Acts of Justice
Psalm 9
Chinese officials from the Public Security Bureau invaded a Sunday school room at a church in early 2005. They found thirty children inside and herded them into a van. Despite the scary situation, one child started to sing. In a few moments, all the children were singing.
Upon arrival at the police station, the children marched bravely into the interrogation room, still singing to the Lord. The Chinese officers attempted to force the children to write, “I do not believe in Jesus,” telling them that they had to write it a hundred times before they would be released. Instead, the children wrote: “I believe in Jesus today. I will believe in Jesus tomorrow. I will believe in Jesus forever!”
Exasperated, the officials called the children’s parents, some of whom renounced Christ. However, one widow refused to deny Jesus when she came to pick up her twin sons. The officers threatened her, saying, “If you do not deny Jesus, we will not release your sons.”
She replied, “Well, I guess you will just have to keep them, because without Jesus, there would be no way for me to take care of them!”
The exasperated officials said, “Take your sons and go!”
Our enemies rarely show up dressed as police officers. Mostly they are our co-workers or family or friends who can’t seem to grasp and appreciate our convictions when it comes to being in worship or to living righteous lives or believing certain biblical truths.
David had his enemies with which he struggled. And he wrote Psalm 9 to encourage us in the face of our own enemies…
DAVID PRAISES JEHOVAH – 9:1-2:
These verbs are cohortative which means they are encouragements. Here, David encourages himself.
The source of our confidence and praise today is the memory of God’s blessings from yesterday. How important it is for us to remind ourselves that God is faithful and He has blessed us in the past and He will bless us in the future.
JEHOVAH DESTROYS THE WICKED – 9:3-6:
Our enemies are God’s enemies if our enemy is against us for righteous reasons. Think Saul of Tarsus! (Acts 9:4).
He has blotted out their name forever and ever… God promised to “wipe” away or “blot out” mankind in Genesis 6:7 and 7:4, 23. God promised to “wipe away or “blot out” the Amalekites in Exo. 17:14. God threatened to “wipe” away or “blot out” Israel itself in Exo. 32:32-33.
God will not allow David’s enemies to get the best of him, because God has a promise to fulfill – to bring Jesus into the world. In the same way, God will not allow our enemies to get the better of us, because God has a promise to fulfill – to bring us into heaven to be with Him.
THE LORD WILL NOT FORSAKE THOSE WHO SEEK HIM – 9:7-10:
In contrast with the temporary nature of the wicked, the Lord abides forever.
Verse 8 is quoted by Paul in Acts 17:31 – “He has decided on a day when he will judge all the people in the world in a way that is fair. To do this he will use a man he chose long ago. And he has proved to everyone that this is the man to do it. He proved it by raising him from death!”
God will not forsake His own: in 2 Timothy 2:12-13.
THE RESULTS OF OUR ACTIONS – 9:11-16:
David calls on his people, and others, to sing praises to Jehovah, who dwells in Zion.
David calls on his people to declare among the peoples God’s deeds.
Why? For He who requires blood remembers them. He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
God will not fail us. He will always be present in our lives. He will always do what is right for us. It’s when we decide we think we know what is right that we get off the divine path and bring trouble and sorrow on ourselves.
THE RESULTS OF THE WICKED PEOPLE’S ACTIONS – 9:17-20:
In Numbers 32:23, God reminds Israel that they will not “out run” their sins.
God will not forget us. Our “tears are in His bottle” – Psalm 56:8.
Praise Jehovah; He will destroy the wicked. He will not forsake those who seek Him. He will return our actions back on us, whether for good or bad.
Paul Holland