Psalm 9. I preached a message
from this scripture some time ago. I don't remember how long
it's been, but I read it yesterday, and it was such a blessing to
me, and I studied it today, and I see some things that are very
important, and I pray it will be a blessing to you again tonight. Psalm 9. The title of the message,
and this is what I saw again when Brother John was reading
it, the title of the message is Severe in Judgment and Rich in Mercy. Someone said, and this is my
closing remarks, remember, as severe as God is in justice and
He's even richer and plenteous in mercy. To the unbeliever, oh, the severity
of God's judgment. To the believer, oh, how rich
is his grace. And you'll see the two extremes
here tonight, now, in this psalm, severe in judgment. Did you notice when you were
reading that, John, that verse 16, the Lord is known by the
judgment which he executed? You pause there. That's a powerful
statement. He's known by the judgment he
executed. I'll show you something about
that in a few minutes. But David opens this psalm with
a fourfold resolution. Perhaps this is a summary of
praise. This is the way praise ought
to be offered. a fourfold resolution. First he says, I will praise
thee, O Lord, with my whole heart. Now only God is to be praised.
Only God is to be worshipped. And God is to be praised and
worshipped with the whole heart. I will praise thee, O Lord, with
my whole heart. Now half-hearted worship is unbecoming
to a believer and unbecoming to God. Let the matter be settled
in my heart before my mouth speaks." That's right. Let this matter
of who he is and who I am and what this is all about. Worship,
half-hearted worship is unbecoming to believers and it's unbecoming
to the character of our God with my whole heart. I'll praise thee
with my whole heart. And then he says, I'll show forth
all thy marvelous works. all thy marvelous works." They
are his, all the works are his. Colossians 1, by him were all
things created. He is before all things. By him all things are held together,
and David says they are marvelous works. Remember a message we
heard from that just a few months ago, Brother Frank Tate brought
a message from Psalm 98, marvelous are thy works, O Lord. They're
marvelous. Psalm 139, turn over there a
moment where that word is used again. I think Brother Frank
read this Psalm 139 also, but Psalm 139 verse 14, I will show forth all thy marvelous
works. Look at verse 14, I will praise
thee For I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvellous are thy works,
marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.
You consider the work of creation, marvellous are thy works. Consider
all of the physical life, the life in the
seas, the oceans, on the bed of the the birds in the air,
the beast in the forest. This is all the work of God.
Marvelous are his works. David is considering here his
own life. He said, verse 13, Thou hast
possessed my reins, thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Think about the eye that
sees, the ears that hear. The heart is There's no extension
cord to my heart. It just keeps beating. It just
keeps beating. What causes it to beat? Life. And then you think about God's
power in the universe, the atom, the force that's in one unseen
atom. And he controls all of this force
and power. If it were unleashed, my mind
would be consumed as well. But the greatest work, marvelous
are his works, and that my soul knoweth right well. Show forth
his marvelous works, his works in us, and upon us, and for us
in redemption. This is his greatest work. This is his eternal work. Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my word My purpose, my promise
is forever. When we consider our sinfulness,
our nothingness, and yet his work of forgiveness, his work
of redemption, his work of sanctification, his work of preservation, he'll
keep us from falling. He that hath done a good work
will finish it. Our eternal glory, whom he foreknew,
he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son. I just
can't even imagine what that's going to be like, to be like
Christ. But I know I'll be satisfied when I wake with his likeness.
His glory, whom he foreknew, he predestinated to be conformed
to the image of his Son. Whom he predestinated, he called,
and we heard him. Whom he called, he justified,
and we've experienced it. and whom he justified, he'll
glorify. Marvelous are thy works, O God,
and that my soul knoweth right well, and this is his praise. I'll praise thee with my whole
heart, I'll show forth all thy marvelous works, and listen,
I'll be glad and rejoice in thee. I want you to note something.
I want to say something here. This is not a man expressing
an orthodox creed. A lot of times churches put out
brochures and invite you to the church, and on the back, what
our church believes. And it's just as cold as the
paper it's written on. An orthodox creed. And I don't
know anybody who can be motivated by reading an orthodox creed,
or even a confession of faith. And too much preaching today.
is a presentation of facts and not the presentation or proclamation
of a person. That's what he said. I'll praise
thee. I believe in sovereign grace, love it, election, predestination,
particular redemption, effectual cause. But my heart's in love
with a person, not a doctrine. I'll praise thee, O Lord, with
my whole heart. I will show forth our marvelous
works, and listen, and I'll be glad and rejoice in thee." Oh,
there's a gladness in David's faith. There's a joy in David's
faith. I'll praise thee with my whole
heart. I want you to notice a verse
of Scripture. God loves a giver. Not necessarily. He loves a cheerful
giver. There's a difference. And God loves a cheerful, hilarious
giver. And God loves a thankful worshiper
and one who's glad. And God loves a cheerful giver,
whether it's the gold of the hand or the gold of the lips.
It needs to be offered in praise and gratitude. All right, then
he says, fourthly, he says, and I'll sing, praise to thy name. O Most High, O Thou Most High,
I praise thy name. Psalm 8 begins with this name,
talking about the excellence of his name. Look how Psalm 8
begins. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent
is thy name in all the earth, who has set thy glory above the
heavens. Look how it closes, Psalm 8.
O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth,
above the heavens and in all the earth. His name is excellent,
not in the heavens, but above the heavens. His name is excellent. His name is greater, higher beyond
angels, principalities, powers, seraphims, and cherubim. He has exalted his name above
the heavens. has given him a name above every
name. And Ephesians 4.10 says he has
ascended up, he who descended has ascended up far above the
heavens. Oh, we're talking about the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I tell you, there's another
lesson, another lesson. I watched the preacher on television
and he disturbed me. the way he was using the name
of the Lord. A person's regard for the name
of the Lord, whether you're saying the Lord Jesus or God or Jehovah
or the name of our Lord in any of his wonderful names, a person's
use of his name reveals a whole lot about that person's regard
for his name. That's right. Take, for example,
my mom. There's something tender about
that, isn't there? And as you use it, that tells a whole lot
about how you feel about it. My dad. My dear wife. This is my sister. You know,
he introduced, this is my brother. It's just the way you use that,
you know, that denotes where it's coming from. And I listen
when people use the name of God And I wonder if back of that
use is just not that reverence and fear and gratitude and love
and awe. In the name of the Lord. Oh, he said, I will sing praise
to thy name. How excellent is thy name above
the heavens. His name is wonderful. Counselor. the mighty God, the everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace. Oh, what a name. Look at verse
3. When my enemies are turned back,
they'll fall at thy presence. Now, we've got to determine who
our enemies are. Our enemies are not flesh and
blood. I don't have any real enemies. You don't either, flesh
and blood. Don't fear what man can do to
you. Fear not them that kill the body. That's what Christ
said. I don't have any enemies. There are some folks that don't
like us and don't like what we preach, but we don't like what
they preach either. It could work both ways. But
my enemies are not flesh and blood. That's what our Lord said
over here in Ephesians 6. Here are our enemies. David is talking about here,
in Ephesians 6, he says, verse 10, Ephesians 6, 10, Finally,
brethren, be strong in the Lord, in the power of his might. Put
on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil. But we wrestle not against flesh
and blood, that's not our enemies, but against principalities, against
powers. against rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Thy
enemies, David said, are my enemies, the enemies of God. And when
you realize that, when you get a hold of that, the last enemy
is death. I've got one that hasn't been
put away yet. I've got to die. I've got to
be buried. The last enemy that shall be
destroyed is death. When we realize who our enemies
are and whose business it is to take care of them, it gives
you a peace. Turn to 2 Chronicles. I want
to show you a verse of scripture here that you can put a big circle
around. It gives you a lot of comfort. A big circle around it. Let's
start in 2 Chronicles 20. Start with verse 14. All right, verse 13, 2 Chronicles
20. And all Judah stood before the
Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children.
Then upon Jehaziel, the son of Zechariah, Jehaziel, the son
of Benaiah, the son of Jerob, the son of Mathaniah, a Levite
of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord. He came upon
Jehoziah in the midst of the congregation. And he said, he
said, now circle this, How can ye, all Judah, ye inhabitants
of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat? Thus saith the Lord unto you,
Be not afraid, nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude.
The battle is not yours, it's God's. But the battle is not
yours, it's God's. Tomorrow go ye down against them. Behold, they come up by the cliff
of Ziz. And you'll find them at the end
of the brook, before the wilderness of Jerual. And you'll not need
to fight in this battle. God doesn't need us. Just set
yourselves and stand still and see the salvation of the Lord
with you, O Judah. Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them.
The Lord will be with you. It's not your battle, it's his.
And that's the reason David says here that my enemies, number
one, they're turned back. They're made to retreat. They're
turned back. Number two, they'll fall, never
to rise again. Number three, verse three of
Psalm 9, and they'll perish at thy presence, not mine. Now you listen to these preachers
talk about your conflict with the devil and how you're supposed
to run him off and all. My enemies shall perish like
wax before the flame when they meet him, his presence. They'll fall before his presence. And here are these next three
verses. I'm going to read all three of them together, and you
watch the key words here. The key words are thou hast. For thou hast. All right, watch
this. For thou hast maintained my right
and my cause. Thou hast maintained my righteousness.
My righteousness is his righteousness, not my own, it's his. My cause
is his cause, his purpose. So you've maintained my righteousness
and my cause. Thou settest in the thrones,
judging righteously, righteously. That's how he judges, in righteousness. Thou hast rebuked the heathen.
He did it. Thou hast destroyed the wicked.
Thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. O thou enemy,
destructions are come to a perpetual end, and Lord, thou hast destroyed
cities, and their memorial is perished with them." You know,
it appears to me that David is rejoicing in the destruction
of these people. He is. Destruction of them. God annihilating all of his enemies. And there'll come a time when
you and I will have perfect holiness and in the likeness of our Lord,
and we'll have the mind and spirit of God in regard to sin and evil,
and we'll be able to rejoice not only in his salvation, but
in his judgments. Now, that's true. It's very difficult
now to rejoice in the destruction of our neighbors and people whom
we know, all but impossible. But it won't be someday. Now,
turn to Revelation 19. Let me show you something. This is where David says, you
rebuke the heathen, you destroy the wicked, you put their name
Put out their name forever and ever. You've destroyed cities.
Their memorial is perished with them." And he rejoiced. Look
at Revelation 19. There'll come a day when you
will too, and I will too. Chapter 19 of Revelation. I remember back in 1950 when
Brother Barnard came to Pollard. I heard the gospel for the first
time, and the character of God. greatness of God. He preached
a sermon on the subject, when the saved shout hallelujah, while
God sends men to hell. And I didn't know too much about
that, you know. It kind of hit me broadside,
I mean the full broadside blast. But I see what he's saying. Now
listen to Revelation 19. That's when you have the character
of God. God hateth the workers of iniquity because God's holy. The only reason I don't hate
them is I'm not that holy. They're too much like me. I'm
too much like them. There's coming a time when I'm
going to have the likeness and nature of God perfectly, and
I'm going to agree with everything he does, to whom he does it,
and agree with why he does it. Now what's this? Revelation 19,
after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven,
of much people, saying, hallelujah, salvation and glory and honor
and power unto the Lord our God, for true and righteous are his
judgments. He hath judged the great whore,
that's the religious world, which did corrupt this earth
with her fornication. He hath avenged the blood of
his servants at her hand." That's the people, religious people,
who killed the martyrs and have shed more blood than even enemy
armies have shed over religion. And again they said, hallelujah,
this crowd in heaven. And that great whore, that great
multitude, her smoke rose up forever and ever. And the four
and twenty elders and beasts fell down and worshipped God
that sat on the throne, saying, Amen, Hallelujah. And a voice came out of the throne,
saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear
him, both small and great. And I heard, as it were, the
voice of a great multitude, as the voice of many waters, as
the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Hallelujah. hallelujah,
for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. And that's a genuine praise. We take sides with God now, even when we don't fully understand
his divine purposes. But then, oh, that perfect, holy
nature, mind and spirit, when we'll give full accord and full
agreement and rejoicing, even when he condemns all the nations
who forget God. All right, verse 7 through 9.
We talked about what God has done. We are going to talk about
here what he has done in verse 7 through 9. But the Lord shall
endure forever. He hath prepared his throne for
judgment, and he shall He shall judge the world in righteousness.
He shall minister judgment to the people in righteousness.
And the Lord also shall or will be a refuge for the oppressed.
He'll be a refuge in time of trouble. Charles Spurgeon said
concerning these verses, he said, these verses speak of what God
will do. But when we consider what God
has done in the past, Then the future is not in doubt. What
God has done, he will do. He never changes. He's the same
yesterday, today, and forever. And since our Almighty Lord fills
the throne of power and holiness and grace, you can rest in confidence
that his will shall be done. It says here in verse 7, he shall
endure forever. That's right. He says, I'm Alpha
and Omega. the beginning and the end. I
am he that liveth and was dead, and am alive forevermore. The
Lord shall endure forever. He hath prepared his throne for
judgment. What kind of judgment? Well,
back there it said he'll judge the world. What about in verse
8? He'll judge the world in righteousness. He'll administer judgment to
the people in righteousness. Turn to Acts 17. Everything God does is right.
That's what we're going to realize someday, more than we've been
able to realize it thus far. Everything God does is right.
Shall not the judge of the earth do right? And everything that
he'll do at the judgment will be right, whatever the consequences. Look at Acts 17, verse 31. Now remember our text. It says,
The Lord hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he'll judge
the world in righteousness. He'll minister judgment to the
people in righteousness. Now look at Acts 17, 31. Because
he hath appointed a day in which he'll judge this world in righteousness
by that man, Jesus Christ, whom he hath ordained and whereof
he hath given assurance unto everybody, unto the whole world.
He's given them assurance that his judgment's going to be by
that man. in that he raised him from the dead. Now concerning this judgment, in this judgment, tears and emotion
will not prevail. In this judgment, prayers will
not be heard. In this judgment, excuses and
alibis will not be admitted. This is a final judgment. In
this judgment, promises and resolutions will not be a factor. In this
judgment, repentance will be too late. And in this judgment,
the inquisitions by the Almighty Judge will be so thorough that
not one idle word or one evil thought will be dismissed or
forgotten. He will judge the world in righteousness. Righteousness will be set to
the line and to the plumb bob. God's line. Righteousness. And a man either has a mediator
with God or he doesn't. And that brings me to verse 9. Thank God we have a mediator. He says the Lord will endure
forever, he prepared his throne for judgment, he'll judge the
world in righteousness, he'll minister judgment to the people
in righteousness, but the Lord also will be a refuge for the
oppressed. He'll be a refuge in time of
trouble. He'll be a refuge for his people. One old writer said
this, think about our God. He can and will give no quarter
to the unbeliever, not one quarter, not one hairbreadth of leniency
to an unbeliever in this judgment. It's pure righteousness. And yet that same God who can
give and will give no quarter to the unbeliever will be an
adding place for his people, severe in judgment. But oh, so
pitiful in mercy for those who believe. A refuge, a hiding place
in this storm, this awful storm. Turn to Psalm 46. Thank God we have a hiding place. Thank God we have a mediator.
That's the difference in this judgment. My prayers won't avail at that
judgment, but His will. Oh, my pleas won't avail but
his will for me. Psalm 46, God's our refuge and
our strength, he's a very present help in trouble, therefore we
are not fear, though the earth be removed, though the mountains
be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof
roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the
swelling thereof. There's a river, there's a fountain. filled with blood, the streams
whereof shall make glad the city of God." That's the Zion, the
city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, God is in the Church. She shall not
be moved. God will help her in that right earth. And the heathen
raged, and the kingdom was moved, and he uttered his voice, and
the earth melted. But the Lord of hosts is with
us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. That brings us to verse 10. Verse
9 says, The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in
time of trouble, a hiding place. And listen to this verse 10.
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for
thy Lord has not forsaken them that seek thee. Let me use a four-point outline
for this verse right here and the next verse. and important
knowledge, they that know thy name." Do we know his name? Well, Isaiah 7, verse 14 says,
Call his name Immanuel, God with us. I know that name. I know
that name. You do too, Immanuel. Immanuel,
God with us. Call his name Jesus. Call the
man, the God-man. The second Adam, call his name
Jesus, he'll save his people from this sin. I know that name.
I do know that name. I know what it means. I know
what's included in that name. John the Baptist said, Behold
the Lamb of God. That's his name, the Lamb. I
saw a lamb in the midst of the throne. It had been slain. Lamb. I know that name, and I know
what that means to me and to you. And then on his thigh and
vesture he has a name, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I know
that name. So listen, they that know thy
name, really know thy name, really know it. And he has come and
given us an understanding that we may know him that is true.
This is the true God. The Son of God has come and given
us an understanding that we may know his name. If you do, what
do you do? What's the result? put your trust
in him. An important knowledge, I know
his name, a blessed result. They will, beyond a doubt. If they know his name, they'll
trust him. That's what Peter said, to whom shall we go? You
have the words of life. You know, if a man ever gets
lost and God reveals who Christ is, he'll be saved. He will,
honestly, he will trust him, without a doubt about it. And
all this hemming and hawing and doubting and wondering, that's
just a bunch of foolishness, that's a bunch of people who
don't know his name. If you ever meet him, you'll fall in love
with him, he's altogether lovely. If you ever see him, that's all
you need to do, he'll see it for himself, you'll believe on
him. And here's a sufficient reason. Because, Lord, thou hast never
forsaken them that seek thee." He never, ever lost a sheep. What kind of king would he be
if he had no kingdom? What kind of shepherd would he
be if he lost his sheep? What kind of physician would
he be if his patient died? What kind of Savior would he
be if a sinner passed away whom he saved? No, he never lost one. Here's what I'm going to do.
Sing praise to the Lord which dwelleth in Zion. What's Zion?
He dwells in the midst of the candlesticks. Where two or three
are mentioned in my name, I dwell in their midst. Declare among
the people his doings. And listen, verse 12. Now you
listen to this. I talked about that inquisition.
You know when they, years ago, In the days of Bloody Mary and
in the days of the martyrs, they had these inquisitions. They
brought people, believers, before these synods and all of these
religious hierarchies and called them the, I forget what they
called those trials, but the inquisitions. They questioned
them, then they put them to death. Well, when he makes inquisitions,
When Almighty God makes inquisition for what? For the blood of those
martyrs. He remembers them. He forgets
not the cry of the afflicted. Turn to Genesis 9 verse 5 and
you'll get a key to this verse here. This verse in Psalm 9 verse
12. Turn to Genesis 9 verse 5. When he makes inquisition for
blood, for the blood of the martyrs, for the blood of his people,
for the persecution, the affliction they've endured at the hands
of religious people, it's going to be a tough time. In Genesis
9, verse 5, and surely your blood of your
lives will I require. at the hand of every beast. Let's see, that's not the one
I want. I want over here at Psalm, I mean Genesis chapter, let's
turn back over here to Genesis chapter I want to see where King slew
Abel. Where was that? What chapter
is that? Genesis 4. And he said, What
hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood
crieth unto me from the ground. your brother's blood cries out.
And right over here in Psalm 9, verse 12, when he makes inquisition
for that blood, for that blood which has been shed, and Abel
was the first martyr slain in anger over truth. He remembers them, every one
of them. He remembers every one of his
children who've been persecuted because of Christ and their faith
in him. He never forgets their cry, and
there's going to be an inquisition. That's what that verse is talking
about. All right, verse 13. I'll give you this, and then
I'll let you go. Have mercy upon me, O Lord. Have mercy upon me. Martin Luther
one time made this statement. He said there's some text in
the Bible, which is the whole Bible in one verse. And he said,
this text, have mercy upon me, O Lord, is the whole of prayer. Have mercy upon me, O Lord. That's
the whole of prayer. And someone said, well, that's
an awful short ladder. He said, I know, but it reaches
from earth to heaven. Have mercy upon me, O Lord. It's short. But it's the sum
and substance of prayer. It's the whole prayer. Have mercy
upon me. That's what the publican cried,
and he went home justified. That's what the thief cried,
and he went to glory with Christ. Have mercy upon me, Lord. Consider
my troubles, which I suffer of them that hate me. Thou that
liftest up from the gates of death. Now, let me read this.
I want to make a comment on verse 16. that I may show forth all
thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion, I rejoice in
thy salvation. The heathen are sunk down in
the pit that they made." They made their own pit. They had
been caught in a net which they hid as their own foot-taker.
And he says here, the Lord is known by the judgment which he
executed. The wicked are snared in the
work of his own hands. But the Lord is known by the
judgment which he executed. And this is an illustration. Listen. A ruler who winks at
evil will soon be known by all of his subjects as an evil man. A ruler who winks at evil will
soon be known by all of his subjects as an evil man. A ruler who is so severely just
and righteous in all his judgments on all persons, regardless of
rank or station, is dealt with in a righteous judgment, that
ruler reveals his just character and nature. And our Lord showed
that at Calvary. He spared not. his own son, but
delivered him up for us. Think how righteous and severe
will be his judgment on those who have not his son. The Lord is known by the judgment
which he executes. And I know the world is picturing
a God who He sort of has his tongue in his cheek where evil
is concerned, but that's not the God of the Bible. His judgments
are severe. His mercy is plenteous, but his
judgments are severe. He'll be both just and justified. And so long as God is God, he
will not, he cannot clear the guilty. except by one great,
grand, glorious way, in which he is declared to be just and
the justifier of him that believes on Christ. And remember, as severe
as his judgment and justice is out of Christ, so rich and plentiful
is his mercy in Christ. That's all you need. That's all
I need. I just need to be in him. I need
to know him. I need to trust him. They that
know his name, trust him. There's no judgment to them
who are in Christ Jesus. But there's a fearful, fearful
judgment for those who are not in Christ. And men are to blame for their
own unbelief, aren't they? He said, the Spirit of the bride
say, come. And let him that hear it say,
come. And let him that is a thirst come. And whosoever will, let
him take the water of life freely. There are no barriers to keep
people away from Christ, is there, if they want to come? Come, he
said, all things are ready. My feast is prepared. They said,
now, I bought some land, I got approved, I married a wife, I've
got to go home, I've got responsibilities. I need you, don't you? Come a running. Keep coming.