Psalm 40

Psalm 40, The Servant Comes to Do God’s Will

Psalm 40 is titled, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. This psalm moves from joyful deliverance, to obedient surrender, to public proclamation, to renewed need for help. David begins by remembering how he waited patiently for the Lord, and the Lord heard him, brought him out of a horrible pit, set his feet upon a rock, and put a new song in his mouth. But the psalm does not remain only in David’s personal experience. Psalm 40:6 to Psalm 40:8 becomes one of the clearest Old Testament passages pointing forward to the Lord Jesus Christ, the perfect Servant who came to do the will of God. Hebrews 10 applies this passage directly to Christ, showing that animal sacrifices could never finally take away sin, but the Son came in a prepared body to accomplish the will of God once for all. Psalm 40 therefore speaks first from David’s experience, but its highest fulfillment is in Christ, the willing Servant, the obedient Son, the final Sacrifice, and the One who perfectly declared God’s righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, lovingkindness, and truth.

A. Proclaiming a Joyful Deliverance

Psalm 40:1 to Psalm 40:3, The Blessed Results of Patient Waiting for the LORD

Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”

Psalm 40:2, “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.”

Psalm 40:3, “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.”

David begins, “I waited patiently for the LORD.” This is not a shallow statement. David had known long seasons of distress, danger, delay, and uncertainty. He had waited while hunted. He had waited while misunderstood. He had waited while enemies seemed strong. He had waited while God’s answer did not immediately come. The Hebrew idea carries emphasis, in waiting he waited. This was not a momentary pause. It was persevering dependence.

Waiting on the Lord is one of the great disciplines of faith. It means refusing to run ahead of God, refusing to abandon hope, refusing to take sinful shortcuts, and refusing to conclude that delay means denial. David had spoken often in previous psalms about waiting on the Lord. Psalm 37 called the righteous to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 39 asked, “And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.” Now Psalm 40 gives the triumphant outcome of waiting. The Lord heard.

David says, “and he inclined unto me.” This is tender language. The Lord bent down toward David. The infinite God stooped toward the needy servant. David had cried from a low place, and God did not remain distant. He inclined. He turned His attention toward the cry of His servant.

The greatness of God does not make Him indifferent. He is high, but He hears the lowly. He is sovereign, but He bends toward the cry of His people. This is covenant mercy. David was not saved by the strength of his waiting, but by the mercy of the God who inclined toward him.

David adds, “and heard my cry.” The Lord heard. This means more than sound reaching God’s awareness. God hears in mercy, with intention to answer. David’s cry did not vanish into emptiness. It reached the living God. There are seasons when a believer may feel unheard, but Psalm 40 testifies that patient waiting is not wasted. The Lord hears His people according to His perfect timing.

Verse 2 says, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay.” David describes his crisis as a terrible pit and sinking mud. A pit is a place of confinement, darkness, danger, and helplessness. Miry clay is unstable. A man trapped in it cannot easily pull himself out. The harder he struggles in his own strength, the more stuck he may become. David had been in a place like that, unable to rescue himself.

This image fits many kinds of trouble. It can describe danger, depression, guilt, persecution, sickness, or despair. But the main point is helplessness. David was not climbing out by self salvation. God brought him up. Deliverance came from above.

The gospel shines through this image. Sinners are not merely weak men needing encouragement. They are trapped in the pit of sin and death. They cannot lift themselves out. God must save.

Ephesians 2:1, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;”

Ephesians 2:4, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,”

Ephesians 2:5, “Even when we were dead in sins, , hath quickened us together with Christ, , by grace ye are saved;”

David’s rescue from the pit becomes a picture of divine deliverance. The Lord brings His people up when they cannot bring themselves up.

David continues, “and set my feet upon a rock.” God did not merely pull David out and leave him standing beside the pit on unstable ground. He set his feet on a rock. The rock speaks of stability, safety, strength, and firmness. The miry clay gave no footing, but the rock gave secure footing.

This is what God does. He not only rescues, He establishes. He takes the believer from instability to security, from sinking to standing, from fear to foundation. The Lord Himself is the true Rock of His people.

Psalm 18:2, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, , my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

David adds, “and established my goings.” God ordered his steps. The man who had been stuck in miry clay can now walk in an established way. Deliverance leads to direction. God does not rescue His people so they may wander aimlessly. He establishes their goings, orders their path, and gives them a walk that is firm before Him.

Verse 3 says, “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God.” God’s deliverance produces worship. David does not invent praise as a religious duty detached from experience. God puts a new song in his mouth. The Lord who lifted him from the pit also gave him the song of praise.

A new song does not mean new truth replacing old truth. It means fresh praise arising from fresh experience of God’s mercy. David had known God before, but now he had fresh reason to praise Him. The delivered man sings differently than the man still trapped in the pit. His worship has the sound of rescue in it.

David calls it “praise unto our God.” The God who delivered David is not David’s private possession. He is “our God,” the God of His covenant people. David’s personal deliverance becomes congregational praise. The testimony of one servant strengthens the worship of many.

David then says, “many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” God’s deliverance becomes witness. Others will see what God has done. They will fear the Lord, reverence His power, recognize His faithfulness, and be moved to trust Him. This is one of the reasons God’s people must testify. Personal deliverance is not meant to terminate on personal relief. It should lead others to trust the Lord.

The progression is beautiful. David waited. God inclined. God heard. God brought him up. God set his feet on a rock. God established his steps. God put a new song in his mouth. Many saw, feared, and trusted. That is the fruit of patient waiting.

Psalm 40:4 to Psalm 40:5, Trusting the God Who Thinks About His People

Psalm 40:4, “Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, , and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”

Psalm 40:5, “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.”

David now draws a lesson from his deliverance, “Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust.” The blessed man is not the man with easiest circumstances, greatest wealth, strongest army, highest position, or loudest reputation. The blessed man is the one who trusts the Lord. David knows this by experience. He waited on the Lord, and the Lord delivered him.

Trust is more than religious language. It means resting the whole weight of life upon God. It means depending on His character, promises, timing, mercy, wisdom, and power. The man who trusts the Lord may be poor, sick, opposed, lonely, or delayed, but he is blessed because his hope is placed in the only One who cannot fail.

David adds that the blessed man “respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” Trusting the Lord changes moral discernment. The trusting man does not admire the proud. He does not give honor to those who turn aside to lies. He is not impressed by arrogance, deceit, worldly power, or empty boasting. He refuses to align himself with proud men and false ways.

This is an important balance. Psalm 40 does not separate trust from conduct. The man who truly trusts the Lord must also reject proud and lying influences. Faith has moral consequences. A man cannot say he trusts the God of truth while respecting those who turn aside to lies.

The phrase “turn aside to lies” can include idolatry, false worship, deceitful counsel, corrupt politics, dishonest gain, and any path that leaves the truth of God. The blessed man recognizes such things and refuses to follow.

Verse 5 says, “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done.” David’s mind expands from his own deliverance to the many works of God. The Lord has done wonders in creation, providence, judgment, mercy, redemption, covenant faithfulness, and personal deliverance. David cannot count them all.

He continues, “and thy thoughts which are to us-ward.” This is astonishing. God not only does wonderful works, He has thoughts toward His people. The infinite God thinks upon His own. His thoughts are not cold, indifferent, or hostile toward His people. They are covenant thoughts, gracious thoughts, wise thoughts, and purposeful thoughts.

David had asked in Psalm 8 why God would be mindful of man.

Psalm 8:4, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?”

Here, David goes further. He is not only amazed that God thinks of man at all. He is amazed at the number and goodness of God’s thoughts toward His people.

David says, “they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee.” God’s works and thoughts are too many to arrange, count, or fully explain. The mind of man cannot put them all in order. If David tried to declare and speak of them, they would be “more than can be numbered.”

This is a deep comfort. The believer is not forgotten. The Lord thinks upon His people more than they know. Every providence, protection, correction, mercy, delay, answer, trial, and blessing comes from the wise thoughts of God. The believer may not understand all God’s thoughts, but he can trust that they are many, purposeful, and good.

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, , thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Though Jeremiah 29:11 speaks specifically to Israel in exile, the principle of God’s purposeful, covenant faithfulness toward His people is consistent with Psalm 40. The God who thinks upon His people does not deal carelessly with them.

B. The Willing Servant Proclaims God’s Praise

Psalm 40:6 to Psalm 40:8, The Coming of the Bond Servant

Psalm 40:6, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.”

Psalm 40:7, “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,”

Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

This is the theological center of the psalm. David says, “Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire.” This does not mean God never commanded sacrifices. He did. The law included sacrifices and offerings. But David understood that God never desired sacrifice as a substitute for obedience, surrender, repentance, and a willing heart. External ritual without inward obedience is not acceptable worship.

David mentions several categories, “sacrifice and offering,” “burnt offering and sin offering.” These include offerings involving blood, offerings without blood, offerings of consecration, and offerings related to sin. Together they represent the sacrificial system broadly. Yet David says that these were not God’s ultimate desire if the heart was not surrendered.

This was the lesson Saul failed to learn.

1 Samuel 15:22, “And Samuel said, , Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, , to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”

1 Samuel 15:23, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. , Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.”

God desires obedience from a surrendered heart. Sacrifice offered as a cover for rebellion is hypocrisy.

David then says, “mine ears hast thou opened.” The image may refer to the bondservant ceremony in Exodus 21, where a servant who loved his master and wanted to remain in his service had his ear pierced as a sign of lifelong willing service.

Exodus 21:5, “And if the servant shall plainly say, , I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:”

Exodus 21:6, “Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, , or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.”

David’s language speaks of willing obedience. He is not a reluctant slave. He is a servant whose ear has been opened to hear and obey. The Lord wants servants who listen, surrender, and love His will.

But this passage reaches far beyond David. Hebrews 10 quotes Psalm 40:6 to Psalm 40:8 and applies it to Jesus Christ. The Greek translation used by Hebrews says, “a body hast thou prepared me.” The meaning is not contradictory. The opened ear speaks of obedient servanthood, and the prepared body speaks of the incarnation, where the Son came in human flesh to obey the Father fully and offer Himself as the final sacrifice.

Hebrews 10:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

Hebrews 10:5, “Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, , Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:”

Hebrews 10:6, “In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.”

Hebrews 10:7, “Then said I, Lo, I come , in the volume of the book it is written of me, , to do thy will, O God.”

Hebrews 10:8, “Above when he said, , Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, , neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;”

Hebrews 10:9, “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. , He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.”

Hebrews 10:10, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

This is one of the clearest connections between the Psalms and the finished work of Christ. Animal sacrifices could not finally take away sin. They pointed forward. Christ came to do the will of God and offered His body once for all. The obedient Servant became the perfect Sacrifice.

Verse 7 says, “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me.” In David’s lesser experience, this may refer to God’s revealed purpose for his life as the chosen king. But in the fullest sense, these words belong to Christ. The Scriptures testify of Him. The whole volume of the book points toward the Messiah, His person, His obedience, His suffering, His sacrifice, His resurrection, His kingdom, and His glory.

Jesus Himself taught this.

John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

Luke 24:44, “And he said unto them, , These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, , that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, , and in the psalms, concerning me.”

Psalm 40 is one of those psalms concerning Christ. He is the One who says perfectly, “Lo, I come.”

Verse 8 says, “I delight to do thy will, O my God.” David, as a man after God’s own heart, could say this truly but imperfectly. He desired to do God’s will, though he also sinned grievously. Christ alone says this absolutely. Jesus did not merely obey outwardly. He delighted to do the Father’s will. His obedience was willing, joyful, complete, and perfect.

Jesus said,

John 4:34, “Jesus saith unto them, , My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

Doing the Father’s will was like food to Christ. It sustained Him. He came not to do His own independent will against the Father, but to fulfill the Father’s saving purpose.

David adds, “yea, thy law is within my heart.” True obedience is inward. God’s law is not merely external instruction. It is cherished in the heart. Again, David knew this in measure. Christ fulfilled it perfectly. The law of God was within His heart without sin, rebellion, reluctance, or corruption.

This also anticipates the New Covenant work of God in His people.

Jeremiah 31:33, “But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; , After those days, saith the LORD, , I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, , and they shall be my people.”

The obedient heart of Christ becomes the ground of salvation, and the Spirit writes God’s law in the hearts of those who belong to Him.

Psalm 40:6 to Psalm 40:8 therefore teaches that God’s ultimate desire was never mere ritual. He desired obedient surrender. David points toward it. Christ fulfills it. The believer now lives from Christ’s finished obedience and offers himself as a living sacrifice.

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, , that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Psalm 40:9 to Psalm 40:12, Public Proclamation of the Good News and God’s Praise

Psalm 40:9, “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.”

Psalm 40:10, “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.”

Psalm 40:11, “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.”

Psalm 40:12, “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.”

David now speaks of public proclamation, “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation.” The man delivered from the pit does not keep silent. He declares God’s righteousness among God’s people. David’s private rescue becomes public preaching. He proclaims what God has done and who God is.

This also points forward to Christ. Jesus publicly proclaimed righteousness. He preached openly, taught in synagogues, taught in the temple, preached to crowds, instructed disciples, and declared the kingdom of God. He did not hide the truth.

David says, “lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.” Earlier psalms showed David restraining his mouth wisely in the presence of the wicked. But here he does not restrain his lips from praise and proclamation. There is a time to be silent before scoffers, and there is a time to speak boldly in the congregation. Wisdom knows the difference.

David appeals to God’s knowledge, “O LORD, thou knowest.” God knows whether David’s proclamation is sincere. God knows whether David has hidden the truth or declared it. This reminds every teacher, preacher, and worshiper that ministry is done before the eyes of God. Human applause is not the final measure. The Lord knows.

Verse 10 says, “I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart.” David did not keep God’s righteousness as a private possession. It was in his heart, but it did not remain hidden there. Truth held in the heart should come out in confession, teaching, praise, and obedience. A man who truly knows God’s righteousness should not conceal it.

He continues, “I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation.” David declared that God is faithful and that God saves. This is the message God’s people need. God keeps covenant. God rescues. God delivers from the pit. God establishes the feet. God puts a new song in the mouth.

David says, “I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.” Lovingkindness and truth belong together. God’s mercy is not false sentiment, and His truth is not loveless severity. He is full of steadfast mercy and truth. David made both known publicly.

For the Christian preacher and teacher, this is a model. We must not hide God’s righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, lovingkindness, or truth. The full character of God must be declared. God’s people need more than motivational speech. They need the righteousness of God, the faithfulness of God, the salvation of God, the lovingkindness of God, and the truth of God.

Verse 11 turns proclamation back into prayer, “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD.” David has praised God for past deliverance, but he still needs mercy. This is realistic. No deliverance in this life removes all future need. The believer remains dependent. Yesterday’s rescue does not eliminate today’s prayer.

David asks, “let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.” The same lovingkindness and truth he declared publicly are the lovingkindness and truth he needs personally. He asks them to preserve him continually. God’s people are not preserved by their own strength, but by God’s covenant mercy and truth.

This prayer also fits Christ in His earthly humiliation, though in a different way. Jesus, as man, lived in perfect dependence upon the Father. He did not need mercy for sin of His own, but He lived in fellowship with the Father and entrusted Himself to the Father’s will. On the cross, surrounded by evils and bearing the sins of His people, He fulfilled the deepest meaning of these words.

Verse 12 says, “For innumerable evils have compassed me about.” David’s troubles are not few. They surround him. Life after deliverance still contains danger. This explains why he asks for continued preservation.

Then David says, “mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up.” In David’s own experience, he confesses personal sin. His iniquities overwhelm him. They seize him. They make him unable to lift his face. This is the language of guilt, shame, and spiritual burden.

He adds, “they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.” David sees his sins as countless and crushing. His heart fails under the burden. This is an honest confession from a man who knows he needs mercy continually.

Yet when this passage is viewed in relation to Christ, it must be handled carefully. Jesus had no iniquity of His own. He is the sinless Lamb of God.

1 Peter 2:22, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:”

But Christ did bear the sins of His people by imputation. In that sense, the sins He bore were treated as His burden, not because He committed them, but because He willingly carried them as Substitute.

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; , that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, , that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

David speaks as a sinner needing mercy. Christ fulfills the deeper redemptive pattern as the sinless One bearing His people’s sins.

C. Proclaiming a Heartfelt Plea for Help

Psalm 40:13 to Psalm 40:15, The Plea for Deliverance

Psalm 40:13, “Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.”

Psalm 40:14, “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.”

Psalm 40:15, “Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, , Aha, aha.”

David now pleads, “Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me.” This is a beautiful way to ask for help. David does not merely ask God to deliver him. He asks that God would be pleased to do it. He believes his deliverance can be consistent with God’s delight, mercy, and will. David knows he has many iniquities, but he also knows the Lord is merciful.

This prayer is humble and bold at the same time. It is humble because David does not demand deliverance as though God owes him. It is bold because he asks the Lord to take pleasure in saving him. Faith knows that God delights in mercy.

Micah 7:18, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? , he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”

The believer may pray similarly, “Be pleased, O Lord, to forgive me. Be pleased to guide me. Be pleased to correct me. Be pleased to provide for me. Be pleased to preserve me.” Such prayer rests in the character of God.

David adds, “O LORD, make haste to help me.” The need is urgent. David has already testified to past deliverance, but he still needs present help. This is life in a fallen world. God’s past faithfulness strengthens faith, but it does not remove the need for fresh prayer. David asks the Lord not to delay.

Verse 14 describes the enemies, “Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it.” These are not minor critics. They seek his life. David asks that their plans be turned into shame and confusion. Again, this is imprecatory language, an appeal for God’s justice against those who seek destruction.

David continues, “let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.” The enemies desire evil for him. David asks that they be turned back. It is right to ask God to stop those who desire evil and pursue destruction. The righteous are not required to want evil schemes to succeed. They may ask the Lord to overturn them.

Verse 15 says, “Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.” The enemies mock David. “Aha, aha” is the sound of malicious satisfaction. They rejoice at his trouble, hoping to see his fall. David asks that their shameful mockery receive a fitting reward.

This pattern also points toward Christ, who was mocked by enemies who rejoiced in His suffering.

Matthew 27:39, “And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,”

Matthew 27:40, “And saying, , Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, , save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

Matthew 27:41, “Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,”

Matthew 27:42, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, , let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.”

David’s enemies said, “Aha, aha.” Christ’s enemies mocked Him at the cross. Yet God vindicated Christ by the resurrection, proving that the mockers did not have the final word.

Psalm 40:16 to Psalm 40:17, Praise with Another Plea

Psalm 40:16, “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, , The LORD be magnified.”

Psalm 40:17, “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.”

David now turns from enemies to the people of God, “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee.” This is a fitting conclusion because the psalm began with David’s deliverance becoming a testimony so that many would fear and trust in the Lord. Now David prays that all who seek the Lord would rejoice and be glad in Him.

The joy of God’s people is “in thee.” The righteous do not merely rejoice in circumstances, deliverance, blessing, or victory. They rejoice in the Lord Himself. He is the source and object of their joy. This joy belongs to those who seek Him, those who desire His face, His will, His salvation, and His glory.

David continues, “let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.” Those who love God’s salvation should continually magnify the Lord. To magnify the Lord does not mean to make Him greater in reality. God cannot become greater than He is. It means to make His greatness larger in our sight, speech, worship, and witness. The saved should want God to be seen as great.

The phrase “love thy salvation” is important. God’s people do not love salvation merely because it benefits them, though it surely does. They love it because it is God’s salvation. It reveals His mercy, righteousness, wisdom, power, faithfulness, and glory. Salvation is precious because it belongs to the Lord and displays the Lord.

Verse 17 gives a final contrast, “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me.” David does not end by pretending strength. He is honest. He is poor and needy. This may refer to material need, emotional need, spiritual need, danger, weakness, or all of these together. David knows he is dependent.

Yet the next words are full of comfort, “yet the Lord thinketh upon me.” The Lord thinks upon the poor and needy servant. This echoes verse 5, where David said God’s thoughts toward His people are more than can be numbered. Now he applies that truth personally. David is poor and needy, but not forgotten. Weak, but remembered. Troubled, but considered by God.

This is one of the great comforts of the psalm. The believer may be poor and needy, but the Lord thinks upon him. God’s thoughts are not too occupied with the universe to regard His servant. The same God who orders all things thinks upon His people.

David closes, “thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.” The Lord is his help in weakness and his deliverer in danger. David has no other final refuge. He asks God not to delay.

The psalm ends with need, but it is need anchored in faith. David has been delivered before. God has put a new song in his mouth. David has proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation. He has pointed forward to the willing Servant who comes to do God’s will. Yet David still says, “I am poor and needy.” That is the honest posture of the believer until glory. Delivered, but still dependent. Singing, but still praying. Established on the rock, but still needing help. Loved by God, and still crying, “make no tarrying, O my God.”

Doctrinal and Practical Summary

Psalm 40 teaches that patient waiting on the Lord is not wasted. David waited patiently, and the Lord inclined to him and heard his cry.

Psalm 40 teaches that God stoops in mercy toward His afflicted people. The Lord inclined to David, showing personal attention and covenant care.

Psalm 40 teaches that God delivers from helpless places. David was brought up out of a horrible pit and miry clay by the Lord’s power, not his own.

Psalm 40 teaches that God establishes those He rescues. He set David’s feet upon a rock and established his goings.

Psalm 40 teaches that deliverance produces new praise. God put a new song in David’s mouth, praise unto our God.

Psalm 40 teaches that personal deliverance becomes public testimony. Many would see, fear, and trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40 teaches that the blessed man trusts the Lord and refuses to honor proud liars. Faith in God includes moral discernment.

Psalm 40 teaches that God’s works and thoughts toward His people are beyond numbering. The Lord is not indifferent to His servants. He thinks upon them with wisdom and mercy.

Psalm 40 teaches that God desires obedient surrender more than outward ritual. Sacrifice without obedience is not acceptable to Him.

Psalm 40 teaches the heart of a willing servant. “Mine ears hast thou opened” speaks of hearing, surrender, and willing lifelong service to God.

Psalm 40 teaches that David’s obedience points beyond himself to Christ. David could say these words truly but imperfectly, while Christ fulfills them perfectly.

Psalm 40 teaches that animal sacrifices could never finally take away sin. Hebrews 10 applies Psalm 40 to Christ, who came in a prepared body to do God’s will once for all.

Psalm 40 teaches that Christ is the Servant who says, “Lo, I come.” The volume of the book testifies of Him.

Psalm 40 teaches that Christ delighted to do the Father’s will. His obedience was inward, willing, complete, and perfect.

Psalm 40 teaches that God’s law belongs in the heart. True obedience is not merely external performance, but inward delight in God’s will.

Psalm 40 teaches that God’s righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, lovingkindness, and truth must be publicly declared. David did not hide them in his heart.

Psalm 40 teaches that past deliverance does not remove the need for present mercy. David still prays, “Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me.”

Psalm 40 teaches that God’s lovingkindness and truth continually preserve His people. The believer’s security rests in God’s covenant mercy and faithfulness.

Psalm 40 teaches that sin can overwhelm the heart. David says his iniquities are more than the hairs of his head, and his heart fails.

Psalm 40 teaches that Christ bore sins not His own. David confessed personal iniquity, but Christ, the sinless One, bore His people’s iniquities by imputation.

Psalm 40 teaches that believers may ask God to be pleased to deliver them. The Lord delights in mercy and can take pleasure in rescuing His servants.

Psalm 40 teaches that God’s people may rightly ask Him to turn back destructive enemies and silence malicious mockers.

Psalm 40 teaches that those who seek the Lord should rejoice and be glad in Him. Salvation should produce continual praise.

Psalm 40 teaches that those who love God’s salvation should continually say, “The LORD be magnified.”

Psalm 40 teaches that the believer may be poor and needy, yet deeply comforted because the Lord thinks upon him.

Psalm 40 teaches that the Lord is the help and deliverer of His people. The psalm ends with dependence, urgency, and faith.