angela hormberg

Tag: Overcoming Evil

  • Psalm 9

    Psalm 9

    Commonplace –

    “I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works” (Psalm 9:1).

    He opens with praise

    It’s good to sit with this opening verse. David begins by focusing on God and his duty to God. He names these duties in verse 2:

    1. I will be glad.
    2. I will rejoice.
    3. I will sing praise.

    He remembers

    Then, David begins to speak of justice. God has delivered him from his enemies, and they have received punishment for destroying cities. Those destructions “are come to a perpetual end; their memorial is perished with them” (v.6.). In contrast, “the Lord shall endure for ever” (v.7.). This is a thought which brings comfort. Wicked people are punished for their wicked deeds. God endures forever. Matthew Henry notes the following, “The title of this psalm gives a very uncertain sound concerning the occasion of penning it. It is upon Muth-labben, which some make to refer to the death of Goliath, others of Nabal, others of Absalom; but I incline to think…that the enemies David is here triumphing in the defeat of are the Philistines, and the other neighboring nations” (218-219). Just reading all the possible times David was delivered from the hands of his enemies is a testimony and encouragement to us in times of trouble.

    He reminds

    Because God endures forever, we know good triumphs over evil. David lists the benefits of God’s eternal reign:

    1. He shall judge the world in righteousness.
    2. He will be a refuge for the oppressed.
    3. He will not forsake those who seek Him.
    4. He makes inquisition for blood.
    5. He hears and does not forget the cry of the humble.
    6. He will not forget the needy.
    7. He will not forget the poor.

    He petitions

    David beseeches God to “let the heathen be judged in thy sight” (v.19), and “Put them in fear, O Lord; that the nations may know themselves to be but men” (v.20).

    David also petitions God,

    “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” (v.13).

    Psalms 9 and 10

    John Parsons of Hebrew4Christians.com wrote the following in reference to Psalms 9 and 10:

    “David probably wrote Psalm 9 and 10 as a single psalm. Jewish tradition says he wrote it after he killed Goliath” (“Psalm 9 in Hebrew”).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 9.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    Parsons, John. “Psalm 9 in Hebrew”. Hebrew4Christians. https://hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Ketuvim/Psalms/Psalm_9/psalm_9.html. Accessed 2 October 2025.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 137

    Psalm 137

    Commonplace –

    “How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?” (Psalm 137:4).

    This is a song for the Israelites who were taken captive and dragged off to Babylon. It is a lament for what they left behind, Zion. They longed to return to their land. They were bitter towards their captors. In the midst of the enemy, the psalmist wondered how to sing a song to the Lord in a land where their voices were outnumbered by the enemy.

    The Israelites question was one the modern day Christian could also pose? How do I live like a Christian in the world? How does one live ‘in the world’ but not ‘be of the world’. The Sabbath is the day of week set aside for rest and remembering our faith, reflecting on our walk over the previous week and reminding ourselves how to walk out our Christian faith in the week to come. It’s the day where we get a little glimpse of Heaven, time spent in the presence of the Lord. Instead of focusing on an enemy, we should shift our focus to God and His power.

    Matthew Henry had the following thoughts about Psalm 137:

    “In singing this psalm we must be much affected with the concernments of the church, especially that part of it that is in affliction, laying the sorrows of God’s people near our hearts, comforting ourselves in the prospect of the deliverance of the church and the ruin of its enemies, in due time, but carefully avoiding all personal, and not mixing the leaven of our malice with our sacrifices” (616).

    It is important to walk with those who are suffering. My understanding of the comfort found in the ruin of the Church’s enemies is the comfort that comes when sin and evil are overcome. This happens on a personal level and a corporate level. It’s not hatred towards people but towards the evil in the world, which is the enemy of the church and all the Christians therein.

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 137.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg