Rejoicing in the
Lord
Psalms 9:1-20
Jim Davis
We tend to
decipher the New Testament message through eyes of
church doctrine handed down through history.
We may lose sight of the message of the Old
Testament from which the gospel is given birth. The
Old Testament stories come to fruition in the gospel
of Christ. We see the eternal principles of the New
Covenant in living color as they came to life in the
faithful of old. The stories breathe life into the
spiritual teaching of the New Testament. Those
stories breathe life into me.
Believers of old
relied on a practical theology.
What they knew about God was learned through their
experience of God. There were no syllogistic
arguments defending their faith. It was just raw
experience. When they couldn’t comprehend what God
was doing, they didn’t hesitate to tell God so.
Abraham couldn’t believe he and Sarah could have a
child in their old age as God promised. Abraham
minced no words with God concerning his doubts
(Genesis 17:15-17). Moses questions why God’s anger
should burn against those he brought out of Egypt
(Exodus 32:9-14). Gideon doubts what God ask him to
do. He asks for positive undeniable reassurance from
God (Judges 6:36-40). Jonah gets angry with God. A
whale swallowed him.
The significance
of these stories is undiminished by time, distance
or cultural differences.
These stories allow me to see, the thoughts,
struggles, failures and personal growth of those
struggling to know God. More importantly the stories
give me a firsthand view of God. The stories enable
us to validate our faith in God as we see how faith
is built upon faith. Through hindsight the writers
of Scripture constantly remind themselves of God’s
faithfulness. As they look back they build on the
faith of those who are long gone. God is always at
the center. But it is the faith of others that
encourages and inspires.
Matthew opens his
gospel to the Jews retracing the steps of the
faithful back to Abraham. It enables us to see the
road to the cross paved through the lives of
Matthew’s genealogy. As Stephen preached the gospel
he retraced God’s steps through Abraham, Moses and
the prophets to Jesus Christ (Acts 7:1ff). Retracing
the message of God through the successes and
failures of those we follow enables us to see life
more clearly—to see God clearly.
Rejoicing in the
Lord
The book of
Psalms allows us to see the emotional struggles of
the faithful throughout Old Testament history.
It
gives us a dramatic view of the inner struggles of
God’s people. As we read the psalms we see the
faithful experience the highest of highs and the
lowest of lows. In Psalms 4 we hear the cries for
relief in distress. In Psalms 5 we hear the pleading
cry for God to hear the cry for help. In Psalms 6
the psalmist groans, as he feels forsaken by God. In
Psalms 7 we see the psalmist determination to take
refuge in God. In Psalms 8 the psalmist sees himself
as the crowning work of God’s creation as God cares
for him. In Psalms 9 he burst out into praise as he
contemplates God’s deliverance. In Psalms 10 he
cries, "Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do
you hide yourself in times of trouble?" In Psalms 11
he vows to take refuge in God. In Psalms 12 he
believes all the godly have perished and the
faithful are no more—he feels so alone. In Psalms 13
he cries out, "How long O Lord? Will you forget me
forever?"
We can identify
with the emotions of their storm tossed lives.
They make it all so believable. We know their
battles are the same ones we face on a daily basis.
We see them as they seek to allow God to come to
life in their hearts. Reading through the psalms can
become a surreal experience to the serious student.
Through all the
emotional turmoil the writers rejoice in God.
Psalms 9:1-11
9:1 For the
director of music. To [the tune of] "The Death of
the Son." A psalm of David.
I will praise
you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of
all your wonders.
2 I will be glad
and rejoice in you;
I will sing
praise to your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right and my cause;
you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the
wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished. NIV
7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He will judge the world in righteousness;
he will govern the peoples with justice.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek
you.
11 Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among
the nations what he has done.
12 For he who
avenges blood remembers;
he does not
ignore the cry of the afflicted.
13 O LORD, see
how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and
lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may
declare your praises
in the gates of
the Daughter of Zion
and there rejoice
in your salvation.
15 The nations
have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are
caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The LORD is
known by his justice;
the wicked are
ensnared by the work of their hands.
Higgaion. Selah
17 The wicked
return to the grave,
all the nations
that forget God.
18 But the needy
will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of
the afflicted ever perish.
19 Arise, O LORD,
let not man triumph;
let the nations
be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them
with terror, O LORD;
let the nations
know they are but men. NIV
It is hard to
fathom the joy accompanying the psalmists in the
mist of their troubles.
At the core of all their troubles there is a
deep-seated rejoicing.
"I will praise
you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of
all your wonders.
I will be glad
and rejoice in you;
I will sing
praise to your name, O Most High" (Psalms 9:2).
We often miss the
nuances of Scripture.
Initially, in Psalms 9 we may think the writer is
rejoicing over a recent victory or in anticipation
of a victory or both. But he rejoices in God—in who
God is—in what God does. He rejoices over God. He is
not rejoicing over what God has done for him or what
God has given him or what God is about to do for
him. He is not seeking to manipulate God through his
praise to get something from God. He is rejoicing
over God. In spite all his troubles he is thankful
for God. He is thankful to God because he is
thankful for God. He rejoices in the fact that the
Lord reigns. The fact that the Lord reigns gives him
a never-ending joy despite his troubles. This is
truest form of praise.
Psalms 9:6b-10
The LORD reigns
forever;
he has
established his throne for judgment.
8 He will judge
the world in righteousness;
he will govern
the peoples with justice.
9 The LORD is a
refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in
times of trouble.
10 Those who know
your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD,
have never forsaken those who seek you.
His overriding
joy is in God.
He is thankful—praising God for being who he is. He
is thankful the wicked will be turned on their head.
He is thankful that the needy will not be forgotten.
He is thankful that evil men will not triumph. He is
thankful for God’s salvation. This is merely the
psalmist way of describing God. God’s actions are
descriptive of God. This is who God is and it is why
he does what he does.
Rejoicing in
God—rejoicing over God, celebrating God for who he
is overrides whatever troubles we face.
1 Samuel 2:1-2
"My heart
rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my
horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts
over my enemies,
for I delight in
your deliverance.
2 "There is no
one holy like the LORD;
there is no one
besides you;
there is no Rock
like our God. NIV
Psalms 35:10
10 My whole being
will exclaim,
"Who is like you,
O LORD?
You rescue the
poor from those too strong for them,
the poor and
needy from those who rob them." NIV
Isaiah 61:10-11
10 I delight
greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices
in my God.
For he has
clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in
a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom
adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride
adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the
soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden
causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign
LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before
all nations.
Rejoicing in
God’s Joy
Tradition holds
that psalm 9 was written as David contemplated the
death of one of his sons. Imagine being driven to
rejoice in God in such circumstances. This is
worship in its truest form—discovering the
overriding joy of the Lord come what may is what
life is about. The children of Israel heard the word
of the Lord read while in Babylonian captivity.
Their captivity was the result of their rebellion
against God. As the seventy years of captivity was
coming to an end they were reminded of all the
wonderful things God had done for their forefathers.
They begin to weep as they hear their history read
in the Scriptures.
Nehemiah 8:9-11
9 Then Nehemiah
the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the
Levites who were instructing the people said to them
all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do
not mourn or weep." For all the people had been
weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
10 Nehemiah said,
"Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send
some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is
sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of
the LORD is your strength."
11 The Levites
calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this
is a sacred day. Do not grieve." NIV
The leaders turn
the captives’ attention to the strength of the Lord,
which was to be found in the joy of the Lord.
Joy always brings strength. When we are downcast we
are weak. When we are depressed we are helpless. Joy
brings strength to our souls. The greatest strength
comes when we realize God’s greatest joy is to
salvage our lives. Knowing we can revel in God’s joy
gives meaning and strength to our salvation. God is
thrilled when we come to him with our doubts,
struggles and failures. When we do so His joy
becomes our strength.
In the book of
Nehemiah we find the people of Israel doing what
Isaiah prophesied they would do.
Isaiah 12:1-6
1 In that day you
will say:
"I will praise
you, O LORD.
Although you were
angry with me,
your anger has
turned away
and you have
comforted me.
2 Surely God is
my salvation;
I will trust and
not be afraid.
The LORD, the
LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my
salvation."
3 With joy you
will draw water
from the wells of
salvation.
4 In that day you
will say:
"Give thanks to
the LORD, call on his name;
make known among
the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that
his name is exalted.
5 Sing to the
LORD, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known
to all the world.
6 Shout aloud and
sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the
Holy One of Israel among you." NIV
We come to God
because of who God is.
Understanding who
God is allows us to come to God with our failures.
Angels in heaven rejoice with God when we bring our
sinfulness to God. We may go through life thinking
we have to right all our wrongs to appease God.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The
psalmist is coming to God because of who God is.
Psalms 9:9-20
9 The LORD is a
refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in
times of trouble.
10 Those who know
your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD,
have never forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing praises
to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among
the nations what he has done.
12 For he who
avenges blood remembers;
he does not
ignore the cry of the afflicted.
13 O LORD, see
how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and
lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may
declare your praises
in the gates of
the Daughter of Zion
and there rejoice
in your salvation.
15 The nations
have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are
caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The LORD is
known by his justice;
the wicked are
ensnared by the work of their hands.
Higgaion. Selah
17 The wicked
return to the grave,
all the nations
that forget God.
18 But the needy
will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of
the afflicted ever perish.
19 Arise, O LORD,
let not man triumph;
let the nations
be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them
with terror, O LORD;
let the nations
know they are but men. NIV
I watched a
documentary on hummingbirds.
Of one species of
hummingbirds, the males had much longer beaks than
the females. The diet of the male and female was
from the nectar of two different flowers. The flower
the male exclusively fed on had a very long blossom.
The flower blossom the female exclusively fed on was
much shorter in length. It was intriguing that birds
from the same breed and the same nest would develop
different length beaks. The speculation was that the
flowers the birds fed on influenced the birds to
develop differently. As the blossoms grew longer so
did the beak on the male bird. It was simply a
natural process.
Charles Darwin
speculated that an animal’s dependence on a specific
food source would alter the evolution of the animal.
Changes in our natural world are ongoing. We see it
all around us, but is it the result of the forces of
nature? Does the flower influence the bird’s
development? Does the bird influence the flowers
development?
In it all I see
God interminably manifesting himself through his
creation.
God is
synchronizing the birds and the flowers to develop
according to his design. He is forever creating,
designing, redesigning and recreating the world
around us as he fine tunes the beauty of this world
to his own good pleasure. He is seeking to fine tune
our lives to the beauty of his purpose. He does all
of this because this is who God is. Why not look at
all creation and rejoice over the Lord. Rejoice in
who God is. This is what we find the faithful doing
in the midst of all their troubles.
Psalms 8:1-7
8:1 For the
director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of
David.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is
your name in all the earth!
You have set your
glory
above the
heavens.
2 From the lips
of children and infants
you have ordained
praise
because of your
enemies,
to silence the
foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider
your heavens,
the work of your
fingers,
the moon and the
stars,
which you have
set in place,
4 what is man
that you are mindful of him,
the son of man
that you care for him?
5 You made him a
little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him
with glory and honor.
6 You made him
ruler over the works of your hands;
you put
everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and
herds,
and the beasts of
the field,
8 the birds of
the air,
and the fish of
the sea,
all that swim the
paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our
Lord,
how majestic is
your name in all the earth! NIV
When we see God
for who he is we can always rejoice over God.
There is a lot of emotional turmoil and crying in
the book of Psalms. Yet, the crying is coming from
hearts that rejoice over God. Rejoicing in the midst
of troubles is possible when you understand God for
who he is. Who God is overrides everything else
(Romans 8:18-36).
We think of the
cross in terms of what God has done for us.
God has certainly done a great deed through the
cross of Christ. But do we understand the cross
speaks of who God is. God knew when man sinned that
he would have to come into this world and die as I
must die. When he created us he knew he would have
to suffer the evil of this world just as we do. God
came into this world through human flesh to
experience what I experience. He would never ask me
to go where he is unwilling to go (Hebrews 4:14-16).
His purpose in the world could not be accomplished
by asking us to do something he is unwilling to do.
This is just who God is. It is who God is that makes
it possible to do what Paul instructs us to do in
Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will
say it again: Rejoice!"
Conclusion:
We can be
thankful that God is God. He delivers us from our
enemies, he will judge the world in righteousness
and he will bring justice. All of this defines the
God who created me. I am thankful for God being God.
Psalms 9:7-11
7 He has
established his throne for judgment.
8 He will judge
the world in righteousness;
he will govern
the peoples with justice.
9 The LORD is a
refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in
times of trouble.
10 Those who know
your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD,
have never forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing praises
to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among
the nations what he has done.
The psalmist
instructs us to praise God for what he has done—for
God can only be understood through what he has done.
When we understand what he has done, we begin to
understand who He is. When we learn to rejoice in
who God is, we can rejoice in every circumstance.
Habakkuk 3:16-19
16 I heard and my
heart pounded,
my lips quivered
at the sound;
decay crept into
my bones,
and my legs
trembled.
Yet I will wait
patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the
nation invading us.
17 Though the fig
tree does not bud
and there are no
grapes on the vines,
though the olive
crop fails
and the fields
produce no food,
though there are
no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in
the stalls,
18 yet I will
rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful
in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign
LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet
like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to
go on the heights. NIV
