Psalm 9 Commentary
Reading the first section of this Psalm leaves you with the impression that all is well. Justice and the perfect rule of God at play!
“You have blotted out their name forever and ever.” Verse 5c
But verse 13 complicates everything! David’s enemies are still present, not destroyed. David is being persecuted, not saved. So he prays for mercy.
Is praise mere rhetoric? Isn’t there substance in praise?
Atheists can have a party! Why do we still have so much trouble when perfection itself is in the driving seat, 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 over 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.
Probably because of God’s eternal justice, suffering exists more because of it, rather than the absence of it. Look at yourself carefully, and you will see yourself at the head of wickedness. If this wickedness is wiped out, you are also gone! That’s the story of humanity!
Look at David and see both the oppressor and the oppressed. How you wish life were a straight line! But thanks Heaven, justice isn’t the only product on the self. Compassion and love are in abundance!
So David appeals to God’s mercy. Verse 13.
More resources visit http://www.lovingscripture.com
LOVING SCRIPTURE 