Glorious Praise (By: Chris Barnes)

Text: Psalm 9
 
OBSERVE: This Psalm begins with David praising the Lord for all of His wonderful deeds. David then praises God for his sovereignty in providing righteous judgment; as not even a memory of the wicked nations will remain. David then continues by declaring that God is a haven for those who are oppressed. The Lord never forsakes or forgets those who belong to Him and David makes it clear that the natural reaction of God’s people to this truth should be praise. David then calls on God to rescue him from his enemies and continues by previewing the total ruin of all who oppose God. David then closes this Psalm with a prayer; asking that the Lord would judge the nations and put them in their proper place by reminding them that they are simply human.
 
INTERPRET: This Psalm is a Thanksgiving Song, in which David shows appreciation for the Lord’s rescue. This Psalm shares similar themes to Psalm 10; though using a very different tone. It is a common held understanding among many that Psalms 9 and 10 were originally a single work. Psalm 9 is the first of the acrostic Psalms covering the first half of the Hebrew alphabet, with Psalm 10 covering the rest of the alphabet. This is not uncommon, as many of the Psalms are connected to one another.
 
Psalm 9 is a part of the first book of Psalms (Psalms 1-41). Through this first book, the focus is on David’s human kingship which helps us see his need for God’s Kingship. This overall theme is very clear in this particular Psalm as it is evident that David is very reliant on the one true King; to be able to overcome his enemies. It’s ancient Chaldean title suggests that it could have possibly been written to celebrate David’s victory over Goliath.
 
APPLICATION: Although there is a tendency for David to want vengeance on the wicked; this tendency can be more clearly understood in light of the constant threat and battle that David faced. However, it is David’s praise and thankfulness that we should see as the main purpose of this Psalm. Praise for the God who is the true King; praise for God’s righteousness and thankfulness for God’s faithfulness to those who belong to Him.
 
Often in our lives, we can tend to focus too much on those who have committed offence and who have lived in the ways of the wicked. We can learn from David that it is God’s glory and righteousness that should be our focus. It is God who performs many wonderful deeds, it is God who will provide righteous judgment, it is God who provides hope to those who are afflicted and in need. When we focus on praising God first and foremost; it can truly make a difference in how we view our circumstances, and how we are freed from our chains. Focusing on God helps us to understand and experience what praise really is. If David can do it in his dire situation; perhaps we can too.
 
Let us praise God in song:
Song: King of Glory