Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb19951231.htm

PSALMS: DIARIES OF GODLY OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS
Psalm Nine: Overcoming A Weak Faith In God Before Imposing Human Oppressors
(Psalm 9:1-20)
  1. Introduction
    1. One of the more unnerving threats the saints have faced over time has been a fear of imposing opponents. When a very powerful, influential or intelligent opponent has his heart bent on harming one, the "victim" can become quite insecure and vacillate in his faith in God!
    2. David faced this problem in Psalm 9 and overcame that problem in a way that instructs sufferers today:
  2. Overcoming A Weak Faith In God Before Imposing Human Oppressors, Psalm 9:1-20.
    1. David recalled God's past deliverances from imposing foes that he and other godly ones have faced, 9:1-6.
      1. In great praise with his whole heart, David recounts God's past supernatural achievements, Ps. 9:1.
      2. He promises to make music to God's glory in this psalm, Ps. 9:2.
      3. What David recounts from God's past supernatural works are God's righteous victories over his past enemies who threatened him, Ps. 9:3-4.
      4. In fact, God not only rebuked and destroyed the wicked enemies of David, but He had even blotted out the memory of them by others on a perpetual basis, Ps. 9:5-6.
    2. Basing his summary upon this past working of God, David concludes some axiomatic tendencies in God's dealings with him relative to David's enemies, Ps. 9:7-12:
      1. Since the enemies of David have become perpetually forgotten, David concludes that God deals with his enemies perpetually or axiomatically in certain ways.
      2. These ways are itemized as follows, Ps. 9:7-12:
        1. God reigns forever over David's enemies, Ps. 9:7.
        2. God will one day judge the world in righteousness and justice, Ps. 9:8.
        3. God thus exists as a secure height of escape for the oppressed in all their times of trouble, Ps. 9:9.
        4. Since God has not forsaken the upright, they will put their trust in God in times of oppression, 9:10.
        5. Accordingly, David orders the faithful to whom he testifies of these things to praise the Lord for His past actions that build their faith in His faithfulness to deliver them when they call to Him, Ps. 9:11f.
    3. Hence, David's faith is built up so he can call on God for deliverance under current oppression, 9:13-20.
      1. He calls to God for mercy, asking God to behold how his oppressors are now persecuting him, 9:13a. It is evident that David fears for his life as he asks for deliverance from the rulers of death ("gates" are a figure of speech where gates are put for the rulers who sit there (synecdoche)), 9:13b.
      2. He asks for this deliverance for GOD'S interests -- that David might praise Him in the assemblage of the leaders of the men who are over the praising women of Zion, where the women sang the praises of victorious warriors, Ps. 9:14a. David wanted to rejoice in God's salvation personally, 9:14b.
      3. David then expresses such assurance that God will deliver him that he predicts as though it had already happened that the oppressors are defeated by their own machinations against David , Ps. 9:15-17.
      4. David finds consolation in repeating the theme that God's past deliverances assure that the needy will not always be forgotten, but remembered and delivered by God, Ps. 9:18.
      5. Returning to his need, David closes the psalm with a final call for deliverance, Ps. 9:19-20.
Lesson: To build up his faith in God's deliverance from CURRENTLY imposing oppressors, David recalls God's thorough deliverances from such formidable foes of the past AS THE BASIS for CURRENT deliverances by God. In so doing, his faith is renewed to call to God now!

Application: If our faith in God's deliverance from a current, formidable foe is weak, (1) start to rectify that weak faith by recalling God's similar, lasting, thorough deliverances from such formidable foes of the past. (2) Based upon God's work ings in the past, draw a conclusion as to the axiomatic tendencies of God to deal with us in similar oppressions NOW, for the LASTING, THOROUGH deliverances of the past signal God's WILL for our lives on an ONGOING basis! (3) Armed with this encourageme nt, call upon God for help NOW from imposing oppressors!