PSALM 40
For the head musician.
A Psalm of David.
1 Waiting. I awaited Yahweh and he leaned down to me and heard my cry.
2 And he took me up from the pit of chaos, out of the muddy bog, and put my feet on a rock – he firmed up my footing.
3 And he has put a new song of praise to our Godhead in my mouth! Many shall see Yahweh and shall be in awe of him and trust him.
4 Blessed is the man who establishes Yahweh as his trust and doesn’t turn to the proud and to those who resort to a lie.
5 You have done many things, Yahweh my Godhead. Your amazing deeds and your intentions towards us – there is no one to line up against you! I will shout out and I will speak: they are more than can be counted!
6 You didn’t want sacrifice and offering. You have pierced ears for me. You have not asked for a burnt offering and a sin offering.
7 I said, “Hey, I come! The writings in the book are about me.
8 I love to do your will, my Godhead, and your law is deep inside me.”
9 I have preached righteousness in the great assembly – Listen! I will not restrain my lips! Oh Yahweh you know.
10 I have not concealed your righteousness within my heart. I speak your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your committed love and your truth from the great assembly.
11 O Yahweh, don’t withhold your compassion from me. Let your committed love and your truth always guard me,
12 because innumerable evils have surrounded me. My guilt has taken hold of me and I’m not able to look up – they are more than the hairs on my head and my heart fails me.
13 O Yahweh, be satisfied to deliver me! O Yahweh, hurry to my rescue!
14 Let the ones who are together seeking to destroy my soul be ashamed and humbled. Let the ones who gloat over my trouble be turned around and disgraced.
15 Those saying to me, “Aha! Aha!” are rewarded for their shame with desolation.
16 May all who are seeking you be elated in you and celebrate! And may the ones loving your salvation always say, “Yahweh is abundant!”
17 But I am poor and destitute. Yahweh will think of me. You are my help and my saviour.
1 Waiting. I awaited Yahweh and he leaned down to me and heard my cry.
2 And he took me up from the pit of chaos, out of the muddy bog, and put my feet on a rock – he firmed up my footing.
3 And he has put a new song of praise to our Godhead in my mouth! Many shall see Yahweh and shall be in awe of him and trust him.
4 Blessed is the man who establishes Yahweh as his trust and doesn’t turn to the proud and to those who resort to a lie.
5 You have done many things, Yahweh my Godhead. Your amazing deeds and your intentions towards us – there is no one to line up against you! I will shout out and I will speak: they are more than can be counted!
6 You didn’t want sacrifice and offering. You have pierced ears for me. You have not asked for a burnt offering and a sin offering.
7 I said, “Hey, I come! The writings in the book are about me.
8 I love to do your will, my Godhead, and your law is deep inside me.”
9 I have preached righteousness in the great assembly – Listen! I will not restrain my lips! Oh Yahweh you know.
10 I have not concealed your righteousness within my heart. I speak your faithfulness and your salvation. I have not concealed your committed love and your truth from the great assembly.
11 O Yahweh, don’t withhold your compassion from me. Let your committed love and your truth always guard me,
12 because innumerable evils have surrounded me. My guilt has taken hold of me and I’m not able to look up – they are more than the hairs on my head and my heart fails me.
13 O Yahweh, be satisfied to deliver me! O Yahweh, hurry to my rescue!
14 Let the ones who are together seeking to destroy my soul be ashamed and humbled. Let the ones who gloat over my trouble be turned around and disgraced.
15 Those saying to me, “Aha! Aha!” are rewarded for their shame with desolation.
16 May all who are seeking you be elated in you and celebrate! And may the ones loving your salvation always say, “Yahweh is abundant!”
17 But I am poor and destitute. Yahweh will think of me. You are my help and my saviour.
General structure:
(v1-5) David praises God for all he has done in the past.
(v6-10) David praises God for all he is doing in the present.
(v11-17) David looks to God to act for his benefit in the future (near and far).
3) Many shall see. God's relating to and through believers is how others will come to know him. That's why we must represent him faithfully (in every sense - including the sense of 'unswervingly' as well as 'accurately').
4) Blessed is the man who establishes Yahweh as his trust and doesn’t turn to the proud. Our faith must not be diverted to any person or thing. Where do we seek our instruction? If we say (as many church constitutions do) that the Bible is sufficient in all faith and practice, why do so many of us derive our beliefs from books other than the Bible - which don't claim to be the words of God himself? Helpful as those may be, our primary source of getting to know and love our Saviour must be careful, prayerful and deliberate study and meditation on his Word.
6) You have pierced ears for me. This seems to come out of nowhere to a Westerner, but it refers to a Jewish ritual by which a slave could commit to his master for life by letting his master pierce his ear and from then on wear an earring in it, signifiying his commitment (see Exo 21). This verse (and the next) are quoted in Hebrews 10:5-7, but the phrase is replaced with "a body you have prepared for me". The writer to the Hebrews is using the LXX (Septuagint) translation there, but under the inspiration of the Spirit he is highlighting that Jesus fulfilled this ritual to the nth degree by being a body whose hands, feet, side and head were pierced because of his total commitment to the Master, God his Father. Beyond just using this verse in the Psalm as a springboard to make a point, I believe we can say that the writer to the Hebrews is actually interpreting it for us - this is what it actually means as far as God is concerned (see next verse). Yes this is David's pen, but the Holy Spirit is somehow superintending, as we can be sure he does in all Scripture (2 Tim 3:16).
7) The writings in the book are about me. In the context of the previous verse (with New Testament insight), we can see that indeed the writings in both the Old Testament and the New all point to Jesus Christ.
8) Verse 8 continues this 'speech of Jesus', in effect. He embodied and fulfilled the Law. (This 'speech' may even continue on to verse 10, because all of that can be said to relate to his earthly ministry, but it's hard to say for sure.)
17) But I am poor and destitute. An appropriate place to leave the reader, reminded that, after all is said, we are bankrupt in every sense without the help of our Saviour (see Matt 5:3).
(v1-5) David praises God for all he has done in the past.
(v6-10) David praises God for all he is doing in the present.
(v11-17) David looks to God to act for his benefit in the future (near and far).
3) Many shall see. God's relating to and through believers is how others will come to know him. That's why we must represent him faithfully (in every sense - including the sense of 'unswervingly' as well as 'accurately').
4) Blessed is the man who establishes Yahweh as his trust and doesn’t turn to the proud. Our faith must not be diverted to any person or thing. Where do we seek our instruction? If we say (as many church constitutions do) that the Bible is sufficient in all faith and practice, why do so many of us derive our beliefs from books other than the Bible - which don't claim to be the words of God himself? Helpful as those may be, our primary source of getting to know and love our Saviour must be careful, prayerful and deliberate study and meditation on his Word.
6) You have pierced ears for me. This seems to come out of nowhere to a Westerner, but it refers to a Jewish ritual by which a slave could commit to his master for life by letting his master pierce his ear and from then on wear an earring in it, signifiying his commitment (see Exo 21). This verse (and the next) are quoted in Hebrews 10:5-7, but the phrase is replaced with "a body you have prepared for me". The writer to the Hebrews is using the LXX (Septuagint) translation there, but under the inspiration of the Spirit he is highlighting that Jesus fulfilled this ritual to the nth degree by being a body whose hands, feet, side and head were pierced because of his total commitment to the Master, God his Father. Beyond just using this verse in the Psalm as a springboard to make a point, I believe we can say that the writer to the Hebrews is actually interpreting it for us - this is what it actually means as far as God is concerned (see next verse). Yes this is David's pen, but the Holy Spirit is somehow superintending, as we can be sure he does in all Scripture (2 Tim 3:16).
7) The writings in the book are about me. In the context of the previous verse (with New Testament insight), we can see that indeed the writings in both the Old Testament and the New all point to Jesus Christ.
8) Verse 8 continues this 'speech of Jesus', in effect. He embodied and fulfilled the Law. (This 'speech' may even continue on to verse 10, because all of that can be said to relate to his earthly ministry, but it's hard to say for sure.)
17) But I am poor and destitute. An appropriate place to leave the reader, reminded that, after all is said, we are bankrupt in every sense without the help of our Saviour (see Matt 5:3).