Psalm 9: Praise And Petition

1  I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
2     I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3     When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before your presence.
4     For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.
5     You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6     The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
their cities you rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.
7     But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
8     and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.
9     The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10    And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
11    Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!
Tell among the peoples his deeds!
12    For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13    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,
14    that I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in your salvation.
15    The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16    The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah
17    The wicked shall return to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
18    For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
19    Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
let the nations be judged before you!
20    Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah
 
Meditation
The sovereign rule of the Lord offers personal peace that overflows in grateful praise and is a place for powerful petition, that the Lord’s justice may be enforced among His enemies.
 
Praise pours out of a heart that knows the Lord is king. King David determines his heart to praise the Lord (1-2), rejoicing in God’s salvation (3-6), and recognizing the Lord as a worthy refuge (7-10). King David commands all of God’s people to worship the Lord as King (11-12). God alone is enthroned in Zion. God’s people must celebrate His wonderful work.
 
Powerful petition comes from the position of knowing the Lord is King, pleading for His justice to be executed. Personally, David petitions for the Lord to save him from those opposing him (13-14) and to punish the wicked nations (15-18). The petition breeds congregational confidence in the Lord’s universal justice as it braids their petitions with king David for the Lord’s justice to prevail, to “let the nations know that they are but men!” (19-20).
 
The rule of the Lord is most clearly seen in the person and work of Jesus. Jesus rules over every enemy, principality, power, and authority. Jesus alone disarmed His enemies through His work on the cross, taking the justice we deserve upon Himself. Jesus alone has conquered death so all who trust in Him can have a life of peace that pours forth praise! And Jesus alone will bring justice to the wicked, even transforming their wicked deeds in His renewal of all things.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the peace of King David that pours forth praise and His petitions for God’s justice to be manifest among wicked nations?
 
-Where do you struggle to have this kind of peace and petition in God’s sovereign rule and reign over the world- do you believe this truth?
 
-How does the finished work of Jesus and His sure promises strengthen your faith to trust His sovereign grace, claiming the peace He provides as you pray for His just reign over all things?
 
Key Verse
7     But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,
8     and he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.