The God Who Remembers
Introduction: Justice is Not an Abstraction
We live in a world drowning in cries for justice, yet simultaneously convinced that the universe is deaf. Our culture treats justice as a social construct, a shifting human opinion, or, more cynically, as the will of the stronger party. The cosmos, we are told, is a vast, empty, and silent cathedral of indifference. There is no ultimate court of appeal, no final verdict, no throne in the heavens. There is only the chaotic clash of human wills, followed by the long silence of the grave.
Into this bleak and nihilistic landscape, Psalm 9 strides like a conquering king. This psalm is a song of victory, but it is far more than a simple celebration of a battle won. It is a profound theological statement about the nature of reality. David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, does not attribute his victory to his own military prowess or to a lucky turn of events. He understands that his triumph is a direct consequence of a fixed and glorious reality: God sits on a throne, and He judges righteously. Justice is not an idea we invented; it is the activity of the living God.
This psalm is a frontal assault on every worldview that posits a detached, disinterested, or nonexistent God. The God of the Bible is not an absentee landlord. He is an active, engaged, and righteous Judge. He maintains causes, rebukes nations, and establishes strongholds. He remembers. In a world that is desperate to forget, and in a cosmos that is allegedly forgetful, this is the most terrifying and comforting truth there is. The throne of the universe is not empty, and the One who occupies it does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
The Text
I will give thanks to Yahweh with all my heart; I will recount all Your wondrous deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. When my enemies turn back, They stumble and perish before You. For You have maintained my justice and my cause; You have sat on the throne judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations, You have made the wicked perish; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins, And You have uprooted the cities; The very memory of them has perished. But Yahweh abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will render justice for the peoples with equity. Yahweh also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of distress; And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek You. Sing praises to Yahweh, who abides in Zion; Declare among the peoples His acts. For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
(Psalm 9:1-12 LSB)
Wholehearted Worship (v. 1-2)
The psalm begins not with the battle, but with the response to the God who wins the battle.
"I will give thanks to Yahweh with all my heart; I will recount all Your wondrous deeds. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." (Psalm 9:1-2)
This is the proper starting point for all of life. Worship is not a segment of our week; it is the lens through which we see the world. And notice the totality of it. David gives thanks "with all my heart." This is not a lukewarm, mumbled acknowledgment. This is an all-in, comprehensive gratitude that engages the very core of his being. Half-hearted worship is an oxymoron; it is an insult to the God who gives His all.
This gratitude is not a quiet, private feeling. It is a public declaration: "I will recount all Your wondrous deeds." Thanksgiving is testimonial. It is storytelling. We are called to be the historians of God's mighty acts, the town criers of His faithfulness. This is how faith is built and sustained in the covenant community. We tell the stories of what God has done, reminding ourselves and our children that our God is a God who acts.
The source of this joy is not the deliverance itself, but the Deliverer. "I will be glad and exult in You." Our circumstances are the occasion for joy, but God Himself is the source of our joy. If you rejoice only in the gift, your joy will be as fleeting as the gift. But if you rejoice in the Giver, your joy is as eternal as He is. He praises God's name, calling Him "Most High," recognizing that God is utterly transcendent, ruling over all earthly conflicts from His unassailable position of authority.
Divine Justice in Action (v. 3-6)
David now explains the mechanics of his victory. It was not a contest of equals. It was a divine rout.
"When my enemies turn back, They stumble and perish before You. For You have maintained my justice and my cause; You have sat on the throne judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations, You have made the wicked perish; You have blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins, And You have uprooted the cities; The very memory of them has perished." (Psalm 9:3-6)
The enemies do not simply retreat. They "stumble and perish before You." It is the presence of God, His holy face, that undoes them. The wicked cannot stand in the presence of unmitigated holiness. This is not about David's superior strategy; it is about God's consuming glory. The reason for this is foundational: "For You have maintained my justice and my cause." When a believer's cause is aligned with God's righteousness, God takes up that cause as His own. Our fight becomes His fight.
The image is that of a courtroom. God has "sat on the throne judging righteously." History is not a random series of events; it is a courtroom drama, and the verdict is coming from the Judge of all the earth. This judgment is not limited to individuals. God rebukes "the nations." He deals with rebellious systems, ideologies, and empires. He makes the wicked perish and, in the most profound curse imaginable, He blots out their name forever. To be forgotten by God is the ultimate hell. He tears down their proud cities, their Towers of Babel, and reduces them to "perpetual ruins," so complete that "the very memory of them has perished." Think of the mighty empires of old, the Assyrians, the Babylonians. They were the terror of the world, but God brought them to nothing. He unmade their rebellious projects.
The Unshakable Throne (v. 7-10)
In stark contrast to the perishing wicked, David presents the eternal God.
"But Yahweh abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will render justice for the peoples with equity. Yahweh also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of distress; And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek You." (Psalm 9:7-10)
The thrones of men crumble into dust. "But Yahweh abides forever." Our security is not in the shifting sands of human power structures, but in the eternal, unshakable reign of God. His throne is not a temporary appointment; it is established "for judgment." God's reign is a judicial reign. He is not a mere potentate; He is a judge. And His judgments are perfect. He will judge the world "in righteousness" and "with equity." His standard is His own holy character, not popular opinion or political expediency.
This throne of judgment has two aspects. For the wicked, it is a source of terror. But for God's people, it is a place of refuge. "Yahweh also will be a stronghold for the oppressed." The same justice that condemns the proud protects the humble. God's throne is a fortress for His people in "times of distress." The very thing the world fears, divine judgment, is the very thing that saves us.
This confidence is rooted in a relationship. "Those who know Your name will put their trust in You." To know God's name is to know His character, His reputation, His covenant promises, as revealed in His Word. You cannot trust a God you do not know. But to know Him as He is, is to trust Him implicitly. Why? "For You, O Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek You." This is the testimony of the saints throughout history. He is a God who is found by those who seek Him.
The Mandate of the Redeemed (v. 11-12)
This glorious theology of God the Judge is not meant to be kept to ourselves. It creates a mandate for worship and witness.
"Sing praises to Yahweh, who abides in Zion; Declare among the peoples His acts. For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted." (Psalm 9:11-12)
Theology must always result in doxology. Because God is who He is, we must "sing praises." He "abides in Zion," meaning He dwells with His covenant people. Our worship is a response to His presence among us. But this worship is not to be contained within the walls of the church. We are commanded to "Declare among the peoples His acts." Our worship has a missionary thrust. We are to be heralds of the King, announcing His judgments and His salvation to the nations.
And what is the basis for this confident declaration? It is found in the final, breathtaking statement. "For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the afflicted." God is the great Avenger of blood (Genesis 9:5-6). Every act of violence, every drop of innocent blood shed, every cry of the oppressed and forgotten is recorded in the high court of heaven. The world may forget. The media moves on. But God does not forget. He remembers. He keeps perfect records. And because He is a righteous judge, He will act on those records.
The Cross: Where Justice and Refuge Meet
This entire psalm finds its ultimate fulfillment at the cross of Jesus Christ. At the cross, God demonstrated that He is the one who judges the world in righteousness. There, He poured out the full measure of His rebuke against sin, placing it upon His own Son. The judgment that the wicked nations deserved fell upon the head of the sinless Christ.
At the cross, Jesus became the ultimate afflicted one. He cried out in distress, and it seemed for a moment that God had forgotten Him. He was oppressed, crushed, and His blood was shed by wicked men. It looked like the enemy had won, that His name would be blotted out in the ruin of the grave.
But God, "He who requires blood," remembered His Son. He did not forget the cry of the afflicted one. He maintained His justice and His cause by raising Him from the dead on the third day. The resurrection was God the Father sitting on His throne and declaring the righteous verdict over His Son, vindicating Him forever.
And because of this, Jesus Christ is now the stronghold for all who are oppressed by sin and death. We, who were the enemies destined for perpetual ruin, can now run to Him for refuge. By knowing and trusting in His name, the name above all names, we find the promise fulfilled: God does not forsake those who seek Him. The throne of judgment has become our throne of grace.
Therefore, our task is clear. We give thanks with our whole heart. We recount His wondrous deed, the gospel. We sing praises to Him who now abides with His people. And we declare among the nations His greatest act of all: that the righteous Judge of all the earth has made a way to be our everlasting refuge.