Psalm 9, pt 1
The Persecuted Believer

We must first note that this Psalm is written in a time of trouble in which David was beset by enemies and difficulty.

Ps 9:13
13 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:

But we also see that David has a perspective on the trouble which arises from at least two places. He takes in view the final end of all the wicked and the preservation of the saints through that final judgment, vs.7,8, and he is looking to his own preservation as an example and a parallel for the encouragement of all saints who would find themselves beset by enemies, vs.9,10.

With these two notions in hand, David sets himself to sing praises to God in the face of the difficulty in which he finds himself. The scholars differ as to the event that provoked this outpouring. Some point to the encounter with Goliath and others to the situation with Nabal. It rather seems to me that neither of these really fit the psalm but that it was written after David became king and pertains to some event that occurred then. The exact event does not really concern us so much as that which is communicated to us in the psalm.

David makes use of the alphabet to begin certain lines of this psalm as he does to perfection in 119 using all the Hebrew characters to speak of the glory of God’s law.

Ps 9:1-2
1 I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

These two verses are actually four distinct lines, each of which begins with the same Hebrew character.
I will give thanks to Jehovah with my whole heart
I will recount all Thy marvelous works –
I will be glad and rejoice in Thee,
I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.

This is the prelude to the psalm, the expression of David’s intent to rejoice in the Lord even in a time of trouble.

“With his whole heart, all his powers of mind and soul as centered in his heart taking part in the act, will he thankfully and intelligently confess God, and declare His wondrous acts which exceed human desire and comprehension. He will rejoice and be glad in Jehovah, as the ground of his rejoicing and as the sphere of his joy; and with voice and with harp he will sing of the name of the Most High.”

This is a determination, not an emotion which overtakes him. He is resolved, determined, purposed and decided that this is the way that he is going to approach the problem which faces him. He has just cause for doing so, as we will see, but David is determined to sing and praise God even before he sees God’s deliverance worked out. This is an admirable purpose, one which ought to be emulated by every believer, especially those in distress. It may have been this psalm which Paul and Silas sang at Philippi.

Acts 16:22-25
22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

This is true faith, that which rests the whole destiny of soul and body upon God even in the face of great suffering and difficulty.

Ps 9:3-4
3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.

When my enemies turned back,

When they fell and perished before Thine angry face.

For Thou has maintained my right and my cause,

Thou has sat down on the throne, a righteous Judge.

David’s confidence is that the cause of right is never defeated. God will not allow it. He sits enthroned, a righteous Judge, as well as the Sovereign King. It is not possible that right will be defeated or that the cause of the righteous will be lost. God Himself will maintain the cause of truth and justice. No one can take that from Him and none can overthrow His purpose.

— April 9, 2020