Episode Transcript
Psalm 40 (NIV)
I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
and put their trust in him.
...
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
but my ears you have opened—
burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, my God;
your law is within my heart.”
...
Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.
Be pleased to save me, LORD;
come quickly, LORD, to help me.
May all who want to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.
May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be appalled at their own shame.
But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The LORD is great!”
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay.
CONSIDER THIS
Today’s post is from A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms by Timothy and Julie Tennent. He holds the Methodist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School and served as president of Asbury Theological Seminary for fifteen years. She is a gifted musician and was one of the driving forces that helped bring to fruition the Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. We will share some of their writing on the Psalms on Sundays.
We are accustomed to psalms depicting situations of trial, hardship, and even deep lament. However, the customary movement is from peril to praise or from hardship to hope. This psalm, in contrast, boldly opens with the servant of God rejoicing over God’s deliverance. He has “lifted me out of the slimy pit . . . [and] set my feet on a rock” (v. 2). He has “put a new song in my mouth” (v. 3). The psalmist declares the wonderful works of God and presents himself as the servant of God prepared to do God’s will. However, in verse 12, the tone dramatically shifts. David finds himself in grave difficulty. He says, “Troubles without number surround me” and “my heart fails within me.” The psalm then transitions to that famous prayer of deliverance (which also serves independently as Psalm 70), which constitutes the closing five verses of the psalm.
This unexpected journey is important to remember, for this is, of course, the journey of our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as every Jewish sacrifice was like a promissory note awaiting a future fulfillment in Christ, so all the Psalms are like promissory notes awaiting their fullest expression and fulfillment in Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44). The Psalms are simultaneously 150 journeys (representing the spiritual journeys of all of us) and the single journey of Christ, who sings every psalm with us. The incarnation is the greatest example of God’s own journey. From all eternity, the Son of God dwelled in the midst of praise and rejoicing. Yet, in the incarnation, the second person of the Trinity came and dwelt among us as Jesus Christ. One of the driving themes of the New Testament is to demonstrate how Jesus fulfills all of the great Old Testament themes. In particular, Jesus came to fulfill the law, the prophets, the priesthood, the kingship, the messianic hope, the sacrificial system, and the Suffering Servant, to name a few.
The book of Hebrews seeks to establish that Jesus came to fulfill all sacrifices by offering up himself as the final sacrifice. Hebrews 10:5 places Psalm 40:6–8 in the mouth of Christ by saying, “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said . . .” and then the verses from Psalm 40 are stated: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, O God’” (Heb. 10:5–7). All of the sacrifices are finally acceptable only because Jesus Christ offered up himself. Hebrews tells us that the blood of bulls and goats really had no power to take away sin. In the words of this psalm, Jesus could say to the Father, “I have come . . . to do your will, O my God” (Ps. 40:7–8).
At his baptism, he stood prepared to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). Yet, that set the Son of God on a difficult and perilous journey that would, in time, lead to Gethsemane and to the cross. Jesus’ earthly ministry ended with that desperate prayer for deliverance on his lips found in Psalm 40:13–17. We know that through the resurrection and ascension, God the Father answered that prayer. But for now, it is important to remember that the passion of Jesus Christ did not begin at the time of his arrest in Gethsemane but at his baptism as he stood in the cold waters of the Jordan River. It is at his baptism that Jesus publicly accepted a mission and a journey that would lead to all the great redemptive acts we would later commemorate.
For the Awakening,
Timothy and Julie Tennent
THE HYMN
Sing Psalm 40 with the Seedbed Psalter today. We suggest the tune ELLACOMBE ("Hosanna, Loud Hosanna") for vv. 1–12; and tune DUNDEE ("God Moves in a Mysterious Way") for vv. 13–17. You can hear the tunes played online by Julie here and here, respectively. If you listen to the podcast audio version, we will sing the psalm using these tunes. For your convenience, the words from the Psalter are printed below.
1 I waited for the Lord my God, I waited patiently;
And He in mercy heard my cry; inclined His ear to me.
2 He brought me up out of the pit, out from the miry clay;
He set my feet upon a rock, there firm to stand and stay.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, God’s praise for all to hear;
And many then will trust the Lord who see and learn to fear.
4 How bless’d the one who trusts the Lord, who looks not to the proud;
Nor to the ones who turn aside to false gods all around.
5 For many are Your wonders, Lord, things planned beyond compare;
They are far more than I can count, more than I could declare.
6 An off’ring You have not required, but rather pierced my ears;
Burnt off’ring You have not desired, but rather, one who hears.
7 And so I said, “Behold, I come; it is prescribed for me
8 within Your scroll to do Your will; Your law is deep in me.”
9 I have proclaimed deliverance, glad news for all to hear;
You know I’ve not restrained my lips from speaking far and near.
10 I did not hide Your righteousness alone within my heart;
But I spoke of Your faithfulness; Your truth I did impart.
I’ve not concealed Your steadfast love, Your faithfulness of old;
To the assembly gathered round, I’ve Your salvation told.
11 You’ll not withhold Your mercy, Lord, or keep it far from me;
Your steadfast love and faithfulness keep me continually.
12 For troubles have surrounded me; iniquities flood me
more than the hairs upon my head; my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to save me and come quickly to my aid;
14 For many seek to take my life—let them now be dismayed.
Let those be turned back, put to shame, who in my harm delight;
Leave them appalled and desolate who would destroy my life.
15 Let those who say to me, “Aha!” be shocked at their own shame.
16 But may those seeking You rejoice, and be glad in Your name.
May those who love salvation say, “Exalt the Lord always”!
17 Yet I am needy, think of me! My God, do not delay!
