Then I said, Behold, I come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. He brought me up out of a horrible pit, and set my feet on the _______. It matters little who does forsake us, if he does not. Or he turned himself favorably toward me, as the result of persevering prayer. Confidence for deliverance. Also, such as these who do not trust in Christ and have no respect; they neither esteem them, nor imitate them. 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. It would be of little advantage to us who should think on us, if he did not. He is the subject of the wheel within the wheel. The lesson is, it is always wrong to trust in anything or anyone other than the Lord to get out of your pit, even if it works. Verse 10 says that it is by the second will that we have been sanctified. 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. What a wonderful Savior is ________ _____ _______. 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. 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. Many of them, moreover, are secret, and escape our notice. You dont need a Savior unless you are helpless at the bottom of a slimy pit. For example, Psalm 37:7: Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Again, Psalm 37:9: For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. And again, Psalm 37:34: Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it. But, what does it mean to wait on the Lord? 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.. 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. For a reward: The word used here eqeb means the end, the last of anything. The devil will tempt us to give up trusting in the Lord and to seek fulfillment in other ways. This was not intended to boast or simply inform but to verbalize his loyalty to God in gratitude for Gods loyalty to him. 5. If David turned to some human scheme for deliverance, then David and his ingenuity would get the credit. Blakes Abolish the first what and establish the second what? In the fulfilment of which the lovingkindness, truth, and faithfulness of God, would appear. We read of Paul being beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked, persecuted, and finally sacrificed his life before the emperor of Rome. The NIV Application Commentary offers fantastic background to the meaning of instruments in Psalms. 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. 10:9-10). O Lord, make haste to help me: Literally, Lord, make haste to my help (compare Psalms 22:19; 31:2; 38:22). Registration confirmation will be emailed to you. He enabled them to conquer the powerful Canaanite nations and occupy the Promised Land. Imagery adds to the reader's understanding of a text and its themes. 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. 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. 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. And this not by change of place, but by assumption of nature. 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. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his ________. Psalm 40:17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.. They will let you down. For the choir director. At first, he seemed as one that would not hear; as one that throws his head backward or turns his head away. The more intense your situation, the more intently you wait upon the Lord to fulfill His promises. Rather than follow the structure of the psalm, I want to follow Davids plan for getting out of a pit and his example of what to do when the Lord rescues you. If you think, Oh no, God has abandoned me! But the sacrifice of Jesus Christ removes our sins and our guilt away from us. Yea, thy law is within my heart: I do not only understand it, but receive it with heartiest love. Words, therefore, are insufficient; and some better return than mere words must be found. God always hears the prayers of His own. Because he did not have the indwelling Holy Spirit, he was genuinely concerned that God could finally reject him, something that Christians never have to fear, so he prayed for Gods grace and mercy to be poured out to him again. Psalm 40:4-6 is a We should all know by now that, we cannot trust the world or the people in it. They have peace in their own souls now, and shall enjoy eternal happiness with him hereafter. 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. Some versions say, You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you (ESV). 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. This book is called a volume, or roll, alluding to the manner of writing formerly. He is concerned about the triumph of all righteous people (verse 16). The king of Israel had to abandon his invasion of Judah to defend his northern flank. January 2023 Which are no other than lies. 104). 49:8). The patriarch Joseph experienced the calamity of being thrown into a pit, in a very literal sense. Mark 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. Ps 58:4-9 - incantation - imagery - analogy - serpents - childbirth This article explores the similarities between Ps 58:4-9 and the imagery and logic found in incantatory texts from Syro-Mesopotamia.1 An initial point of departure for comparing incantations from Syro-Mesopotamia with Ps 58:4-9 is the work of the anthropologist Stanley J. Tambiah. And respecteth not the proud: Such as the Pharisees, and all self-righteous persons, who trust in themselves and their own righteousness. Davids situation in the second pit seems to have been a combination of both. 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!. How is imagery used in writing? That is simply, I am not able to see; and it refers to the dimness or failure of sight caused by distress, weakness, or old age (1 Sam. Psalm 40:9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.. When He spoke the words, I am He, they fell backward to the ground. He can take the mud of our sinful clothes and give us holy, white robes. This psalm is simply titled To the Chief Musician. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 5:7). The problem, I believe, is that we do not believe God is this active in our lives. You do not have to be an ordained minister to preach the gospel. What He has promised, He will do. If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count. Maybe David was thinking about the wonders of creation (see Ps. For these psalmists, Zion That Ps 46 makes use of the mythic imagery of the primeval, chaotic waters in presenting a battle between Yahweh and his adversaries has Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.. Partly because agreeable to the divine perfections, the glory of God is great in it; and partly because it is so full and complete in itself, and so suitable to them. (1-5) Christ's work of redemption. 1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. This idea of innocence leads naturally into the lament and petition section of the psalm (verses 11-17). 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. My sins nailed Jesus to the cross. Or when it seemed as if his prayers would not be answered. Because our tendency, even after salvation, is to think that we can do it ourselves, the Lord graciously keeps putting us in one pit after another, so that we cry out to Him. Jesus formally preached three and one half years while He was on the earth. Marla and I do a fair amount of hiking, and we have encountered a lot of mud. King Asa was a classic example of a good man who fell into this trap. 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. For of the time of his coming into the world are these words interpreted (Heb. Each of us must call to the Lord for help us out of our mess. He offered Himself and fulfilled all offerings and sacrifices. A Psalm of David. This is not necessary, since the man of God can present his lament and petition to God, while at the same time offering his thanksgiving. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. March 2022 You may not feel like youre in that pit. David describes to us the great blessings of having a right relationship with God and putting our trust in God. But we need God to help us out of these pits. So as you wait on Him now in whatever pit you may be in, recount His many wonders and His kind thoughts toward you. God does not desire good deeds when we have violated His law. 17:11). And become the Israel of God, are alike indebted to him for the wonderful strains in which he has shown forth and magnified these qualities of the Almighty. David realizes, however, that the sacrifices and burnt offerings are not going to remove his sins from him. Or that in respect to success they might be like a waste and desolate field where nothing grows. We have all failed. It is a song of praise. We must not build upon shifting sand, but on the solid Rock who is our Lord. Jesus in this, had revealed the secret of the offerings and sacrifices and has made us able to hear and understand. But these requirements of the law do not take away sins. They chart a profound and vital relationship with God, with all the ups and downs that Writers use either literal or figurative language to help readers picture or imagine a scene by engaging their senses and evoking emotions. Psalm 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law [is] within my heart.. This is one of the great blessings we miss in this text. The angels in heaven rejoice when _____ __________ comes to Christ. The Word of God created the universe and everything in it for a habitation for man. Easter Join us together in a reading of Psalms and let us life each other up during this troublesome time. The psalmist so fully expresses his commitment to the Lord that the words become prophetic of the same commitment of the Messiah (Heb. Ultimately however, he bent forward to receive my prayer. September 2022 Thats where David was. Keeping this in mind can certainly help us get through the times when we are in the slimy pit. , . He had said before, they have ears to hear and cannot hear. We want it done instantly, but God has other purposes. The implication is that all that God has done for us is so numerous that no one could remotely recount it all. 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. WebImagery is a literary device that refers to the use of figurative language to evoke a sensory experience or create a picture with words for a reader. October 2021 God by His grace had taken him from no footing to sure footing. Maundy Thursday 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. But God has lifted us out of that mire, set us on stable ground, and made us victorious. Commentary for Psalms 40 . Naomi He especially takes note when you are trying to get others into the kingdom of God. 69:2, 14; Jer. Man forsakes me, but he will not. When youre in the pit, wait intently on the Lord and proclaim His goodness when He answers. This page last updated: September 8, 2022. I have preached righteousness: This word for good news in Hebrew (compare the root in Isa. Passover He is the focal point of the whole Bible. When a million-man Ethiopian army invaded Judah, Asa called out to God and affirmed his trust in God alone to deliver them (2 Chron. David loved nothing more than to speak and sing of God in the great assembly.. What happened to the soldiers, when Jesus answered them (I am He)? Many shall see it, and fear: (compare Deut. That is, that they would not be successful, or would be foiled in their purposes. Look at what David says God did for him. He begins John 16 by stating (16:1, 2), These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. But David is telling us it happened to him and it can happen to us. Psalm 40:4-6 is a celebration of Gods character. October 2022 The following notes will help to follow Davids mental movements through these 17 verses: Two situations constitute the framework for the psalmists publicized expressions of worship in Psalm 40. The rest of the psalm describes how David was praying for the deliverance before he received it. David continues his cry to the Lord by declaring his need for Gods mercy, love, and truth to always be around him. David is trying to tell us that doing good deeds does not appease God. Or to any doctrines injurious to the person, office, blood, righteousness, receive the Why does God make His choice servants wait, especially when they could accomplish so much if they were free? Precedent from a Past Situation (40:1-10). 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