Psalm Chapter 9

Psalm 9: The Refuge That Remembers

Praise, in this psalm, is not a vague feeling of warmth toward the divine. It is specific, particular, rooted in things God has actually done. David praises with his whole heart — not half, not the part left over after worry has taken its share, but the whole of it — because he has seen enemies turned back, thrones of judgment occupied, and the names of the wicked blotted out. But the real jewel of the psalm sits quietly in the middle, easy to miss: the Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And then this: they that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Notice the logic. Trust is not blind here. It is built on evidence. Those who know God's name — who have experienced His character, not merely heard about it — find that He does not abandon the seekers. The psalm also carries a sharp edge: the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands, caught in their own nets. There is, David suggests, a kind of divine irony woven into the fabric of things. And the closing plea is breathtaking in its honesty: let the nations know themselves to be but men. That is perhaps the most necessary prayer in any age.

00:00 Praise with My Whole Heart
00:22 Enemies Turned Back
00:40 The Throne of Righteous Judgment
01:00 Refuge for the Oppressed
01:20 Snared in Their Own Net
01:40 Let Man Know He Is but Man