Praise God for Justice and Righteousness
Study Scripture: Psalm 9: 1 – 12
Background Scripture: Psalm 9; Ecclesiastes 3:16–22
Lesson 6 October 9, 2021
Key Verse
And He shall judge the world in righteousness, He will execute judgment for the people fairly.
Psalm 9:8
INTRODUCTION
The Book of Psalms is an inspired collection of Hebrew lyric poems that cover a wide variety of topics relating to God and His relationship to man and the nation of Israel and was intended for use in worship. While no one word or theme fully captures the array of subjects in the Psalms, worship and praise are certainly prominent themes. This peculiar compilation of songs at one and the same time, stir the emotions, are awe-inspiring and present God in his most majestic, merciful, holy and transcendent form.
It is to be noted first that this psalm is a lament psalm which means it is a Psalm crying out for divine help. David is in this psalm recounting his experiences and gives up the path to victory.
It gives us instructions or advice as to what to do when we are in a battle and are in despair. This situation might lead us and it often does to question the love of God and the power of God, and the stranglehold that others often have over the people of God which they use to oppress them.
So in this Psalm David instructs us when we are suffering how to respond to hardship.
We all are probably aware of this song,
Count your blessings
Name them one by one,
and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
David gives us a similar advice. He therefore instructs us when you are in difficulty we are to begin facing God with statements of praise.
It is most important that you therefore note that in this acclamation of praise to the Lord God David has four “I will” statements which tells you that you must always begin with wholehearted worship of praise so that when you are confronting God you forget your troubles. This will lead to increasing your confidence in God and will reduce your concern with evil in the world.
The theme of this Psalm clearly is that God is more powerful than our enemies.
He’s also concerned about our struggles and invites us to turn to Him that situation.
So as you start your day, every day, get into the habit of recounting all the wonderful deeds that God has done for you.
One of the reason for the great stress in the current time is explained by the famous preacher Spurgeon who warns us,
“Half heart is no heart”.
But as we begin our Study let us note his warning and his advice. Let us look at the first one.
“The Christian will always find it to be useful to have some history of what God did in the days of yore. The more you know of God’s attributes, the more you understand all his acts; the more you treasure up of his promises, and the more you fully dive into the depths of his covenant, the more difficult it will be for Satan to tempt you to despondency and despair.
Acquaint thyself with God and be at peace. Meditate on his law both day and night, and thou shalt be like a tree planted by the rivers of water; thy leaf shall not wither; thou shalt bring forth fruit in thy season, and whatsoever thou doest shall prosper.
Ignorance of God is ignorance of bliss; but knowledge of God is a divine armor, by which we are able to ward off all the blows of the enemy.
Know thyself, O man, and that will make thee miserable; know thy God, O Christian, and that will make thee rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”.
The second bit of advice from Spurgeon relates to the fact that God is our Divine shield and defence. He warns us about the nature of temptation and states;
“First, then, I am to dwell a little time upon A CERTAIN FIERY DART OF SATAN WHICH IS CONSTANTLY SHOT AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF GOD.
There are many temptations, there are many suggestions and insinuations, and all these are arrows from the bow of the Evil one. But there is one temptation which exceeds all others, there is one suggestion which is more Satanic, more skilfully used in effecting the purposes of Satan than any other. That suggestion is the one referred to in these words of the psalmist viz., this, this suggestion to believe that God has forsaken us. If all the other arrows of hell could be put into one quiver, there would not be so much deadly poison in the whole as in this one. When Satan has used up every other weapon, he always betakes himself to this last, most sharp, most deadly instrument. He goes to the child of God and pours into his ear this dark insinuation, “thy God has forsaken thee quite; thy Lord will be gracious no more.
Now, I will remark with regard to this arrow, that is one that is very often shot from Satan’s bow. Some of us have been wounded by it scores of time in our life. Whenever we have fallen into any sin, have been overtaken by some sudden wind of temptation, and have staggered and almost fallen, Conscience pricks us and tells us we have done wrong. Our heart, like David’s heart, smites us. We fall upon our knees, and acknowledge our fault and confess our sin. Then it is that Satan let’s fly this arrow, which comes whizzing up from hell and enters into the soul, and while we are making the confession, the dark thought crosses our soul, “God has forsaken thee; he will never accept thee again. Thou hast sinned so foully that he will blot thy name out of the covenant; thou stumbled so fearfully that thy feet shall never stand upon the rock again, thou hast stumbled to fall; thou hast fallen to thy fell destruction”
This Study will strengthen you and steel your soul so that when Satan shoots his fiery arrow you will remember the mighty power of God and you will not be drawn down by the actions of this malicious devil. Remember you are no match for Satan so you will stumble if you listen to him. So keep your mind fixed on God. Remember God has said in His word,
“Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee”.
Many consider that the Psalms were written over an approximate one thousand year period, beginning from the time of Moses to when the Jews returned from exile in about 450 B,C. They speak to the thoughts, feelings and experiences of the people of that period, as they spoke to God about their thoughts and feelings.
The Psalms were assembled by Spirit-directed compilers who put them in their present order for several reasons, including authorship and affinity of ideas. Probably groups of these psalms were collected at different times. By the third century B.C., the book had received its final form, presumably through the efforts of temple musicians.
The compilers did not organize them in the order in which the psalmists wrote them. Each psalm is the expression of a writer who responded to God in the light of his particular circumstances when he wrote. Consequently, there is no argument or logical progression of thought as the reader makes his or her way through the book.
The Psalms follow a long tradition of Hebrew poetry. Most Hebrew poetry exhibits a distinguishing characteristic called parallelism. This term simply means that two (or sometimes three) lines of poetry are, in one way or another, parallel in meaning. In Hebrew poetry it is not the rhyming nor the rhythm of the words, but the relationship of two lines (most often) of poetry which is the heart of the poetic style. By the use of various types of parallelism, the first line of poetry is expanded upon in the second, either by clarification, completion, or contrast. Terseness and vivid imagery also characterize Hebrew poetry. As well, the psalms are above all, full of deep, profound, personal emotion.
The best-known author of psalms is David. In fact, more sacred songs are attributed to him than to any other author. Furthermore, biblical historians recorded that David was the “sweet psalmist of Israel”
(2 Sam. 23:1) and that he organized the sanctuary’s music program (1 Chron. 15:3-28).
In addition to David, several people are claimed as authors by the psalm titles. They are Moses, Solomon, Asaph (a Levite choir director), the Sons of Korah (a group of Levite musicians), Heman the Ezrahite (the founder of the Sons of Korah), and Ethan the Ezrahite (probably also called Jeduthun). Of the several authors, only David is represented in each of the book’s major divisions.
The Psalms lend themselves to various classifications some of the groupings are:
– laments
– thanksgiving
– declarative praise
– descriptive praise
– pilgrim psalms sung as the Jews made their ascent to Jerusalem on the three times a year pilgrimages as required.
– royal psalms which focus on the reign of the kings of Israel and events like coronation, wedding, or going out to battle.
– enthronement psalms”
– messianic psalms which predict the coming of Messiah and the consummation of the kingdom.
– imprecatory psalms which contain curses or imprecations directed at the enemies of God.
Worship is a prominent theme in the Psalter (Book of Psalms). Worshipis the act of offering to God what is due to Him because of who He is. The Hebrew word translated “worship” (shachah) means to bow oneself down, or to do obeisance. It pictures an attitude of submission to a superior person or being
The primary revelation of God’s character in the psalms is His Names. The writers employed dozens of titles and figures of speech to describe God, but the three names of God that they used most are Yahweh, Elohim, and Adonai. Simply from understanding these names, we will want to worship God.
Yahweh (Jehovah) captures the essential being of God. I AM WHO I AM (Exodus 3:14). Essentially it means that God is the eternally self-existent, covenant-making, covenant-keeping God Translators normally render it LORD in English translations. Psalm 139 is a great exposition of the essential being of God, and Psalm 23 the chief revelation of His becoming all that His people need.
Elohim normally translates as “God” in our English Bibles. It is a plural word in the Hebrew, which does not necessarily signify plurality of number but immensity. Elohim suggests God’s essential might and the fact that He is infinitely powerful. Psalm 68 is a clear revelation of God’s essential might in the Psalter, and Psalm 46 sets forth His great power at work most impressively.
Adonai (Lord in the sense of Master) does not occur frequently in the psalms, but the idea it expresses is constantly present. This title expresses the sovereignty of God, the fact that there is no one higher in authority than He. He is the King over the whole universe and the ultimate ruler over Israel. Perhaps Psalm 86 sets forth the sovereignty of God more clearly than any other psalm.
In Psalms, the object of worship is God. Its practitioners are people – individuals, kings, nations, and all the earth. Its center is Jerusalem: the place of God’s manifest presence. His temple (Israel’s central sanctuary) and His holy hill (Mt. Zion) were the central places of worship.Its primary expression is song. Fear, awe, and joy are its primary attitudes of worship.
God’s people throughout history have loved the Psalter. There are a number of reasons for its popularity. First, its collection of songs arises out of experiences with which we can all identify. It is very difficult to find any circumstance in life that does not find expression in some psalm or another.
The Study Scripture Psalm’s 9 Superscription is addressed “To the chief Musician.” The phrase “upon Muthlabben” instructs that person on how to use the tune in a way that is lost to us today. “A Psalm of David” identifies the author. The Psalter attributes 73 of its 150 psalms to him, “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1).
The Text highlights God’s justice and vindication of His people and their confident expectation of His intervention on their behalf. As well there is a commitment to praise and worship which invariably is a feature of every psalm.
As a result, the message of the Psalter then is, worship God!. Turn every situation into an occasion for worship. If we are sad, we should worship. If we are glad, we should worship. If we are in the dark, we should worship. If we are in the light, we should worship. The Apostle Paul expressed it this way in Philippians 4:4
‘Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice…
The Book closes with this word of exhortation: ‘Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord’ (Ps. 150:6). Herein is the challenge to the reader!
THE TEXT
Before we begin our study of the Text we should note that there is a question as to whether the 9th and the 10th Psalm should go together. This might help you in your personal study in the Psalms. Interpreters point out:
“Both Psalms are acrostic Psalms. That means that each line or stanza begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in alphabetical sequence. Psalm 9 covers the first 11 letters of the Hebrew alphabet (though one letter is missing in the pattern), roughly equivalent to our letters L through K. Psalm 10 then picks up that acrostic pattern where, perhaps Psalm 9 leaves it off. Some older manuscripts even put them together as one psalm, and they do share some distinctive vocabulary. Are they one psalm? Probably not. These two psalms each has its own distinctive theme. Psalms 10 deals with a wicked man, and seems very much to be an individual crying to God about the prosperity of the wicked (see 10:5). Psalm nine is different. It is much more community oriented, involving everyone in the praise of God for how He deals with nations and kingdoms. So it seems best to see them as related in ways, but not to be taken together. Of course, coming from the same author we would expect style and vocabulary similarities but again, they do not seem to be one Psalm”.
It is important therefore to note the connection but we will concentrate on some verses in Psalm 9.
Bear in mind however that this Psalm is extremely important as we engage in our Christian warfare.
Verse 1. … with my whole heart… ancient Hebrews associated the heart with one’s intellect—the center of moral decision-making. So this psalm is not so much stressing an emotional reaction (the way we would if singing “from the heart”) as much as emphasizing the deliberate choice to praise God with the totality of the psalmist’s being (Deuteronomy 4:29). The word translated praise is rendered elsewhere in terms of giving thanks, and there is much overlap in their meanings (Psalm 100:4, 1 Chronicles 16:4).
You can be sure that many Bible Teachers, Pastors and Elders have often pointed out that we do not praise God with our lips very much. Believers have a way of praising God only halfheartedly. One writer comments on our behaviour:
“It is more often true that Christians complain of how God has been treating them, carry on excessively about their personal needs or desires, our gossip”. (Boice).
Another commentator states that if we are honest we will admit that we simply do not like praising God. It can be because of sin, physical exhaustion, lethargy, or a lack of motivation.
But we must remember that we have to exercise our will to remember God’s character and deeds.
It is extremely important to get your heart and your mind and your strength together in one focus of praising God. Remember that God is holy, just, merciful and loving and He has done many many things to spare us from many unseen disasters in our life. God and His angels do a lot of things for our benefit. But we don’t see the Angels and do not realize that they’re beside us working, and we don’t know sometimes that God is here protecting us and sparing us from all kinds of attacks. Sometimes we only have a slight tinge, feeling or intuition that something is happening around us. But often we don’t even pay attention to those things.
But we must remember that God is always there working on our behalf. So it is only right that we engage our heart, soul, and mind and energy in praising God wholeheartedly.
… I will shew forth all thy marvellous works… to the ‘up reach’ action of “will praise” in the previous half-verse, the psalmist adds one of outreach: will shew forth indicates his intention to publicize, broadcast God’s marvellous works. Up to the psalmist’s day would include God’s ‘wonders’ in Egypt, the Red Sea event, crossing Jordan, Jericho and on…
One writer reminds us that when we tell others of the great things God has done we are actively praising God.
He bemoans the fact that when Christians meet they hardly talk about the things of God even among themselves much less talking about the things of God to other people. It seems they have nothing to say. So let us think carefully about what we are doing and not doing.
Note, all that is marvellous to the human eye and mind is ‘all in a days work’ to God.
Verse 2. Be glad and rejoice are parallel terms; the underlying Hebrew words are also found together in 1 Samuel 2:1; Psalms 5:11; 68:3. Such repetition made it easier to remember songs. This was especially important in a culture where the average person may not have been able to read and write. Such repetition was not mere redundancy.
I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High… Using the word name as the psalmist does here was often a respectful way of referring to God himself (2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 92:1). The name that God revealed to Moses and to Israel was Yahweh (Exodus 3:14), which is behind the designation “Lord” in verse one. This name tells us something about God: He is unchanging, eternal. What He revealed about himself is who He is (Mark 12:26–27; 1 John 4:8).
Remember that singing is something that comes from inside us and when we sing we are showing what we are inside. So if we are children of God we should be singing and hollering and celebrating the character of God.
… God most High.. David acknowledged God’s rightful place; above all other so-called gods, earthly kings, and whatever threat may confront God’s people. Melchizedek, king of Salem, was the first recorded to use this honorific title for God (Genesis 14:18–20). This same Melchizedek was honored as a precursor to Christ (Hebrews 7:1, 11, 17).
Verse 3. …enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence…
The scene here is armed conflict and for David there were numerous engagements with enemies: Amalekites (1 Samuel 30), Jebusites (2 Sam 5:6–7), Philistines (5:17–25). God gave David victory in these battles. The enemy was caught in a ‘pincher’. They faced David’s forces on the front lines and when they turned to flee, they perished at Jehovah’s presence.
We tend to forget that the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Jebusites, the Assyrians, the Perrizites, the Hivites, the Philistines were once mighty nations and people were afraid of them but now all of those nations that ruled with might and strength are long gone. They opposed God and their names have been blotted out forever.
This therefore presents a warning to nations which are now ruling in the modern world. Many of them have in the past perpetrated evil and ignored the will of God. They still carry on evil deeds. They wil soon be dissolved into history and be forgotten because God in His own ways are pulling down those nations that oppose Him.
We often do not like to think that our nations and our own countries are involved in opposing God. But the sad fact is all of them are. And the fact is that God will soon dissolve them also whether we like it or not. Psalm 2 reminds us that the Father is working right now. They rage together against the Lord but we are told in verses 4- 6, 9:
“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
and distress them in His deep displeasure…
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel”’
‘
Note, the enemies of God’s people become the enemies of God!
Later on in the Psalm David again came back to the theme that God is in the process of tearing down evil nations who are caught up in their own sin which comes back on them and destroy them.
Verse 4. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; … The point here is that when our cause is God’s cause, we can expect Him to vindicate His people. God champions only a right and a just cause.
… sat on the throne judging righteously … justice is spoken of much but rarely realized even in the most enlightened societies. It will remain so until the Righteous One sets up His kingdom on earth.
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
(Psalm 89:14).
The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. (Psalm 145:17).
We must be very cautious here for the Almighty God is quite clear about what He regards as right and what He regards as wrong. God looks at what is being done on the earth and He is not neutral when He does His assessments. God does not adopt a neutral position when He looks at the conflicts between human beings for He knows what is right and what is wrong and exactly what is being done on the earth. Sometimes men think that God is on their side when He’s not on their side. Sometimes God is even against both sides in their conflicts.
It is therefore most important that believers keep looking at the Word of God and make sure that they are following the Word of God. The opinions of believers must line up with the Word of God for them to be acceptable to God. Only then can they be sure that they and their nation are on God’s side. The word of God determines what is right and what is wrong. Men do not determine that even though they might use religious language and other kinds of philosophical language to fool you. So let us be careful.
Verse 5. …rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked… the heathen and the wicked are used as parallel terms. The Hebrew originals occur together again in Psalm 9:17, there translated “wicked” and “nations” (Jeremiah 25:31). This indicates that David was not writing about the Israelites’ own sins. But, Moses, David, and the prophets all recognized that when Israel sinned God would not turn a blind eye.
Still, despite judgment, it is important to remember God’s concern for all peoples. Far from being a purely New Testament concern (Matthew 5:45; John 3:16), God’s intention to bless all nations is embedded in the Covenant He made with Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3).
Verse 6. O thou enemy… although David does not specify the enemy that is to suffer perpetual destruction, other Texts suggest this might be a reference to the Amalekites (Exodus 17:14; Deuteronomy 25:19). This marks a significant contrast between how God treats His people and how He treats the unrepentant of any nation. He makes no promise to save a remnant from nations like the Amalekites. When their wickedness reached a boiling point, God acted in righteous judgment.
God’s people experience judgment differently, however. We undergo it as temporary discipline, meant to form us into the image of Christ (Hebrews 12:5–7, 11, quoting Proverbs 3:11–12; compare Psalm 94:12; Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
Keep in mind all people deserve God’s judgment but He exercises mercy, (Rom. 3:23).
Their memorial is perished with them… the idea here is that destruction of enemies will be so complete that no one will even remember them. This is supported by the fact the Hebrew word translated memorial here is elsewhere rendered “remembrance” (Psalms 6:5; 34:16). Graves are normally indicated with some kind of marker as a monument of remembrance, or memorial. The wicked will be gone without a trace.
Verses 5 and 6 recall Malachi 1, where Israel’s very existence is contrasted with the complete demise of Edom as evidence of YHWH’s Covenant love. Where are the ancient surrounding nations? They are lost to history, but not Israel!
Verse 7. This verse forms a stark contrast with the preceding two.
LORD here is Yahweh, the eternal, self-existent God, who in contrast to the wicked nations that are to be forgotten, the LORD shall endure for ever.
His throne is the place from which He both judges and rules over all creation. God’s people must cling to Him. They must not ally themselves with evil. Doing so puts them in danger of experiencing the judgment meant for the nations.
Verse 8. We may note parallelism in the two phrases of this verse.
…He shall judge the world in righteousness… Judgment without righteousness yields injustice
(Amos 5:12; et al). Such a state of affairs is all too common. God always judges in perfect uprightness (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11;), (Leviticus 19:15; 1 Timothy 5:21; James 2:1).
Note that this verse tells us that David is looking forward to the time when God would rule over all the nations. This ruling will be in righteous judgment.
This itself is an unattainable model for sinful men and awaits Jesus’ millennial reign, (Isa.11:4-5).
Verse 9. Verses 3 to 8 record David’s concern with the fall of the unrighteous. But now here the focus changes to address the reversal of fortune for the oppressed (1 Samuel 2:8; Luke 1:52–55).
… refuge … is used regularly of God as a high, mighty and safe stronghold or fortress (Ps. 18:2; 46:7,11; 48:3; 59:9,16,17; 62:2,6; 94:22; 144:2). This is an idiom for safety and protection. For the faithful follower (Ps. 9:10) our God is our stronghold and there is no other! God’s actions naturally arise from His just nature.
… will be a refuge … a refuge (rock) … we have an everlasting rock. The word “rock” is a metaphor for God’s unchanging character (cf. Ps. 18:1, 2; Isa. 17:10; 30:29; 44:8).
What a wonderful statement of Yahweh’s faithfulness! This is a repeated theme in the Psalms
(Ps. 37:28; 94:14). Believers’ hope is in the unchanging character of the merciful Creator (Mal. 3:6).
…times of trouble… David often experienced the refuge of God, physical, emotional and spiritual. Christians can reasonably expect the same in this world.
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Tim. 3:12).
When David escaped from Saul he often took refuge in strongholds (1 Sam. 23:14, 19, 29). However, he regarded the Lord Himself as the best of these.
The sentiments in this verse draws on protection themes seen prominently in the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 24:14–22) and the books of prophecy (Hosea 6:6). These themes carry over into the New Testament (Matt. 5:1–12; James 1:27).
With such a unified testimony across Scripture, Christians must be united in their concern for the poor and oppressed. The church must not let political partisanship dictate its agenda. Instead, we must heed Scripture’s specific testimony regarding God’s concern for the poor, regardless of which directions the political winds are blowing.
Verse 10. And they that know thy name… those who know the Lord are those who know His character and have experienced His goodness.
..will put their trust in Him… such people actively seek God (Deuteronomy 4:29). They make choices that are in line with God’s will, not their own. To know in this sense is not a matter of mere belief in God’s existence (James 2:19). Rather, it is about making godly choices, choices that may seem foolish to the world (1 Corinthians 1:18–31).
… that seek thee … seeking God is not some sort of ‘you will know it when I see it” search for life’s meaning. Rather, it asks the question, ‘What does God want from me in this situation?’ Answers to such questions involve searching the Scriptures, where God has revealed His will for people. It’s about trusting the Spirit to aid in understanding and discernment. Seeking God means giving Him control over the direction of our lives.
Verse 11. David closed verses 11 and 12 with an appeal to the afflicted and oppressed, to praise God and testify to others about His care of them.
Sing praises to the Lord … here we see David’s response to God’s overthrow of the unrighteous and upholding those who trust Him. He appropriately called the people once again to sing praises. The king had been addressing his own thanks to God (Psalm 9:1–2, above) but here he explicitly invited the people to join in the praise of thanksgiving.
… Sing praises to the Lord … declare among the people … although the two imperatives here may sound generic, their application was in reaction to something specific. It does not seem adequate to say that God does wonderful things and stop there.
As with David, we should declare … his doings. For the original audience, this could have included celebrating work that God had done in founding their nation, delivering them from their wilderness wandering, and granting the Promised Land.
…which dwelleth in Zion... Zion is the hill in Jerusalem (a synonym for Jerusalem), on which once stood the Jebusite fortress that was captured by David. He built his palace on this hill. It came to designate the entire city.
Jerusalem and particularly the temple on the hill Moriah, became the place where Yahweh “dwelt,” between the wings of the Cherubim above the Ark of the Covenant. This place fulfills the repeated phrase in Deuteronomy, “the place that YHWH causes His name to dwell.”
Verse 12. David celebrated his deliverance but did not lose sight of who brought it about: God. In making inquisition for blood, God proved His concern for justice. He is a God who so values life that He both offers abundant life through Jesus (John 10:10) and requires a reckoning from those who destroy life (Gen. 4:10; 9:5–6).
… cry of the humble … God never grows deaf to the cry of the humble. He will administer justice. Just as God heard when the Israelites cried to Him from their slavery in Egypt (Exodus 2:23–25), so He hears all today who are held captive by violence, by injustice, by sin. But we must call on Him in faith, trust, and repentance.
CONCLUSION
Oppression comes in all shapes and sizes; it is a global epidemic. The God of Israel did not ignore oppression and neither should His people of any era. Still, careful attention to Scripture is to shape our response. Psalm 9 offers one small window in this regard. It shows us that those who know, trust, and seek the one true God have a powerful ally who fights for them.
For Christians, this energizes us to spread the Gospel; the accounts of the person and work of Jesus are ever new. But we need not stop with the events of Scripture. What wonders has God worked in our lives? Have we grown tired of telling those stories? Are we even experienced in telling those stories?
Note carefully that songs of praise and adoration and thanksgiving will lead to you being glad and exulting in God.
We seem to have great difficulty praising God even though we are forever praising those we love, praising the Chefs that prepare dishes we marvel at when we go to restaurants that we go to frequently, and we praise the skill of course of our sports heroes. But in contrast while we are praising these relatively low value things we seem to have difficulty praising God for the extremely high value things that are so valuable and in which we delight so much.
Part of our problem is that we in some countries have not experienced that level of oppression that would drive us to go to God for justice asking God to silence His enemies with eternal punishment. Maybe oppression is occurring in our own backyard and we choose to ignore it.
Therefore we do not feel comfortable with the Psalms of David that in extremely strong language condemned the enemies of God. It seems that we do not really appreciate the extremely degrading level of sin that is being committed. So we do not think highly in our modern society of the so-called imprecatory Psalms.
But we are invited to and must understand that sin is an extremely degrading thing and so we must praise God and call on Him for His justice in dealing with sin.
May we boldly proclaim the God we know and trust so that our hope may indeed become the hope of this world.