Psalm 9:11-20

Rachel Workman: 11 Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.[a]
    Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
12 For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
    He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.

You know I'm going to rest and lean on this promise. He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer. He is the ultimate avenger. My heart hurts for the innocent children who are sold daily into the sex slave trade. Where is their justice? They are babies, younger than my youngest daughter. I know that God will serve justice to those who deserve it. But it's very hard for me to see these types of acts.

13 Lord, have mercy on me.
    See how my enemies torment me.
    Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
14 Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates,
    so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
    Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
16 The Lord is known for his justice.
    The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.

I like how David says the wicked are trapped by their own deeds. For you and I there is complete freedom in Christ. For the wicked they are trapped by their own evil thoughts.

17 The wicked will go down to the grave.[c]
    This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
18 But the needy will not be ignored forever;
    the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

Verse 18 leads me to believe that for a while the hopes of the poor will be crushed but not forever.

19 Arise, O Lord!
    Do not let mere mortals defy you!
    Judge the nations!
20 Make them tremble in fear, O Lord.

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John Burnett:  ¹¹ Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion;
Declare among the peoples His deeds.
¹² For He who ^[i]requires blood remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.  Someday soon, the afflicted will be avenged.  The mention of him requiring blood reminds me the blood Christ that covers me. 
¹³ Be gracious to me, O Lord;
See my affliction from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
¹⁴ That I may tell of all Your praises,
That in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in Your ^[j]salvation.
¹⁵ The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.
¹⁶ The Lord has made Himself known;
He has executed judgment.
In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared. ^[k]Higgaion ^[l]Selah.

¹⁷ The wicked will ^[m]return to ^[n]Sheol,
Even all the nations who forget God.
¹⁸ For the needy will not always be forgotten,
Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.
¹⁹ Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged before You.
²⁰ Put them in fear, O Lord;
Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.  I look forward to Revelation 19 when we return on our white horses with Christ and we get to watch the nations that have assembled against Israel be destroyed.  They will know they are but men.

¹³ He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

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Krista Cook:  "Declare His deeds"(v.11) & "that I may tell of all Your praise"(v.14) - do we do this enough?  In the midst of all the sin that is around us, we CAN do this with the help and mercy from God.  He wants us to stand up for Him.

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Allen Michaels :  ¹¹ Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.
    Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.

God does not live only in Zion (another name for Mount Moriah, the hill on which the temple was built); He is everywhere all the time. The focal point of Israelite worship, however, came to be Jerusalem and its beautiful temple. From this central place of worship, the Jews were to tell the world about the one true God.

¹² For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
    He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.

¹³ Lord, have mercy on me.
    See how my enemies torment me.
    Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
¹⁴ Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates,
    so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.

All of us want God to help us when we are in trouble, but often for different reasons. Some want God’s help so that they will be successful and other people will like them. Other’s want God’s help so that they will be comfortable and feel good about themselves. David, however, wanted help from God so that justice would be restored to Israel and so that he could show others God’s power. When you call God for help, consider your motive. Is it to save yourself pain and embarrassment or to bring God glory and honor?

¹⁵ The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
    Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
¹⁶ The Lord is known for his justice.
    The wicked are trapped by their own deeds. Quiet Interlude

¹⁷ The wicked will go down to the grave.
    This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.

¹⁸ But the needy will not be ignored forever;
    the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

The world may ignore the plight of the needy, crushing any earthly hope they may have. But God, the champion of the weak, promises that this will not be the case forever. The wicked nations who forget the Lord and refuse to help their people will be judged by God. He knows our needs, He knows our tendency to despair, and He has promised to care for us. Even when others forget us, He will remember.

¹⁹ Arise, O Lord!
    Do not let mere mortals defy you!
    Judge the nations!
²⁰ Make them tremble in fear, O Lord.
    Let the nations know they are merely human. Interlude

The people who set traps for others will ultimately be trapped themselves. God ensures that such people do not succeed in the long run. Those who realize they need God’s help and turn to Him will receive it; those who try to control their problems will ultimately fail. This is so true for all problems that we may encounter in life. Some of us take a wee bit longer to realize this before we reach out. That silly human pride will eventually back us into a corner. If we think we are in control of our own destiny or the destinies of others, we have a terrible surprise in store. For others we can only pray for God to intervene. One day God will step in and demonstrate who is truly in control. Since God is ultimately in control, the only wise plan to follow is God’s plan.