Psalm Category: Individual Hymn of Praise

Key Word: Refuge (misgab). In verse 9, God is described as a “refuge” and a “stronghold.” Both of these words are translated from the same Hebrew word, misgab. This word has the imagery of a fortress with high walls set in the heights of a rocky mountain. Do you see the great comfort here? If you make God your refuge, you will be unassailable. When we rest our hope in God, we are secure. Make the God of Jacob your fortress!

Central Thought: Psalm 9 is a call to worship and praise. It reminds us that true worship comes from a sincere heart and is focused on the kingly work of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 9

This psalm is about praise—praise for personal deliverance, God’s universal reign, and the mediatorial kingship of Christ.

s (vv. 1-2). The first two verses of this psalm teach us several things about worship. First, we learn that worship is a matter of the heart. As exclusive psalm singers, we Reformed Presbyterians appropriately quote Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19 as evidence to support our practice; but we must never forget that those texts include admonitions regarding our hearts as well as our lips. The heart represents the whole being of the worshiper. We must be diligent in keeping form and substance in balance.

Second, worship is redemptive-historical. The psalmist says that he will tell of God’s wonders. Our worship services should be patterned after the drama of redemption. They should tell of God’s wonders in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Third, our worship should be joyful. The psalmist says, “I will be glad and rejoice in you” (v. 2). Are you glad and joyful in worship? If not, why not? Ask yourself, “Whose responsibility is it to make me joyful in worship?” Is it the church’s, God’s, or does it come down to the state of my own heart?

Praise for Personal Deliverance (vv. 3-6, 13-14). In these sections, the psalmist praises God because he is confident that God will deliver him from his enemies. Verses 3–6 speak of the psalmist’s deliverance as an accomplished fact. The psalmist lives in expectation and assurance of his deliverance. We live with a similar expectation and assurance, knowing that Christ has defeated our enemies: Satan, sin, and death.

Verses 13–14 demonstrate the extent of the psalmist’s deliverance. The psalmist has been delivered from the gate of death to the gate of Zion. This should remind you of what Jesus has done for you. Were you not once dead, but now alive? Were you not once in darkness, but now in light? Should not our praise for personal deliverance be even more fervent as we enter the gates of Zion each Sabbath?

Praise for His Universal Reign (vv. 7-12, 15-18). In these sections, the psalmist broadens his praise to include the universal reign of God. Verses 7–8 describe the length (“forever”), extent (“world”), and nature (“in righteousness” and “with justice”) of God’s reign. Verses 15–17 further illustrate the nature of His reign by noting that His justice will come to wicked nations and men.

Verse 9 describes the promises of the reign of God. Here God is described as a refuge. He is a stronghold for the oppressed and all those who trust in Him. Verse 18 adds the needy and the afflicted to the list. It is interesting to note the two earthly parties present in this psalm: the “wicked” (nations and men) and the “oppressed.” This psalm describes the sociology of the kingdom of God. In the kingdom the oppressed will triumph over the wicked. Think of the Beattitudes (Matt. 5:3–10). Think of how the New Testament speaks of the “powers” (Eph. 6:12) and how Christ disarmed them (Col. 2:15). The sociology of the kingdom of God is very different from the darkness of the spirit of this age. This is why the psalmist rings forth with praise in verse 11.

Thy Kingdom Come (vv. 19-20). The psalm concludes with a cry for the consummation. The psalmist calls God to action: “Arise, O Lord.” Essentially, he is saying, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” The psalmist is aware that there is a coming King. This King bears the scepter that will strike the nations (Ps. 2:9; 110:2). Jesus, the mediatorial King, is the One who bears the scepter. When everything is put under His feet, the nations will be judged and all will know they are but men. Furthermore, everything and everyone will praise Him (Phil. 2:11; Rev. 5:13).

––Anthony T. Selvaggio