Psalm 9
Bible Passage: Psalm 9
He Judges In Righteousness
God is judge over us. The previous chapters speak of God’s marvellous handiwork of creation. God is the creator of all living creatures, the sea, the sky, the mountains, heaven and earth, and man whom He created in His own image. Besides Him, no one else can lay claim to the authority of a judge, weighing man’s deeds and dealing out rewards and punishments accordingly.
Chapters 9 and 10 can be read together as both psalms centre on the righteous judgement of God and how God avenges the upright. The wicked will not escape judgement.
“He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgement for the peoples in uprightness.”
~ Psalm 9:8
Ever had the experience where you were being treated unfairly? Where you were accused of something which you did not do, or slighted because of prejudice or jealousy? If we have done right in the eyes of God, and yet receive unfair treatment from others, God being just, will judge and be our defence, vindicating us. He also goes on to administer judgement for us! There is no need for us to seek revenge. However much we may be tempted to retaliate, God clearly said He will be the judge. If we have sinned, we are not spared from His judgement.
It is particularly comforting to know that God is just. In this world where wrong is fashioned in ways to make it seem right and right is slighted and mocked at, your kindness, magnanimity and efforts at holiness are stored up as treasures in heaven. Your tears, oppression and troubles are remembered and avenged by God.
The wicked may continue with their ways, unrelenting, unrepentant, but God’s righteous judgement ultimately prevails (Psalm 9:7; 37:7). Let us work more diligently towards a clean and upright heart, checking for blindspots in our character and thoughts like David did (Psalm 139:23-24).
Fear Him
“Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men.”
~ Psalm 9:20
Does the fear of God exists today? More and more of my friends now profess to be atheists. Atheists do not acknowledge the existence of God. In a way, there is nothing to bind their conscience to speak the truth. They are masters of their own beings. Or so they believe.
We are created in the image of God, and God has placed in each of us a conscience. The self-professed atheists are denying this light of conscience which God has sowed in our hearts (Prov 13:9). If anyone thinks he can be his own master, he is playing God. The fear of God is not in him. If the clay denies the potter, how does he justify his existence? What hope does he have of being saved? How can he be saved?
What does the Bible tell us regarding the importance of the fear of God?
Ex 20:20 tells us the fear of God will keep us from sinning. Ex 25:17 tells us the fear of God causes us not be take advantage of each other. Deut 6:1-2 informs those who fear God that they will enjoy a long life. 1 Samuel 12:14-15; 24 tells us if we fear God, God will be on our side. Psalm 25:12-14 is a pleasant surprise! It says that God confides in those who fear Him! Psalm 31:19 tells us God gives His goodness to those who fear Him.
How would you even begin to describe God to someone who has not experienced God for himself before? God is so good J and awesome and fearsome. When the time comes for God to make His righteous judgement, I want to be found to be on His side. Wouldn’t you?
2 Comments
Treasureinearthernvessel
I love today’s post alot! Thanks for the encouragement. I want to fear God, and I want to do right.
My own sharing for today…
The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.
(Psalm 9:9-10)
David remembers that God is still God over all. He is sovereign. David had a kind of absolute trust in God. He knew that God would deliver him. He knows that God will lift him up and God will judge his enemies. However, this trust is not haughty; on the contrary, it is humble.
When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble. (Psalm 9:12)
This trust in God is not proud just because we know that God is our Lord, and we are His people, and so he will definitely be on our side and defend us. This trust instead remembers that we are all only mere men (Psalm 9:20), dust to be exact, and therefore, remembers that it is God who lifts us up. Thus, we can only plead for mercy, for who are we to judge another?
Have mercy on me, O LORD!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death, (Psalm 9:13)
However, let us be assured that those who are wicked, those who forget God, they will be judged. In fact, we do not have to do anything, for they have sunk down in the pit which they made, having their foot caught in the very net which they have hidden (Psalm 9:15).
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. (Psalm 9:16)
If you are being oppressed right now, don’t worry. Put your trust in God; He will not forsake you. 🙂
PS
In my bible, there is a footnote under the Psalm 9, this psalm is addressed “To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son”
What is this tune? “Death of the Son”? why capital S for Son?
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Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
There is a slight different in Psalm 9:17 in the Chinese bible, a literal translation is:
The wicked, namely the nations who forget God, shall be turned into hell.
The wicked is defined as one who does not know God.
We, gentiles who are previously outside the commonwealth of God’s mercy for the chosen Israelites, are now in the house of God bec the blood of Lord Jesus.
If we do not know God as we ought to, as a child knows his father, we remain as much a wicked as the nations who forget God.
Last Sabbath, i asked some young kids why they need to pray for the Holy Spirit.
The children are not impressed when told that they need the Holy Spirit to enter heaven bec in their little hearts, they are not dying yet.
Then a simple point gets across:
They need to concentrate in their prayer for the Holy Spirit bec the Holy Spirit wants to come and stay in their heart. They have to let the Holy Spirit come in bec they are children of God and the Holy Spirit is God, so we must let Him in.
On a similar note, we who are children of God, forget God, we are the wicked.