Psalm nine

Introduction

Good Morning Redemption Church. It is good to see you all this morning. I love seeing our people gather together. I love the fellowship that takes place in our service. This truly is a church where our people love one another with the affections of Christ Jesus. If you are new to Redemption Church or are watching online for the first time, my name is Noah Toney, and I am the pastor here. Here at Redemption Church, we exist to proclaim the gospel and make disciples for the Glory of God. That is our vision statement, and that is what we are all about.

Today we will be looking at our last Psalm of the summer. This summer our church has been in a sermon series called “Summer in the Psalms.” My plan is to every summer return to the Psalter and preach 10 psalms a summer. Today we are ending our series on the ninth psalm. That might sound weird to you, and I agree it is but we have good reason. Allow me to recap to you what we have learned this summer, so that you might see the complete picture.

We started our journey with a sermon about the structure of the Psalms. I took one whole sermon and just went though how the five books of the psalter fit together. This is not a random collection of poems but this is an intentionally arranged group of poetry that tell the story of God’s people.

We looked at Psalm one and two that serves as the introduction to the Psalter, everything after it will look back to Psalm one and Psalm two.

Psalm One teaches us about the blessed man who is the perfect citizen of God's kingdom, who walks in the way of the righteous and turns from the way of the wicked.

Psalm Two teaches us about God's Messiah-King, who will reign forever despite the raging nations.

Psalm Three teaches us about God's chosen king, David, who, when the nations are raging against him, responds in faith and trust in God.

Psalm Four teaches us that when God's people are in distress, we should reflect on God's past faithfulness to find future hope.

Psalm Five teaches us that God's people can find comfort in the character of God.

Psalm Six teaches us that God's people will experience anguish and despair, yet we find our hope in God's steadfast love.

Psalm seven teaches us that God is the righteous avenger and the Righteous defender.

Psalm eight teaches us that God chooses to use the weak things of the world to defeat his enemies and establish his glory.

This week’s sermon in a sentence: “If God has saved us in the past, he is faithful to save us in the future.”

Scripture Reading

Psalm 9:1-20

TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO MUTH-LABBEN. A PSALM OF DAVID. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God. 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

Pastoral Prayer

Psalms three though nine, are one literarily unit that tells chronicles the story of David as his son has lead a revolt against him. Psalms three started with the superscription “ A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his Son.” This is bracketed by Psalm nine, where our superscpriction today reads, “To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.” Your english bible says this weird thing “Muth-Labben,” what does this have to do with Absalom? For much of church history this has been translated. Muth- means dead or death. Labben- means to or for the son. In fact if you need more proof of this, most KJV have already translated this for us, as well as many other versions of the bible.

Psalm nine also stands out because this is the first Psalm of thanksgiving in the Psalter. It is like ever since Psalms three David has been in the wilderness and all of his enemies have been around him. His friends have been trying to kill him, his son has been trying to kill him. His own people have been whispering and conspiring against him. Psalms three though nine has been an emotional rollercoaster. David has praised God, he has cried out to God, he has looked at God for vengeance, he has looked at God for mercy, he has wet his bed with tears and his bones have been shaken. Then we have seen David as confidant in God extolling God’s goodness and mercy. Now we come to the end of the story. Let’s jump in.

Verses 1-2 Thankfulness comes from the record

“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.”

David starts this Psalms with an interjection of Praise. This is diffrent from everything that we have seen thus far. This is special. Every Psalm from Psalms three onward that we have looked at thus far has started by calling on the name of YHWH. Psalm 3:1 “O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;” Psalm 4:1 “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!” Psalm 5:1 “Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my groaning.” Psalm 6:1 “O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.” Psalm 7:1 “O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,” Psalm 8:1 “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.”

From Psalm 3-8 David is calling on God to save him, but it looks like in Psalm nine David is not calling out to God asking him to save him, but he is sending thanksgiving to God because God has saved him. David starts immediately with a posture of praise. That is why this is often noted as the first Psalm of thanksgiving in the bible. David says, “I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.” This word recount, is a very intriguing word, it is the word for book, or scroll but it is used as a verb form of the word. So if i took some liberty to translate it, you could read this “I will book/scroll your wonderful deeds.” The idea is that David is going to record and write down the wonderful things that God has done for three reasons. First, so that David does not forget. How quickly do we forget the wonderful things that God has done for us? How often are you and I like the nation of Israel who comes out slavery and as soon as we encounter an obstacle we say “Oh God take us back to slavery, why have you lead us into the wilderness to die.” We are prone to forget the good things of God as soon as things get tough, we need the bible as a constant reminder that we are pilgrims on a better journey to a better county. Second, David wants to recount God’s wonderful deeds to encourage him in latter days. This is what the bible is for us. It is a history, so that we do not forget, but it also is to encourage us. It is true that if you are not in a storm than one you are about to be in one. David writes down these Psalms so that the next time he is in a tight spot, or the next time that he is questioning God’s goodness from the wilderness, he can “recount all of his wonderful deeds.” Third, David writes down God’s wonderful deeds so that he might sing. “I will sing priase to your name, o Most High.” The word sing praise, is the word “zmar” otherwise translated Psalm. I say all of the time, that we want to pray scripture, sing scripture and preach scripture and let scripture inform every thing we do. In the same way, David doesn't see scripture as a cold history book, but it is the song book of God’s people ment to inspire us to sing.

Verses 3-6 Enemies are temporary

“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.”

In verse one and two David says he is going to write down a song that is a record of what has happened. It appears that verse 3-6 he has kept his word. David is recounting the defeat of his enemies at the hand of the Lord, and he is rejoicing in it. David has seen his enemies turn back many times in his life. When David was just a boy and he killed Goliath, it says “When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.” Or what about the 2 Samuel 8 is just a list of David’s defeated enemies and nations that turned back and he followed them until they were defeated. Or what about Absalom’s revolt? As we read for our scripture reading, David was not even there. Yet God defeated his enemies for him. This turn back language is also a pun. It is the same word for repent, but here is it being used literally. David’s enemies did not repent and turn back from their error, but when they turned back literally they stumbled and perished. These enemies who aligned themselves with Absalom they not only perish from the earth, look at the text, they perish from “your presence.” Being God’s presence. In the same way this is what has happend for the enemies of Christ. Those who turn to the better David in repentance will be saved and will sing songs of great joy, but those who stand in opposition to him will turn in terror and will be stumble on thier own accusations against our King.

When the battle is going on against Absolams army, where is David? He is not on the battle feild, he is in the wilderness while his men are out in battle for him. David is hiding, while his men are fighting. But where is God? Look at verse four, “For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.” I love this picture of David, who is not on the throne, he is not in Jerusalem he is in exile, yet he knows that battle was won because YHWH was on the throne fighting for him. While the nations are raging against God, he is not nervous, he is not freaking out in the kingdom of heaven, no he is steady, he is resolved, he is on the throne and his judgments shall stand. Praise the Lord that we have a steady God. When you are going though difficulty, we can turn to Christ who after he has ascended and is now seated at the right hand of God, ruling and reigning forever. Lay your burdens on him, because he in unmovable. He can handle it.

God is on the throne, giving judgments, but what are his judgments? Look at verse 5 and 6

“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.” God rebukes the nations before he destroys them. Look at the first clause, “you have rebuked the nations.” Is this not a good thing, is it not just and loving that God gives those who oppose him a warning? Some will hear this rebuke and they will respond in faith to God as a father who is rebuking a son and accepts correction, but to those who do not. They will be blotted out.

I think David is very specifically thinking about his son Absalom here. We did not read this in our Scripture reading, but immediately after Absaloms men are-defeated in battle Absalom is killed and 2 Samuel 18 reads, “ And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every one to his own home. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s monument to this day.” When Absalom died he has no children to remember him, all that is left is a heap of stones. It is like a pile of everlasting ruins. The very memory of him has perished. All of Absaloms followers once he was dead were forgiven and allowed to return to Israel and serve David. As soon as he was dead, the very memory of him was blotted out. all that remains is a heap of stones. God’s kingdom is not so. Look at verse 7-8

Verse 7-8 The Lord is eternal

“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.”

David is thankful and he is rejoicing that the Lord reigns forever. His term is not limited to a constitution. He does not have to seek reelection. He is enthroned forever. David is reflecting upon YHWH as the better king. Just like last week we learned from psalms 145. David is the king of Israel, meaning that he is the chief judge, and the chief executor. No matter how good of a king David is, his term is limited to his life. David will die and he will be replaced by evil kings. But Christ is not so, his kingdom has no end. He is the perfect prophet, preist, and king forever. The author of hebrews picks up on this eternal enthronement and writes about the priesthood, “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:22-23).” Jesus the Messiah is the Lord enthroned, he is alive and living at the right hand of God almighty. He is not like David, his kingdom is not temporary, his kingdom is not shaken, he is the guarantor of a better covenant. Other kings die, and an evil king takes there place, but Christ he is king forever. He holds his office forever and because he lives forever he is able to save the uttermost of those who draw near to him. No one cannot repent and find rest in Christ. He sits on a throne of justice, because he has satisfied the justice of God when he went to the cross and took our sin. Now he is judge, because he himself was judged in our place. Let us celebrate our great king.

Verse 9-10 The Lord is a stronghold

“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.”

Not only is Christ our perfect judge, but he is our defender and protector. David who has been in the wilderness in the vulnerable part of the world, he has been exposed to the elements and could have been defeated at any time. David looks to God and says, “it was the Lord who was my stronghold.” This word stronghold is a military term, it means high ground. It is the place where when you were fleeing from battle and you needed to retreat you would go. You want to have the high ground. This is also the name of the cities of refuge in the bible. Those who are oppressed by their enemies, do not need to seek these cities of refuge, they only need to turn to YHWH. This is incredible, because David does not say, “God was a stronghold for me.” No, God is a stronghold for all who are oppressed. Anyone who is suffering unjustly can come to God and find relief in times of trouble.

The kingdom’s of the earth only provide protection to those who are brining something to the table. Only those who have something to offer receive the protection of the king, or of the government. Christ is not like this, he calls out to those who have nothing to bring, “Come trust in my name.” Come and find protection. Let me be your stronghold. Look at the invitation in verse 10, “And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.” This is gospel proclamation. David is sining the glory of the God here. Those who know God’s name put their trust in him. When you come to know God you come to trust him. And God will not forsake those who trust in him. It has always been this way and this has never been more true than in Christ. This was true in the OT, Deauteronamy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” This promise was given to us though the OT, and it was repeated to us in the New Testament in Hebrews 13. Those who trust in God, will never be forsaken. Do you want to know why Christ will never forsake us? Christ will not forsake you, because in his greatest hour of need it was God who forsake him and crushed him, so that he might save us. When Christ was about to die, he did not turn to God as a strong hold, but instead he walked right into the teeth of his greatest enemies and took all of our sin and shame with him into the grave. Christ is worthy to be our stronghold because he was raised from the dead on our behalf so that now he can grant to us eternal life. He is always available to interceed for us. He is able to save, because he has taken our punishment for us. He will never forsake those who trust in Him.

From verses 11-20 we are going to see a shift forward. Those who God has been faithful to save in the past, God is faithful to save in the future.

Verse 11-12 Sing praises to the enthroned king

“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.”

Those who God saves, will sing! David has been saved from Absalom and he breaks out in song, singing to the Lord. This occurs everywhere in the bible, as well as though church history. When the people of Israel were delivered though the Red Sea as soon as they get to the other side Miriam breaks out in song and the whole nation with her. You also have the song of Moses. When Hannah thought she could not have a child and she discovered she was expecting she breaks out in song. The same is true for Mary, the same is true for all of God’s people. When God saves, our response should be to sing. We sing because he is worthy to be praised. We sing because God is just, God does not forget the cry of the afflicted. There will be justice.

Verse 13-14 Plea for future grace,

“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.”

David who has already been saved from his enemies calls out, “Be gracious to me.” David knows that he has been saved from Absalom, but there still are enemies who reject his rule and reign. There are many who will still rage against him. David’s life will not be perfect now that he has been delivered from his enemies, there will be more trials, there will be more who stand to oppress him. This is true for us, if you are a christian, than you can trust that God has saved you, but you still have to go to him and seek his grace often. We need God not only to save us, but to sustain us. Look at the next few lines, “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.” These lines of poetry are so beautiful, this is a picture of David standing under the gates of death, he is asking God to save him so that he might sing in the gates of the daughter Zion, meaning God’s holy city. David wants to be saved so that he might sing and worship the Lord. This is the end goal of our salvation. The goal is not that we will be saved and float around in some nebulas cloud like heaven. That is from cartoons, the end goal, telos of salvation is praising God. We are just like David, we are under the gates of death. We are surrounded by enemies, sins, shames, burdens, failures, weakness, troubles, afflictions, sicknesses, ect, but though Jesus has have been brought from this dominon of death into the kingdom of life! God saves his people so that we might praise and worship him. This is what we are all doing here today ,we gather as the church of God on Sundays to celebrate God’s work of salvation for his people. All of us who are in christ, at one point or another were under-the gates of death, but Christ has brought us into his heavenly courts, and brought us a better citizenship. Let us praise him.

Verse 15-17 The wicked destroy themselves

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

We have learned thus far in this psalm that those who trust in God shall be saved, he is like a strong hold to all who trust in him. But what happens to those who will not trust in him? what happens to those who do not turn to Christ? I think the answer is, they destroy themselves. The nations have sunk into the pit they made. I think this is a reference to the giant pit that Absalom was thrown into. They are like men who set traps for others, yet get stuck themselves. Is this divine irony. They have set traps for the godly, but they only are destroying themselves. “The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah” The way that God has appointed judgement to the wicked is though their own hands. One of the major themes of the Psalter and of wisdom literature is that God judges us though ourselves. God here is not like a tom and jerry character who is throwing down lightning bolts at the wicked, no but what God does do is he hands over the wicked to themselves, and as soon as God hands someone over to their own wills, we immediately run off a cliff. “Higgaion. Selah. When the wicked will not sing in the gates of Zion, but they stay in sheol. They return to the grave. Here it is again a play on words, “Shov” repent to the grave.

Verse 18 The needy are not forgotten

“For the needy shall not always be forgotten, and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.”

Verse 18 stands out, it kind of does not fit the psalm. I think, David is saying that the needy might be inclined to feel forgotten, but take heart becuase God will come though on his promises. Israel will go into exile and they will feel forgotten, but take heart God does not forget his people. There will be times when things look hopeless, yet find courage and faith God will prevail. The hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

Verse 19-20

“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”

David ends this psalm with a cry looking to the future. David knows that he has been delivered once, but he is looking forward to another deliverance. This word, “arise” is the same word for the resurrection of the dead. Im not saying that David is thinking about Christ here, but I am saying that he is looking forward to some kind of event where man will try to prevail against God’s chosen king, yet man shall not win, God will arise and judge the nations. The nations will be put in fear. This is not terror, but it is a holy reverence and respect. The nations need to learn that we are but men, we are like grass that is here today and gone tomorrow. David was looking forward to this type of event, and this would come true in the person of Jesus. He is the better David, who the nations would surround and try to crush, but instead of killing the messiah they enthroned the messiah. And now Christ has arisen and he is on the throne ruling and judging the nations.

Let us praise his holy name.