Psa 40:3 | KingComments | STEP | David asked the LORD if He would deliver him from the anger of God that he was suffering because of his iniquity ( ). In Psalm 40, the LORD answers David’s request. The answer comes through Christ, the Son of David, Who came to this world ( ) to do the will of God, namely, to save David and all of us. This is a Messianic psalm. It is about the Lord Jesus. This is clear from Hebrews 10, where of this psalm are not listed as a quote from David, but are attributed to Christ. He speaks these words at His coming into the world ( ). The psalm represents the Lord Jesus Who becomes the obedient Servant on earth in the body God has prepared for Him. On earth He is afflicted and needy, while He waits patiently on God for help. Chronologically, it seems that should be at the end of the psalm. This first section of the psalm deals with the resurrection of Christ and its consequences. From to the end, it is about the coming of Christ and His sufferings. It is different in this psalm than in numerous other psalms where the depth of suffering is described first and ends with a song of redemption and victory. We see that in this psalm Christ endures the sorrows of His people and is being tested in order to be an encouraging example for them. He waits for deliverance by His God as He submits to the will of God. In this psalm it is occasionally about the atoning suffering as substitute for His people. The main idea is the suffering of Christ as encouragement for the faithful remnant in the great tribulation to follow Him in it. For “for the choir director” ( ) see at Psalm 4:1. For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1. There is no direct point of reference in David’s life that could be an occasion for writing this psalm. The Spirit of Christ inspired him to write this psalm with Christ in mind. David or rather the Spirit of Christ begins the psalm by pointing out that he has “patiently”, in the sense of very strongly, “waited for the LORD” ( ). It has not been merely a weak expectation, but he has waited intensely. With him, perseverance has been a perfect work ( ). He has continued to trust in God while he suffered deeply, and God did not intervene. This was particularly true of Christ. His life on earth was suffering, especially during the last week of His life on earth. His example will be a special encouragement to the believing remnant when they suffer in the great tribulation. Christ experienced how God bowed down to Him. God has, as it were, kept His ear to Christ’s mouth. In this way He listened attentively to His cries for help. We hear this cry for help from Him when He offers prayers and supplications in Gethsemane to Him Who is able to save Him from death. And He is heard because of His piety ( ), after He has gone the whole way of obedience to God. A first answer to His supplications happened at the moment He commits His spirit into the hands of the Father. Then the work is finished. After the three hours of darkness in which the Lord Jesus is forsaken by God, there is again fellowship with His God. He is then brought up “out of the pit of destruction” ( ; cf. ). By this is meant the water of God’s judgment that has come upon Him. He has been submerged in the miry clay of our sins. The further fulfillment of the answering occurs, when the glory of the Father raises the Lord Jesus from the dead ( ), and sets His “feet upon a rock”. The resurrection is the solid, unshakable ground on which every believer stands who is connected to Christ through His work on the cross. On that way, the footsteps are made firm. There is no danger of falling into the pit again and sinking into the miry clay again. This dealing of God in favor of Him in His deliverance is followed by the new song He puts into Christ’s mouth ( ). It is the song of complete deliverance from judgment because it was borne by Him. The new song is always connected with redemption (cf. ). The new song that is in His mouth becomes “a song of praise to our God”, which is a song of praise sung by all who call God “our God”. They belong to the Lord Jesus by faith in Him. Through His work, His God has also become their God (cf. ; ). From what God has done in the resurrection of Christ, a testimony goes forth that is seen by many. As a result, they will fear God and trust in Him. This will also be true in the end time, when the believing remnant will sing the new song of salvation, having suffered with and for the sake of Christ, and have also been heard as He was heard. It is a testimony to all. The same is true for us. Our lives are connected with the risen Lord. The new song we sing, the song of the Lamb, is also based on the sacrifice of Christ. It is a testimony to those around us, through which there will be those who will come to trust in God. We are the first of the many who will sing the new song in heaven ( ). We are already singing the new song on earth as a song of thanksgiving for the redemption given to us in Christ. Surely it is not possible to remain silent about His surrender to God, through which we have been saved from judgment and have received countless blessings, is it? Those who, following Christ, put their trust in God are “blessed“ or happy in the fullest sense of the word ( ; cf. ). The circumstances in which this occurs are mentioned in the second part of the verse. It is a time when many turn to people who are proud. Proud people trust in themselves and not in God. These are people who want to take the place of God; this is the very heart of the devil’s sin ( ), who wanted to be like God. We see these proud people in the mass of apostate Jews. They reject the truth in Christ and resort to the lie ( ). Proudness and falsehood are the characteristics of the antichrist and his followers. Those who do not go along with this, but trust in God against the current, are blessed. David, through the Spirit of Christ, expresses his marvel about the wonders the LORD his God has done to all who are of the remnant ( ). Every believer who is kept from being carried away in the apostasy is a wonder worked by God. This applies to the believers in the great tribulation. He has kept them. In fact, this is about the many wonders that the LORD has done for us in the past, especially in connection with Christ’s coming to earth. God’s wonders for His own are evident in every believer in all ages and in His people as a whole, both in the Old and New Testament. Not only has God done many wonders, but He also has His thoughts about His own. These include His counsel, His purposes to bless all His own. His blessings include taking away our sins and allowing us to share in all the effects of Christ’s work. All of these thoughts have been accomplished by Christ. They are so numerous that they cannot be counted. They are also so great that they cannot be comprehended. The meaning is that it is not possible to place them in any particular order or also that nothing can be compared to Him. We simply do not have the words or the knowledge for it (cf. ). We know in part or piece by piece ( ). We cannot comprehend the entire picture and can only see blessing after blessing, marvel at it, and honor Him for it.

‏ Psalms 40:3

Introduction

David asked the LORD if He would deliver him from the anger of God that he was suffering because of his iniquity (Psa 39:8). In Psalm 40, the LORD answers David’s request. The answer comes through Christ, the Son of David, Who came to this world (Psa 40:7) to do the will of God, namely, to save David and all of us.

This is a Messianic psalm. It is about the Lord Jesus. This is clear from Hebrews 10, where Psa 40:6-8 of this psalm are not listed as a quote from David, but are attributed to Christ. He speaks these words at His coming into the world (Heb 10:5-7). The psalm represents the Lord Jesus Who becomes the obedient Servant on earth in the body God has prepared for Him. On earth He is afflicted and needy, while He waits patiently on God for help.

Chronologically, it seems that Psa 40:1b-4 should be at the end of the psalm. This first section of the psalm deals with the resurrection of Christ and its consequences. From Psa 40:6 to the end, it is about the coming of Christ and His sufferings. It is different in this psalm than in numerous other psalms where the depth of suffering is described first and ends with a song of redemption and victory.

We see that in this psalm Christ endures the sorrows of His people and is being tested in order to be an encouraging example for them. He waits for deliverance by His God as He submits to the will of God. In this psalm it is occasionally about the atoning suffering as substitute for His people. The main idea is the suffering of Christ as encouragement for the faithful remnant in the great tribulation to follow Him in it.

A New Song

For “for the choir director” (Psa 40:1a) see at Psalm 4:1.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalm 3:1.

There is no direct point of reference in David’s life that could be an occasion for writing this psalm. The Spirit of Christ inspired him to write this psalm with Christ in mind.

David or rather the Spirit of Christ begins the psalm by pointing out that he has “patiently”, in the sense of very strongly, “waited for the LORD” (Psa 40:1b). It has not been merely a weak expectation, but he has waited intensely. With him, perseverance has been a perfect work (Jam 1:4). He has continued to trust in God while he suffered deeply, and God did not intervene.

This was particularly true of Christ. His life on earth was suffering, especially during the last week of His life on earth. His example will be a special encouragement to the believing remnant when they suffer in the great tribulation.

Christ experienced how God bowed down to Him. God has, as it were, kept His ear to Christ’s mouth. In this way He listened attentively to His cries for help. We hear this cry for help from Him when He offers prayers and supplications in Gethsemane to Him Who is able to save Him from death. And He is heard because of His piety (Heb 5:7), after He has gone the whole way of obedience to God.

A first answer to His supplications happened at the moment He commits His spirit into the hands of the Father. Then the work is finished. After the three hours of darkness in which the Lord Jesus is forsaken by God, there is again fellowship with His God. He is then brought up “out of the pit of destruction” (Psa 40:2; cf. Psa 69:2 ; 14). By this is meant the water of God’s judgment that has come upon Him. He has been submerged in the miry clay of our sins.

The further fulfillment of the answering occurs, when the glory of the Father raises the Lord Jesus from the dead (Rom 6:4), and sets His “feet upon a rock”. The resurrection is the solid, unshakable ground on which every believer stands who is connected to Christ through His work on the cross. On that way, the footsteps are made firm. There is no danger of falling into the pit again and sinking into the miry clay again.

This dealing of God in favor of Him in His deliverance is followed by the new song He puts into Christ’s mouth (Psa 40:3). It is the song of complete deliverance from judgment because it was borne by Him. The new song is always connected with redemption (cf. Rev 14:3).

The new song that is in His mouth becomes “a song of praise to our God”, which is a song of praise sung by all who call God “our God”. They belong to the Lord Jesus by faith in Him. Through His work, His God has also become their God (cf. Jn 20:17; Heb 2:12).

From what God has done in the resurrection of Christ, a testimony goes forth that is seen by many. As a result, they will fear God and trust in Him. This will also be true in the end time, when the believing remnant will sing the new song of salvation, having suffered with and for the sake of Christ, and have also been heard as He was heard. It is a testimony to all.

The same is true for us. Our lives are connected with the risen Lord. The new song we sing, the song of the Lamb, is also based on the sacrifice of Christ. It is a testimony to those around us, through which there will be those who will come to trust in God.

We are the first of the many who will sing the new song in heaven (Rev 5:9 ; Rev 14:3). We are already singing the new song on earth as a song of thanksgiving for the redemption given to us in Christ. Surely it is not possible to remain silent about His surrender to God, through which we have been saved from judgment and have received countless blessings, is it?

Those who, following Christ, put their trust in God are “blessed“ or happy in the fullest sense of the word (Psa 40:4; cf. Psa 1:1). The circumstances in which this occurs are mentioned in the second part of the verse. It is a time when many turn to people who are proud. Proud people trust in themselves and not in God. These are people who want to take the place of God; this is the very heart of the devil’s sin (1Tim 3:6), who wanted to be like God.

We see these proud people in the mass of apostate Jews. They reject the truth in Christ and resort to the lie (2Thes 2:11). Proudness and falsehood are the characteristics of the antichrist and his followers. Those who do not go along with this, but trust in God against the current, are blessed.

David, through the Spirit of Christ, expresses his marvel about the wonders the LORD his God has done to all who are of the remnant (Psa 40:5). Every believer who is kept from being carried away in the apostasy is a wonder worked by God. This applies to the believers in the great tribulation. He has kept them.

In fact, this is about the many wonders that the LORD has done for us in the past, especially in connection with Christ’s coming to earth. God’s wonders for His own are evident in every believer in all ages and in His people as a whole, both in the Old and New Testament.

Not only has God done many wonders, but He also has His thoughts about His own. These include His counsel, His purposes to bless all His own. His blessings include taking away our sins and allowing us to share in all the effects of Christ’s work. All of these thoughts have been accomplished by Christ. They are so numerous that they cannot be counted. They are also so great that they cannot be comprehended.

The meaning is that it is not possible to place them in any particular order or also that nothing can be compared to Him. We simply do not have the words or the knowledge for it (cf. 1Cor 2:9). We know in part or piece by piece (1Cor 13:9). We cannot comprehend the entire picture and can only see blessing after blessing, marvel at it, and honor Him for it.