Psalm 40

A living sacrifice

Intro

√ David's service to the Lord

In psalm 40 we find David thanking God for all He had done in his life.

Rescued him from his enemies

Saved him from the consequence his own sin

Faithful when all others turned away

In response, David comes to God with the only gift he could give…

…himself.

Ap. What can you give to God that He doesn't already have?

Yourself.

As we follow David's life we'll find that like him we have so much to be thankful to God for…

…and nothing but our love and our life to give in return.

But, that's all that God has ever wanted - our love.

Waiting (vs. 1-3)

Ps. 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.

Ps. 40:2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.

Ps. 40:3 He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.

√ Waiting

Once again we find David is a difficult spot, he describes his situation as…

"a horrible pit" & "miry (slippery) clay"

Whether or not David made this mess for himself we can't be sure, but, whatever the situation was…

…it was one that he could not get himself out of!

Ex. Note the language David uses

Stuck in a deep pit with slippery walls! The picture David paints for us is that he was in a situation from which he could not rescue himself!

Every time he would try and climb out, he'd just slip right back to the bottom of the pit!

So, he prayed and waited for the Lord to rescue him.

√ Patient

David tells us that he waited "patiently" for the Lord to rescue him.

The implication is that God didn't respond right away!

Rather, God heard David's cry and then waited for the right time to respond.

Two things we want to note for our own instruction…

God has a perfect time for answering our prayers

David had learned to be patient!

Waiting patiently

David was a man like all of us - impatient! Yet, he had learned from his experience with God that while God is quick to hear our prayers…

…he may not be quick to answer them!

Yet, David had found in his experience that God's timing was always perfect.

Ex. Jesus' delay to Mary & Martha's request

John 11:3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

John 11:4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

John 11:6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

Jesus' delay was not for lack of love for Lazarus, rather, He delayed in part so that His true Nature could be revealed when He called Lazarus from the grave.

√ Thankful

David's trust in God paid off. The Lord was faithful to rescue David at just the right time, so we find David rejoicing and thanking God for all that He had done.

God took David from…

A pit to a highway

Slippery clay to solid rock

…proving once again that when we're in a situation from which no human being can rescue us, God can and will if we will but wait patiently on Him!

Ap. How's you pit?

I mean - are you in a difficult, or impossible situation from which you cannot rescue yourself?

Follow David's advise - pray to the Lord for help, then wait patiently for the Lord to do in your life what only He can do!

So, learn to wait patiently for the Lord!

Witnessing (vs. 4-10)

Ps. 40:4 Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

Ps. 40:5 Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.

Ps. 40:6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

Ps. 40:7 Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

Ps. 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

Ps. 40:9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O LORD, You Yourself know.

Ps. 40:10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly.

√ Witnessing

When we think of "witnessing" we usually think of sharing the Gospel message. However, I'd suggest that anytime we verbalize…

God's faithfulness in our lives

God's goodness toward us

God's unconditional love for us

…that we are witnessing!

For example, look at the "witnessing" text in Acts 1:8

Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Certainly Jesus had in mind the preaching of the Gospel message, but remember that Jesus is the central theme of that message!

You see, when we speak of the character and nature of Jesus and how it is that in His love He rescued us from our sin and Satan, and what He's currently doing in our lives…

…we're "witnessing" or testifying to others the heart of the Gospel - God's love for Mankind.

Paul says…

Rom. 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

√ How's all that apply to our text in Psalm 40?

Look at what David says about his God…

He blesses those who trust in Him - vs. 4

His wonderful works and thoughts toward those who trust in Him are so many that you can't begin to count them! - vs. 5

He is faithful - vs. 10

He brings salvation - vs. 10

We find David recounting to all who will listen the wonderful works of God in his life. Thus, in vs. 9 he writes…

Ps. 40:9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O LORD, You Yourself know.

The "good news"!

The truth is that God does so much more than just save us! If that's all He did we would have more than enough "good news" to tell the world about….

But, He's gone so far beyond just saving us from our sins.

Ap. What is the "witness" of your lips?

If you had recorded your conversations with people today, what would you hear concerning God's love and work in your life?

I fear that too often people hear us bewail our trials and difficulties.

Complain about how others treat us or how long and difficult our trials are.

Rather than hear us share how awesome our God is and able He is to rescue us from any pit!

Listen, you don't have to share the 4 spiritual laws to "witness" to others.

Ex. My salvation experience

I heard the Gospel message, but what brought me to Jesus was the testimony of all my friends who had already given their lives to Jesus and the wonderful work He was doing in their lives.

I couldn't miss the witness of their lives and what they said about this Jesus!

So, let's be found like David proclaiming the goodness and greatness of our God!

√ The Witness

We can't move on without making mention of verses 6-8 as they have a special application.

They foreshadow the witness of Jesus…

Ps. 40:6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

Ps. 40:7 Then I said, “Behold, I come; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

Ps. 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

The writer of Hebrews uses this text to contrast Jesus' perfect obedience (His witness of the Father's love to redeem us)…

…with the insufficiency of the animal sacrifices demanded in the Law of Moses.

Heb. 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

Heb. 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.

Heb. 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.

Heb. 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

Heb. 10:5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.

Heb. 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.

Heb. 10:7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come-- In the volume of the book it is written of Me-- To do Your will, O God.’”

Heb. 10:8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law),

Heb. 10:9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.

Heb. 10:10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

So, David's words from Psalm 40 are applied to Jesus' Incarnation to fulfill the Father's purpose for Him as written in the "Book" - the Old Testament.

Jesus is the perfect witness of God.

Warring (vs. 11-15)

Ps. 40:11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.

Ps. 40:12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are more than the hairs of my head; Therefore my heart fails me.

Ps. 40:13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me!

Ps. 40:14 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion Who seek to destroy my life; Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor Who wish me evil.

Ps. 40:15 Let them be confounded because of their shame, Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”

√ Warring

As we've so often seen in David's life he finds himself once again surrounded by evil, at war with his many enemies.

So, he turns to the Lord for help because he'd learned that no one else could save him.

While it may be true that you and I are not surrounded by armies, we must none the less never forget that we'll always be at war while in this life.

Ex. Spiritual war

Jesus and the apostles warn believers that we are involved in a great spiritual conflict (Eph. 6:10-18, 2 Cor. 10:3-5). While it may be unseen, it is real none the less and the consequences eternal.

Just as David found that his only hope for deliverance was God…

…so too we must learn to look to Jesus for victory over the enemy.

The truth is that separate from Jesus we are not able to stand against the devil and his power. Yet, in Christ we have all that we need to effectively engage the enemy.

Remember, we're all involved in a war and Jesus alone can bring us victory!

Worshiping (vs. 16-17)

Ps. 40:16 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The LORD be magnified!”

Ps. 40:17 But I am poor and needy; Yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.

√ Worshiping

No matter what the problem in David's life we find him always coming back to worship his God.

The reason is that when you worship you will discover that your troubles will be put in a correct perspective - a Godly perspective.

You'll see your troubles in light of God's power

You'll see what God is doing in your life through the trials

The result is that your heart will be lifted in hope knowing that God is going to work things out in your life…

…even if you have to wait patiently for Him to do so!

Ex. The disciples in Acts 4

Having been beaten and threatened by the religious leaders, and warned not to continue preaching Jesus…

…the disciples call a prayer meeting and begin worshiping God.

The result, God fills them fresh and new with His power to be a witness.

So, when you are confronted with the troubles of this life - don't despair - bring your concerns to the Lord and worship Him.

Close

√ Give yourself to Jesus

In response to all that God had done for him, David offered his body in service to the Lord, a type of Jesus who gave His body in service to the Father.

Ap. We're called to be a living sacrifice - Romans 12:1

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."