Psalm 9 Commentary
The LORD reigns forever. The LORD rules, upholding the cause of the upright while destroying the wicked. For this, David will give thanks; David will praise the LORD and loudly tell of all God’s wonderful deeds.
Reading the first section of this Psalm leaves you with the impression that all is well. With the just and perfect rule of God, nothing can go wrong. But verse 13 complicates everything! David’s enemies are still present, not destroyed. David is being persecuted, not saved. So he prays for mercy.
Atheists can have a party! Why do we still have so much trouble when perfection itself is in the driving sit, as clearly claimed by the scripture here? Yes, perfection with unmatched authority and power yet trouble and suffering still persist. Why?
Martha and Mary reflect the same thought: “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” They are speaking about the death of their brother Lazarus. But the omnipresent God is always present, even in moments of deepest crisis.
David doesn’t have this problem. We also don’t have these questions. We know the LORD is sovereign and reigns on all the earth. He is Lord over everything even in the present. Nothing has changed. We have learned something from this psalm. Every saint is a combination of David on one side and both Martha and Mary on the other side. There is always a rich history of God’s heavy and continuous involvement in the saint’s life. This cannot be ignored. We are grateful and praise the LORD for it. On the other hand, there is trouble in time and space from which we constantly seek the finger of God. And remain eternally grateful for the mercies of the LORD.
The facts of God’s sovereignty and perfect rule remain unchanged. And it’s a message the church must constantly send out. God is in charge. There is no miscarriage of justice. Everyone is invited to seek forgiveness which is readily available because nothing has changed.
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