Sorry for the brief hiatus in our posts. But we are back and we’ll continue our series on the Psalms, however, we’ll also begin having more of a variety of different posts, so look forward to that!
This week we’re looking at Psalm 9, which is a Psalm of Thanksgiving for God’s righteousness and His righteous judgments (see our earlier blog “God is a Just Judge”).
The whole Psalm is deep and powerful, but I’ll only share a few verses I want to comment on, starting at verse 1:
“I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name,
O Most High.
3 When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
4 For You have maintained my right and
my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.”
I want to comment starting from verse 3. I believe that sinners cannot stand in the presence of a righteous almighty God. The righteousness, light, and glory of God would kill those who harbor any sin. Those who would be our enemies and have not turned to God, cannot live in the presence of a Just and Righteous God. This means that sin will be no more in heaven. We’ll talk more about this later on.
In verse 4, “my right and my cause,” God maintains our righteous cause. Which, if we are joined to Him, would be not only our righteous cause but His righteous cause. He is our vindicator. The judging in righteousness is a recurring theme of this Psalm. Let’s continue reading:
5 “You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name
forever and ever.
6 O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
7 But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
8 He shall administer judgment
for the peoples in uprightness.
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
10 And those who know Your name will
put their trust in You;
For You, LORD have not forsaken those who seek You.
God will blot out not only the wicked but also their deeds! We will hardly remember the abuse that we suffered when in heaven. Nevermore will we be hurt by sin. We will see the results of sin on our marred Savior. This is to keep the vileness of sin in our memories so we don’t go back to it, and for us to see how wonderful and loving Jesus is. However, the scars we bear will be no more. For we shall have new bodies! And in the light and glory of heaven it’ll be hard for us to recall what we went through here on earth (Romans 8:18).
In verses 9 and 10 I love the promise that the Psalmist claims: God is a refuge for everyone who is oppressed. And what a powerful promise it is that He will not forsake those who seek Him! Verse 12 also adds,
“When He avenges blood, He
remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble.”
God does not forget us, nor does He forget our cries for help. Now, this next part is probably my favorite part of this Psalm, it’s verse 18:
“For the needy shall not always be
forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not
perish forever.”
The word needy and the word poor doesn’t just refer to those in financial straits, but to any and all who are victims of oppression. All throughout the Old Testament, you can see the evidence that God especially is concerned and cares about those who are poor and those who are oppressed. Those who had no one to stand up for them like the widows and fatherless children; even servants, slaves, and animals that were under a heavy load, He give a command to set free.
God will never forget those who are oppressed. And our expectation or our earnest desire for deliverance, will not always be disappointed. There is a day coming soon when God will give to every person their just reward.
We can hope in this promise: God hears you and does not forget you; He will reward your expectation and maintain the righteous cause He has in you, which I believe is “Christ in you, the hope of Glory.”
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