Commentary on
Psalm Forty

Let Redemption Shine

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I Waited Patiently

Psalm 40

¹ I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
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.
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.
⁴ Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
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.
⁶ Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. ⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
⁸ I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
⁹ I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.
¹⁰ I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
¹¹ Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
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.
¹³ Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.
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.
¹⁵ Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
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.
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.

One of the important themes of the Book of Job is that we must wait on the Lord. When we open our lives to His changes, He may begin to make drastic changes. In time we will see and understand, but there is time in which we must wait and believe that His love is still with us. Job more than anyone had a enormous burden of reasonable doubt. The Lord knows that we cry, but we must "wait patiently" (vs.1) for Him to reveal that He has heard and is working on our behalf.

Sing a New Song

Redemption comes to those who wait on the Lord. This is not the release of future reward in heaven. This is the real and tangible hand of God in David's life redeeming him from the pit . This the psalmist says is already occurred. David has been rescued, set on firm ground and shown a new path (vs.2). More. The Lord has put a "new song" on his lips, a song of praise to God (vs.3).

David continues: "many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD." (vs.3). The song David's lips raises up David, but is also a call on to all who hear it. All who hear the clear unadulterated song of praise to God are touched at a level below their intellect, below all of their excuses, and they must answer, where is my relationship with the Lord. The honesty of pure worship, strips away hypocrisy. The result is FEAR of the Lord (vs.3). Fear of the Lord is one of the most enduring and most misunderstood themes of the Bible.

The fear of the world is fear to drive us to distraction, depression, to barricade ourselves behind defenses. Fear of the Lord is to understand how fully God HATES our sin. He is merciful and patient. God will extend a hand for our redemption. But if we cling to sin and look upon God, we fear. Confronted with our sin the righteous heart will turn to God, ask for and trust in redemption (vs.3). God will redeem.

Psalm 51 has a very similar pattern: "Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. ... Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar" (Psalm 51:14-19). Here is the same pattern: 'I have sinned' > 'redeem me from my sin' > 'I will praise you' > 'others will return to sacrifice to you'.