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Psalm 9
(Psalms 9 KJV) "To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of
David.
[Muthlabben, "To die for the son," apparently a tune to be used here,
but reminiscent of David’s lament, "And the king was much moved, and went
up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O
my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O
Absalom, my son, my son!" (2 Samuel 18:33 KJV).
I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will show 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.
{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. {5} Thou hast rebuked the heathen,
thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever
and ever. {6} O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end:
and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
{7} But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne
for judgment. {8} And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he
shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. {9} The LORD also
will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. {10}
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou,
LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
"They that know your name" is the equivalent of saying "They who know
who you are," because so many do not. To know God’s name is to know not
only his identity, but his reputation. God is a refuge for the oppressed.
Oppression of the poor and helpless is a singular crime in the eyes of
God. He does not always avenge immediately, but he always avenges.
{11} Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among
the people his doings. {12} When he maketh inquisition for blood, he
remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. {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: {14} That I
may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I
will rejoice in thy salvation. {15} The heathen are sunk down in the pit
that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. {16}
The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is
snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. {17} The wicked
shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. {18} For
the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor
shall not perish for ever. {19} Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let
the heathen be judged in thy sight. {20} Put them in fear, O LORD: that
the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah."
How easy it is to forget that we are but men. I hadn’t thought that
fear was for the purpose of reminding me, but it makes sense. The fear of
death is a constant reminder and the fear of God generated by conscience
has a similar effect.
V. 11, "Yahweh who dwells in Zion" is and interesting construction. You
may have noticed that the Bible only uses first names to identify men,
occasionally adding the word, ben, "son of," to designate which person we
are talking about. Men were also identified by their tribe or their city.
Hence, Yahweh of Zion. This becomes more significant when you realize that
there were other Yahwehs among the Canaanites. Some even had consorts.
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The
Sinless Life
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considered what it would mean if you could just live a sinless life?
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