Psalm 40—A prayer for help with trouble abounds.
• Psalm 44—A prayer for help after Israel has suffered a devastating loss/defeat at the hands of the enemy.
• Psalm 89—A prayer that mourns the downfall of the Davidic dynasty and pleads for its restoration.
-No saint of God has ever come to the place of being able to not have a spiritual mix of praise and prayer.
• Praise without prayer leads to shallow, carnal, and weak worship that only appeals to the flesh.
• Prayer without praise leads to routine, ritualistic, and dry formalism that only appeals to the intellect.
-While the tone of these two psalms are clearly where David is bringing his distress (again) to the Lord, there is still an underlying sense of trust in the Lord that no matter how grim or dark things may appear, David will put his confidence in the Lord.
II. PSALM 9—GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS
-As with the previous psalms, I am choosing an outline so that you will be able to arrange it in your mind a bit better. One of the whole reasons that I am choosing to preach through the Psalms is to increase our biblical literacy which is at an all-time low in our generation.
-This outline is one that Harold Wilmington placed in The Outline Bible.
A. Psalm 9:1-3—God’s Righteous Redemption of the Elect
Psalms 9:1-3 KJV To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David. I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. [2] I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. [3] When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
-Again, the superscription proves to us the purpose of this psalm. It is to the chief musician and it is to be used in public temple worship either by the Levitical choir or a worshiping congregation. Open your heart and sing. . . Note I said that we should open our heart and sing. . . The Lord said that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will speak (Matt. 12:34; Luke 6:45). . . we must sing with our heart and not merely our mouth!
-This psalm puts an emphasis on praise and we see it immediately in the first two verses:
• I will praise thee. . . I will give thanks . . . with my whole heart!
• I will shew forth. . . I will tell. . . of the wonderful works of the Lord!
• I will be glad and rejoice. . . in Thee!
• I will sing praise to Your Name. . . O Lord, Our Lord, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth!
-The praise that comes from the heart and pen of David is in response to what the Lord had done for them. His protection for them and his provision for them is made clear.
-If you will notice in v. 11, there is also a connection that not only will David sing praise to the Lord in his heart (v. 1), he is also going to venture into a public place in Zion (v. 11). It is at the gates of Zion that this will take place.
J. J. Stewart Perowne (The Book of Psalms, 1878)—We cannot pray the psalms without realizing in a very special manner the communion of the saints, the unity of the Church militant and the Church triumphant. We cannot pray the Psalms without having our hearts opened, our affections enlarged, our thoughts drawn heavenward. He who can pray them best is nearest to God, knows most of the Spirit of Christ, and is ripest for heaven.
-This book of Psalms is indeed praises and prayer! If we would put a church in a mindsight for worship it will be enhanced when we open the Psalms. It has much toward developing our spiritual life, to serve as a model for songs of praise, and instruction in praying. That is what David is putting forward for us in this passage.
Allen P. Ross—Since prayer and praise—indeed, worship—must be informed, these psalms must be interpreted correctly, taught clearly, and preached convincingly. The church is missing one of its richest experiences if it ignores the Book of Psalms or relegates it to a routine reading in a service without any explanation.
B. Psalm 9:4, 7-8—God’s Righteous Rule Over the Earth
Psalms 9:4 KJV For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
Psalms 9:7-8 KJV But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. [8] And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
-Not only will the Lord redeem, He will also rule. He will endure forever and his throne will be perpetual.
-Through these verses (vv. 4, 7-8), David proves to us how the Lord will do this:
• He will rule justly
• He will rule eternally
• He will rule fairly
• He will help those who are oppressed
Several months ago when the city library sold thousands of books in preparation to move to the new facilities, I happened to purchase a series of books written by Robert Caro. He is perhaps the foremost living authority on the Texas senator and later US President, Lyndon Johnson. I am sorry to say that I was 47 years old before I came into contact with Caro’s work. I have several friends who have encouraged me to read about LBJ over the years, but until I ran across these library copies for $1, I probably would have never read about him.
In Means of Ascent, Caro describes the battles that Johnson went through the gain the Texas Senate seat and then the willingness to baptize himself in an absolute quest for power to gain the White House. At one point in his life, he had the ability to trade off his political career to become very wealthy but he was hungrier for power than he was for money. The author is very frank in various places in the book that this whole matter was really about power more than anything else in LBJ’s life. In fact, Caro states in multiple places in the books that his biographies are more about power than they are about politics.
Along with historical accounts and more exposure in our generation, we have gained insight into the lives of politicians and world leaders and many of these insights have not been flattering. Therefore it is somewhat difficult for us to really truly believe that there are true, just, and honest political leaders left in the world.
-David literally puts that whole matter to rest when he speaks of the Lord as being a righteous, accurate, and just ruler who is on a throne that will have eternal rule. It needs to be constantly placed before us that we can trust the Lord!
-Who is this Lord in heaven?
• v. 2—O Most High
• v. 4—A Righteous Judge
• v. 7—An Eternal Judge
• v. 9—A High Tower
• v. 10—A Name to Trust In
C. Psalm 9:5-6, 15-17—God’s Righteous Resistance of Evil
Psalms 9:5-6 KJV Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. [6] O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
-Not only will the power of God redeem and rule, it will also resist the attack of those who are evil. There is a foolishness that always prevails in the mind of the wicked. They have gained such notoriety in their own minds that they have become legends in a sense.
-This foolishness is what God will fight against and will prevail. The devil was literally the first foolish one who thought he could gain control over God. But David shows us what takes place to that end:
• They are rebuked
• They are destroyed
• Their names are blotted out
• Destruction comes in unending cycles to them.
• Their cities are destroyed
• Their memorials are torn down
-Even when you follow through further down in the psalm, you find them being cast into hell (v. 17) and the Lord will fill them with terror (vv. 19-20).
Psalms 9:15-17 KJV The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. [16] The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. [17] The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
-David uses some imagery that a hunter would use: Pit. . . Net. . . Hidden. . . Snared. . . This is a familiar picture that you will run across in the Psalms. In fact, there are fourteen other places where this expression is used generally in conjunction with a righteous man who is being pursued by wicked men who are bent on evil. (NOTE: There is a strong association that we can see with this Psalm and Psalm 7 particularly beginning in Psalm 7:14-16.)
-Enemies seek to destroy with a hidden snare or by a surprise attack. More often than not, the psalmists use the idea in connection with the tongue. The tongue is usually malicious in its gossip and slander and is used from a place of concealment. It is never something that is face-to-face but rather taking place behind the scenes.
-The tongue is as deadly as a sharp sword or deadly arrows.
Psalms 55:21 KJV The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
Psalms 57:4 KJV My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
Psalms 59:7 KJV Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
Psalms 64:3-4 KJV Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words: [4] That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
Proverbs 12:18 KJV There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
Proverbs 25:18 KJV A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.
-Various times in the Psalms, words were used to discredit David and came about in an effort to bring him down (Ps. 17; 25; 27-28; 31; 35; 41; 52; 54-57; 59; 63-64; 71; 86; 109; 140-141). All of these are examples give us the insight of knowing that David was under a fearful attack.
-Say what we may, but when malicious words come in our direction they are difficult for us to contend with. The longer you live the more aware of these situations you become:
• Promotions and raises on jobs have been stopped because of the tongue of malicious attackers.
• Pastors under fire by church boards and groups of rogue deacons. I am familiar with one pastor (SL) who had to endure a four hour attack by a large pack of deacons that numbered between 60-70 men. He was humiliated because one of the power-brokers in the church (a wealthy surgeon) determined he would take this good man down.
• Others have been hung-up in political cross-fire and found themselves eviscerated by harmful words. The words were intent on destruction and they have wilted down more than just a few over the course of time.
-We all would do ourselves well if we would quit worrying with everyone else’s dirty laundry and wash our own! May God help us to put a guard on our tongues!
D. Psalm 9:9-16, 18-20—God’s Righteous Rescue of the Needy
Psalms 9:9-16 KJV The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. [10] And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. [11] Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. [12] When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. [13] Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death: [14] That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation. [15] The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. [16] The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
Psalms 9:18-20 KJV For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. [19] Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight. [20] Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
-We come to the last segment of this Psalm. . . We have seen. . . God’s redemption, His rule, His resistance, and lastly we come to His rescue.
-David paints for us a picture of what God is doing as He is a refuge for the oppressed and the troubled.
• It is a high place in the mountain.
• It has great security and is very well defended.
• It is lofty and inaccessible to the enemy.
• It is a place of retreat and refreshment away from the battle.
-But David goes further in Psalm 9:13-14 when he writes that he is standing at the very gate of death. There are life-threatening dangers that he has to believe the Lord will save him from.
• Mordecai was there when Haman constructed the gallows for his death. But the Lord prevailed and Mordecai’s enemy was hanged on his own device.
• The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell into the slime pits they had constructed for Amraphel in Genesis 14.
-Don’t ever think the Lord cannot help you when it seems as if the whole host of hell is against you. His will is going to prevail and it is for weary saints and harassed preachers to believe and trust in!
III. CONCLUSION—WHEN I THINK OF THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD
-We can see that ultimately the power of God toward those who love and serve Him is all about His goodness.
-James Montgomery Boice, in his fine three-volume commentary on the Psalms, noted that when he started studying the Psalms in depth that something happened to him. He was aware that many of the psalms had tones of praise in them but that these were not kept in private to the writer. Each author of these psalms had a willingness to publically pronounce a blessing to Israel.
-Boice wrote that he decided that from point on in his life, he was going to acknowledging the goodness of God to some person on a daily basis. He said that this activity forced him to look at the glaring fact that there were long periods of time that passed in his past where he had not been thankful or grateful to God for anything.
-But it also had a transforming effect on him because that he noted that when he started looking for opportunities to tell others about the goodness of God that he developed a more positive spiritual mind. He said it was more than just a psychological condition but that he realized that God was active in every aspect of his life and it is often unrecognized!
-How guilty are we all of this?! In everything give thanks. . . for this is the will of God!
-When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for me. . . My soul cries out, “Hallelujah!” Praise God for saving me!
Philip Harrelson
October 8, 2014
