Psalm 40
A Song of a Believer.
Psa 40:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
Psa 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.
Psa 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Psa 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
Psa 40:6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Psa 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
Psa 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Psa 40:9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
Psa 40:10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have
declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
Psa 40:11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
Psa 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.
Psa 40:13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
Psa 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.
Psa 40:15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
Psa 40:16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
Psa 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.
Psalm of a believer
David was a true believer, in this Psalm, we hear David’s testimony to that very fact.
Today in many churches, even evangelical churches, there is a false Gospel being preached.
We are warned of this in Matt 24. We are warned of this throughout the New Testament.
1 Tim 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Matt 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Because of this false teaching, this false Gospel, there are many who are led astray and think that they are Christians when in fact they have not been truly regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Hearing a watered down version of the Gospel.
Come to Jesus and all will be well, no need to repent, no need to change.
If you read this Psalm and do not understand the language of the Psalm, you will realise that you are not a genuine born again believer.
If you read this Psalm and understand the language that David is using, you will be blessed in recognising that you too have been delivered from a similar situation.
If you are born again but are riddled with doubt, wondering if you are really a Christian, this Psalm is for you also. For if you can identify with the words of David, you will be encouraged and will gain assurance of your salvation.
This psalm helps both sets of people.
If you can read this psalm and recognise the truth in it you will see that it is talking about David, it is talking about the Messiah and it talking about you.
This psalm can give you new assurance but it can also show you whether or not you are a true Christian.
The Apostle Paul tells us that we should examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith.
2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
It is a test of faith.
VV1 - 5
David recognises his sin and who it was that delivered him.
Psa 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
David here recognises his terrible situation, he knew he was sinking in sin and he says,”He” brought me up.
He knew the state of his heart before a holy God.
This is the place where we all must come to, if we are to be saved. When we recognise our sin and the fact that we are lost.
This can only come through the convicting power of the Holy Ghost.
When He (The Holy Spirit ) comes he will convict men of sin, righteousness and judgement.
John 16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
If you recognise this in yourself and you know that you only have Jesus Christ to turn to, then you understand the language of this Psalm.
From this state there are only two options.
1. Accept the fact and trust Christ.
2. Accept the fact but do nothing about it.
By this you will know which camp you are in, Saved or Lost.
David’s words tell us, he knew that he was a sinner in need of a saviour and that this saviour was God.
If we understand this language, then we too can say with David.
Psa 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.
The Psalm goes on to say that any man who puts his trust in the Lord is blessed.
Psa 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Only you knows, whether or not you have repented of your sin and put your trust in God through Christ
By this you can have renewed assurance of your salvation, or you must recognise that you are still in that state of sin and still in the miry clay, still in the pit.
V5 shows David’s praise of the fact that it was indeed God who did this. That God knows all about us and yet His thoughts are to us - ward.
Psa 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
There is one thing we recognise when we get saved. We recognise the depth of our sin and the nearer we get to Christ the more we realise it.
This only makes us realise how much God loves us.
While we were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
VV 6 &7
Psa 40:6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
If someone does not come to my aid, I will remain lost.
Lost and in need of a Saviour.
This truth was revealed through the Word of God. Whether by reading or by preaching, our ears were opened and so our eyes were opened and we saw glory of the Gospel.
2 Tim 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
It was only then that we could respond to the call from God.
And here is the wonder of it, Psa 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
Our names were written in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world.
How does salvation manifest itself?
It manifests itself in a changed heart and a changed life. We have a love for the Lord, a love for the Word and a love for the Lord’s people.
Most of all we should have a love for the lost.
Psa 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
Psa 40:9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
Psa 40:10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
This is the fruit of salvation, not that it happens all at once but it is something that we should look for in our lives as Christ changes us by the
power of the Spirit.
Jesus said John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Psalm 40:3 many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Has there been a change.
Can people see this change. Have we seen the change. Have others seen a change?
We do not change ourselves and then accept Christ. Christ saves us and then He changes us.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
This is all past tense, a done deal.
Whilst this Psalm relates to David’s situation, it also reveals the glory of the Gospel, it prophesies the sacrifice at Calvary.
Psalm 40: 6 – 10
This is made clear by the writer to the Hebrews, quoting Psalm 40.
Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith,
Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
The Saviour revealed.
Prophecy of Jesus sacrifice. These are the words of Jesus.
Hebrews 10: 4 -13 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Nothing we can do. No sacrifice that we can make.
John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
We are saved through the preaching of the Word. (Jesus is the Living Word.)
This can be seen in the very well known hymn by Augustus M. Toplady, 1740-1778
1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.
2. Not the labors of my hands
can fulfil thy law's commands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.
3. Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Saviour, or I die.
4. While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
V11 - 17
Relationship with God
We see the result of salvation, in that David is in fellowship with God.
How do we know? Because he is conversing with God.
Psa 40:11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy loving kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
Psa 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.
Psa 40:13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
Psa 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.
Psa 40:15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
Psa 40:16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
The main way we maintain a good relationship with anyone is through communication.
It is no different with our heavenly Father.
We were saved through Christ and we are kept by Christ.
David knew this only to well. It was God that sought him, it was God that lifted him up from the pit, it was God that brought him through the valley of the shadow of death, Psalm 23, it was God that delivered him out of the hands of his enemies and it would be God that preserves him to the end of his days.
The final verse of this Psalm is also very revealing.
Psa 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.
For all that God had done for him, David still recognised his sin, yes he was a sinner but he was a sinner saved by grace.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
The closer we get to God the more His light reveals who and what we are.
I am poor and needy, yet You oh Lord love me anyway.
1 John 1:6-8 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
