Psalms

In today’s sermon we will be covering Psalm 9. Next week, we will be taking a

break from the book of Psalms and we will start a short series on money that I’ve

entitled, “Money Talks.” That will take us through Thanksgiving and on the Sunday

following Thanksgiving, I have asked Doug Reed to preach. I believe you all will be

blessed by the message he has prepared for all of us. Then the following Sunday

after that, we will be in a Christmas sermon series leading up to the Christmas

program which will be on December 21st. Now that we have a roadmap for where

we are going in the coming weeks, let’s jump right into our Psalm.

Psalm 9:1-3

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

2 I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies turn back,

they stumble and perish before your presence.

There have been times in my life where I just take a lot of things for granted. One

of those things being my health. It’s just been one of those blessings that for some

reason, I just don’t get sick that much. But I don’t think about it all the time. I

don’t wake up and think, “wow, I’m so thankful that I don’t have a stomachache.”

On my drive to the office, I don’t think, “wow, I’m so glad I don’t have a fever.” Do

you know when I do think about those things…? When I’m sick. Then I think, “man

if only I didn’t have this cold”, or “if I could just get passed this fever.” Or I think

thoughts like, “I should never take my health for granted again,” or “It was so nice

when I wasn’t feeling this way.” You know that Snickers commercial where it says,

“You’re not you when you’re hungry.” Well, the same goes for when you’re sick.

“You’re not you when you’re sick.” I don’t know about you, but when I get sick, I

think things like, “if I get over this, or through this, or passed this, I will never take

my health for granted again.” Then, once I recover, it’s almost like the day after, Iforget about how thankful and grateful I was about having my health back. Life

goes on.

February 10th, 1675, Mary Rowlandson found herself in the gravest of

circumstances. A multitude of Indians stormed the town of Lancaster,

Massachusetts, and were destroying and killing everything in sight. She and her

children and other family members huddled together hiding in their house hoping

to not be found. But the Indians did find them. Her sister and her sister’s children

were killed. Mary’s own children were carried off except for one that she held

tightly in her arms. Miraculously and by God’s mercy, Mary was rescued from

captivity. Here’s what Mary wrote while recounting this terrible event in her life.

“I can remember the time, when I used to sleep quietly without workings in my

thoughts, whole nights together, but now it is otherwayes with me. When all are

fast about me, and no eye open, but his who ever waketh, my thoughts are upon

things past, upon the awfull dispensation of the Lord towards us; upon his

wonderfull power and might, in carrying of us through so many difficulties, in

returning us in safety, and suffering none to hurt us. I remember in the night

season, how the other day I was in the midst of thousands of enemies, and

nothing but death before me: It was then hard work to perswade my self, that

ever I should be satisfied with breawd again. But now we are fed with the finest of

the Wheat, and, as I may say, With honey out of the rock: In stead of the Husk, we

have the fatted Calf: The thoughts of these things in particulars of them, and of

the love and goodness of God towards us, make it true of me, what David said of

himself, Psal. 6. ‘I watered my couch with my tears.’ Oh! What wonderfull power

of God that mine eyes have seen, affording matter enough for my thoughts to run

in, that when others are sleeping mine eyes are weeping.

I have seen the extrem vanity of this World: One hour I have been in health, and

wealth, wanting nothing: But the next hour in sickness and wounds, and death,

having nothing but sorrow and affliction….

The Lord hath shewed me the vanity of these outward things. That they are the

Vanity of vanities, and vexation of spirit; that they are but a shadow, a blast, a

bubble, and things of no continuance. That we must rely on God himself, and our

whole dependence must be upon him. If trouble from smaller matters began to

arise in me, I have something at hand to check myself with, and say, why am Itroubled? It was but the other day that if I had had the world, I would have given

it for my freedom, or to have been a Servant to a Christian. I have learned to look

beyond present and small troubles, and to be quieted under them, as Moses said,

Exodus 14:13, ‘Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.’”

Just as last week’s message was all about perspective, knowing how God is bigger

and stronger than we could imagine, believing whole heartedly that He is large

and in charge gives us a peace beyond all understanding. Perspective, being able

to remove oneself from their current situation or circumstance and looking at it in

light of the grander story that God has us in allows us to find a peace that cannot

be found anywhere else except for in Him.

So when David opens up this Psalm with,

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;

I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High,

it is not some shallow form of gratitude or worship. It is worship to God that

comes from the depths of his soul, whether in the good times or in the bad. If

you’re on the mountain tops and you’re on fire for God and you see Him moving in

such powerful and mighty ways, praise be to God! If you’re in the valleys, where

you may experience some of your darkest days, where there is little hope, the

days are long and the burdens are heavy, praise be to God, because He is worthy

to be worshiped.

The prophet Habakkuk expresses this same expression of worship regardless of

circumstance.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Though the fig tree should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the foldand there be no herd in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

19 God, the Lord, is my strength;

he makes my feet like the deer's;

he makes me tread on my high places.

Have you ever seen a deer in full stride? It looks effortless and light. When we

cannot find joy in our present, we go to God. When do not have the strength, we

find our strength in Him.

Psalm 9:4-6

For you have maintained my just cause;

you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.

5 You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;

you have blotted out their name forever and ever.

6 The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;

their cities you rooted out;

the very memory of them has perished.

David continues to recall God’s righteousness carried out in his justice against the

wicked. It is to this that he makes his appeal to God in his current circumstance.

God I know you’ve done this before, I know that you can do it again if it is within

your will.

What does David say about the wicked here? Will they be etched into the

memories of future civilizations? They’re going to be forgotten. All throughout

human history, there has always been this desire to be known. That’s not

inherently a bad thing. It is good to be known by your family. There’s security in

that. It is good to be known by your spouse. And it is perfectly good to be known

by our heavenly Father. But here’s where we get things twisted. We take this good

thing, this desire “to be known,” and then we take it too far. We get caught up in

vanity and self-absorption. We’ve got social media influencers and celebrities and

sports athletes all striving to make a name for themselves and to carve out a place

in the history books where their name will be printed for all to see. And what

many people end up doing when striving for those things, is that, all along, theyhad been striving for the wrong thing. They spent their entire lives devoting

themselves to making themselves known, when they should have been making

God known. And God does not play second fiddle to anyone.

Christian music artist Forrest Frank, who my kids love listening to have a great role

model. This year, he refused to attend the Dove awards. Here’s his reason for not

attending,

“I’m convicted, personally, that a line that I can draw is that I will not receive a

trophy for something that is from Jesus and for Jesus,

He continues,

“I was wrestling with this last year. I even said that on stage at the Dove Awards. I

said, ‘I’m still struggling with the concept of receiving this award, but all glory to

Jesus, every name will fade away, including mine, except for one name.’”

It is people like Forrest who bring me hope. He’s young, but he gets it. And you

may say, well Mark, you’re elevating him and putting him on a pedestal. Here’s

what Scripture says,

Matthew 23:12

12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be

exalted.

Every Christian has a purpose. If you’re a Christian, don’t come to me and say I

don’t have a purpose. What it all boils down to is this, “Our purpose as Christians

is to be known by God, and to make Him known.” God’s already gotten the first

part covered. It’s up to us to follow through with the rest.

If all that we do in this life is all about us, it will all be in vain. We’re going to be

forgotten just as the multitudes of civilizations before us have come and gone. If

we make our lives all about God, well, that my friends, will never come up empty.

You will have lived a life well-lived and the only book that will matter where your

name is recorded is in the book of life.In stark contrast to David’s enemies, he goes on to compare them to God’s station.

Psalm 9:7-10

But the Lord sits enthroned forever;

he has established his throne for justice,

8 and he judges the world with righteousness;

he judges the peoples with uprightness.

9 The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,

for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

The evil, the wicked will pass away, no longer to be remembered. But God, He sits

on the throne forever and He is hope for the hopeless and strength for the weak,

but to His enemies He is to be feared for He is the Supreme judge. He is not only

judge of a single nation, but judge of the entire world. He is not a worldly judge

that can be bought for a price or have his verdict change because of partiality. He

judges righteously. No one innocent will fall under condemnation, and no one

guilty will escape His wrath.

Psalm 9:11-14

Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!

Tell among the peoples his deeds!

12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;

he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

13 Be gracious to me, O Lord!

See my affliction from those who hate me,

O you who lift me up from the gates of death,

14 that I may recount all your praises,

that in the gates of the daughter of Zion

I may rejoice in your salvation.

Again, who does David say sits on the throne? The Lord. And verse 12 takes me

back to the Exodus. Does God hear our cries? Sometimes it feels like our prayersare stopping at our ceilings. But Scripture tells us differently. For context, this

passage from Exodus occurs when Moses speaks to God in the burning bush.

Exodus 3:7-8

7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in

Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their

sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the

Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land

And of course we know how this story goes. The Israelites are follow Moses out of

Egypt and make safe passage through the Red Sea while the pursuing Egyptians

are swallowed up by it.

Perhaps David was drawing upon this account to find his resolve in God. And

David makes an appeal to God. God, if you do these things, I will rejoice in your

salvation. We must take care to not see this as some kind of transaction where we

say to God, God if you do this for me, I’m going to praise you. If you don’t, well I’m

just going to keep my mouth shut.

Remember, we just read a few verses ago that David is already worshiping and

praising God. What David is asking for here is a special reason to praise,

something that can stoke the fires of his faith even more if, and only if, it is within

God’s will and by the extension of his mercy. Again, David is not saying, these

things must happen in order for him to praise, but, that if they do, he will most

certainly give praise all the more.

Recall what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said to King Nebuchadnezzar when

they faced the fiery flames of the furnace. “We know that our God can save us,

but even if He doesn’t, we will still worship Him and no other.”

Psalm 9:15-17

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;

in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.

16 The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;

the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah17 The wicked shall return to Sheol,

all the nations that forget God.

David is calling for God to execute His judgment on the wicked. It’s true of the past

and it is true today. The wicked, while they are busy plotting and carrying out their

evil schemes, will in the end meet their bitter end. This phrase, “the wicked shall

return to Sheol” is simply stating this, “may the wicked return to the grave;” or to

be more precise, to the place of the dead. In other words, let them lose all means

of enacting their wickedness toward the righteous.

I love how this Psalm ends. It ends with hope for the needy and the poor; i.e.

those oppressed by the wicked…and humility for the proud who reject God.

Psalm 9:18-20

For the needy shall not always be forgotten,

and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.

19 Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;

let the nations be judged before you!

20 Put them in fear, O Lord!

Let the nations know that they are but men!

We saw this a couple of weeks ago. God, rise up and show the world who you are.

Vindicate your name. I know you’re all powerful and mighty, but the world ignores

you; it mocks you; it thinks you are nothing. How long will you allow this to go on?

Show everyone who you are.

Man, can we relate to how David is feeling at this moment. There’s no doubt in my

mind that the current state of our society has, in large part, forgotten who God is.

And I also think there are large numbers of people who may even call themselves

Christians who never knew who God was in the first place and have made up in

their own minds their own versions of God and in turn have created false gods for

themselves. What it all boils down to is this. There is a lack of fear of God in our

society. People use His name in vain all the time, and they don’t even think about

thanking God for his mercy for not smiting them right then and there. There are

people who lie, steal, cheat, take advantage of others and since they get awaywith it in the eyes of the law, don’t give a thought to the fact that God sees

everything. There is simply no fear of God.

I know a lot of us have been made fun of, or are treated differently because we

are Christians, or because we do not take part in activities that are not God

honoring even though that’s what the crowd does and wants you to do. And so

yes, I can relate to what David is saying here.

“Put them in fear, O Lord!

Let the nations know that they are but men!”

C.H. Spurgeon

“Crowns leave their wearers – but men, degrees of eminent learning make their

owners not more than men, valor and conquest cannot elevate beyond the dead

level of “but men”; and all the wealth of Croesus (kreesus), the wisdom of Solon,

the power of Alexander, the eloquence of Demosthenes, if added together, would

leave the possessor but a man. May we ever remember this.”

If you are in here today and have spent your life up to this point, whether it be 10

years or 90 years, living for yourself and not for God, you can change that today. It

is never too late to repent and start walking down the only path that will lead to

true fulfilment and true purpose. Our purpose is not to make ourselves known,

but to make God known. The only place where it will matter where our names will

be recorded is in the book of life. And finally, let us live our lives in the fear of the

Lord. Not the kind of fear that crushes and cripples and leaves us paralyzed and

immobile. But one that drives us to spurn evil and to seek after righteousness. The

beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord.