I have preached righteousness: This word for good news in Hebrew (compare the root in Isa. The term imagery can be a bit misleading. The evils here referred to, understood as being those which came upon the Messiah, were sorrows that came upon him in consequence of his undertaking to do what could not be done by sacrifices and offerings (Psalm 40:6). Although God established the sacrificial system, David knew that it was more than that. Composed, as appears from the titles, mainly for use in the great congregation, they set forth the righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, loving-kindness, and truth of God in the strongest possible way. The psalmists life is still threatened by enemies (verse 14); he is still scoffed at and taunted (verse 15). We must remember that God has carried us through other terrible circumstances. But here, the reason that David waits on the Lord and seeks Him is so that He will be magnified, or glorified. 5:7). Jesus will establish our goings, if we will do what? Thats where David was. Im doomed! you will either panic or turn to the world for help. This pictures obedience and dedication. Perhaps of greater interest is this section of scripture is quoted by the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:5-10 and applied to Jesus. So its a psalm about what to do when youre in the pit. Why does God make His choice servants wait, especially when they could accomplish so much if they were free? Psalm 40:9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.. He forgave us of our sin and washed us in His precious blood. If they had, God would desire sacrifice and burnt offerings. One of the more difficult pits to extract ourselves from are destructive habits. I cry for the Lord to help the church today. He preserved them in the wilderness. They have peace in their own souls now, and shall enjoy eternal happiness with him hereafter. Psalm 40 is the 40th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "I waited patiently for the LORD". David is speaking in the verse, but the verse is probably prophetic in speaking of the great patience of our Lord Jesus in the preceding paragraph. Hands and heart represent the whole of ones life. Many times our pit is dealing with failure. First, good actions do not take care of our sins. Great things can happen in our lives when we put our trust in the Lord. But when youre in a pit, there is a sense of urgency. 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. He can be the replacement to help us overcome our destructive habits. Many times we must deal with the pits of sin. Also, such as these who do not trust in Christ and have no respect; they neither esteem them, nor imitate them. We need to see that there is nothing we can do for our sins. We will sing a new song of praise and thanksgiving around the throne of God in heaven. The incarnation of Christ being a wonderful affair, and of the utmost importance. 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. All ____________ in the Lord preach righteousness to the unsaved world. Even though he was being disciplined by the Lord and describing his suffering as receiving blows from a hand, David is patiently waiting for these things to end. The purpose of his enemies was to take his life; to prevent the spread of his doctrines; to check him in his work. Who fulfilled the offerings and the sacrifices for all time? If you have known the Lord for any length of time, you can think back to many times when you were brought low and the Lord delivered you. A new song (see note on Psalm 33:3). Acts David continues his cry to the Lord by declaring his need for Gods mercy, love, and truth to always be around him. The benefits of which believers share in, and so have reason to love it. Truly, up to the Lord is the only place to look in time of need and time to repent. It means they probably would not seek repentance, because they knew at this point, what a terrible thing they had done. The LORD be magnified for ever more. Or to any doctrines injurious to the person, office, blood, righteousness, sacrifice, and grace of Christ. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Imagery can be literal or figurative. Writers use either literal or figurative language to help readers picture or imagine a scene by engaging their senses and evoking emotions. The One Who Rescues Me. The new direction His way led us was rock solid (Psalm 40:2) and will never let us down. September 2022 It would be of little advantage to us who should think on us, if he did not. 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. Messianic WebWe are Imagry, an autonomous technologies software provider, and we have created a mapless autonomous driving solution. Vision-based. Seek, and ye shall find., Psalm 40:12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.. God established the earth so that it is hospitable for us to live here. (Psalm 40) For evils have encompassed me. Now the writer of Hebrews explains what it means for Christ to fulfill Gods will (covenant). 17:11). Boaz Therefore, either David was prophesying and not speaking of himself in psalm 40, or the writer of Hebrews by inspiration applies Davids words to Christ also. Each of us must call to the Lord for help us out of our mess. The Motivational Responses to God (40:6-10). 13:11; 17:13; 19:20; 21:21), where the phrase, all Israel shall hear and fear, is used of the effect produced by the capital punishment of a high-handed transgressor of the Law. But it would be far more applicable to the circumstances in which the Redeemer was placed. It is a psalm of David, a shepherd, and king of Israel, and it is a powerful testimony to the goodness and faithfulness of God. Our psalm gives us at least seven clues: (1). Waiting on the Lord is intently active, not passive (40:1). The Heb r ew 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. What did some say when the earth began to shake and the light turned dark in the middle of the day at the crucifixion? 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!. They are more than the hairs of mine head: That is, the sorrows that come upon me in connection with sin. Or rather in the book of the law, the five books of Moses, since these were the only books or volumes that were composed at the writing of this psalm. 9 though we are commanded to love our enemies (Matt. He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false (Psalm 24:4). The offerings and sacrifices in the temple and in the tabernacle, were but a shadow of the one true Sacrifice: Jesus Christ our Lord. It is a song of praise. Rejoice and be glad in thee: As their covenant God, the Father of their mercies, the God of all comfort and salvation. To which the word lo is prefixed as a note of attention and admiration. What does it mean that He brought me out of the miry clay (Psalm 40:2)? Psalm 40 New International Version Psalm 40[ a] For the director of music. For on the execution of that design depended the salvation of a lost race. For such are safe and secure in him and are possessed of all blessings of grace through him. 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. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. Yet the Lord thinketh upon me: The Lord cares for me; he has not forgotten me. He is the hub, that all must revolve around. I blame the Medio Fire and Psalm 104 for that. Look at all these nice, available non-Christians who could meet your needs! Keep obeying Gods Word as you wait. We have habits that are very difficult to manage and difficult to break. Abolish the first what and establish the second what? Psalm 40 continues to describe the despair David feels as the result of his own sins. 1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. I wonder if Jeremiah meditated on this passage and found hope when he was literally put into a pit of mud (Jeremiah 38:1-6; Lamentations 3:55-57). Powerful imagery can even provoke an emotional response in the reader. web design faculty. In verse 4, David writes, How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, and has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. When youre in a pit, its very easy, even if you profess to trust in the Lord at other times, to grab onto any seeming way of escape, even if it means compromising your faith. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his ________. If you have not yet cried out to God to save you from judgment and eternal punishment for your sins, then you are in a deep pit with no human way out. David has offered counsel to those in similar circumstances as David to wait for the Lord (38:15; 39:2). And when God did rescue him, David made sure that God got all the praise. Imagery adds to the reader's understanding of a text and its themes. Though one deliverance is just effected (verse 2), it is not enough; something more is required. Crucial associations surface throughout this psalm. Look at what David says God did for him. He waters the earth, providing crops for our food. When we build upon Him, we shall not be moved. In verses 9 and 10, he again affirms, I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation; behold, I will not restrain my lips, O Lord, You know. Jesus in this, had revealed the secret of the offerings and sacrifices and has made us able to hear and understand. Not only has this song come into my heart, but is springing forth from my mouth as well. Imagery of Sheep in Scripture. Which are no other than lies. His message is just as alive today, as it was during that time. He had told them fully of Himself and the Father. I believe singing is a vital part of church services. Peace We have another Psalm in our readings Let us never take for granted the salvation we have in the Lord. It means to wait expectantly as you hope for Gods promises to be fulfilled on your behalf. Holy Week Whether this psalm is connected to any of the previous psalms where David asked for Gods deliverance is unknown, but it does say that God did deliver him at one time, and David was sure to express his gratitude in the best method he knew: a song of praise. Then, the recompence, reward, wages, as being the end, the result, or issue of a certain course of conduct. Verse 5 says, The things you planned for us no one can recount to you (NIV). Jesus formally preached three and one half years while He was on the earth. All believers in the Lord preach righteousness to the unsaved world. The Bible says that the angels in heaven rejoice when one sinner comes to Him. He placed the earth at the proper distance from the sun, so that we do not burn up or freeze. thy lovingkindness and thy truth shall continually preserve me., David in these verses, is jumping back and forth from his own situation to the prophetic message of Jesus. Joshua 16 KJV Note the emphases on proper spiritual prerequisites for sacrifices (in Psalms 19:14; 50:7-15; 51:15-17; 69:30-31; Isa. Prayer Request It is a ____________ to do the will of God. Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be Immediately, at once, without any delay; and he himself, and not another. Righteousness Psalms 40 Actually, it is the number that your angels are sending to you in order to tell you something that could be very important. You justify it by thinking, Well, its just this once and I do need to get out of this pit. But youre trusting in your lie, not in the Lord. 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. Revelation 21 Seems To Be After The Millennium Where It Says There Will Be No Pain Or Tears. We were hiking a muddy trail in Kauai when the man in front of us fell flat on his face, covering his entire front side with mud. If you want to get a mate, why keep waiting on the Lord? If you fell into a pit whose walls and bottom were mud, you would be in big trouble! That is, his undertaking to save men by his own obedience unto death. The time referred to here, I apprehend, is that when the full effects of his having assumed the sins of the world to make expiation for them came upon him. But understood as a wish or prayer, it could not be improper. Love This can prophetically be speaking of Jesus, who brought salvation to the world. Imagery includes using personification, similes, metaphors, and language that appeals to the senses. When He spoke the words, I am He, they fell backward to the ground. Emmanuel Or in the book of the Scriptures. First, the blood of animals does not take away sins. Imagery is the art of creating mental images through descriptive words. David says (Ps. What He has promised, He will do. He was a good king who instituted many reforms in Judah. He is As they seek earnestly and diligently, in Christ, and under the influences of his Spirit. In the volume of the book it is written of me: Either in the book of divine predestination, in the purposes and decrees of God (Psalm 139:16). So waiting on the Lord is not just a passive biding your time. Further, what God desires of us is not mere deeds. The nations sought to storm the city but Yahweh scattered them in His wrath. Because David waited intently on the Lord to rescue him from the first pit, he knew how to wait on the Lord to get him out of the second pit. Imagery is a literary device that evokes the five senses to create a mental image. But, a prophet rebuked Asa for relying on the king of Syria instead of relying on the Lord (2 Chron. Or to any doctrines injurious to the person, office, blood, righteousness, receive the Psalm 40 continues to describe the despair David feels as the result of his own sins. As we examine this psalm, we will notice a layout that some may consider backward. The first section of the psalm describes God delivering David. The time supposed to be referred to, is after his sufferings were closed. 26:36-46 and compare the notes at Heb. They dont recognize or admit any personal weakness. Who pardons their sins, clothes them with the robes of righteousness and garments of salvation, and accepts their persons in Christ. The writer of Hebrews is talking about wills, or covenants. The cry which I directed to him in the depth of my sorrows and my danger (Psalm 40:2). This is especially true in the case of those who do not see their own need for salvation from Gods judgment. 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. Marla and I do a fair amount of hiking, and we have encountered a lot of mud. And by which it will appear that he that trusteth in thee is in a most blessed and safe condition, as he said (Psalm 40:4). We see in this, the beautiful assurance that the Lords lovingkindness and truth are not withheld from us, when we seek them. David understood that sacrifices were not going to be enough. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. November 2022 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. God always hears the prayers of His own. Q. There is no sin in the wish that the wicked may not be successful in their plans, and may not be suffered to injure us. And yet I never heard any newsman giving thanks to God for preserving us from destruction! 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, crying out to the Lord to deliver him from this one. February 2022 So that I am not able to look up: This is not the exact idea of the Hebrew word. In verse 5, he extols God for His many wonders and His thoughts towards us. In verse 11, some versions translate it as a prayer. Confidence for deliverance. 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). By utilizing effective descriptive language and figures of speech, writers appeal to a readers senses of sight, taste, smell, touch, and sound, as well as internal emotion and feelings. Body Waiting on Him means crying out to Him; trusting Him; recounting His many wonders; obeying Him; seeking Him; and rejoicing in Him. 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. Mine ears hast thou opened: Literally ears or two ears You have dug for me. 15:17). If you think, Oh no, God has abandoned me! We will look at where these metaphors come from, how they have shaped biblical poetry, and what they reveal about God himself. Fellowship This is one of the great blessings we miss in this text. The help we need is not simply one another, because we are in our own slimy pits of sin. - get Started with Logos Bible Software for free want to get out of our mess Lord he. But he did not preserving us from destruction him in the Lord ________... I directed to him 10:5-10 and applied to jesus sure that God got the! Psalm 40:2 ) things can happen in our own slimy pits of sin they could accomplish so if! 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