Into the lives of God's people, there come times when we are very tempted to strike back at those who come against us. But bitterness, anger, and animosity all usually find their source in self-pity. We look for retribution in some way and are in danger of losing our joy and testimony if we pursue what we consider fair retribution. This psalm looks forward to the day of retribution, but from the all-wise God, not from the bitter spirit of a man.
It may have been written because of the events that occurred when Goliath of Gath was defeated by the power of God through the hands of His young servant David. For that reason, the title, "Death of champions," may be an appropriate meaning if that is what the word "muthlabben" means. Because of this, the "marvelous works" of God inspired whole-hearted praise from David, who had unreserved faith in the Lord. When we experience the Lord working through us, even though we are very conscious of our limitations and weaknesses, we cannot help but praise the Lord and GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY!
Public expressions of praise to God are appropriate when He saves a soul, restores a wanderer, strengthens a weak saint, heals the sick, and reaches beyond what are normal boundaries to bless others. There are many aspects of our Lord that produce praise from an appreciative heart. He is "Most High." He maintains right and judges in righteousness. He deals appropriately with the wicked in ways His sovereign will chooses. He endures forever. He is a refuge to those who are in trouble. His judgments and retribution against wickedness are righteous. He rules over all the nations of men, whether they submit to His authority or not. Consequently, justice will prevail, and it will be done in His own time and His own way.
The "I wills" of the servant are an appropriate response to the actions of our Lord. God vindicates the righteous actions of His people who are opposed by enemies. False accusations, misunderstanding. lack of appreciation, work done at personal cost to benefit others may not be recognized, and labor and ideas that are ignored can undermine our joy and testimony if we do not acknowledge that all of this is in the hands of our Lord. We do not need to dwell upon the actions of others nor be unduly concerned with what the enemies of righteousness and the kingdom of God are doing. We are just not to "be weary in well doing, for in due season [we] shall reap if we faint not." A farmer has to spend more time taking care of his field and nurturing his crop than he does bringing in the harvest. A fisher has to spend more time preparing and maintaining his gear and enduring days of bad weather than he does bringing in a net full of fish into his boat.
The Lord does not forsake those who fear Him and serve Him. He does not abandon those who trust in Him. He does not forget the urgent prayers of those who know who He is and how limited we are. So, we direct our prayer to Him and "look up," knowing that He heard and will be our refuge in times of trouble. He does not always remove the difficulties we face but goes through them with us. The help He gives may not make us comfortable or successful. It may never make others feel good about us, or us feel good about ourselves. We are not here to expose the wrongs of others and the rights of us. We are here to represent the kingdom of God with righteousness, holiness, godliness, integrity, and the honor due our Lord, and is expected in those whom He created in His own image. Sadly, most of those He loves and has offered salvation to, reject Him.
When David expressed his understanding of all that will happen to those who have no interest in God and who oppose His people, he called to stop and meditate (Higgins) on what has just been said. This pause was likely accompanied by quiet music played while thoughtfulness brought people to consider what they heard and what was coming next.
The next words, "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God," would have solemnized everyone who heard them to consider themselves, those around them, and the nation itself. How important that we take these words to our heart as we think of the place of the lost. This blunt statement is so straightforward that there can be no question as to what it means. The future of the wicked is hell. But in the same place, there is assurance given to the poor in spirit and the needy, whose sense of being forsaken is addressed. There is grace offered, not fear. There is a blessing for those who seek the Lord, not rejection. The "Judge of all the earth" will do right. Those who thought themselves independent and great will learn who they really are. With the word "Selah" again as the last word in the psalm, we should stop what we are doing and think carefully about what we have heard and learned.
PSALM 9. The Day of Retribution. Some say this psalm celebrates Goliath's defeat. This is an acrostic based on the first half of the Hebrew alphabet. He expresses thanks for God's dealings with the enemies. v. 1-2. He is giving glory to God for His spectacular feats in crushing the foes of the nation. He is honoring and magnifying the Most High God. v. 3-12. He looks forward to the Second Coming of Christ when He comes to reign and puts down all His foes. Then the earth will taste righteous judgment. Cities that have been known for centuries will go into oblivion. Adversaries will be gone when the Lord rules the world with absolute justice. Then the people of the world will put their trust in Him and find Him to be their refuge. Israel will not only praise the Lord but will be the nation that points the Gentile nations to the Lord. v. 13-14. David still needs God to protect Him from his enemies, so Jerusalem will hear the songs of praise. v. 15. The anti-Semitic nations will fall into the pit they dug for the Jews. History repeats itself like in the days of Haman. v. 16. Higgaion is a similar word to Selah. v. 17. This is not the grave, as can be seen by the context. This is hell, where the nations will be punished for their rejection of God. v. 18. The needy will not always be forgotten. The Millennium will fulfill the hopes of the forgotten ones. v. 19-20. David is longing for that day to come when God’s purposes will foil man’s plans, and He will judge the nations. Then they will realize how frail, puny mortal men really are.