2010/Jul/14/P009 - Honesty Is The Best Policy, Particularly Before An Omnipotent And Omniescent God
Psalm 9 is prefaced by a notation to David's musical director that it is to the tune of 'Death Of The Son'. From that I hazard the guess that it is a rather sombre piece. As I typed out its lyrics, though, it brought back hints of the more uptempo worship songs we sing in Church. While I can appreciate that it may have been written before the dust of war had settled, it still strikes me as a rather victorious song. Hebrew history is certainly filled with accounts of gentiles and heathens getting the upper hand against them, but throughout it all the real victor is God, who skillfully used both success and failure as teaching tools for those who were willing to listen.
There are several verses which piqued my interest, but the last one in particular stands out: Put them in fear, oh Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. I find that to be a beautiful bit of goodwill, an excellent example of the much later-given Christian command, found in Matthew 5:44, But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. One of the major stumbling blocks in relating properly to God is being self-centred, and not giving God enough reverance. Wishing that others would fear God and hunker down in humility by acknowledging their imperfect and frail mortality may seem like a curse on the surface, but it is in fact a great blessing to reach that stage. The stressful events of the past few months have begun to chip away at my pride and build onto my humility. The effect may still be small, but at least it has made me cognisant of how warped my perspective was and for the most part still is. Still, I am making my way toward the point where "Put me in fear of You, Lord, that I may know myself to be but a man" is a prayer that I can not only repeat, but begin to live. Acknowledging who I truly am, and who God is, is an important key to letting the Holy Spirit do great works through me, in letting my praise not stop on my tongue, but be carried out by my mind and hands and feet. He may have meant it in a cursing tone, but even David was not immune to being used as a messenger of blessing, perhaps even when he had no idea it was being done...
Psalm 9
I will praise You, oh Lord, with my whole heart
I will tell of all Your marvelous works
I will be glad and rejoice in You
I will sing praise to Your namem oh Most High
When my enemies turn back
They shall fall and perish at Your presence
For You have maintained my right and my cause
You sat on the throne, judging in righteousness
You have rebuked the nations
You have destroyed the wicked
You have blotted out their name forever and ever
Oh enemy, destructions are finished forever
And you have destroyed cities
Even their memory has perished
But the Lord shall endure forever
He has prepared His throne for judgement
He shall judge the world in righteousness
And He shall administer judgement for the peoples in uprightness
The Lord also will be a refuge for those oppressed
A refuge in times of trouble
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion
Declare His deeds among the people
When He avenges blood, He remembers them
He does not forget the cry of the humble
Have mercy on my, oh Lord
Consider my trouble from thoses who hate me
You who life me up from the gates of death
That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of the daughter of Zion
I will rejoice in Your salvation
The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught
The Lord is known by the judgement He executes
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands
The wicked shall be turned into hell
And all the nations that forget God
For the needy shall not always be forgotten
The expectations of the poor shall not perish forever
Arise, oh Lord
Do not let man prevail
Let the nations be judged in Your sight
Put them in fear, oh Lord
That the nations may know themselves to be but men
There are several verses which piqued my interest, but the last one in particular stands out: Put them in fear, oh Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. I find that to be a beautiful bit of goodwill, an excellent example of the much later-given Christian command, found in Matthew 5:44, But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. One of the major stumbling blocks in relating properly to God is being self-centred, and not giving God enough reverance. Wishing that others would fear God and hunker down in humility by acknowledging their imperfect and frail mortality may seem like a curse on the surface, but it is in fact a great blessing to reach that stage. The stressful events of the past few months have begun to chip away at my pride and build onto my humility. The effect may still be small, but at least it has made me cognisant of how warped my perspective was and for the most part still is. Still, I am making my way toward the point where "Put me in fear of You, Lord, that I may know myself to be but a man" is a prayer that I can not only repeat, but begin to live. Acknowledging who I truly am, and who God is, is an important key to letting the Holy Spirit do great works through me, in letting my praise not stop on my tongue, but be carried out by my mind and hands and feet. He may have meant it in a cursing tone, but even David was not immune to being used as a messenger of blessing, perhaps even when he had no idea it was being done...
Psalm 9
I will praise You, oh Lord, with my whole heart
I will tell of all Your marvelous works
I will be glad and rejoice in You
I will sing praise to Your namem oh Most High
When my enemies turn back
They shall fall and perish at Your presence
For You have maintained my right and my cause
You sat on the throne, judging in righteousness
You have rebuked the nations
You have destroyed the wicked
You have blotted out their name forever and ever
Oh enemy, destructions are finished forever
And you have destroyed cities
Even their memory has perished
But the Lord shall endure forever
He has prepared His throne for judgement
He shall judge the world in righteousness
And He shall administer judgement for the peoples in uprightness
The Lord also will be a refuge for those oppressed
A refuge in times of trouble
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you
Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion
Declare His deeds among the people
When He avenges blood, He remembers them
He does not forget the cry of the humble
Have mercy on my, oh Lord
Consider my trouble from thoses who hate me
You who life me up from the gates of death
That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of the daughter of Zion
I will rejoice in Your salvation
The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught
The Lord is known by the judgement He executes
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands
The wicked shall be turned into hell
And all the nations that forget God
For the needy shall not always be forgotten
The expectations of the poor shall not perish forever
Arise, oh Lord
Do not let man prevail
Let the nations be judged in Your sight
Put them in fear, oh Lord
That the nations may know themselves to be but men