Psalm 9 (part 2, verses 11-20)
11Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
Declare his deeds among the peoples.
12For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13Be gracious to me, O Lord.
See what I suffer from those who hate me;
you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
14so that I may recount all your praises,
and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
rejoice in your deliverance.
15The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
16The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgement;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
Higgaion. Selah
17The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
18For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish for ever.
19Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.
20Put them in fear, O Lord;
let the nations know that they are only human.
Selah
The theme from yesterday continues into today, and will be a part of our reading and prayer tomorrow. There is praise in the voice of the psalmist, but also anxiety. The tone continues from yesterday: the enemies have received what they deserved. But does this make the psalmist happy? Will seeing our enemies crushed really make us happy?
Those are some of the hard questions which the psalms ask. The psalms are real prayers. Moreover, they are meant to be read and shared by the whole community. In that context, praying takes on a new mandate. It is this: DO IT. You may not be feeling like your prayers are reaching God, or you may not want to side with those who wish violence and hurt upon others. Yet the prayers of the psalms are true. We all have enemies. And deep down, we want to see our enemies fail. The hardest thing to do is trust that God is sovereign; God is Lord.
Prayer helps shape that. It begins with the acknowledgment that God is in control and we are not. The psalms are the prayers of the church. So whether you feel that praying is important, or praying is not, we are called to do it. And we are called to pray together. Remember to take time to pray, to reflect, and to be in community with others. "The Lord has [and will] make himself known (verse 16)."
Pray entire Psalm 9.
1I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3When my enemies turned back,
they stumbled and perished before you.
4For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgement.
5You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;
their cities you have rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.
7But the Lord sits enthroned for ever,
he has established his throne for judgement.
8He judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with equity.
9The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
11Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
Declare his deeds among the peoples.
12For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13Be gracious to me, O Lord.
See what I suffer from those who hate me;
you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
14so that I may recount all your praises,
and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
rejoice in your deliverance.
15The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
16The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgement;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
Higgaion. Selah
17The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
18For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish for ever.
19Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.
20Put them in fear, O Lord;
let the nations know that they are only human.
Selah
Amen.
G. Thomas Martin
