I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds (Psalm 9)

This Psalm is another of David's many Praise psalms where he is either himself praising God or calling out the people to give praise to God. This particular psalm launches with four "I will" statements showing David's conscious decision to give praise to God for two reasons. Firstly, David expresses gratitude to God for the things God has done in his life. Secondly, David praises God and worships Him for who God is. What God is, and what God does for His people are closely related. The Psalm reveals God as a righteous judge and a savior of the oppressed. David experienced both of these attributes of God in a deeply personal way. However, intertwined with the praises are David's cries for help from those who afflict them. This shows that some of his enemies remained at large and ready to strike. This is a picture of Christian life, we will always have spiritual enemies who repeatedly taunt and attack us. In all this, we are to find refuge in God who is the Savior of the oppressed. For our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. (Eph 6:12)

Verses 1-2

David's decision to give praise and thanks to God for his wonderful deeds. Sometimes, praise comes spontaneously, at other times we have to consciously remove our eyes from everything else and praise God on purpose.

Verses 3-6

The fall of David's enemies before God's righteous judgement. This was a fall from which they could not get back up. Verse 5 says, that their names were blotted out forever, indicating complete destruction.

Verses 7-9

David's declaration of God as the eternal righteous judge and the stronghold for the oppressed. God is not simply obsessed with justice just for the sake of justice alone, but he seeks justice because of who He is and because of his care for the suffering.

Verse 10

"And those who know your name put their trust in you, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you."

This shows the necessity of making God's name known. Men can put their trust in God, only if they first know who God is. This knowledge comes from the Word of God being preached faithfully in season and out of season.

Verses 11-12

David urges the reader to Sing out praises to God and tell of his mighty deeds among the peoples. As we saw earlier, God's deeds and His nature are inextricably tied together. So, making his deeds known would inevitably lead to a better knowledge of God among the people, which in turn will result in some of them putting their trust in God to save them from their oppressors.

Verses 13-14

David's cry for help in the midst of praises is an indication that there still remained some enemies who hated him.

Verses 15-16

"The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught."
This is what scholars call as the "Boomerang" principle of exact retribution. It is a fact that sometimes, the wicked get caught in their own wicked deeds and experience judgement on this side of eternity. Now, this is not Karma or anything like that. God, in His mercy prolongs judgement on the wicked to the afterlife. Not a single deed of the wicked will go unanswered and unpaid when they stand before the throne of God. We can be sure of that.

Verses 17-20

The climax of a great hymn from David, asking for God's intervention in the judgement of the wicked and the salvation of the poor and needy.