I cannot think of ABC without thinking of that demand in the David Mamet play and film, “Glengarry Glenn Ross,” where the supervisor keeps telling the salesmen to “Always Be Closing.” Now, I meant the ABCs of the alphabet when I entitled this sermon. If I were going to have played off the play and film reference, I would have entitled it “ABT.” You would probably have wondered what I was possibly thinking and I would have responded, “Always Be Thanking.” It rather echoes I Thessalonians 5:18 (“Continually give thanks in all circumstances”) doesn’t it?
Of course, some people think being thankful all the time is like going around with a goofy smile on your face all of the time and being insensitive to other people’s feelings. Some think it means to always be happy. We can be grateful, thankful, without being irrationally “happy” in bad times. In the teen-age film where Winona Ryder came to prominence (“Heathers”), her character says, “If you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn’t be a human being; you’d be a game show host.”
Nevertheless, the Bible teaches that “thanksgiving” is intended to be a “lifestyle” rather than a mere holiday or something we do on Sunday. Thanksgiving is an act of the will to respond to God from within daily life and to gratefully acknowledge the tangible acts God has accomplished on our behalf. It isn’t easy to do because whenever we thank someone (and particularly when we thank God), we are admitting that there was something in our lives that we hadn’t thought of, were too cheap to take care of, hadn’t prioritized, or weren’t able to do for ourselves. In one way, having to give thanks feels like an indictment against our individual capability so that a gift becomes a burden. But that’s just the way our enemy twists a good thing into something that should be celebrated. We have trouble showing gratitude because it is humbling to us.
Yet, the very process of thanksgiving gives us opportunity to pause and look at both the gift and the giver in a new light. This contemplation gives us a chance to appreciate what has been done for us or given to us in a way that the value of the gift, and in turn, the giver, goes up because we have thought about and expressed appreciation. Ever notice how, as we grow older, we seem to take longer and longer in opening our exchange gifts at Christmas time? Ever notice how taking the time to look at those gifts and talk about how they’re going to bless you and your expectations for them actually ADDS to your enjoyment and appreciation of receiving the gift? And when you do this, did you ever notice that the person(s) giving the gift get a lot more enjoyment out of giving. Something they have done or something they have given is going to stick with you and be thought about, even when they’re not physically with you. Through giving, they’ve become a part of your life.
A lot of people think God is selfish because the Bible commands us to thank God all of the time. But it is really for our benefit that God has done so. As with praise, it enhances our experience. And, it’s really the only way we can include the giver in the fabric of our lives. Even God doesn’t bust the door down to bless us. God expects the request or, at least, the opening of the door when God stands at the door and knocks. In reality, In this way, we “train” ourselves to be open to God’s intervention in all circumstances.
Now, before we actually get into Psalm 9, you should know that it is special. In fact, it is so special that the Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) and the Latin translation of the Old Testament (the Vulgate) treat the two psalms as one psalm. Psalm 9 focuses primarily on giving thanks for victories past and present while Psalm 10 speaks of a problem situation but finishes with bold words about God’s eventual triumph. So, if the two psalms are so different, why did some of the ancient translators believe they were a single psalm? It was because of a pattern. In Psalm 9, the poet begins each section with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order, but the psalm ends about halfway through the alphabet. Psalm 10 continues the pattern and finishes the alphabet, but there are a couple of letters missing. Why would the psalmist rigidly follow the alphabet? I believe it was to signify that the entire language couldn’t contain the subject matter being described.
In Psalms 9-10, the poet used almost all the Hebrew alphabet to spell out how God had blessed him and was going to bless him in both victory and trouble. That’s a great example.
I looked for an example in English, but all I could come up with was the “M-O-T-H-E-R” song. It goes something like:
M is for the million things she gives me
O means only that she’s soft to hold
T for the things she tries to teach me
H is for her heart of purest gold
E for her eyes with love light shining
R means right and right she’ll always be
Put them all together they spell “Mother,”
A word that means the world to me.
So, this morning, I challenge you to go through a portion of our own English alphabet as we go through Psalm 9. Please paraphrase each section in your bulletin as I put the English letter on the screen. In so doing, you’ll create your own psalm of thanksgiving much like the psalmist must have.
Here is the first part of the psalm on the screen.
If you look in the margin, you’ll see the Hebrew alphabet spelled out much like you have it spelled out in your English Bibles when you read Psalm 119. Now, the first verse in the Hebrew (the superscription or “title” in English) tells us that this psalm was intended to be sung. I would translate it, “To the musical director according [to the tune of] “Death for the Son” [or “[for] female [voices]”], a Song for David.” It actually seems more logical that this song of thanksgiving is being sung to a funeral song where the message is more upbeat than the tune than to have female voices taking the lead in worship (in a service where the men and women were strictly divided). Of course, it might mean male voices singing in a feminine or treble register. But I think it’s more like taking a sad tune like our “House of the Rising Sun” and giving it positive words. “O for a thousand tongues to sing, My Great Redeemer’s praise, The glories of my God and King, the triumph of his grace.” And that idea fits the attitude of gratitude in both Psalm 9 and the end of Psalm 10.
A - ________________________________ (focusing on God with all we have)
Here’s way I translate verses 1 and 2 in the English (2-3 in the Hebrew): “I will continually give thanks to God I know personally [literally, Yahweh] with my entire will [literally, heart; I will count up all your accomplishments; I will celebrate and exult in you; and I will sing Your name, Highest.” Before you write your paraphrase, look at the four assertions in these verses. First, thanksgiving requires a relationship in every aspect of your life. Second, it’s a good idea to make lists of what God has done for us. It’s hard to stay depressed or discouraged when we “count our blessings.” Third, thanksgiving deserves a little celebration. The psalmist says we need to make some noise to show our gratitude. Fourth, thanksgiving requires some organized praise—singing God’s name. Now, I know some people get worried when the Bible uses different names for God. Here, we start with God’s personal name and end with affirmation that God is the Highest Source in the Universe. That’s an important spectrum of understanding. We move from the personal to the universal. If we hang on the cosmic universal side of the understanding of God, we make God irrelevant to our daily lives. If we hang on the personal, we tend to try to cram God into the box of our limited understanding. If we’re open to the entire spectrum, God will continually increase our understanding, our enjoyment of life, and our accomplishments in God’s Kingdom. So, find a way to start a phrase or sentence with “A” that describes putting your whole life’s focus on thanksgiving and praise for God. Maybe, it’ll just be “Always be thankful” or “All my life I’m going to focus on God.”
B - ________________________________ (expecting victory over our enemies/problems)
Here’s the way I translate verses 3-4 in the English (4-5 in the Hebrew): “When my enemies turn back, they will stumble and they shall be annihilated by Your presence BECAUSE you have decided a verdict in my favor [literally, you have made my justice and my judgment]; You are sitting on the throne judging justly [root idea is “righteousness”].” Notice that the psalmist doesn’t cite his martial prowess and military strategy as the source of victory over his enemies. He doesn’t pray like the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable and thank God that he isn’t like the sinners around him. Rather, he gives the glory for the victory to God and recognizes that the verdict, the judgment in his favor, is rooted in his relationship to God. If God is in charge, the psalmist expects victory. The wording here is a lot like the phrase in Lamentations 4:16 (“The presence of Yahweh has scattered them: He will not keep considering them; They did not honor the priests; They did not favor the elders.”) God isn’t granting victory to the psalmist because the psalmist is so good, rather because the enemies have rejected God’s authority. So, we need to find a way to phrase our dependence upon God rather than ourselves in times of trouble. It might be “By God’s authority, I’ll accomplish His will in spite of opposition” or “Because of God’s intervention, I don’t have to fear the inevitable opposition.”
C - ________________________________ (remembering past victories)
Now, why can the psalmist be so confident? He’s confident because God had given him victories in the past. Since this psalm was either written by or in honor of David, it can’t help but remind us of David’s faith when he was preparing to face the giant, Goliath. David stated that the same God who had protected him when he faced the wild animals would protect him against this much larger giant. In other words, we need to remind ourselves of earlier victories of faith when we’re preparing to follow God into more difficult circumstances. Here’s my effort at translation: “You rebuked the nations; You annihilated the wicked; You blotted out their name forever and ever. The enemy You ended [as] ruins forever; their cities You have caused to be abandoned, their memory is annihilated.”
This idea of “rebuking” isn’t just a matter of mouthing off or criticizing someone. The verb was used in the ancient world when priests or magicians were invoking curse rituals. When God rebukes, however, it means a judgment or verdict where action is certain to follow. One of the problems we have in modern life is that we think we can pick and choose from the guidance of God without expecting any consequences. But just because we don’t see immediate consequences doesn’t mean that there won’t be any. Now, when I see God clearly judging someone, when I see people experiencing the consequences of their own rebellious actions. I don’t celebrate God’s justice as much as I choke up a little bit and realize that I could be in their place, that could be me, and I’ve sinned enough to deserve more punishment than I’ve received. Grace becomes ever more real to me. That’s yet another reason to be thankful for God’s powerful, saving power in our lives.
And notice what else happens to the nations or the wicked. One of our verses tells us that their NAME will be blotted out and the other says that their memory will be annihilated. Whenever we try to do things without God, whenever we invest in that which isn’t important to God’s Kingdom, we are throwing away our legacy, our ability to accomplish something lasting and important. The bottom line is that we, as humans, want to make our lives matter. These verses emphasize through a negative example that the only way we can really be thankful for our lives is to live God’s way. How will you paraphrase this? “Consequences await those who rebel against God” or “Comfort fills me when I think of God’s justice?”
D & E ______________________________. (affirming God’s justice)
The Hebrew skips the equivalent of our letter “D” and jumps to the next letter. I translate the next verses as: “Behold [translating the last word of the previous verse as typical Semitic exclamation], Yahweh has seated Himself [on the throne] forever; He has constructed His throne for the purpose of justice. And He rules the world with justice [lit. “righteousness”]; He will judge the peoples with fairness.”
Whatever we’re experiencing, we need to concentrate on God’s sovereignty, the assurance that God is in charge and that God wants what is best for us. Feel free to use either “D” or “E” to construct your quick paraphrase like: “Equity is available through God’s all-knowing justice” or “Divine justice and provision is guaranteed by God’s sovereignty.”
F - _________________________________. (remembering God’s protection)
My effort in the next verses expresses the idea of God as a fortress, a secure place to make a stand whenever we are confronted by opposition within our lives. “And God with Whom we have a relationship [literally, Yahweh] is a stronghold for the oppressed; a stronghold for times of destitution. And the ones who know Your name will trust in You BECAUSE You, Yahweh, do not forsake the ones seeking You.”
Because of the verses that go before these verses, we usually think of the stronghold, fortress, refuge, or hiding place in the context of war and literal opposition. However, the message here is more encompassing. The noun I translated as destitution is related to the idea of pruning or cutting off with regard to grapevines. It indicates tough economic times as well as challenging military situations. It ought to provide some assurance for us that no matter what kind of difficulty we face, God is there for us. Maybe your paraphrase will read, “Financial problems cannot keep us from the security of God’s Presence” or “Focusing on God gives us security in the midst of all kinds of difficulties.” Anyway, thankfulness recognizes that temporary setbacks aren’t final; God’s good will and great purpose for us is God’s final word.
G - ________________________________. (being vocal about God’s intervention)
Next, comes a vital concept in the ABCs of thanksgiving. I believe it is important to us to speak out about God’s goodness. We have a tendency to say that we’re lucky or fortunate when we need to be up front about the fact that God has blessed us. So, let’s see what verses 11-12 in the English and 12-13 in the Hebrew have to say. “They will sing concerning Yahweh, He sits enthroned in Zion; Reveal His accomplishments among the peoples BECAUSE the One Who is a blood avenger remembers them, He doesn’t forget the cry of the afflicted.”
It is important speak up about what God has done. It encourages us for the future and it lets other people in on God’s goodness. If we honestly share about how God is meeting our needs and assisting us through our crises, it will point others toward God’s provision. It isn’t enough to give a little nod. We need to tell God how we feel about God’s goodness toward us. And, it will help us remember both that God is in charge and that God has our back.
There is something special about acknowledging something out loud. In sales, professionals are trained to get their prospects to say, “Yes.” If they can get them to say “Yes” to a lot of insignificant questions, it lowers the barrier to their eventual sales pitch. If we’re honest in what we say, action tends to follow our words. And what we say can affect how we feel. I can remember being very cold and tired as I climbed onto the train to Chicago in order to teach last winter. It would be dark and cold, but I deliberately spent time thanking God for bringing me here and giving me my classes. By the time I was at the school, I was ready to accomplish anything. I call it the “attitude of gratitude” and it really works for me (except, sometimes when I’m determined to feel sorry for myself and wallow in self-pity—what my Mom called a “Pity Party.”). How does your paraphrase go? “Give thanks to God because God has your back?” How about “Gratitude changes attitudes BECAUSE of God’s dependability?”
H - ________________________________. (admitting we depend on God’s grace)
With our attitude of gratitude and our willingness to be up front about our dependence upon God, we can confidently petition God for the help we need. Listen for verses 14-15 in the Hebrew (13-14 in English): “Show me grace, God I know personally [literally, Yahweh], examine my affliction from those who hate me; You Who lift me up from the gates of Death. Accordingly, I will list all of Your praiseworthiness. In the gates of the Daughter of Zion [Jerusalem], I will rejoice in Your salvation.”
But do you see the key? Just as Jesus said that those who deny Him before humankind would be denied before the angels in heaven, we who are honest about God’s blessing toward us can be up front about asking God for whatever we need. And, in turn, God can expect that we will show gratitude both privately and in public. The psalmist knows that when we form a pattern of gratitude, we won’t take anything God does for granted. Maybe we could say “Have mercy on us, Lord, because we’re being persecuted and we’ll share about Your deliverance when You’re done!” Or, we could say, “Have a heart, Lord, and we’ll respond with grateful adoration.”
I - _________________________________. (testifying about God’s past deeds)
“The nations have sunk into the pit they have made; their foot is caught in the net they hid. God [Yahweh] has made Himself known, He has executed justice; with the works of His hands the wicked are snared. Get louder [or sing softer], stop and think about it. [My attempt to suggest translations for Higgaion and Selah]” In case we weren’t sure before, the psalmist spells out the fact that God’s plans and purpose cannot be thwarted without consequences. The psalmist would probably have pointed to victories on the battlefield against the enemies of God as evidence of this principle.
For you and me, it tells us not to worry about what is happening to the wicked. We can count on God Who has rescued us to execute the appropriate verdict and punishment to those who are absolutely determined to oppose God and oppose God’s people. Those who rebel against God will end up getting caught in their own traps. Hollywood understands this. You know when you’re watching those action movies and superhero movies that when the villain has created a weapon with a sharp object pointing upward like a steeple, the villain is probably going to end up skewered on that object. Or, isn’t it interesting how many times the bad guys get blown up by their own bombs or mine fields? Maybe we should paraphrase this as “It is impossible to rebel against God without getting burned” or “In vain, people rebel against God’s judgment?”
J - _________________________________. (affirming God’s “No” to the rebellious)
Closing in on the finish, we read: “The wicked will return to the place of the dead [literally, Sheol], all of the nations who forget God.” Notice that God doesn’t look for people to punish. The wicked bring it upon themselves. “Judgment comes to those who think they can get along without God” would be one way of expressing the certainty of the flip-side of living within the attitude of gratitude found in most of the psalm.
K - _________________________________. (affirming God helps the helpless)
Next, we read: “BECAUSE the poor will not always be forgotten or the hope of the afflicted be annihilated forever. Stand up, God we know personally [Yahweh], don’t let mere men prevail. Let the nations be judged in your presence. Set fear on them, Yahweh, let the nations know that they are mere men.” Why do we need to remind ourselves that God helps those who cannot help themselves? It is because part of our expression of thanksgiving serves the purpose of reminding us that WE are part of the helpless. Our paraphrase might be “Know that God doesn’t work on our timetable, but God hasn’t forgotten us” or “Key your life on God’s power and God will not forget you.” But the bottom line is that exercising our privilege of thanksgiving is a powerful way of staying in a proper relationship with God Who is on our side and has our back in all things.
So, what do these ABCs of thanksgiving teach us? So far, we’ve learned that God expects us to live in a relationship of gratitude. We know it isn’t for God’s benefit but for our benefit to list the things that God has done for us. We know it encourages us toward future faith and enables us to always expect God’s intervention in our lives. We’ve seen that we need to express our gratitude for God in public, as well as private. In that way, we encourage others as well as ourselves.
But I know you’re wondering why this psalm about thanksgiving was ever attached to the following psalm. Why do the ABCs of thanksgiving give way to the LMNOPs of lament or sorrow? I believe it is because those of us who live with an “attitude of gratitude” are going to be more resilient when we encounter trouble. And if we really are learning to “Always Be Thankful,” then we might experience that triumphant turnaround that occurs at the end of Psalm 10. Thanksgiving is the foundation upon which we build a lifestyle of faith, a lifestyle that works in good times and bad.
