How could we ever stop magnifying the name of the Lord? As David waits on the Lord, he thinks about who God is and what He has done. A telescope takes what looks like a tiny object in the night sky and magnifies it so that we get some idea of how awesome it really is. That he should die at the time which had been proclaimed by the prophets, and in such a mode as to make an atonement for sin. If you fell into a pit whose walls and bottom were mud, you would be in big trouble! February 2022 Why does David repeat himself so determinedly? Maundy Thursday Psalm 40: When Youre in the Pit Related Media The late Supreme Court Justice, Louis Brandeis, said to his frustrated, impatient daughter, My dear, if you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. (Source unknown.) The nations sought to storm the city but Yahweh scattered them in His wrath. We are to magnify the Lord and His great salvation to a world that shrugs Him off, while they waste their lives watching inane TV shows or pursuing riches that will perish at their deaths. Shalom If they had, God would desire sacrifice and burnt offerings. And when God did rescue him, David made sure that God got all the praise. David described it as a slimy pit, mud, and mire. All of us have and will endure times that are truly the pits, just as David describes. Arizona mud is especially sticky and slippery. The scripture says He came to abolish the first in order to establish the second. All this would have been defeated if, before that time came, he had been put to death by stoning, or in any of the numerous ways in which his life was threatened. The old covenant sacrifices did not take care of our sins nor the reminder of guilt caused by the sacrifices. David says (Ps. 15:17). Many of them, moreover, are secret, and escape our notice. Let us never be like the Jews we read about in the days of Jesus who assumed that they had done something special that God took notice of them over others. Do ungodly methods sometimes work? The first section of the psalm describes God delivering David. Then, the recompence, reward, wages, as being the end, the result, or issue of a certain course of conduct. Who fulfilled the offerings and the sacrifices for all time? Jesus explained to the disciples that He had not kept secrets from them. Psalm 40 New International Version Psalm 40[ a] For the director of music. O, Lord, please forgive me. Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil: Turned backward, as they are who are unsuccessful, or are defeated (compare John 18:6). I would spend the rest of my life naming them. To wait on the Lord is blessed. The writer of Hebrews is talking about wills, or covenants. Further, David understood that he was deserving of the just punishment for his sins. 10:9-10). Is Divorce And Remarriage After Abuse, Neglect, Financial, Or Emotional Issues Okay? The Church follows the example set, when she says O God, make speed to save us.. It matters little who does forsake us, if he does not. To which the word lo is prefixed as a note of attention and admiration. David understood that there was nothing he could do to remove the stain of sin that were on his hands. Peace Historical precedent and prayers for a present plight move the psalm along from beginning to end. In the fulfilment of which the lovingkindness, truth, and faithfulness of God, would appear. Words, therefore, are insufficient; and some better return than mere words must be found. He offered Himself and fulfilled all offerings and sacrifices. We have all failed. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. For such are safe and secure in him and are possessed of all blessings of grace through him. Through language, imagery does not only paint a picture, but aims to portray the sensational and emotional experience within text. Theyre like the guy I mentioned last week, who saw himself as a good sinner. Good sinners may admit that they need a little assistance now and then, but they dont need a Savior. David declares that he is able to put his trust in the Lord because of the great works that God has done in the past. The more intense your situation, the more intently you wait upon the Lord to fulfill His promises. There may be an allusion here to Absaloms end, which was probably followed by a certain number of executions. And shall trust in the Lord: Shall confide in God. You may not feel like youre in that pit. God always hears the prayers of His own. WebThere are five main types of imagery, each related to one of the human senses: Visual imagery (sight) Auditory imagery (hearing) Olfactory imagery (smell) Gustatory imagery (taste) Tactile imagery (touch) Some people may also argue that imagery can be kinesthetic (related to movement) or organic (related to sensations within the body). His petition is a plea for deliverance from his enemies, but it is wider than that. Psalm 40:1-3 have been used by many songwriters over the years as the basis for their own praise because of its imagery of sinking helplessly into a pit of mud.1. Passover But Paul describes your future this way (2 Thess. February 2021 Fellowship It is continued supplication and hope when there seemed to be no answer to prayer, and no prospect that it would be answered. There, the author quotes the LXX, which translates the second line of verse 6, a body You have prepared for Me. This was apparently an interpretive paraphrase, where they used a part (the ear) and expanded it to the whole body (F. F. Bruce, Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews [Eerdmans], p. 232). With a telescope, astronomers know that many of those stars are anything but little. Pray I have said before that possibly, that is why the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. In verse 3 he says, He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord. In verse 4, David testifies to the blessing that is on the man who makes the Lord his trust. Psalm 40:14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.. Read the story of King Saul (1 Samuel 15). Rather, it is an intently active time when your situation in the pit tunes your heart to the Lord in ways that you would not normally experience. And heard my cry: The cry or supplication which I made for help. Psalm 40:3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, [even]praise unto our God: many shall see [it], and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.. How much more would the Lord rejoice for finding the one sheep that has strayed? He will not lie. The Lords _________________ and ________ are not withheld from us. 26:18). It implies the certainty that they would thus be ashamed and confounded. 1. August 2021 Dont turn to the world for answers. This is a prayer from David, and could very well be a prayer for true believers today. A psalm. NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 40:1-3 1 I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. The cry which I directed to him in the depth of my sorrows and my danger (Psalm 40:2). We want to do better and we have great intentions to improve our lives, but it just is not working out how we would like. How great it is to be washed in the blood of the Lamb! 2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the [ b]miry clay, And He set my feet upon a high rock, He established my steps. Righteousness is identified as Gods righteousness in the next verse (verse 10). Or, if youre in a jam and it looks like a little white lie will get you out of the jam, you can be tempted to use it. The second pit clearly involved the consequences of Davids sins (40:12) and many enemies that were trying to destroy him (40:14-15). If it had hit, it would have wreaked major damage. Emmanuel The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work . I believe singing is a vital part of church services. Christ took away the first will (covenant) and established a second will (covenant). This page last updated: September 8, 2022. 5. 50:5-7). (1-5) Christ's work of redemption. beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they The NIV, for example, translates, Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me. But Derek Kidner (Psalms 1-72 [IVP], p. 160) says that unquestionably it is not a prayer; its a statement or reaffirmation of trust: (NASB) You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me. Waiting on the Lord means, Lord, Youre my only hope for deliverance.. Imagery is a literary device that uses descriptive language to create a mental snapshot for the reader. The worst evil that Jesus had against Him was the unbelieving leaders of the temple. 26:36-46 and compare the notes at Heb. King Asa was a classic example of a good man who fell into this trap. Imagery can be literal or figurative. March 2022 The offerings and sacrifices in the temple and in the tabernacle, were but a shadow of the one true Sacrifice: Jesus Christ our Lord. Discipleship perception. So waiting on the Lord is not just a passive biding your time. 15:22), Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? They cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: They are so numerous that it is impossible to reckon them up. Rescue (Verse 3 above), leaves no doubt what this song is about. Psalm 40:11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.. Beyond this, from the vantage point of New Testament revelation, an association with the Greater David is contained in seed form (in verses 6-8; compare Heb. I wonder how they felt when it became dark in the middle of the day, and the earth begain to shake? It is a pleasure, not a chore, to do the will of the Lord. He says (v. 5), Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, and Your thoughts toward us; there is none to compare with You. Synecdoche. Our psalm gives us at least seven clues: The Hebrew of verse 1 is an intensified form of the verb, literally, Waiting, I waited. The New English Bible translates it, I waited, waited for the Lord. Its not a passive, ho-hum kind of waiting, like you do at the doctors office when you thumb through a bunch of magazines to pass the time. What does it mean to commit your way to the Lord (Psalm 37:5)? Many in the world either ignore God or think of Him as small and distant with regard to their lives. I love the Scripture that says, Jesus sang a song with the disciples. As in the council and covenant of peace, when and where he declared his willingness to come into the world, and make satisfaction for the sins of his people. He is the subject of the wheel within the wheel. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Psalm 40 continues to describe the despair David feels as the result of his own When He spoke the words, I am He, they fell backward to the ground. The psalm concludes in Psalm 40:11-17 with Davids praise for Gods protection and deliverance. Second, by Christ fulfilling the law, he was able to set aside the first covenant with its condemnation for our sins and establish a new covenant that does take away our sins (sanctifies us). More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! 14:2-12). This can be used to give context to the events of your story, to immerse your reader in an unfamiliar setting, to communicate mood and tone for a particular scene, or to create an emotional response in your reader. God does not desire good deeds when we have violated His law. If Christ liveth in us, then the Law of God is in our heart. Without a telescope, people either ignore the stars or maybe look up and think, Twinkle, twinkle little star. Little star? , . The application for us is that when were in a pit, we must focus on continuing to obey the Lord, even if He does not deliver us quickly. His message is just as alive today, as it was during that time. First, the blood of animals does not take away sins. Psalm 40: The poles of thanksgiving and lament are so distinct in this psalm that some divide it into two separate psalms. Church May 2022 They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. He ends that chapter in a similar vein (16:33), These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. Jesus Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his ________. As you know, the author of Hebrews applies these verses to Jesus (Heb. Psalm 24:4 is an example of a synecdoche. Abolish the first what and establish the second what? August 2022 Then I said, Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. Let all those that seek thee in the first place, with their whole hearts be glad in thee. 104). David also was probably thinking about Gods many wonderful acts of delivering His people from trouble. His sacrifice fulfilled and did away with any further need for sacrifice. ), Jesus told the disciples to expect trials. Jesus will establish our goings, if we will do what? Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Spiritual Life, Suffering, Trials, Persecution, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. Why is pragmatism (if it works, it must be okay) dangerous? Asas final days were plagued with painful gout. Thus, David said earlier in this psalm, Sacrifices and offerings you did not desireburnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.. O Lord, make haste to help me: Literally, Lord, make haste to my help (compare Psalms 22:19; 31:2; 38:22). This is one of the great blessings we miss in this text. Love They chart a profound and vital relationship with God, with all the ups and downs that (Psalm 40) For evils have encompassed me. These images have successfully created a strong effect in our minds. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.. 9 though we are commanded to love our enemies (Matt. December 2021 What a wonderful Savior is Jesus our Lord. The first sentence of this psalm shows us that David is practicing what he has been preaching in the past two psalms. What does it mean that He brought me out of the miry clay (Psalm 40:2)? For on the execution of that design depended the salvation of a lost race. Psalm 40 is a song about the pits. It falls into two sections. In the first half (40:1-10), David tells how God got him out of one pit and he sings Gods praise for doing so. But he did not then live happily ever after. Rather, it is evident from the second half of the psalm (40:11-17) that he is in another pit, Let such as love thy salvation: Either Christ, who is Gods salvation (Gen. 49:18); and who is loved by his people, universally, superlatively, and sincerely. The problem, I believe, is that we do not believe God is this active in our lives. The idea here is, not that he was unable to look up, but that the calamities which came upon him were so heavy and severe as to make his sight dim, or to deprive him of vision. What a wonderful Savior is ________ _____ _______. Rather, God wants us to desire to do His will and have His law in our hearts (vs. 8). Note the emphases on proper spiritual prerequisites for sacrifices (in Psalms 19:14; 50:7-15; 51:15-17; 69:30-31; Isa. Psalm 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.. The taking of his life at any time before the full period had arrived, or in any other way than that in which he had purposed to lay it down, would have been a defeat of his work, since in the plan of salvation it was contemplated that he should die at a certain time, and in a certain manner. The One Who Rescues Me. It falls into two sections. As understood of the Messiah, this would refer to the times when his life was in danger, as it often was, before the full period had arrived for him to die (John 7:6; Matt. 3:12), many that profess to know Christ stumble and fall away when they get hit with various trials. He was a good king who instituted many reforms in Judah. Psalm 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book [it is] written of me,. He said the truth, when he said, Lord thou knowest. But the sacrifice of Jesus Christ removes our sins and our guilt away from us. When we failed through sin, He became our Savior. Acts All which is a matter of joy and gladness. You may be responsible for being in your pit, or you may be a victim of the sins of others. I agree with David, if I were to name off all the things the Lord has done for me, there would not be time to do any more Bible studies. David describes to us the great blessings of having a right relationship with God and putting our trust in God. Verse 6 says 2 things God did not desire, what are they? This is a virtue that very few have. He is Psalm 30:5 Meaning of Verse and Simple Commentary Psalm 119, like most of the psalms, was originally composed as a song to be sung in praising God. Who submit not to the righteousness of Christ, and despise others. The rest of the psalm describes how David was praying for the deliverance before he received it. It is not needful now to say; nor can it be doubted that in the heavy sorrows of his life this was a source of habitual consolation. 5:17) in His believers have a new direction and joy. Psalm 40:4-6 is a His petition is a plea for deliverance from his enemies, but it is wider than that. 23:23). Let us never take for granted the salvation we have in the Lord. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:8-10). Psalm 40 is a psalm of David that continues the same line of thinking as psalms 38 and 39. 1:7b-9), when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Look at all these nice, available non-Christians who could meet your needs! Keep obeying Gods Word as you wait. These elements constitute only a part of the richness of Psalm 40. This book is called a volume, or roll, alluding to the manner of writing formerly. God knows every word that you have uttered, bad or good. He can take the mud of our sinful clothes and give us holy, white robes. 49:8). We know that some said, surely this was the Son of God. The benefits of which believers share in, and so have reason to love it. We should also tell others about how the Lord rescued us from other trials, so that they will join us in saying continually, The Lord be magnified!. Therefore, at the appointed time he came, freely and willingly. (1) He turned and heard my cry, (2) He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, (3) He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand, and (4) He put a new song in my mouth. For pardon, righteousness, communion, larger measures of grace, and for honor, glory, immortality, and eternal life. Membership Davids spirit here was encountered previously in Psalm 22:22-23. The only one worthy of our trust is the Lord. We need to see that there is nothing we can do for our sins. 40:2 "rock" See note at Psalm 18:1-3. . Now the writer of Hebrews explains what it means for Christ to fulfill Gods will (covenant). Therefore my heart faileth me: Margin, as in Hebrew: forsaketh. The idea is that he sank under these sufferings; he could not sustain them. It means finding God as our eternal treasure, so that we rejoice in all that He is, as well as in all that He does for us. The use of language to evoke a picture or a concrete Truly, up to the Lord is the only place to look in time of need and time to repent. The purpose of his enemies was to take his life; to prevent the spread of his doctrines; to check him in his work. Yea, thy law is within my heart: I do not only understand it, but receive it with heartiest love. David never ceased telling others of the wonderful things the Lord had done. In verse 5, he extols God for His many wonders and His thoughts towards us. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.. David cries for the Lord to make haste to help him. 3:3-4; 2 Tim. April 2021 Jesus said it all when He said, Not my will but thine be done. June 2021 In our day, we would call this a last will and testament. Therefore, when the passage says, I have come to do your will he is not speaking in terms of coming to do what God says, though Christ certainly did what God said. David has offered counsel to those in similar circumstances as David to wait for the Lord (38:15; 39:2). Jesus cried out unto the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane, and God heard His cry. He sent His Son to offer Himself obediently on the cross on our behalf (as Ps. From uncontrolled temper, to alcohol, from laziness toward God to drugs, from patterns of self-pity to sexual sins, we all have to deal with habits that are not acceptable and work to break them. Psalm 40:4-6 is a celebration of Gods character. as well. The king of Israel had to abandon his invasion of Judah to defend his northern flank. There was no more need for sacrifice, Jesus paid it all. Your pit could be poor health, the loss of your job, former friends that turned against you, an unfaithful mate, rebellious children, or any other overwhelming problem. For the choir director. The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of What happened to the soldiers, when Jesus answered them (I am He)? Imagery is a literary device that evokes the five senses to create a mental image. He preserved them in the wilderness. I think that he is not referring to sins that he was currently committing, but rather to the consequences of past sins that were now coming home to roost. Notice, the statement (mine ears hast thou opened). Some think that it was Davids enemies, while others think that it could have been physical illness or some deep emotional distress.
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