Easy to sing about the high place in some ways but the need for soul search isn't there in our hearts to identify sometimes those more subtle areas that might remain even though we may be seeking to live a godly life in many areas. The high place represents the unsurrendered area of the life, doesn't it? And the need to put the Lord as first place all things and to listen for his voice and to cast down thoughts that would exalt against the knowledge of God. If you have your Bibles there tonight please turn with me to Psalm chapter 9, Psalm 9 and we're going to just take the opportunity while we are in between series on a Sunday evening to look at another Psalm tonight, we've been We started this series a little while ago, some months back and it's been a blessing as the Lord has given opportunity just to consider these Psalms as individual units of truth and God has blessed that, it's been a blessing as well to see the emphasis on the Psalms on our Wednesday night devotions as well, that's been good and we learn so much about God and his character. in the Psalms. So God willing we will be kick-starting the Ezra series in the near future, hopefully in the next couple of weeks for the Sunday evenings, but tonight we're going to look at Psalm 9. I think you might find an encouragement tonight and a help in light of where our nation is at and some of the events of the weekend. So Psalm 9 and we're going to read from verse 1 to 20. The Bible reads, I will be glad and rejoice in thee. I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most high. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause. Thou sattest in the throne, judging right. Thou hast rebuked the heathen. Thou hast destroyed the wicked. Thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. thou enemy destructions are come to a perpetual end and thou hast destroyed cities their memorial is perished with them but the Lord shall endure forever he hath prepared his throne for judgment and he shall judge the world in righteousness he shall minister judgment notice the recurring theme on judgment here to the Lord to the people in uprightness the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed a refuge in times of trouble They that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Sing praises to the Lord which dwelleth in Zion. Declare among the people his doings. When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them. He forgetteth not the cry of the humble. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death. That I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion, I will rejoice in thy salvation. The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made, in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Hegaion, Selah. wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten, the expectation of the poor shall not perish. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail, let the heathen be judged in thy sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah. And I've entitled this little study tonight, The Victory Psalm. The Victory Psalm, let's pray. Father, we thank you again for your goodness to us tonight and for the opportunity to be in your house. Thank you for each one who has made the effort to come and to sit under the sound of your word. Lord, we thank you that every time we open your word, it presents to us the opportunity for change, Lord, for being transformed and made more like Christ, brought into greater conformity to the Lord Jesus Christ in our thoughts and in our actions. So Lord, we pray that you'd speak to our hearts through the Psalm tonight. and bless those who may be a little weary, we pray that you would just grant them by your grace receptivity to the Word of God, for the speaker, for the preacher tonight as well, for utterance to say only what you would have said from behind this pulpit and we'll look to you for your blessing now in Jesus' name, Amen. I'd like to try and give a bit of an overview of the psalm and work through it reasonably quick tonight, if we can, give you the outline. I've given you a fill-in sheet which will hopefully help you to focus tonight but we want to look at this psalm that deals very much with God's righteous judgment, really focuses on God's just dealings with the wicked and there is a real note of victory through this psalm as we focus in on God's attribute of justice and and of how God deals with the world, how God deals with the unrepentant and how God deals with wicked nations. And so there is that theme of the triumph of God's justice over evil men throughout the psalm. you'll notice that there is also some prayers and some praise that are interlaced throughout the psalm as the psalmist both praises God for his faithful and righteous dealings and also pleads for God's fresh intervention on his behalf. The message of the psalm may be worded as follows, says Alan P. Ross, Now the structure of the psalm is somewhat of a challenge to outline and Spurgeon notes this in his commentary, he says, the strain so continually changes that it is difficult to give an outline of it methodically arranged. So sometimes the Word of God doesn't always fit into all the neat packages we'd like it to but in that case we don't worry about that, we just follow inspiration. And so it is a psalm that moves around a little bit in its themes but you will begin to discern the central theme running through the psalm of God's judgment and of God dealing with the wicked. So we're going to divide the psalm into six sections for our brief expository study tonight and I'll give those to you, hopefully you can note them down and we'll make some comments as we go. Firstly, praise for the God of justice. So we're going to follow this theme of the justice of God and God's dealing with wicked men and wicked nations throughout this psalm but we notice that the psalm opens with praise for the God who is the just God. I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart. We know it's the psalm of David. I will show forth all thy marvellous works, I will be glad and rejoice in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most high. So we have the psalmist's resolve, we have David's resolve to praise the Lord, that's a good resolve to have. to resolve to praise and to thank God for who he is. So David resolved to praise God in a number of ways. Firstly, he resolved to praise God exclusively, exclusively. Notice that David's praise is focused on very much upon the person of God. By the way, that is true praise. There's a lot that goes under the banner of praise and worship that has nothing to do with God, nothing to do with His character, but that is not the kind of praise we see in the Psalms. We see that true praise is focused upon the person of God and the work of God. That's why it's a blessing to be able to come and to sing hymns that get our mind on the Lord. I appreciate our song leader being in touch with the Lord tonight. those hymns fit in very well with the theme of the message and focusing on God, immortal, invisible, God only wise and all these wonderful truths. Of course there is a place for the song of testimony, that's a part of it and also other expressions of truth in song but praise, strictly speaking, focuses upon God. So notice the emphasis there, I will praise thee O Lord, verse 1, thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee, verse 2, I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most high. So he's going to praise God exclusively, he's focusing in upon God and as we will see as the psalm develops he's going to deal with some pretty sobering realities in the spiritual battle that he finds himself in but he begins by focusing on God. That's a great place to start isn't it, in a time of spiritual warfare, in a time spiritual decline in the nation around us, it's good to get our minds back onto the Lord, isn't it? So he resolved to praise God exclusively. Then he resolved also to praise God fervently. Notice there in verse one, he says, I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart. That's heartfelt praise, praise that comes from the heart. That's a good reminder tonight, isn't it? As we come to God's house and as we sing the hymns, I wonder sometimes, are our hearts involved with what we're singing? David here is not offering to God half-hearted praise, he's not going through a mechanical routine and just uttering words mechanically from the lips, no, he is praising God with the whole heart. And it's an important reminder for us. When you sing those hymns, think about the words and make them your own expressions, provided they're accurate to the word of God. Make them the expressions of your heart to God as you sing. So there was fervency there. He also resolved to praise God specifically, exclusively focused on God, fervently with the whole heart. And specifically, he said that he would show forth, verse one, all thy marvelous works. And so his praise is very specific. He's going to show forth, he's going to reveal, he's going to declare all the marvelous works of God. And they are many, aren't they? All of God's goodness to us, all the things that God does, all that he is. These are great themes for praise of the Lord. Then his resolve also is to praise the Lord joyfully. Joyfully. I will be glad and rejoice in who? who? Verse 2, I'll be glad and rejoice in thee. So David's joy is centered in the person of God and we talked about this didn't we in the book of Philippians that when our joy is in the Lord rather than circumstances then nothing can steal our joy because God is the same yesterday, today and forever. So the psalm goes on to deal with the very sobering theme of God's righteous judgment upon the wicked but it is within the context of praise and joy. The believer rejoices in the perfection of God's ways in his dealings with both sinners and saints. Then he also resolves to praise God reverently, reverently. Verse 2, We see that the psalmist has a high view of God, O thou most high, he makes reference to the name of God and to the position of God, O thou most high. God is high, isn't he? He's the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity. Try and wrap your mind around that. God is so great, he inhabits eternity, the high and lofty one and so true praise involves reverence, a high view of God's person by name, a high view of God's position, O thou most high. So we see the praise for the God of justice. Then notice secondly, the past view or the past review of God's justice in verse 3 to 6. The psalmist now bears testimony to God's just dealings with the wicked in the past. So he's going to look back and he's going to bear testimony to the fact that God has shown himself faithful and God has proven his righteousness and his justice in the past and then in a minute we're going to look into the future. So this will form a basis for his assurance and for his prayers for the future. So he makes reference to several things here. Notice firstly he makes reference to the presence of God, verse 3. So David is now recounting God's faithfulness in protecting him from the attacks and the onslaughts of the enemy and he attributes his protection to the presence of God. Can you see that the presence of God was what had protected David? When mine enemies are turned back they shall fall and perish at thy presence. The presence of God in our lives is great protection isn't it? I pray often for our church that God's presence will stay here because when God's presence is in a church, that's great protection from the enemy. That's great protection from the wicked one and his attacks and I often pray as well, Lord, you know what Satan has planned for our church. God knows all things, doesn't he? Lord, you know which angle the devil is going to attack us from next. Would you go before and foil those plans, whatever they are? God can do that. The presence of God is the greatest protection for an individual, a family and a church. So he makes reference to the presence of God, foiling his enemies. He makes reference to the throne of God, verse 4, for thou hast maintained my right and my cause. Thou saddest in the throne, judging right. God is said to have maintained David's right and his cause. That's because David's cause was God's cause and God is always on the side of truth and right. So stay on the side of truth and right. David was fighting for God's cause, he was in the cause for the truth and therefore he could have that assurance that God would maintain his position in the battle. God had done this by dispensing righteous judgment from his throne. God is pictured here as seated on the throne as king and as sovereign. Thou saddest in the throne judging right. It's good to remind ourselves tonight, isn't it, that God is still on his throne. God is still on his throne and God's throne is everlasting. God is the eternal king. Aren't you thankful tonight that God cannot be unseated from his throne? You can't vote him out of office. You can't take up an election to decide whether God will remain on the throne. God's throne is forever and forever. what an elevated throne it is and God is the king of kings his throne is elevated far above all men and angels you take hell's most evil and powerful devil and God sits far above in victory take the world's greatest and most famous and God reigns unspeakably higher take heaven's most exalted angel and God is exalted higher still the throne of God past review of God's justice, the judgment of God, verse 5 and 6. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast, so he's looking back at the past here, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name forever and ever. O thou enemy, he now issues a direct address to the enemy, destructions have come to a perpetual end and thou hast destroyed cities, their memorial is perished with them. So God rebuked the wicked, God had rebuked the wicked, God had destroyed the wicked and God had brought out about an end to the wicked. Spurgeon writes this, God rebukes before he destroys but when he once comes to blows with the wicked he seizes not until he has dashed them in pieces so small that their very name is forgotten. One thing we're brought face-to-face with in this psalm is that God will judge the wicked, no doubt about it. that has rebuked the heathen, that has destroyed the wicked, that has put out, has the idea of to blot out, their name forever. That's a very sobering reminder, isn't it? That those who do not accept Christ, those who reject Christ, reject the gospel, will be forever blotted out of the book of life. You'll notice verse 6 contains a word of direct address, David turns his attention and directly addresses the enemy, O thou enemy! And it's a tone of victory because he knows that God is on his side and that God is bringing about the destruction of the enemy's plans. What does this mean, destructions have come to a perpetual end? Well, it seems to refer to the fact that the destructive work of the wicked is brought to a conclusion, there would be no more of them. thou hast destroyed cities, David says, so he's referring to the fact that the enemy had been involved in this career of destroying other places as the enemy there, but God was now destroying the destroyer. So there's the past review of God's justice. Notice thirdly now, the perspective view, the forward view, the future view of God's justice in verse 7 to 12. But the Lord shall endure forever. He hath prepared his throne for judgment and he shall judge the world in righteousness. He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. So, reviewing God's faithful and just dealings in the past, gives the psalmist confidence and assurance for the future. record of God's just acts in the past are a guarantee for his just acts in the future. Can you see that? So he's praised the Lord, he's taken some time to look back and to consider how God had dealt with the enemy, how God had dispensed justice in the past. Now he looks forward with assurance and with confidence, the perspective view there, that God will continue to act in a way consistent with his character. So the psalmist draws our attention here to five aspects of God's judgment, note them down. Firstly, the reality of God's judgment, verse 7. There are two facts here that make the future judgment of the unrepentant an absolute certainty. Two facts there in verse 7. Number one, the eternality of God. eternality of God. God is eternal but the Lord shall endure forever. This comes on the back of David discussing God's just dealings in the past. How can we know that God will continue to act justly and righteously with the wicked and with sin? Well because God is eternal. because God is eternal that means he will continue to repeat, as long as is necessary, his acts of judgment against a sinful world. Malachi 3.6, for I am the Lord, I change not. James 1 17 says of God that he refers to him as the father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning Hebrews 38 Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever so this brings us to the the sense of the reality of God's judgment. God is eternal. Because God is eternal and unchanging, therefore he will continue to move injustice towards the sin of man. So that's fact number one in verse seven that makes God's future judgment a certainty, the eternality of God. And then the determination of God, verse seven, he hath prepared his throne for judgment. So an interesting picture there, God has prepared his throne for judgment. So it reveals, it speaks of God's divine determination to judge sinners. Make no mistake about it, God will judge. So we see the reality of God's judgment in verse seven. Then notice the reach of God's judgment, verse eight. How far will God's judgment reach to? Well, it says, and he shall judge what? The world in righteousness. So the whole world will be judged by God. This looks way beyond David's immediate circumstances to the future judgment and God is going to judge this wicked world. God will deal with this wicked world. We have that judgment described in Revelation, the great white throne judgment where the unsaved are called up before the throne of God. An awesome description there of the great white throne and him that sat on it from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found no place for them, Revelation 20, 11 and 12. And I saw the dead, small and great stand before God. So God will judge. Thirdly, the righteousness of God's judgment. Look at verse 8 again, the righteousness of God's judgment. And he shall judge the world in what? Righteousness. That means that God's judgment will be right and perfect in every way. Notice that he uses two words to describe God's judgment of the wicked. He uses the word righteousness and the word uprightness. Now that cannot always be said of human justice, can it? which often makes mistakes, but we need to remember that the judgment that God will pour out on the world will be according to his omniscience, he knows all things, and will be according to his righteousness and his holiness, his perfect and holy nature will guarantee that perfect justice will be done. So the answer to the question, shall not the judge of all the earth do right, is a resounding yes, isn't it? Fourthly, notice the refuge from God's judgment, verse 9 and 10, the Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in time of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. So, we see a contrast here to the wicked, we have the righteous inserted here, those who know God, and they find a refuge from God's judgement. Notice the provision for the believer's refuge. Who is the provision? Well, God Himself is the provision for the believer's refuge. It says, the Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed. for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. So God himself is the refuge of the believer. That's certainly true in relation to our salvation, isn't it? If you're in God, if you're in Christ, you are safe from this judgment that God is going to bring upon the wicked. Aren't you thankful for that tonight? To be sheltered and to be protected from the judgment that has been declared on the whole world. And that's a reminder tonight that the only place of shelter for the sinner from God's judgment is Jesus Christ. You've got to find shelter under the shadow of the cross, you've got to find shelter in the rock which is Jesus Christ. So God is the believer's refuge of salvation but God is also the believer's refuge in our storms, isn't he? God is our refuge, a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. going through a troubled time? God is your refuge. God himself is your refuge, he is your comfort, he is the one who will sustain you. And so we see the provision for the believer's refuge, it's God himself, we see the pathway into believer's refuge, it's faith that takes us there, it's faith that gives us access to God as our refuge. Verse 10, and they that know thy name will put their trust in thee, the word trust there speaks of faith, for thou Lord has not forsaken them that seek thee. So refuge is available to those who trust in God. Salvation refuge is accessed by faith, isn't it? Refuge in times of trial is accessed by faith in God. Look to the Lord, look to the Lord tonight. Look to God in your distress, in your trouble. God is our refuge. Then we notice the response to God's judgment, verse 11 and 12. We see now a heart response from the Psalmist injected here, interjected in the Psalm, verse 11. So there is a response now to God's judgment, as the psalmist ponders God's ways, as he ponders God's goodness to the righteous by being their refuge, he bursts forth into this call, a renewed call to worship. Now back in verse 1 and 2, we have his own resolve, the psalmist's own resolve to worship God, but now you notice he is inviting others to join him in this matter of singing God and it comes as a command, sing praises to the Lord which dwelleth in Zion. So there's a twofold call from the psalmist here, there's a call to sing, verse 11, and there is a call to speak, second part of verse 11 and verse 12, so there's a call to sing. invites others to join him in praising God for his presence among his people, sing praises to the Lord which dwelleth in Zion. I hope I'm not losing you here but I'm trying to move pretty quick, I'm trying to make up for an hour and a half sermon this morning and give you an earlier night if I can, okay, after a marathon morning. Just a quick, we're just going to move along and hopefully you'll glean some things as we go here, but can you see the call to sing there in verse 11? Sing praises to the Lord which dwelleth in Zion. God wants us to sing, God wants us to praise Him. Don't see the singing time in church as sort of just, you know, a waste of time or something just to sort of, you know, just sort of get behind us so we can get to the preaching. No, God inhabits the praises of his people, the praise time, the time to sing is a biblical thing to edify one another. In Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, you say, but I don't have the greatest voice. Well, that's why the Bible says make a joyful noise. If all you can do is make a noise, but it's a joyful one, well, praise the Lord. and be a blessing to others and to yourself by making those hymns expressions of your praise to the Lord. There's a call not only to sing though, there's a call to speak. God wants us to sing for him but God wants us to speak for him too. Declare among the people his doings. then he goes on to give some specifics of what God does, when he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them, he forgetteth not the cry of the humble, so we have the picture again of God justly inquiring, the word inquisition there means to make inquiry, to look into, it's a judicial term, to examine, to search, it's a judicial inquiry, God is pictured there again as his function, in his function as judge, inquiring into the cries of humble men, no doubt as they fall prey to evil murderers and oppressors. But God wants us to declare among the people his doings. God wants us to speak and to tell people of the reality of who he is. So sing in church on Sunday and then speak for the Lord on Monday, amen? Speak for God throughout the week. God wants us as his people to learn to speak. it's hard isn't it? The fear of man brings a snare to us but if you're full of the joy of the Lord and you're full of the song of the Lord then with God's help you can then speak and declare among the people God's doings. We can certainly tell people what God has done can't we? many areas and above all we can tell them what God accomplished at the cross, what God did for sinners, how our nation needs to hear that, how people need to hear that and if you'll be sensitive to the Lord and be open to him, God will help you to be a witness for him. So we have singing, essentially singing and preaching here. good, isn't it, to be in a singing church and a preaching church? That's two important things, singing and preaching, singing and declaring. Spurgeon writes, Singing and preaching as a means of glorifying God are here joined together and it is remarkable that connected with all revivals of gospel ministry there has been a sudden outburst of the spirit of song. Luther's psalms and hymns were in all men's mouths and in the modern revival, modern for him back then, under Wesley and Whitfield, the strains of Charles Wesley, Seneca, Berridge, Topley, Hart, Newton and many others were the outgrowth of restored piety. Sing on brethren, he says, and preach on and these shall both be a token that the Lord still dwelleth in Zion. The Christian faith's a singing faith. It's a singing faith, it's the only faith that produces genuine joy in the heart and that joy has been expressed in thousands upon thousands of hymns down through the centuries as men and women have expressed their praise of God and their thoughts about God and His Word and His truth. So we need to sing and we need to speak. Fourthly, the present need for God's justice, verse 13 and 14. present need for God's justice. The psalmist now turns, says one author here, from a song of victory to an earnest prayer for God's gracious intervention. Look at the personal plea now, verse 13... me, O Lord. Consider my trouble, which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death, that I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion, I will rejoice in thy salvation.' So there's a present need now for God to intervene on the behalf of David, on the behalf of the psalmist. And again, we see the connection with what has proceeded. He's had memories of the past, He's expressed confidence in God for the future and now he has a plea for the present for his needs. Notice the appeal of David's request, if you're taking notes there, the appeal of David's request. There's an appeal here in verse 13, have mercy upon me O Lord, consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me. David had enemies and by the way, if you're a believer you have enemies too. chiefly the devil and his angels. And therefore we need to learn to pray for God's mercy and God's help in the battle. The word trouble here means misery, affliction and so David's in another conflict, he's experienced God's help in the battle in the past and that gives us strength doesn't it, an encouragement, the God who saw us through that battle in the past, he'll see us through this one. It gives us great confidence in God to pray for present deliverance as we look back on past deliverances. So he appeals to his God and touchingly describing him here as the one who would lift him up from the gates of death. I love that picture there, look at it, verse 13, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death. It's a graphic picture. like a set of gates that open into death itself and who's pushing David towards those gates? Well, those that hate him, they want to push him through the gates of death, they want to destroy his life and what a wonderful picture, David expresses confidence that God would reach down and lift him up and rescue him from the gates of death. I think there's a wonderful and a beautiful picture of our salvation experience there, isn't there? were headed, weren't we, on the broad road to destruction and on the other side of those gates hellfire awaited for us. That's where we were headed, our sins pushing us towards the gates of death, the devil pushing us towards the gates of death. Aren't you thankful though that there is one who can reach down and lift you up and rescue you from the gates of death? That's what God did. David in a very literal sense, rescuing him from actual enemies but we see the salvation picture there. We were on the broad road of destruction, moving closer and closer to the gates of death, leading to hellfire on the other side but Christ rescued us. What's the aim of David's request here? Look at verse 14, there's an aim that he has in mind, there's the appeal in verse 13, that I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Sinai. So David has appealed to God to rescue him from his enemies but he has a very spiritual and godly purpose in this, that I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Sinai. I want you to notice that there are gates in verse 13 and gates in verse 14. He says he was anticipating that God would deliver him from the gates of death, verse 13, And if God would do that for him, then his resolve was that he would then testify in the gates of Jerusalem, the daughter of Zion there is a reference to Jerusalem, we believe, he would then testify of God's goodness and of God's salvation in the public arena there, the gates of Jerusalem, that I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. David's prayer has a spiritual outcome in mind if God would deliver him, it would be an occasion for the glory of God. David would, number one, declare the salvation of God, if you're writing notes there, he would declare the salvation of God. Verse 14, he would publicly proclaim his testimony of God's saving grace and we've talked about this before, the gates in ancient times were places of concourse, places of public thoroughfare, places where important transactions were performed and the reference, as I mentioned, appears to be the gates of Jerusalem. So David's saying, Lord if you'll rescue me, if you'll deliver me, then I will publicly praise you in the gates, I will testify of thee. So we see that contrast between the gates of death and the gates of Jerusalem. What another lovely salvation picture. Because we have been delivered from the gates of hell, we will one day rejoice in the gates of glory in the heavenly Jerusalem. So, David would declare the salvation of God, then he would delight in the salvation of God. Verse 14 again, I will rejoice in thy salvation. So, this is David's aim, he's praying that God would deliver him from his enemies, and then this is his resolve, this is his desire, he would declare the salvation of God, that's his testimony, and he would delight in the salvation of God, I will rejoice in thy salvation. Are you thankful you're saved tonight? If that won't make you happy as a Christian and rejoice as a Christian, what will? You were snatched from the gates of death, you were on the highway to hell, you were headed for hell's gate, hell gate pass. where you were headed but Jesus Christ the Son of God reached down and he lifted you up, he rescued you from the gates of death and he placed you into the gates of Jerusalem as it were, he placed you into his salvation so that you can testify of God and rejoice in him. What a blessing to be spared from going through hell's gate pass. The wonder of your salvation should move you to rejoice, shouldn't it? it should help you to sing a bit in church as well as you think about how good God is. Amen? I understand, let's be honest, we feel tired don't we sometimes? We can feel weary but if you just try and get your heart involved in what's going on with what is being declared in those hymns. Remember by the way, we're preaching through the psalm, this was a song for Israel, they sang these things. they sang these truths about God and his deliverance and that's why we've called this series Heaven's Hymnbook. This is Heaven's Hymnbook and it should be the soundtrack of our lives. Okay, fifthly, notice now the pattern of God's justice, the pattern of God's justice. Verse 15 to 18, the heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made, So we see a pattern of God's justice or how God foils the wicked or how God deals with the wicked. one author says verse 15 introduces a section of confidence and expectation of the future defeat of the wicked that will parallel what he had experienced before. So what we see in these verses is the law of sowing and reaping in relation to the wicked and we see that this law of sowing and reaping is a mechanism that God uses to execute judgment upon the unrepentant. So, let's note several things about this. Firstly, the reaping of the unrighteous. The reaping of the unrighteous, verse 15 and 16. They have this reaping of what they have sown. We see that they are entrapped in their own pit, verse 15. The heathen are sunk down into the pit that they made. So the pit and the net are figures for the plans of the wicked made to destroy the innocent victims, says one author here. God is able to turn their wicked devices back on them so that they will perish by their own hands, the wicked destroys himself by trying to destroy others. So this is one of the ways that God deals with the wicked. the sowing and reaping principle. They dig a pit, the picture is to try and ensnare somebody, they end up falling in that pit themselves. They lay a net, some sort of snare and they end up being ensnared in that trap themselves. I think Hayman's an illustration of this principle, isn't he? built a gallows for Mordecai and ended up hanging on that very gallows that he had prepared. And this is clearly God's doing because verse 16 reminds us, the Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. So this is part of how God works in bringing about an end to the unrepentant's plans. God allows them to be entrapped and ensnared with their own devices. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. That's an interesting phrase, isn't it? Pause and think about that for a minute. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. In other words, one of the ways we learn something of God's character is by the judgment that he dispenses. makes sense, doesn't it? If you think about it, if you heard of a ruler who willingly overlooked evil, that would indicate that that ruler is evil himself, it would tell you something of the character of that person, wouldn't it? And so, in contrast, a ruler who deals justly and righteously reveals his own nature thereby. So God is known by the judgment which he executeth. learn something of the character of God. That's why I really love the Psalms because it really helps us to understand more of God's character and the Psalms, they are full of comfort but they're also full of some pretty sobering things about God's justice and how God views sin and how God will judge and how God will deal with wickedness. Then we notice the reward of the unrighteous, verse 17, the reward of the unrighteous wicked shall be turned into hell and all the what? Nations that forget God. This is the reward of the unrighteous, it's a sobering reminder isn't it? Hell is the destiny for wicked people, the wicked shall be turned into hell and hell is the destiny for wicked nations and all the nations that forget God. Can we pause and think about that in light of yesterday's election for a moment? And the state of our nation? And isn't it interesting that the sin that is enough to send a nation on its way to hellfire, is not even the sin of open rebellion against God, though that is very serious, but here it's simply forgetting God. If that doesn't describe our nation today, I don't know what does. Australia has forgotten God. That's true, isn't it? The average person you speak to out there, you say sometimes, maybe you might be out there witnessing or speaking to them on the door and you say, have you thought about where you're going to spend eternity? Have you ever thought about, do you think about God much and where you're going to go when you die? What's the response very often? Nah, nah, nah, not really, nah, she's right mate, don't think about that. She's not right. Or I'm good, they say. No, I'm good and I just feel like saying there is none good, no not one, but I'm afraid I'll cop a fist in the face or something, or say it in the wrong spirit, you know. A nation that forgets God is a nation that will be turned into hell, that's God's judgment. It's a pretty graphic picture, isn't it? The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. Let's just remind ourselves about that tonight so we could be a little bit burdened for Australia. Our nation is headed for hell. That's pretty serious. That's the reality because our nation has forgotten God. And frankly, I would be preaching the same thing tonight no matter who won government yesterday. seriously. Our hope's not in politics brethren and there's very little difference between the two parties these days, they're all committed to things like gay marriage and with rare exceptions and and all sorts of other things and the reality is we've got to face the fact that our nation has forgotten God and the only remedy for a hell-bound nation is the gospel. nation that's hurtling towards the gates of hell is a nation in crisis and may I just say as a church we cannot afford to get distracted by secondary issues and secondary matters and secondary activities. We must keep the gospel central to our activities as a church. Do you know that political activism will not keep Australian people out of the fires of hell? but the gospel will if they'll receive it. I said political activism will not keep the Australian people out of hell. And I am thankful for the work that certain Christian lobby groups do in that space to try and advocate for Christian principles and things. But I may just say, you're fighting a losing war, you're not going to get an ungodly nation that's forgotten God to accept Christian standards. You won't! And I think sometimes some of these groups are getting the cart before the horse. If people get saved, their morals change. If people hear the gospel and repent and trust Christ, that will change the moral tone of the nation. How many of you here tonight got a new value set the day you got saved? Think about it and think about where you would be if you had not been saved. Salvation led to reformation and to change in your life and the biblical order is regeneration, revival, then reformation comes as a result of that. I'm just saying, let's stay focused. We're not trying to squirt out anyone's fire or beat up on Christians that do a lot of work in that space, but I just wonder if as many Christians who door-knocked for the Christian lobby, door-knocked for the gospel, I wonder how much of an impact that would have. I wonder if as many Christians who distributed thousands and thousands of flyers related to political messages, I wonder if that many Christians letterboxed sound gospel material, how much of an impact that might have. all the millions that are spent. Could I encourage you, don't give your money to those lobby groups, give your money to the local church that's going to reach people with the gospel. give your money to missionaries who are going to reach people with the gospel, because I just, I'm sorry, I've thought about this many, many times in relation to our nation, and again, I don't want to go to an extreme here, I'm very thankful for those who are seeking to follow, I guess, the principle of being salt and light. But as I look at the book of Acts and view the pattern of the early church, I just don't see political activism as being the primary work of the church. And if you can see it in there somewhere, please tell me. Yes, it's true that Paul did appeal to the legal system of the day, didn't he? He appealed to the Roman legal system, and there's nothing wrong with us appealing to our legal system. There's nothing wrong with us being involved in the political process from that point of view as citizens, just as Paul had certain rights and privileges as a citizen of Rome that he appealed to. No problem at all. I understand that principle there. I'm just saying the primary work of the early church, as far as I can tell, was the gospel, and they turned the world upside down with the gospel. And what our nation needs, a nation that is on its way to the fires of hell, our nation needs the gospel. Proverbs 29.2, when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. Proverbs 14.34, righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. It is a burden when you think about the fact that potentially we're facing probably one of the most wicked governments we've ever had on a federal level in our history. And make no mistake about it, God will turn such a nation into hell. forgets him. It's a matter of time and very often nations, I believe, don't face the full consequences of things because God holds back some of that for the righteous sake. God was willing for Sodom to spare judgment if there was even just ten righteous. People don't realize, it's not to pat ourselves on the back, they don't realize how much they owe to the presence of Christians as far as the withholding of God's judgment on a nation. So a hell-bound nation needs the gospel, that's my message in light of yesterday's election. Let's stay focused on that, let's not get distracted in these last days. Again, thankful for the work that people do in the political space, happy to even use some of their information, that sort of thing, but I'm just saying from a biblical perspective and as far as the work of the local church is concerned, I just don't see in the New Testament that political activism is the primary work. There might be a few principles there that you can find a basis for, but it's certainly not the primary work of the church. Unfortunately today, the Great Commission has become the Great Omission. in many churches and our nation is the worst for it. Okay, we need to move along, try and fulfill my promise. It's a fast fleeting away but we're almost there. The remembrance of the righteous, verse 18. reward of the unrighteous, verse 17, the remembrance of the righteous for the needy shall not always be forgotten, the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. Very briefly we see again another contrast, we have the fate of the wicked that has just been described and then we have the needy and the poor who are not forgotten by God, the high principle in view here is that the destiny of the righteous is in sharp contrast to that of the unrepentant. Let's finish with verse 19 and 20, the plea for God's justice. Verse 19 and 20, arise O Lord, so see another prayer that springs out of the psalm? So you have the psalmist focusing upon the character of God and then there's a call to praise. You have the psalmist focusing on the character of God and then there's a plea and he focuses again on some aspect of God's just character and then he prays again. So he prays again for the Lord to intervene. Arise O Lord, let not man prevail, let the heathen be judged in thy sight. Put them in fear O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men.' Notice the nations are mentioned there again. So the psalmist prays that God would do two things here, number one, that He would hinder evil men, verse 19, that He would hinder evil men, let not man prevail. We can pray that, can't we? That God would hold back plans of wicked men. Lord, do not let man prevail. Let the heathen be judged in thy sight.' There's a call there for God to move justly to the enemies of God and the enemies of God's truth. Arise, O Lord, he says, it's really a figure again drawn from battle. We have, if you can imagine, David engaged in a battle there and it's like God is viewing that battle and now he says, Lord, would you arise, would you you come and involve yourself in this battle?' A very bold prayer, not an irreverent one, but a very bold prayer seeking God's intervention in the battle to thwart the enemy's advance. Then he also prays that God would humble evil men, put them in fear, O Lord, why? That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Tell you what, there's a need for the leaders of our nation to come back to the realisation that they are just men and not God. David's praying that, God would you fill them with a holy fear of yourself, that they would know that they're just men. These wicked oppressors, as described by David here, had evidently spent their lives putting others in fear, but they would be put in fear by God's judgment. Two, I don't pity those who reject God, do you? a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God but this is his prayer. that God would place a righteous, a godly fear in the hearts of the nations, that the nations, not just individuals here, the nations may know themselves to be but men. Don't people, you know, I just think our nation's lost sight of this, there's just, we need to recover a sense of our own smallness in the presence of the Almighty God. We're just tiny, aren't we? The nations are as a drop in the bucket. just so small compared to the vast infinite all-powerful sovereign God. Our nation needs to recover that sense as do other nations. We are just men, we are mortal men and God is God above all, there is none like him. We'll leave it there shall we? And you can go away and ponder yourself with those three questions at the end. What do you learn about God? What are some things you can learn about the Christian life? And even what are some things you can learn about the salvation? We won't go through that tonight. You can go away and simply ponder on that. But it's a great question to ask, particularly that question, what have I learned about God? As you go through the Psalms. What is something I've learned from this Psalm? about the character of God and that's part of my heart and prayer that as we go through Psalms, bit by bit as the Lord gives us time, we will learn something of the character of God. But let's pause, let's pray for our nation that's on its way to hell, that God will help us to reach the people of our land. Do you feel burdened for them? I'll be honest with you, yesterday as I was lining up in the queue to vote, I don't often feel this way, I don't always on an election day, but I'll just share a testimony, as I looked around at my fellow Australians lining up to vote, I actually felt quite emotional. Just thinking about, just the streams of people coming through, and young couples, children, These people are on their way to hell, they've got no idea, if they could just come to Christ, imagine what could happen if they would just come to Christ who is the life. We need a burden for our nation and we need to pray and we need to seek the salvation of souls before it is too late. Lord we pray that you would work in our hearts Lord, we're sobered by the reminder that the wicked will be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God and it's only by your mercy that we have not been just wiped off the map as a nation for our wickedness. Forgive our nation, Lord, for its sin. for its rebellion against your word and for its forgetfulness of you, Lord. Just forgetting your word, forgetting who you are, Lord, going through so many decisions and so many things without any reference, really, or little reference to your law and your person. We pray, Lord, that in these last days you would help us to reach our fellow Australians. Give us wisdom, Lord. We do feel the burden as well as parents raising children in a nation that's looking more and more like Sodom and Gomorrah with each passing a week Lord, just unspeakable evils being brought into the school system and Lord we say how long, how long oh Lord but we know that you are on the throne, we thank you for that reminder tonight that your throne endures forever and that you are seated in power and in victory And Lord, we do pray for your intervention on our behalf to help us to protect us, Lord, by your presence from the inroads of evil or the inroads that the devil would seek to make into our homes and into our lives. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.