Explore the Bible Lesson Preview September 13, 2009 "God is Just" Background: Psalm 9:1-20 Lesson: Psalm 9:1-16 Motivation: This Psalm of David praises God for His trustworthiness, justice and power. In times of trouble as well as in times of calm, we can praise the Lord. Examination: I. Praising God (1-2) "I will praise You, O Lord, with my; whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." Believer's Study Bible, p. 737: 9:Title "Psalms 9 & 10 are closely connected and might have originally been one, as together they constitute a partial acrostic or alphabetical poem in the Hebrew text. T he two psalms also have similar phrases (cf. 9:9, 20 with 10:18; and 9:5, 15, 17, 19, 20 with 10:16). However, there is good reason for separating the two with respect to their theme. Psalm 9 is one of thanksgiving, whereas 10 is a complaint over the godless and his pride and prosperity." A. Complete Praise "With my whole heart" (1) Half - hearted praise may result from sin, disappointment or a lack of focus. 1 / 9
Multi-tasking is all the rage today in North America. However, our complete attention is required to praise the Lord. B. Communicated Praise "I will tell of all Your marvelous works" (1) C.H. Spurgeon writes, "There is true praise in the thankful telling forth to others of our heavenly Father's dealings with us; this is one of the themes upon which the godly should speak often to one another, and it will not be casting pearls before swine if we make even the ungodly hear of the loving-kindness of the Lord to us. All thy marvellous works. Gratitude for one mercy refreshes the memory as to thousands of others. One silver link in the chain draws up a long series of tender remembrances. Here is eternal work for us, for there can be no end to the showing forth of all His deeds of love. If we consider our own sinfulness and nothingness, we must feel that every work of preservation, forgiveness, conversion, deliverance, sanctification, etc., which the Lord has wrought for us, or in us is a marvellous work. Even in heaven, divine loving-kindness will doubtless be as much a theme of surprise as of rapture." ( The Treasury of David, vol. 1, pg. 108). C. Celebrating Praise "I will be glad and rejoice in You" (2) Worship and praise should issue forth from a heart filled with joy. Just as there are times of solemn assemblies, so there should be times of unabashed praise. When we think of God and all His goodness to us, a smile should result. 2 / 9
D. Concentrated Praise "I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High" (2) Praise is not an end in itself, directed at self-gratification. In fact, praise is directed solely to the One worthy of our praise. II. Trusting God (3-8) A. Protection "When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish in Your presence." (3) David praised God for Divine protection. Enemies who had attacked him, now stumbled in confused retreat. God's power over His enemies is seen also in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 where they are destroyed by "the brightness of His Coming." Again His presence is enough to defeat the enemy. B. Direction "For you have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging in righteousness." (4) David praised God for His steadfast direction. The issue was not that God took up David's cause, but, rather that David continue in God's cause. God judges according to His infinite wisdom and righteousness. Therefore, He can make our paths straight (Prov. 3:6). C. Vindication "You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. O enemy, destructions are finished forever! And you have destroyed cities; even their memory has perished." (5-6) David praised God for exacting retribution on his behalf. (Rom. 12:19; Lev. 19:18; Deut. 32:35; Ps. 94:1; 1 Thes 4:6; Heb. 10:30). The consistent theme of scripture is that vengeance belongs to God, not us. 3 / 9
Therefore, we should be quick to forgive and diligent in seeking peace (Eph. 4:32; Heb. 12:14). D. Depiction "But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment." (7) David praised God for His dependability. God doesn't go out of business. His throne is the same "yesterday, today and forever" (Heb. 13:8). E. Conviction "He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness." (8) David praised God for His standard of conduct. God is thrice holy (Isaiah 6:3). Because He is true to His standard, He is able to judge perfectly. III. Turning to God (9-12) "The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. A nd those who know Your names will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people. When He avenges blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble." (9-12) C.H. Spurgeon writes of vs. 9: "He who gives no quarter to the wicked in the day of judgment, is the defense and refuge of his saints in the day of trouble. There are many forms of oppression; both from man and from Satan oppression comes to us; and for all its forms, a refuge is provided in the Lord Jehovah. 4 / 9
There were cities of refuge under the law, God is our refuge-city under the gospel. As the ships when vexed with tempest make for harbor, so do the oppressed hasten to the wings of a just and gracious God. He is a high tower so impregnable, that the hosts of hell cannot carry it by storm, and from its lofty heights faith looks down with scorn upon her enemies. ( The Treasury of David, pg. 110) IV. Praying to God (13-20) A. Our Need "Have mercy on me, O Lord! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, You who lift me up from the gates of death" (cf. 18). Because "T he wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23), we cry out to God for mercy and grace. Judgment: getting what one deserves Mercy: not getting what one deserves Grace: getting what one does not deserve In the following verses, David cried out for judgment on the wicked including hell (17). Yet, without God's salvation (14), we are all counted among the wicked. B. God's Plan "That I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation." (14) God's answer to sin's wages is the payment with a gift "eternal 5 / 9
life" (Romans 6:23b). His salvation is a reason for praise. Admit "Have mercy on me" (13) Believe "I will rejoice in Your salvation" (14) Commit "And these who know Your name will put their trust in You" (10) C. Sin's Judgment 1. Sin brings one down. "The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught." (15) Hebrews 11:25 acknowledges the pleasures of sin for a season. However, sin ultimately drags one down to the pit. 2. Sin involves one's will. "The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands." (16) Willf ul acts of rebellion against God's known will create a trap. Our culture tries to shed any responsibility for wrong doing. Sin is said to be a by-product of faulty parenting, a bad environment, or bogus standards. We are quickly approaching a time when nothing will be labeled as sin. However, God's Word says "Do no be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" 6 / 9
(Gal. 6:7). We need to name the sin and claim responsibility for it (1 John 1:8-10). 3. Sin brings judgment. "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah" (17, 19-20) Spurgeon writes of vs. 17, "The justice which has punished the wicked, and preserved the righteous, remains the same, and therefore in days to come, retribution will surely be meted out. How solemn is the seventeenth verse, especially in its warning to forgetters of God. The moral who are not devout, the honest who are not prayerful, the benevolent who are not believing, the amiable who are not converted, these must all have their portion with the openly wicked in the hell which is prepared for the devil and his angels. There are whole nations of such; the forgetters of God are far more numerous than the profane or profligate, and according to the very forceful expression of the Hebrew, the nethermost hell will be the place into which all of them shall be hurled headlong. Forgetfulness seems a small sin, but it brings eternal wrath upon the man who lives and dies in it. ( Treasury of David, pg. 112) Application: 1. God deserves wholehearted praise. 2. God provides a refuge and salvation. 3. God judges sin. 7 / 9
Leader Pack Item 4: Poster: Lesson Outline; Illustrator: pg. 46: "Ancient Strongholds" Notes: **You may access David's Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: http://www.hfbcbiblestud y.org/ ; Dates: 8/26-11/18 - Fall Midlink; 9/6 - Labor Day Weekend - Normal schedule; 9/8-11/17 - LivingProof Bible Study; 9/13 - Deacon Ordination; New & Pros. Member Orientation; 9/20 - Parent Commitment; 9/27 - SBS All Leadership Lunch; 10/2-3 - Men's Retreat; 10/19 - FBA Open House; 10/31 - First Fest - CLC; 11/1 - Time Change Sunday ; 11/7 - Breakaway Ministries Event; 11/8 - New & Pros. Member Orientation; 11/11 - FBA Veteran's Day Service; 11/15 - Parent Commitment; 11/20 - FBA Grandparents & Friends Day; 11/29 - Thanksgiving Weekend - (No SBS) - normal worship sched.; 12/5 8 / 9
- Christmas Store; 12/11-13 - Christmas Production; 12/17 - FBA Primary & Lower School Christmas Plays; 12/19 - Candycane Lane; 12/27 - Christmas Weekend (No SBS) - normal worship Schedule. 9 / 9