Theme: God never ignores our cries for help

 The emphasis is on joyful praise (Ps 9: verses 1, 2, 11, 14), especially for God’s care of his people and His righteous judgment on the nations that reject Him and oppress people. You find the theme of judgment and justice in verses 4, 7-8, 16 and 19-20, and note the mention of the throne of God (vv. 4, 7,11, NIV). For a parallel passage, see Isaiah 25:1-5. “Muth-labben” means “death of a son,” but we don’t know how it relates to the psalm. Perhaps it was the name of a familiar melody to which the psalm was to be sung.

Personal Praise: God Saves (vv. 1-8)

David offers wholehearted praise to the Lord (Matt. 15:8) for delivering him and his army from the enemy nations that attacked Israel. His aim was to honor the Lord, not to glorify himself. His joy was in the Lord, not just in the great victory that He had been given (Phil. 4:4), and he wanted to tell everybody about God’s wonderful works. See verses 14 and 103:1-2, 117:1, 138:1, 1 Peter 2:9, and Ephesians 2:7. “God Most High” is El Elyon; see 7:8, 10,17; 18:13; 21:7. This was the name that Abraham honored after God gave him victory over the kings (Gen. 14).

 *Life Application: Praise is expressing to God our appreciation and understanding of his worth. It is saying “thank you” for each aspect of his divine nature. Our inward attitude becomes outward expression. When we praise God, we help ourselves by expanding our awareness of who he is. In each psalm you read, look for an attribute or characteristic of God for which you can thank him.

David describes the victory in verses 3-6, verses that should be read in the past tense: “Because my enemies were turned back …” Note the repeated “You have” in verses 4-6. God turned the enemy back, and in their retreat, they stumbled and perished before the Lord. Why did the Lord do this? To maintain the right of David to be king of Israel and accomplish God’s purposes in this world. God’s rebuke is an expression of His anger (2:5; 76:6). To “blot out” a name meant to destroy the person, place or nation completely (83:4; Ex. 17:14; Deut. 25:19; 1 Sam. 15; and see Deut. 9:14, 25:19, 29:20). In contrast to the wiping out of the nations, the Lord and His great name stand forever. His throne cannot be overthrown. In fact, in the victory God gave David, the king saw a picture of the final judgment and victory when God will judge the world, and Paul referred to verse 8 in his address in Athens (Acts 17:31).

*Life Application:  God upholds our just cause; he is our vindicator (one who clears us from criticism and justifies us before others). In this life, we may face many injustices: (1) we may be falsely accused and misunderstood by friends and enemies; (2) we may not be truly appreciated by others for the love we show; (3) the true value of our work and service may not be duly rewarded; (4) our ideas may be ignored. But God is to be praised, for he sees and remembers all the good we do, and it is up to him to decide the timing and the appropriateness of our rewards. If we do not trust him to vindicate us, then we will be susceptible to hatred and self-pity. If we do trust him, we can experience God’s peace and be free from the worry of how others perceive us and treat us.

 National Praise: God Shelters the People (vv. 9-20)

The focus now centers on the people of the land, whom David calls the oppressed (v. 9), the humble (“afflicted” v. 12), and the needy and the poor (v. 18). These are the faithful worshipers of the Lord who have been persecuted, abused, and exploited by local rulers for being true to the Lord. See 10:17; 25:16; 40:17; 102:1; Zephaniah 2:3 and 3:12-13. David praises the Lord for His faithfulness in caring for His sheep.

The refuge—God will not forsake them (vv. 9-10). The first word means “a high safe place” and the second “a stronghold.” During his years of exile, David found the wilderness strongholds to be places of safety, but he knew that the Lord was the safest refuge (46:1). The phrase “times of trouble” means literally “times of extremity” (see 10:1; 27:5; 37:39; 41:1; 73:5; 107:6,13,19, 26, 28). To “know God’s name” or “love God’s name” means to trust Him and be saved (5:11; 69:36; 91:14; 119:132; 1 Sam. 2:12). God forsook His own Son (Matt. 27:46) that He might never forsake His own people.

 *Life Application: God will never forsake those who seek him. To forsake someone is to abandon that person. God’s promise does not mean that if we trust in him we will escape loss or suffering; it means that God himself will never leave us no matter what we face.

 The avenger—God will not fail them (vv. 11-17). David calls upon the suffering remnant to sing praises to God because He is on their side and fights their battles. He will not fail to hear their cries and execute justice on their behalf. Israel’s calling was to bear witness to the nations that Jehovah is the only true and living God (18:49; 44:11; 57:9; 106:27; Isa. 42:6; 49:6). The ark was now in Jerusalem so Jehovah was on His throne in Israel. “Inquisition for blood” refers to the official investigation of murder, to see who was guilty of the crime, symbolized by having blood on the house (Deut. 22:8), the hands (Ezek. 3:17-21; 33:1-9), or the head (Acts 18:6). See Genesis 9:5 and 10:13. There was no police force in Israel, but a near kinsman could avenge the murder of a family member. This is why God assigned the six “cities of refuge” to provide havens for people who accidentally killed someone (Num. 35). But when God is the avenger, He has all the evidence He needs to find and punish rebellious sinners. The suffering remnant prays to God in verses 13-17 and asks to be taken from the gates of death (sheol, the world of the dead; see 107:18; Job 17:16; 38:17; Isa. 38:10) and put at the gates of Zion (v. 14). From death to life! They also ask God to catch their enemies in their own traps (vv. 15-16; see 7:14-16) and finally consign them to the grave (sheol). “Higgaion” could mean “meditation,” or it may refer to a solemn sound on the accompanying instruments.

 *Life Application: All of us want God to help us when we are in trouble, but often for different reasons. Some want God’s help so that they will be successful and other people will like them. Others want God’s help so that they will be comfortable and feel good about themselves. David, however, wanted help from God so that justice would be restored to Israel and so that he could show others God’s power. When you call to God for help, consider your motive. Is it to save yourself pain and embarrassment or to bring God glory and honor?

 The conqueror—God will not forget them (vv. 18-20). “Arise, O Lord” reminds us of the conquering march of Israel (Num. 10:35), when God went before His people to defeat their enemies. “Man” in verse 19 is enosh, “weak frail man,” a fact that sinners don’t want to admit. (This we will see in Ps. 10.) One day the Lord will put the rebels in their rightful place and they will discover that they are only—dust!

 *Life Application: The world may ignore the plight of the needy, crushing any earthly hope they may have. But God, the champion of the weak, promises that this will not be the case forever. The wicked nations who forget the Lord and refuse to help their people will be judged by God. He knows our needs, he knows our tendency to despair, and he has promised to care for us (see also Psa 9:9,12). Even when others forget us, He will remember.

Darrell

For more about The Ridge Fellowship, go to www.ridgefellowship.com

Sources:

 Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) – Old Testament

 J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible

 Life Application Bible Notes

The Treasury of David

 Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary