Tell the Nations
Opening Prayer
Father, I trust that You know how to bring about justice and so I rest in You.
Read Psalm 9:1-20
[1] For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David. I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. [2] I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. [3] My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you. [4] For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge. [5] You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. [6] Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished. [7] The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. [8] He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. [9] The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. [10] Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you. [11] Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done. [12] For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted. [13] LORD, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, [14] that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation. [15] The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden. [16] The LORD is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. [17] The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God. [18] But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish. [19] Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. [20] Strike them with terror, LORD; let the nations know they are only mortal. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
For what does the psalmist offer praise?The psalm starts with praise. The writer explains, “I will give thanks. . . tell. . . be glad. . . sing the praises of your name” (1,2). The rest of the psalm explains why he wants to praise, and this is because of all that God has done. Just as the cities of refuge were provided by Moses for the people about to enter the land, this is how God is described: as a refuge for the oppressed (9). Moses hinted constantly that the people would settle in the place of God’s choosing. Here it is identified as the gated city of Zion (14). Just as Moses constantly warned about the threat to the life of the people through the influences of the pagan nations around them, so here the same refrain is repeated by David (17,19). As the Promised Land was claimed, the reign of God was established in Zion. Verse 11 captures the purpose of the entire adventure which was, importantly, not the national glory of Israel but the telling of God’s story to all the nations. For this, we in the nations can be thankful.
Apply
Pray that the church would be a refuge for the oppressed and proclaim the Good News to the world around it.
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