Acts of Justice (Psalm 9)

Acts of Justice
Psalm 9

INTRODUCTION:
Chinese officials from the Public Security Bureau invaded a Sunday school room at a church in early 2005. They found thirty children inside and herded them into a van. Despite the scary situation, one child started to sing. In a few moments, all the children were singing.
Upon arrival at the police station, the children marched bravely into the interrogation room, still singing to the Lord. The Chinese officers attempted to force the children to write, “I do not believe in Jesus,” telling them that they had to write it a hundred times before they would be released. Instead, the children wrote: “I believe in Jesus today. I will believe in Jesus tomorrow. I will believe in Jesus forever!”
Exasperated, the officials called the children’s parents, some of whom renounced Christ. However, one widow refused to deny Jesus when she came to pick up her twin sons. The officers threatened her, saying, “If you do not deny Jesus, we will not release your sons.”
She replied, “Well, I guess you will just have to keep them, because without Jesus, there would be no way for me to take care of them!”
The exasperated officials said, “Take your sons and go!”

Our enemies rarely show up dressed as police officers. Mostly they are our co-workers or family or friends who can’t seem to grasp and appreciate our convictions when it comes to being in worship or to living righteous lives or believing certain biblical truths.

David had his enemies with which he struggled. And he wrote Psalm 9 to encourage us in the face of our own enemies…

DAVID PRAISES JEHOVAH - 9:1-2:
These verbs are cohortative which means they are encouragements. Here, David encourages himself:

#1 - Let me praise / give thanks
Notice how comprehensively this praise / giving thanks is to be: “with all my heart.” Out of the 100 times the verb is used, 67 of those are in the book of Psalms.

#2 - Let me announce / recount
What? “Your wonders”
Out of the 107 times the verb is used, 36 are in Psalms.
“Wonders” was used of the plagues in Egypt (Exo. 3:20). The psalmist uses the word 27 times, out of 44 times.

#3 - Let me rejoice
156 times in the OT; 51 in Psalms
#4 - Let me boast in You
8 times total
#5 - Let me sing / praise Your name, Most High
45 times; 41 in Psalms

O Most High! - 25 times; contrasts God with the pagan idols which are located on earth - at least their symbol (the idol) is located on earth.

The source of our confidence and praise today is the memory of God’s blessings from yesterday. How important it is for us to remind ourselves that God is faithful and He has blessed us in the past and He will bless us in the future.

JEHOVAH DESTROYS THE WICKED - 9:3-6:
David’s enemies “turn back.”
Our enemies are God’s enemies if our enemy is against us for righteous reasons. Think Saul of Tarsus! (Acts 9:4).
They “stumble.”
They “perish” before Jehovah. “Presence = face in Hebrew”
The verb is used 175 times, 24 in Psalms

Why? Because (“for”):
God “maintained” David’s “just” cause…
“Just” is the same root word as “judging”
421 times; 65 in Psalms
God sat on His throne “judging righteously”
The verb is used 151 times, 27 in Psalms
“Righteous” - 119 times, 49 in Psalms
He has rebuked the nations.
The verb is used 14 times, 4 in Psalms
He has destroyed the wicked.
The verb is used 175 times, 24 in Psalms
“Wicked” -263 times, 82 in Psalms
He has blotted out their name forever and ever.
The verb (to “wipe” or “blot”) is used 34 times, 6 in Psalms
God promised to “wipe” away or “blot out” mankind in Genesis 6:7 and 7:4, 23.
God promised to “wipe” away or “blot out” the Amalekites in Exo. 17:14
God threatened to “wipe” away or “blot out” Israel itself in Exo. 32:32-33

The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins.
“Ruins” - 43 times, 3 in Psalms
“Perpetual” - 39 times, 17 in Psalms
He has uprooted the cities.
The verb - 21 times, mainly in Jeremiah. Only here in Psalms.
Their very memory has perished.
“Perish” is the same verb as “to destroy” in verse 5.
“Memory” - 23 times, 11 in Psalms.

God will not allow David’s enemies to get the best of him, because God has a promise to fulfill - to bring Jesus into the world. In the same way, God will not allow our enemies to get the better of us, because God has a promise to fulfill - to bring us into heaven to be with Him.

THE LORD WILL NOT FORSAKE THOSE WHO SEEK HIM - 9:7-10:
In contrast with the temporary nature of the wicked,
The Lord abides forever.
His justice will remain forever as well, as “He has established His throne for judgment.”
“To establish” - 196 times, 43 in Psalms.
“Judgment” is the word used earlier in verse 4.
He will judge the world in righteousness.
“Judge” we have seen before.
“World” is used 36 times, 15 in Psalms.
“Righteousness” we have seen before.
He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.
“Equity” is uprightness, fairness - 42 times, 12 in Psalms.

Verse 8 is quoted by Paul in Acts 17:31 - “He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

Therefore, God’s people can find refuge in Him:
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed.
“Stronghold” - 17 times, 13 in Psalms
“Oppressed” - only 4 times, all in Psalms
A stronghold in times of trouble.
“Trouble” - 74 times, 24 in Psalms

God will not forsake His own: in 2 Timothy 2:12-13, Paul promises that “if we endure, we will also reign with Him; …if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”

Therefore, those who know Your name will put their trust in You.
“Will put trust” is a command in the third person; i. e., “They should / must put their trust in You.”
“Trust” - 114 times, 46 in Psalms

Why?
For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
“To leave, forsake” - 188 times, 20 in Psalms
“Those who seek” - 10 times, 6 in Psalms

THE RESULTS OF OUR ACTIONS - 9:11-16:
David calls on his people, and others, to sing praises to Jehovah,
who dwells in Zion.
“To praise” - used in verse 3.
“Zion” - 154 times, 38 in Psalms
David calls on his people to declare among the peoples God’s deeds.
“To declare” - 366 times, 20 in Psalms.
“Deeds” - 25 times, 9 in Psalms

Why?
For He who requires blood remembers them.
“To require” - 154 times, 18 in Psalms
“Blood” - 360 times, 21 in Psalms
“To remember” - 222 times, 53 in Psalms
He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
“To forget” - 99 times, 32 in Psalms
“Cry” - 21 times, only here in Psalms
“Afflicted” - 74 times, 30 in Psalms

God will not fail us. He will always be present in our lives. He will always do what is right for us. It’s when we decide we know what is right that we get off the divine path and bring trouble and sorrow on ourselves.

David calls on Jehovah again:
“Be gracious to me, O Lord.”
“To be gracious” - 76 times, 32 in Psalms
“See my affliction from those who hate me.”
Why?
“You have lifted me up from the gates of death,”

The result?
“That I may tell of all Your praises,”
“To tell, recount” used in verse 2 - this is also a cohortative
“Praises” - 57 times, 30 in Psalms
“That I may rejoice in Your salvation” - another cohortative
“To rejoice” - 49 times, 19 in Psalms
“in the gates of the daughter of Zion.”
“Salvation” - 78 times, 45 in Psalms

Others will receive what is due to them:
“The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made.”
“To sink” - 10 times, three in Psalms
“Pit” or “destruction” - 23 times, 9 in Psalms
“in the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.”
“Net” - 22 times, 8 in Psalms
“To hide” - 28 times, 7 in Psalms
“To be caught” - 121 times, 3 in Psalms

The source of David’s confidence:
“The Lord has made Himself known.”
“He has executed judgment.”
“Judgment” was used earlier at verse 5.
“In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared.”
“Work” - 35 times, 11 in Psalms
“To snare” - 8 times, twice in Psalms
“Wicked” - used in verse 6.

Higgaion - only in Psalms: 9:17; 19:15; 92:4.
Selah - three times in Habakkuk, 70 in Psalms.

THE RESULTS OF THE WICKED PEOPLE’S ACTIONS - 9:17-20:
The wicked will “return to Sheol”
“Sheol” used 66 times, 16 in Psalms
Even all the nations who forget God.
“To forget” - 99 times, 32 in Psalms

In Numbers 32:23, God reminds Israel that they will not “our run” their sins.

“For the needy will not always be forgotten.”
“Needy” - 61 times, 23 in Psalms
“Always” was used earlier at verse 7.

“Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.”
“Hope” - 32 times, 3 in Psalms
“Afflicted” - 19 times, 11 in Psalms
“To perish” - was used earlier at verse 4, 6-7.
“Forever” - 44 times, 29 in Psalms

So David calls on God once more:
“Arise O Lord, do not let man prevail.”
“Do not let man prevail” is a command: Let them not…
“To prevail” - used 11 times, 4 in Psalms
“Man” is enosh - “man” pictured from the perspective of his frailty and weakness; 565 times, 19 in Psalms
“Let the nations be judged before You.”
“Before You” - “Before Your face.”
“Let be judged” - also a command; the verb was used at 5, 9.
“Put them in fear, O Lord;
“Fear” - 12 times, only here and 76:12 in Psalms
“Let the nations know that they are but men.”
“Let know” is a command
“To know” is used 983 times, 88 in Psalms

God will not forget us. Our “tears are in His bottle” - Psalm 56:8.

CONCLUSION:
Take home message: Praise Jehovah; He will destroy the wicked. He will not forsake those who seek Him. He will return our actions back on us, whether for good or bad.