The Judgment is Fair

A donkey crossing a river with a load of salt lost his footing and slipped into the water, so that the salt was dissolved. He was mightily pleased at finding himself relieved of his burden when he got ... More

Judgment

The theme of this Psalm is that the judgment of God is fair and just to all. Judgment upon David’s enemies comes from the Lord and this is true for us as well. The instructions are to sing praises to the Lord and tell the world about his unforgettable deeds (v.11). He cares for the helpless and He does not ignore those who cry to him for help (12). The consideration of God’s judgment prompts the psalmist to plead for mercy. He views his life as being snatched from the gates of death in order that he can praise the Lord in the gates of the city (vv. 13-14). From considering the past and the future, David turned to his present need as he prayed for God’s help (vv. 13-20). His motive was that he might praise the Lord and tell others of his salvation. This refers to the city of Jerusalem. Our attitude should be the same concerning our life and the city or area where we live.

God sees to it that whatsoever a man sows, that he will also reap. This is a law of the soul as much as it is a law of the soil. When David seduced Bathsheba and murdered Uriah he sowed with his own hands the seeds that eventually brought him to the very bottom of the pit.

In the closing verses of this Psalm it is pointed out that wicked  nations are both hindered by God (v. 19) and humbled by God (v. 20). The nations in our day seem to be more arrogant, more resentful and more aggressive than ever before. David prays that the Lord will cause man to fear in a terrifying judgment. Such a destruction will make the wicked realize that they may be clever and crafty but man is only man and God is God and in full control.

Application

What I sow today will determine what I reap one day in the future. What am I sowing in this life that will produce fruit for eternity? Many Christians spend all their time on the things of this life and when it is over will have nothing to reap in eternity. Do I need to make some changes?

Psalms 9:11-20 (English Standard Version)


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