Psalm 40 - Great is the Lord

Introduction

This Psalm is not in isolation, but is included in several Psalms 37, 38, 39 that talk about waiting on the Lord.

Psalm 40 is the answer to the waiting.

God deserves are praise and trust, for he is great!

1. Praise God for All He Has Done!

David is rejoicing b/c God has delivered him from a horrible situation. We are not sure what that situation is ,but we know he has suffered much at the hands of his enemies and from his own sin.

The last two sermons have highlighted the suffering of David.

Ps. 38 - Suffering spiritually, relationally, and physically.

Ps. 39 - David’s situation was so bad that he wanted God to show him the shortness of this life so he could know the hope of God.

In all of his hardship, David waited on the Lord.

Again, we see this in Ps. 38 and 39, and now his waiting produces fruit.

Church, what is your natural response in the midst of hardship.

What do you do when things are not the way you would like them to be?

How do you respond when you find yourself in the pit of despair?

David waits on the Lord!

v.2 - While in the “pit” he waited.

Again, we don’t know what this pit is, but Boice points out it could have been:

The pit of disobedience

The pit of bad situation

The pit of bad habits

The pit of bad relationships

Regardless of the what situation David is referring to we can all relate.

What we see from this text is that David, regardless of this situation, trusted in the faithfulness of God by waiting.

vv.1-3 - David’s waiting paid off:

God noticed

God heard

God got him out of the pit.

God set him on firm ground.

God gave him a new song. (8x of God’s new working, and in Rev. speaking of the one who can bring about God’s judgements - John saw a lion and a lamb and a new song of redemption is sung)

So, this should not be a surprise to us! God has a habit of delivering those who are in a pit.

Joseph

Daniel

Jeremiah

Jesus

You

As a response to God’s faithfulness David praises him. Let me ask, when is the last time you thanked God - no, when is the last time you praised God for what he has done in your life.

Have you ever thanked God for being a part of a faithful church family.

For having unhindered access to his word, and opportunity to talk with freely in prayer?

These are all a blessing b/c of God’s sovereignty. David is praising God for his ever involved hand in his life.

- Ps.139.7-13 “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.”

Beyond worshiping God for his faithfulness in every area of life, David gives two ways personal priase blesses others.

v. 3 - Evangelism - “Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.”

David praised God so that his enemies could know the goodness of God.

vv. 9-10 - Encouragement - Ps. 40.9-10 “I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.”

When you praise God for what he has done you declare his greatness into a world that doesn’t know him, and to a people who need to be reminded of him.

A simple and routine way you do this is when you gather and sing together in worship.

When we look around we see one another, not just singing songs, but declaring the greatness of God.

When I am doubting God’s faithfulness, when I am buried under the conviction of my sin - I see you seeing the truths of God’s faithfulness, salvation, deliverance, and love and I am encouraged!

Let’s never get tired of Praising God for All He Has Done!

2. Praise God the Way He Desires (vv.3-8)

As David sought to praise God he recognized his own inability. As prideful humans we are always tempted to think we know what is best. We think we can choose to praise God however we would like as long as it looks good.

I have heard it said, “God doesn’t care how we worship him, he just wants us to worship him.”

I understand the heart of this statement, but the reasoning doesn’t add up.

vv.6-8 - David points out that God doesn’t just want our worship, he wants our hearts and lives.

Though God instituted the sacrificial system, he did not want any sacrifice that was void of the heart.

Ps. 40:6 “In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.”

The significance of proper worship that is from the heart can be seen by these verses being quoted in Hebrews 10 in relation to Christ.

Heb. 10.5-7 “Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ””

What David is sharing here has been fulfilled in Christ. The sacrificial system was merely a shadow of Christ who came to perfectly carry out the will of God as written in his word.

v.8 - David emphasizes this point by sharing where the delight to obey God comes from.

“your law is within my heart.”

v.6 - Look back with me to Ps.40.6 “In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required.”

God’s concern is not with outward ritual, but heartfelt worship.

Ex. 21 there is a reference to laws about slaves.

Explain...

By referencing the ear (v.6), the scroll of the book (v.7), and God’s word being upon his heart (v.8) David is saying acceptable worship in the eyes of God originates from his word because he God.

Church, we get the privilege of praising God for all that he has done, in the way that he desires - it is then that the world will see and hear the gospel and the believers around us will be encouraged to press on in the faith.

3. Trust God in All That He Does (vv.11-

We declare the greatness of God by praising him for all that he has done, by praising him the way that he desires, and by trusting him in all that he does.

Some have wanted to divide this Psalm, and I understand why. David seems to be praising God for deliverance but then turns again to ask for deliverance.

However, I don’t believe it should be divided. I believe we see a common pattern in the normal christian life.

The pattern of moving from mountain top and valley low in the same breath. For every celebration there seems to be a sorrow.

However, through it all David is showing his trust in the Lord.

Whatever pit he found himself in, though evils encompassed him, sins haunted him, or whatever anxiety seemed to hide to the joys of life - he trusts that God’s deliverance was near.

David was at the end of his ability yet again, so he cries out to God for help!

v. 17 - He is poor and needy, he could not judge his accusers, he was not worthy.

Like wise, his accusers did not deserve to judge him, they were not worthy.

But, God is faithful and just - He had not left David.

- v.17 - “The Lord takes thought of me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.”

David knew that God was great in all of his ways, and he alone reserved the right to judge the wicked and place joy in the hearts of the righteous!

In all that God was doing, David praised and trusted Lord.

Conclusion

Lets not miss that David also petitioned God for all who seek him to find joy

Friends, David’s prayer should be an encouragement to us b/c it has been answered in Christ.

John 6:37–40 (ESV)

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Great is the Lord! Jesus came fully trusting in the will of the Father and praising the father perfectly as a once for all sacrifice for sinners!

Just as God had given David a new song, this is the song of the saints - Great is the Lord!

Intro -

Stunt Skydiver comes to the end of himself before throwing his emergency shoot.

David has come to the end of himself - “As for me, I am poor and needy.”

He was disressed, physically, relationally, and spiritually. To the point he knew he could not help himself.

Ps. 38.6 “I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning.”

Ps. 40.2 “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog...”

I think some of us have not come to the end of ourselves. We are hindered in our view of God, and as a result our praise of God, because we think too highly of ourselves.

In this Psalm David is able to praise God because he has recognized the greatness of God. He was through trying to fashion God into his own image - He wanted all of God! Nothing else could save him.

Do you want all of God, or do you just want the parts you are comfortable with?

Would you consider yourself a loving, kind, gracious person? If so, do you gravitate to those qualities in God, and praise him more when he displays those qualities in your life?

Maybe you would consider yourself a direct, orderly, details oriented person. If so, are you more comfortable with the attributes of God that point out his law, his wrath, his judgement upon sin?

Whichever group you find yourself in, it could be that you worship God when he is most like you, but you avoid him when he is not.

In Psalm 40, David praises God because of his greatness, but he does so when God delivers him from a “pit,” and when he is in another compromising situation.

Praise the Lord for ALL He Has Done (vv.1-10)

David praises God in two ways:

Private Praise (vv.1-3) - David begins by praising God b/c he is trustworthy.

He waited on the Lord in Ps. 37-38 and here God delivers him.

he met with me, he heard me, he picked me up, set me up, and gave me a new song.

David praised God privately, but he didn’t allow his declaration of the greatness of God to stop there.

Public Praise (3b-5,&9-10)

v.3 - Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.

v.5 - David, remember at the end of himself, praises God for his greatness.

God has multiplied his wonderous deeds and his thoughts toward David.

None, can compare to you!

David cant help himself, “I will proclaim and tell of them, even though they are more than can be told.”

Have you considered the greatness of God? Have you come to a place where you can look past yourself to see the immeasurable wonders of God?

David did, and it led him to priase God!

vv.6-8 - David explains how one should praise God in light of his greatnesss. It is not enough to simply sing, testify, or pray - those can be simple religious rituals, but in the lives of those who “ears have been opened” and God’s word placed on their hearts - they will praise him with their whole lives.

Heb. 10:5 and following, Jesus is given as the ultimate fulfillment to David’s declaration here. He, with his ears perfectly opened to the will of the Father, is the perfect sacrifice once and for all.

v.6 - “ears opened”

Slavery and whole body obedience

vv.9-10 - David’s public praise moves from evangelism (v.3) to encouragement in vv.9-10.

David was unable to contain himself. He had been delivered by the perfectly just and merciful God. The Lord heard him, listened to him, rescued him...

Church, Jesus has done this fully for you! What David knew about God in part we konw fully - You have been given ears to hear and eyes to see the greatness of God in Christ.

When we stand before his greatness we are honored to praise him however he sees fit.

Our mere sacrfices are nothing in comparison to Christ’s, and all our religious efforts are made pleasing in Christ.

Our lives become a sacrifice of praise b/c we have come to the end of ourselves adn expereinced the delivereance, faithfulness, salvation, and love that only God can give.

David’s priase could not be restrained our hidden - he had been delivered!

Spurgeon - I have a great need for Christ, and a great Christ for my need.” Let’s priase him!

2. Trust Godin All He is doing