Psalm 40 Study

Psalm 40 Study

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 13: Psalms 1–72 Scripture Outline

Smooth waters mean smooth sailing. Rough waters, however, test what we are made of and who commands the ship.

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 13: Psalms 1–72 Scripture Outline

Will our faith hold in the hour of trial? Will God’s promises stand? Part of our ability to answer these questions rests on what we have experienced of God in the past.

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 13: Psalms 1–72 Scripture Outline

A new convert has the advantage of a fresh faith, but a mature Christian has the advantage of an enduring faith. What God has been to us in the past is the promise of what He will be to us in the future, and more

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 13: Psalms 1–72 Scripture Outline

Psalm 40 bears clear witness to what God has done in the past. He has delivered the psalmist from the “horrible pit” and given him a “new song,” and he is bold in his public witness concerning the character of God.

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 13: Psalms 1–72 Scripture Outline

The psalmist needs a new touch of God’s forgiveness and a new experience of God’s freedom from those who wish him evil. He sees himself as “poor and needy,” and he eagerly calls upon the Lord to deliver him.

This Psalm divides into two parts: 1) Thanksgiving (vv1-10) & Personal lament (vv11-17)

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 13: Psalms 1–72 Scripture Outline

The movement of the psalm goes from a witness to what God has done and the response of public worship (vv. 1–10) to a cry for deliverance from sin and enemies (vv. 11–15), an exhortation to worship (v. 16), and a final call for help (v. 17).

VERSES 1-3

Verse 1

“waited patiently”

We often times treat “waiting” as if it is a sign of never getting an answer from God.

Notice the tense of the word wait; PAST TENSE; God did answer him.

Simple read the rest of verse 1.

God operates on His own timetable.

Luke 11:9 “9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

“inclined” — to incline (ear) v. — to bend or turn (one’s ear) towards a speaker in order to listen well.

“heard” — to heed v. — to listen, hear, or pay close attention to, and usually respond in conformity.

Verse 2

In other words, when God HEARS He ACTS.

Don’t overlook the severity of David’s despair. This will help you draw the appropriate love and appreciation for the power of God.

“horrible pit” & “miry clay”

Carries the sense of ROARING WATERS which suggests chaos of DEATH.

“Pit” is often used as a metaphor for death — Psalm 30:3 “3 O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.”

Here we see that God did TWO things for David:

1) Set his feet upon a rock

“Set” = to cause to stand v. — to cause to be standing; cause to be upright.

2) established his goings

“Established” = to make firm v. — to fix firmly in a given place.

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 13: Psalms 1–72 Divine Deliverance

God provided refuge, stability, and security. For David salvation is not only to be saved from something, it is also to be saved for something. Christ rescues us from sin, and He also rescues us for Himself. We are secure and established in Him