Psalm 40
A Basic Outline
David’ patient petition, 1a
God’s faithful, thorough response, 1b-3a
…He inclined to me and heard…
…brought me up out…horrible pit/miry clay
…set my feet upon rock/established
…put a new song in my mouth..praise
Impact on other believers, 3b
…see it..fear..will trust in the Lord
David’s conclusion, 4
…blessed is the man who makes the Lord…
…does not respect the proud…
David’s praise, 5
…many..are Your wonderful works
…Your thoughts..can’t be recounted..more than can be numbered
God’s desire: obedience from the heart, 6-8
…sacrifice/offering..not desire
…burnt/sin offering..not require
…I delight to do You will..
…Your law is within my heart..
David’s behavior: public witness, 9-10
…proclaimed..in the great assembly
…I have not hidden Your righteousness..
…I have declared Your faithfulness..
…I have not concealed Your lovingkindness..
David’s request: deliverance, 11-17
.Request for self
…do not withhold..continually preserve..
.Reason
…for innumerable evils have surrounded..
…my iniquities have overtaken..
…they are more than..my heart fails me.
.Request against enemy
…be pleased..to deliver..to help me!
…let them be ashamed..who seek to destroy..
…let them be driven..who wish me evil..
…let them be confounded..who say..
.Request for others who are faithful
…let all those who seek You rejoice..
…let such as love Your salvation say..
.Request for self
…I am poor and needy yet the Lord..
…You are my help..Do not delay
What sticks out?
From a horrible pit to praise. God’s deliverance is thorough. It impacts me and others.
What difference does this make?
Is there room for hope when I’m in the pit? “Yes” says David. God is able to deliver me from the pit like circumstances of life. His deliverance is such that those around me will be impacted. Nancy is just the latest example.
What sticks out?
“Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order.” = you think about Your people so much that we can’t keep track of them.
What difference does this make?
The next time I’m lonely or frustrated I want to dwell on this. I want to feed on Your faithfulness. Your thoughts toward us are too many to be counted. That’s amazing. My feelings of being alone or forgotten are wrong.
What sticks out?
“…innumerable evils have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me…my heart fails” the context bears out that David is overwhelmed by enemies and his own failure. At the end of the psalm he summarizes, “but I am poor and needy…” David contrasts himself to the righteous in v16… “They seek…they love…but I am poor..”
Having admitted His own poor condition, David points out, “Yet the Lord thinks upon me.”
What difference does this make?
David can be honest about his circumstances, not only personal enemies but also personal frailty. Nevertheless David hopes because of the Lord’s character…”the Lord thinks upon me.” How deep is Your love! What a relief that I can be honest about me need. That you know of my neediness and still think on me. May I know of my neighbor’s frailty and treat them as God treats me.