Praise Yahweh

Every song has a story

some come through pain

Others come through joy

Some through love

Some are intriguing observations

Others from peculiarities

As listeners of modern songs, we may only be able to guess or make assumptions about inspiration to a song. Occasionally the composers provide some insight for us.

Today, as we continue our study in the book of psalms, we come to a psalm of praise that is filled with allusions, but lacks specific references regarding its inspiration. While we might be helped and informed by context, the lack of context also helps us to apply this psalm to our own circumstances.

Open to Psalm 9, p. 423 We will not have any scriptures on the screen this week, just the outlines, so having scripture opened before you will be helpful.

Before we dive into the specifics of this psalm, I’d like to bring up a couple of interesting tidbits and challenges.

In the Greek and Latin versions of the OT, this psalm is combined with psalm 10. Editors did this because the original Hebrew psalms have these two making most of the Hebrew alphabet - though not completely. Because the original Hebrew Bible separates psalm 9 and 10 and the fact that their themes are quite different, we are going to study these psalms separately. I’ll cover Psalm 9 today and Armal will cover Psalm 10 next week.

The title “according to muth-labben” seems to refer to the death of a son. This seems a bit odd because there is no son mentioned or no allusions to indicate which of David’s sons this could refer to. While that title suggests a dirge or mournful psalm, this psalm is actually rather celebratory - even in the face of some enemies. It could be that even in his grief, David finds a way to praise God.

In many ways, I think this psalm is quite appropriate for us because in all of our lives, there are both joyous and challenging times; seasons of celebration and seasons of sorrow. Here David makes a way to praise Yahweh - to praise God.

As we consider this psalm today, we’ll reflect on three main ideas

Praise for Yahweh’s work in the past

Prayer for future deliverance

Pause for perspective

As we walk through this outline, I’ve been greatly helped by the work of the late pastor James Montgomery Boice, and have adapted some of his outline for our use today.

So David begins this worshipful psalm with…

Praise for Yahweh’s work in the past (1-12)

In doing this, David

Starts with thanksgiving (1-2)

Psalm 9:1–2 ESV

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Notice a couple of things here. First of all, David says that he WILL give thanks. This is as choice that David makes. No matter what is going on, David is intentionally giving thanks.

Secondly, David says that he gives thanks with his whole heart. It’s as though his worship and praise comes from the depth of who David is.

Can we say that about our worship? I realize, in a day like today where the songs are a bit different and even distracting, worship can be a bit half-hearted. But on a normal week or in our regular times of personal or family worship, are we fully engaged with God or are we simply phoning it in, mouthing the words without engaging our minds or souls?

But notice that David’s whole-hearted worship and thanksgiving is because he could recount all of the wonderful things that God has done. He can look back on the course of his life and thank God for his presence and his activity.

This past year at the Cross Conference (a conference geared toward young adults), John Piper, who turned 80 shortly after that conference, was interviewed by the MC. Piper’s response to one of the questions was that while young people had a lot of life ahead of them and energy galore, they did not have the 60 years of seeing God’s faithfulness and handiwork that he had on them. Piper could look back over his life and rejoice in God’s work in the past - through education, marriage, job changes, the birth of children, adoption of a child, a cancer diagnosis, travails of aging, and so much more. Piper regularly praises God for his work throughout his life.

Like David and Piper, I think it’s important for us to look back and recount God’s faithfulness. There are some who are in the habit of journaling as a sort of record of what God has done. At other times that recounting comes in the form of re-telling - communicating to others of God’s faithfulness. In the very least, that recounting should inform our worship. Recounting God’s faithfulness in our lives is a way that we can disciple the next generation, telling our children and grand children of what God has done!

Kids - I have an assignment for you. This afternoon, ask your parents to tell you of something that God has done in their past.

Parents - there might be any number of things that you can point to. Let me encourage you to do that. In the very least, communicate how God saved you - what God did in your life to bring you to Him!

For David, he seems to recount God’s faithfulness in three ways:

Victory over Enemies (3-6)

Psalm 9:3–6 “When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence. For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment. You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins; their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.”

As we read over David’s recounting, we don’t know exactly what David remembered. We have some of those event recorded. He is clearly giving God credit for the victory over his enemies.

Did you notice how many times David said “you” or “your” referring to God? 7 in this translation. He sees God’s handiwork all over those victories.

The working out of justice and right judgement on earth (7-8)

Psalm 9:7–8 “But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice, and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.”

On Friday at Art Camp, we were encouraged to dress up in a costume. I grabbed one of my graduation gowns and dawned a driving cap and pretended to be a justice or a judge. some of the kids looked at me funny, not knowing what a justice or a judge was.

David, here, clearly understands that God’s throne of justice - judging right from wrong - is perfect and good. David seems to recognize that whether this justice happened in the past or will happen in the future, God will be just or right or true or good in his judgments.

Thirdly, David recounts Yahweh’s work in the past as a…

Refuge from the wicked (9-10)

Psalm 9:9–10 “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”

Again, David is a bit vague here in this psalm as he recalls times when Yahweh was a refuge or shelter for him. Maybe he was thinking of when God protected his great-grandmother Ruth and provided for her in the fields of Boaz - her future husband. Maybe he was thinking about when God shielded him in a cave from his enemies when he was wrongfully accused. We don’t really know the exact stories that came to David’s mind, but we know that there are stories behind David’s words.

There are stories behind our words, our testimonies as well. Which I think is why David doesn’t just keep all of the praising and worshiping to himself. He invites others to sing praises. He invites us to sing praise.

Call for others to sing praise (11-12)

Psalm 9:11–12 “Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds! For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.”

Beloved, each week when we gather to sing God’s praises, we do so amidst a choir of countless other Christians singing as well. Some are facing persecution, some are relishing freedom, some are healed from sickness, and others are reeling in the news of a terminal diagnosis - and yet all are singing praises to God!

Even as David sings God’s praises, he knows that not everything will be perfect in the future. In fact, David may have some people who are threatening him, so he offers up this…

Prayer for future deliverance (13-20)

David begins by offering up a…

A hopeful prayer for mercy (13–14)

Psalm 9:13–14 “Be gracious to me, O Lord! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation.”

I find it interesting that David isn’t asking for help from God so that he can have relief - yes he wants relief and protection - but his motivation is that he might have more things for which to praise God! “That I may recount ALL your praises.”

So often when we face trials or challenges, our natural response is to say “why me God?” or “why this?” or “woe is me.” There are plenty of psalms that say those things too. How would our perspective be changed if we could say - “God I need your help in this situation, you have lifted me up in the past, please lift me up now, that I may recount all of your goodness - that I may “rejoice in your salvation”? At face value, it may sound a bit hyper-spiritual, but I think if our goal is the glory of God, to recount God’s praises, then we get our eyes off of our means for worry and onto our reason for worship!

Let’s jump down to verses 17-20. As David faces needs, as his nation faces needs, David offers up…

A prayer for God to arise in judgment on the nations (17-20)

Psalm 9:17 “The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.”

Now, I know, we don’t often use the word Sheol, but in Hebrew - this refers to the grave or death. But notice what David says here - the wicked “return” to Sheol. It’s like they are going back to the place that originated their wickedness. Sometimes we like to think of the wicked as those who do bad things. Maybe it’s those who steal or lie or kill or treat others badly. But what does David say marks the wicked? Those who “forget God.”

Many years later, when God was disciplining his people, he allowed them to be taken in exile to Babylon. The king there was Nebuchadnezzar. At various points in his life, God kept reminding Nebuchadnezzar that God was responsible for Nebuchadnezzar’s successes. One day, Nebuchadnezzar was on the roof of his house and he looked over all of his kingdom with pride and took the credit for something that God deserved the credit for. As a result, he spent the next 7 years running around like an animal (Daniel 4). Eventually, Nebuchadnezzar was restored and was able to give God praise - he remembered God

I do wonder, in our lives, how often do we forget God? How often do we live our lives like He’s just an add on? “I’ll worship Him if I don’t have something better to do on Sunday or I’ll spend time with Him if Facebook gets boring or that game doesn’t work or if my work schedule allows….”

Now David is speaking of godless nations, but people make up nations. Would David consider us wicked? Have we forgotten God?

Even though some may forget God, David notes that there is hope, even for those who are needy or poor. In response he asks God to act.

Psalm 9:18–20 “For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you! Put them in fear, O Lord! Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah”

He asks that God would come to the aid of the needy and helpless. That He would bring judgment on the nations.

I think this is where we see the gospel clearly. God did see us in our weakness. He saw us stuck in our sinfulness and made a way for us to be made right with Him. He himself paid for our sin with the death of Jesus on the cross. He himself brought our judgment on himself and invited us to live the way that He designed us to live - for His glory and the good of those around us.

Friend, you may feel forgotten. You may feel like the oppressors around you are getting the best of you and that justice will never happen. Know this, that Jesus, even as He took on our flesh, was able to identify with our weaknesses. He knows your hurts and pains. You are not forgotten by God. Will you seek after Him? Will you come to Him?

Beloved - when Jesus went to the cross, He didn’t just do it to give us an escape from the judgment of Hell - He did it to bring us life and to show us the way to live.

As Jesus’ disciple Peter writes -

1 Peter 2:21–24 NLT

For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered* for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.* He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.

Friend - I pray that you would come to Jesus - put your faith in him. Repent of your sin and trust in His righteousness and live life His way. He calls us to take an eternal perspective on justice and judgment. In His perfect time, he will bring justice. Know, that he already brought justice by taking the judgment for your sin. Will you trust him?

So David, began with praising God for the things that He had done in the past. Next, he prayed to God for help in amidst the enemies that he faced. But if you noticed, we skipped over a couple of verses. In these verses, David seems to…

Pause for perspective (15-16)

Psalm 9:15–16 “The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught. The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah”

David recognizes that these wicked and godless nations will get caught in the consequences of their own actions.

God revealed Himself and they ignored Him. As a result, God will judge. It’s not our place to judge or to seek vengeance - that’s God’s place. Our place is to trust.

It’s here that David introduces two words that seem odd to us. Higgaion and Selah.

We’ve run into Selah before. This is a sort of musical pause. It’s a rest or an interlude. It’s a time to take a breath and maybe even reflect.

But the other word, Higgaion, is even stranger. In this form, it only seems to happen here in all of Scripture. Many translations note that this is a musical term. One of the things that this term is related to is a meditation or a murmuring. It’s almost as though David is telling us to pause and gain some perspective by remembering over and over again that the wicked will get their due because God is just.

This may not happen in our timing, but it will happen in God’s perfect timing. As the writer of Proverbs says - it seems like the wicked prevail - but David reminds us - they will get their just judgment. We don’t need to take things into our hands, we can pause, trust God and remind remember repeatedly God’s got this. God’s got this. God’s got this!

Closing thoughts

David begins with praise and so should we. May we regularly give praise to God - here at church, in our homes, among our friends, with our classmates and coworkers. May we regularly recount with our whole hearts all that God has done.

Recognizing that God allows challenges in our lives and that God-forgetting people will do God-forsaken things - we can and should bring that to God in prayer - asking God for his help and trusting that He will respond.

In the face of all of that, we should pause for perspective. We should pause to remember - there is an eternity. God is just. God’s got this!

Let’s Pray

Questions for reflection and discussion

Read: Psalm 9

1. What prompted David to offer this poem of praise to the Lord? (9:1–18)

2. What theme unifies this poem? (9:1–20)

3. Why is it important to decide or choose the thank and praise God?

4. What does it mean to give “whole-hearted” thanks or praise?  Does that mark our praise?

5. David says that he will recount all of God’s deeds.  How does David recount God’s activities (3-10)?

6. How is David’s recounting a good example for us?  What activities of God can you recount?

7. David offers up a prayer for future deliverance (12-20).  How does he express his need?  In what attribute(s) of God does he trust?

8. At the end of verse 18, David includes the words “higgaion” (meditation or murmmering) and “selah" (rest or interlude), inserting a sort of pause in the psalm.  How can we be helped by taking time to pause and meditate on God’s ability to accomplish His will in our challenges?

9. Why is singing an appropriate response to God’s salvation (vv. 2, 11)?

10. In what ways can 11b (“proclaim his deeds among the nations”) summarize the work of the Great Commission (Matt 28:18–20)?

Sources:

Boice, James Montgomery. Psalms 1–41: An Expositional Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005.

Crossway Bibles. The ESV Study Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008.

Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994.

Ross, Allen P. “Psalms.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

Smith, J. Josh, and Daniel L. Akin. Exalting Jesus in Psalms 1–50. Edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida. Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2022.

Wessel, W. W. “Blessed.” In New Bible Dictionary, edited by D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, and D. J. Wiseman. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Wiersbe, Warren W. Be Worshipful. 1st ed. “Be” Commentary Series. Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries, 2004.

Wilcock, Michael. The Message of Psalms 1-72. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.