Psalm 9 1-20 

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Death of the Son.”

 1 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
      I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
 2 I will be filled with joy because of you.
      I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

 3 My enemies retreated;
      they staggered and died when you appeared.
 4 For you have judged in my favor;
      from your throne you have judged with fairness.
 5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
      you have erased their names forever.
 6 The enemy is finished, in endless ruins;
      the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.

 7 But the LORD reigns forever,
      executing judgment from his throne.
 8 He will judge the world with justice
      and rule the nations with fairness.
 9 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed,
      a refuge in times of trouble.
 10 Those who know your name trust in you,
      for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

 11 Sing praises to the LORD who reigns in Jerusalem.[a]
      Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
 12 For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless.
      He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer.

 13 LORD, have mercy on me.
      See how my enemies torment me.
      Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
 14 Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates,
      so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.

15 The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
      Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
 16 The LORD is known for his justice.
      The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.
                         Quiet Interlude[b]

 17 The wicked will go down to the grave.[c]
      This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
 18 But the needy will not be ignored forever;
      the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

 19 Arise, O LORD!
      Do not let mere mortals defy you!
      Judge the nations!
 20 Make them tremble in fear, O LORD.
      Let the nations know they are merely human.
                         Interlude

 I have pasted the whole chapter of Psalm 9 so that you're able to get a good perspective of what David is talking about. By the sounds of it he starts off with praising God and thanking God for all He’s done for him. God has saved David from enemies that were after him and causing trouble and throughout the Psalm sounds like death for the enemies of God and those that are attacking the Godly. If you ever noticed half or a chunk of the Psalms that David or descendants of David say something about enemies attacking them and the Godly and God’s mercy and grace as well as God’s judgement and fairness for all the nations. 

 It also sounds like David is fighting a battle, spiritual and probably physical and is needing a lot of help from the Lord to help him fight this. You have possibly heard many times in church services and also in youth group that we’re fighting a battle. We’re fighting a spiritual battle everyday trying to be saved from the enemies tricks and schemes or saving someone else from the trouble this world brings. Verses 13 and 14 really stick out and paints a picture of a fire team. 

13 “LORD, have mercy on me.
      See how my enemies torment me.
      Snatch me back from the jaws of death.
 14 Save me so I can praise you publicly at Jerusalem’s gates,
      so I can rejoice that you have rescued me.”

Many of us may know someone or several that are on a fire team their radio goes off, they hop in there vehicle, rush down there safe as possible, throw on their gear and go! No time is wasted in a call whether a fire or an accident scene they will get there. I remember one time my brother had something to get or do at the fire hall, it wasn’t a practice or anything, no one there but he said if I wanted to come and check out the new fire hall in town, like a field trip, yay!!. I said sure! as he was telling about the different trucks in what they do and things they carry, he came to a truck called the rescue truck that has tools to break through buildings and wrecks. One of the tools used at times when a vehicle is mangled to help get people out is the “Jaws of Life”.

The Jaws of Life are to help save lives to get out of the mess they are in. When people make it out if they’re alive I bet they are glad and happy, grateful and thankful to be out, as well as those that care and know them would be rejoicing too. Those 2 verses David is simply pleading and praying to God to save him in this case from the “jaws of death” meaning the enemies that are keeping him back from doing God’s will. He wants God to have mercy on him and when God does that David will praise and rejoice that God rescued him knowing from David's characteru. God will show the nations and enemies as the Psalm continues that He’s in charge, He’s the boss, He will show them up when people refuse to listen to Him and refuse to rejoice in the Lord   
 
 17 “The wicked will go down to the grave.[c]
      This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
 18 But the needy will not be ignored forever;
      the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

 19 Arise, O LORD!
      Do not let mere mortals defy you!
      Judge the nations!
 20 Make them tremble in fear, O LORD.
      Let the nations know they are merely human.”
                         Interlude