psalm40

In this psalm David provides us with two windows into his life at this time. He appears to be at his wits end as the troubles he is facing seem insurmountable to him. He has no strength left for coping with them. He has reached the end of his resources. But then as he reflects on all that God has done for him in the past he is encouraged to request help once more from him. In between his reflection and his request he tells us how he came to understand what God really required of him. Peter Craigie[1] sees the connection this way.

The psalm begins with a general thanksgiving for past acts of divine deliverance. By this introductory act of thanksgiving, the king establishes the ground of precedent, framed in the appropriate praise, by which he will move forward to a prayer for further deliverance in a new crisis that threatens his life and kingdom. Just as past prayers had been answered after patient waiting, so too would his present prayer.

Graham Scroggie[2] also comments on the way David takes encouragement from the way the Lord has helped him previously.

In this Psalm David brings two experiences together, one past and the other present. First he looks back and then he looks round. For what was he sings praise, and for what is he offers prayer.

And so as David looks back he reflects on what the Lord did for him on an occasion when he made …

When David writes, “I waited patiently for the LORD to help me,” we are reminded not to always expect instant answers to our prayers. Whether it be a prayer for guidance, for the solution to a problem, for the removal of some hindrance, there is always a purpose in the delay. It is in the waiting that we grow in our relationship with the Lord. Isaiah came to appreciate this as he wrote …

Have you never heard or understood? Don’t you know that the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out. He offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not grow faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness. His mercies begin afresh each day. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance. Therefore I will hope in him!”

The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. And it is good for the young to submit to the yoke of his discipline.

Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD’s demands. Let them lie face down in the dust. Then at last there is hope for them. Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them. Let them accept the insults of their enemies.

For the LORD does not abandon anyone forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. (Lamentations 3:22-33)

David tells us of his assurance—‘and he turned to me and heard my cry.’ (vs. 1b) We too can be sure that the Lord hears our every prayer. He hears the prayers of …

If a person’s need of a warm covering on a cold night is neglected by his neighbor, it is never ignored by the Lord.

If you lend money to a fellow Hebrew in need, do not be like a money lender, charging interest. If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge of repayment, you must return it by nightfall. Your neighbor will need it to stay warm during the night. If you do not return it and your neighbor cries to me for help, then I will hear, for I am very merciful. (Exodus 22:25-27)

For he has not ignored the suffering of the needy. He has not turned and walked away. He has listened to their cries for help. (Psalm 22:24)

Solomon was well aware of the sinful bent of human nature. On the occasion of the dedication of the temple he asked the Lord to hear the prayers of his people. The Lord answered with the assurance that he would. Solomon prays …

“If your people go out at your command to fight their enemies, and if they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and toward this Temple that I have built for your name, then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause.

If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you may become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them to a foreign land or near. But in that land of exile, they may turn to you again in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’ Then if they turn to you with their whole heart and soul and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors, toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name, then hear their prayers from heaven where you live. Uphold their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you.” … So Solomon finished building the Temple of the LORD, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do.

Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, “ I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or I might command locusts to devour your crops, or I might send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. I will listen to every prayer made in this place, for I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be my home forever. My eyes and my heart will always be here.” (2 Chronicles 6:34-39, 7:11-16)

Early in their history the people of Israel found themselves to be slaves in the land of Egypt. When they cried to the Lord in their trouble, he heard them and answered their cry with a plan for their deliverance.

Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites still groaned beneath their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their pleas for deliverance rose up to God. God heard their cries and remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the Israelites and felt deep concern for their welfare. (Exodus 2:23-25)

Whatever the trouble we may be experiencing we can be assured that the Lord will hear our prayer, for …

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. (Psalm 46:1-2)

There are many times in our lives when something happens that brings grief. Whether it be the lifestyle of a wayward son or daughter, the death of a loved one, the leaving of a long time place of residence, the loss of a friendship, the breakdown of a marriage, whatever it may be, the Lord hears the cry of those who grieve. David writes of one such a time in his life.

I am worn out from sobbing. Every night tears drench my bed. My pillow is wet from weeping. My vision is blurred by grief. My eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. Go away, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my crying. The LORD has heard my plea. The LORD will answer my prayer. (Psalm 6:6-9)

David experienced fear when his city was under attack from foreign forces. He tells how the Lord heard his call for help. Speaking then from his own experience he encourages others who may be experiencing fear in whatever situation they may be facing, to trust the Lord.

Praise the LORD, for he has shown me his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. In sudden fear I had cried out, “I have been cut off from the LORD!” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.

Love the LORD, all you faithful ones! For the LORD protects those who are loyal to him, but he harshly punishes the arrogant. So be strong and take courage, all you who put your hope in the LORD. (Psalm 31:21-22)

Crushed by grief? Brokenhearted over something? The Lord is close by and ready to heal. David reminds us that …

The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted. He rescues those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:17-18)

John reminds us however, that God’s answer to our pleas for help comes according to what he knows is best for us in the circumstance we may find ourselves. It comes according to his plan for our lives, according to his will for us.

I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we can be confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for. (1 John 5:13-15)

And so, with the assurance that the Lord hears our plea for help, we wait patiently for him to answer in his own time and way. He will do what is best for us. Ruth was advised to let her romance with Boaz develop slowly.

When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my daughter?”

Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, and she added, “He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty handed.’ ”

The Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what happens. The man won’t rest until he has followed through on this. He will settle it today.”

As it turned out, Ruth did not have to wait long. But for Habakkuk the delay was much longer. He tells us of his experience after calling on the Lord for help.

I will climb up into my watch tower now and wait to see what the LORD will say to me and how he will answer my complaint. Then the LORD said to me, “Write my answer in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. (Habakkuk 2:1-3)

Wait patiently and when the time has come for the Lord to act there will then be no further delay.

Faced with his present troubles David remembers how God answered his prayers in a previous crisis situation. It was in that situation that he experienced …

Many people look to the things of the world to give them a lift when feeling down, but those who know the Lord look to him. James writes …

When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor. (James 4:10)

As David looks back he remembers the lift he received when he called on the Lord at a time of deep distress. As he writes of his memory of that time, he draws his word picture from the prison system of those days. The prison in which Joseph and two of Pharaoh’s kitchen hands[4] were imprisoned was an enclosed building within the palace compound. Prisoners were often bound in chains within the prison,[5] or held down in stocks.[6] Nourishing food was all too often withheld.[7] Kings could be held captive in a cage.[8]

The prison in which Jeremiah was placed, after false accusations were brought against him, was a cistern in a prison yard. A graphic picture of what it meant to be imprisoned then, is portrayed in this account of his imprisonment.

So the officials took Jeremiah from his cell and lowered him by ropes into an empty cistern in the prison yard. It belonged to Malkijah, a member of the royal family. There was no water in the cistern, but there was a thick layer of mud at the bottom, and Jeremiah sank down into it.

But Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an important palace official, heard that Jeremiah was in the cistern. At that time the king was holding court at the Benjamin Gate, so Ebed-melech rushed from the palace to speak with him. “My lord the king,” he said, “these men have done a very evil thing in putting Jeremiah the prophet into the cistern. He will soon die of hunger, for almost all the bread in the city is gone.”

So the king told Ebed-melech, “Take along thirty of my men, and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern before he dies.”

So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to a room in the palace beneath the treasury, where he found some old rags and discarded clothing. He carried these to the cistern and lowered them to Jeremiah on a rope. Ebed-melech called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags under your armpits to protect you from the ropes.” Then when Jeremiah was ready, they pulled him out. So Jeremiah was returned to the courtyard of the guard—the palace prison—where he remained. (Jeremiah 38:6-13)

Just as Jeremiah was lifted up out of the muddy pit, we, like David, may also look to the Lord to lift us up out of the pits …

Here, David recalls the time when ‘He lifted me out of the pit of despair.’ (vs. 2a)

O LORD, I have so many enemies, so many are against me. So many are saying, “God will never rescue him.” But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts my head high. I cried out to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy mountain. (Psalm 3:1-4)

Paul also knew what it was to find himself in the pit of despair but also to be lifted out of it. He wrote of one such experience to the church members in Corinth.

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God , who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril , and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1:8-11 NIV)

It may be the cords of sin that are holding a person down, a sinful habit keeping a person imprisoned. Paul found freedom in the acknowledgement of his condition and acceptance of forgiveness in Christ.

It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 7:21-8:2)

Solomon warns his son of the captivity that awaits the man who yields to the enticement of an immoral woman.

The lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But the result is as bitter as poison, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to the grave. For she does not care about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t even realize where it leads …

Why be captivated, my son, with an immoral woman, or embrace the breasts of an adulterous woman? For the LORD sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. An evil man is held captive by his own sins. They are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self control. He will be lost because of his incredible folly. (Proverbs 5:3-6, 20-23)

It may be that a person is being held prisoner in a religious system. In an article about the dynasty of Sumerian Lagash,[9] the writer includes a photo of part of a stele,[10] showing warriors imprisoned in a net being held by the god Ningirsu, patron of Lagash. There were some in Galatia being held prisoner like that. They remained captive to the religious laws of Judaism. Paul reminds them of the one who sets us free. No matter what the religious structure that holds a person prisoner, Christ is able to cut the cords of the net and lift the prisoner out of it.

Oh foolish Galatians! What magician has cast an evil spell on you? For you used to see the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death as clearly as though I had shown you a signboard with a picture of Christ dying on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ. Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? You have suffered so much for the Good News. Surely it was not in vain, was it? Are you now going to just throw it all away? …

So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. (Galatians 3:1-4, 5:1)

The Lord is ready to lift up those who live in poverty and will turn to him in their need. As one psalmist writes …

Who can be compared with the LORD our God, who is enthroned on high? Far below him are the heavens and the earth. He stoops to look, and he lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people! He gives the barren woman a home, so that she becomes a happy mother.

While it may be accompanied by increasing prosperity, being lifted up from poverty primarily means to be given new resources to cope with life in those conditions, to give new meaning and purpose for life, and spiritual enrichment to go with it. What is most important for the poor is the coming to know the Lord, to finding the assurance of his love, to experience his provision for each day’s needs, learning to pray as Agur did …

O God, I beg two favors from you before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. (Proverbs 30:7-9)

It is better to have little with fear for the LORD than to have great treasure with turmoil. A bowl of soup with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate …

It is better to live humbly with the poor than to share plunder with the proud. Those who listen to instruction will prosper. Those who trust the LORD will be happy …

A dry crust eaten in peace is better than a great feast with strife. (Proverbs 15:16-17, 16:19-20, 17:1)

Those who are living at the time of Christ’s visible return to planet earth will be lifted up to meet him. Those who have already died will be with him when he comes. They will be re-united with their earthly bodies from the grave, or from the ashes of cremation, which, in the process, will be re-built in such a way as to merge with their heavenly bodies. Paul explains …

And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died.

I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are shill alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. So comfort and encourage each other with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Whatever the pit into which we may have fallen, whatever the depths, the Lord is able to lift us up. In another of his songs of praise David leaves us with this testimony.

I will praise you, LORD, for you have rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O LORD my God, I cried out to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O LORD. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. (Psalm 30:1)

David describes it as having his feet set ‘on solid ground.’ (vs. 2b) He now has something solid underneath him, something to stand on, something to build on. We too may be lifted up and given something firm to stand on. We find this solid foundation in …

Jesus teaches us that those whose lives are built on that foundation remain standing in troubled times while those around them fall down.

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse, because it is built on rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

Hannah was troubled for many years because of her inability to conceive. We read of how ‘Peninnah made fun of Hannah because the LORD had closed her womb. Year after year it was the same—Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Hannah would finally be reduced to tears and would not even eat.’ But when she rolled her burden over onto the Lord, she ‘began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.’[11] After the birth of her son in answer to her prayers Hannah offered her praise and thanksgiving to the Lord who had been her solid rock through the years of disappointment.

Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the LORD! Oh, how the LORD has blessed me! Now I have an answer for my enemies, as I delight in your deliverance. No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one besides you. There is no rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:1-2)

All who turn to the Lord for help in times of trouble find him to be that steadying rock, for …

Even in old age they will still produce fruit. They will remain vital and green. They will declare, “The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is nothing but goodness in him!” (Psalm 92:14-15)

For it is among his people that we find a solid base of friendship and help in times of trouble and doubt. Paul reminds us of the responsibility we have to support each other. He tells us that communities where self interest prevails do not provide a support base like that.

Dear friends, if a Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ …

Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Whenever we have opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our own brothers and sisters. ( Galatians 6:1-2, 7-10)

David tells us how the Lord ‘steadied’ him as he walked along.’ (vs. 2b). Or, as the NASB translators put it, ‘He set my feet upon a rock, making my footsteps firm.’ David leaves us with this testimony of how the Lord steadied him at a time of crisis in his life …

I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? I will fulfill my vows to you, O God, and offer a sacrifice of thanks for your help. For you have rescued me from death. You have kept my feet from slipping. So now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life giving light. (Psalm 56:11-13)

Feeling a little unsteady at the moment? The winds of trouble attempting to blow you off course? Rocks of disappointment stubbing your toes? Dogs of discouragement snapping at your heels? Jude has this assurance for you …

And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy. All glory to him, who alone is God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to him, in the beginning, now, and forever. Amen. (Jude vs. 24-25)

Our lifting up to a new and secure place and to a stable walk with the Lord is only possible because of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, and his subsequent resurrection and lifting up again to heaven. Jesus explains this to Nicodemus.

For only I, the Son of Man, have come to earth and will return to heaven again.[12] And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I , the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it but to save it. (John 3:13-17)

As we listen to this song what kind of sounds do we hear coming from it? As we listen carefully we hear the sounds …

David calls the song ‘a hymn of praise to our God.’ (vs. 3a). It is not the sound of confusion Joshua heard from the people of Israel when they turned away from the Lord to idol worship.

Then Moses turned and went down the mountain. He held in his hands the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. These stone tablets were God’s work. The words on them were written by God himself.

When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting below them, he exclaimed to Moses, “It sounds as if there is war in the camp.” (Exodus 32:15-17)

Nor is it the sound of grumbling and complaint such as could be heard from the people on the way to their new land.

The people soon began to complain to the LORD about their hardships. And when the LORD heard them, his anger blazed against them. Fire from the LORD raged among them and destroyed the outskirts of the camp. (Numbers 11:1)

It is not the sound of grumbling and complaint nor the sound of confusion but the sound of praise that we hear in David’s new song. For, as Moses reminded the people as they reached the borders of the land promised to them, the Lord is worthy.

He is your God, the one who is worthy of praise, the one who has done mighty miracles that you yourselves have seen. When your ancestors went down into Egypt, there were only seventy of them. But now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky! (Deuteronomy 10:21-22)

Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church—about three thousand in all. They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord’s Supper and in prayer.

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved. (Acts 2:41-47)

Gentiles have special reason to praise the Lord because of the invitation to accept his salvation being offered to them also. Paul writes …

So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you. Then God will be glorified. Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. And he came so the Gentiles might also give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote:

Our songs of praise now are just a precursor to those the redeemed sing in heaven, those ‘from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb.’[13] John heard the sound of the singing.

Then I looked again, and I heard the singing of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus:

“The Lamb is worthy—the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”

And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They also sang:

Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” (Revelation 5:11-13)

It is the harmonious sound of unity, not of the clashing of instruments being played independently of each. It is from singing coming from hearts united in love for the Lord. Paul prays that it might be the sound coming from the songs of the Christians in Rome.

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other—each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you, then God will be glorified. (Romans 15:5-7)

It is the sound of singing coming from a wide variety of voices, different in range and quality but harmonizing perfectly in praise of a common Lord. It is singing accompanied by different kinds of instruments—wind, string, percussion. David mentions some of them in other psalms.

Let the godly sing with joy to the LORD, for it is fitting to praise him. Praise the LORD with melodies on the lyre, make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing new songs of praise to him, play skillfully on the harp and sing with joy. (Psalm 33:1-3)

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening, accompanied by the harp and lute and the harmony of the lyre. You thrill me, LORD, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done. (Psalm 92:1-4)

How is such a choir, with its wide variety of voices and accompanied by so many different musical instruments, able to harmonies so well. It is because they follow the direction of and give their full attention to the conductor. And because their songs of praise overflow from people where harmony rules in the inner person, where the Holy Spirit directs the orchestra. Paul leaves us with this advice …

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts. And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-20)

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:15-17)

People take notice of what the Lord does when God’s people pray for help. ‘Many will see what he has done and be astounded. They will put their trust in the LORD’ (vs. 3b). While traveling through Samaria on one occasion Jesus stopped to rest by a well in the village of Sychar. There he talked with one of the ladies from the village. Sensing that she was searching for something to fill the emptiness of her life Jesus explained that her thirst could be satisfied by the life giving water that he had to offer. “ ‘Please sir,’ the woman said, ‘give me some of that water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again and won’t have to come here to haul water.’ ” Then, after listening carefully to all that Jesus taught her …

The woman left her water jar beside the well and went back to the village and told everyone, “Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him. (John 4:15, 28-30)

The woman’s testimony was seen to be credible and encouraged others in her village to believe.

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many of them to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe because we have heard him ourselves, not just because of what you told us. He is indeed the savior of the world.” (John 4:39-42)

Paul was encouraged when he learnt that his testimony was accepted by many of the people of Thessalonica. And then when he heard that their testimony was in turn well received by others. It was the life he lived while with them that made his teaching believable. Paul assures the new believers of his continued prayers for them.

We know that God loves you, dear brothers and sisters, and that he chose you to be his own people. For when we brought you the good news, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know that the way we lived among you was further proof of our message. So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way you imitated both us and the Lord. As a result, you yourselves became an example to all the Christians in Greece.

And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Greece, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, for they themselves keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the true and living God. And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment. (1 Thessalonians 1:4-10)

David writes, ‘Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD, who have no confidence in the proud, or in those who worship idols.’ (vs. 4) Joy, he says, comes from trusting in the Lord,

David knows that the proud seek only his hurt not what is good for him. As he records in his prayer of another time …

O LORD keep me out of the hands of the wicked. Preserve me from those who are violent, for they are plotting against me. The proud have set a trap to catch me. They have stretched out a net. They have placed traps all along the way. (Psalm 140:4-5)

But, we may be wondering, who is David thinking about when he refers to ‘the proud’? The word he uses is rohab, which comes from the verb rahab ‘to act stormily, boisterously, arrogantly.’ The Biblical writers have much to say about people who act that way towards others. Solomon for example, has this to say …

Mockers are proud and haughty. They act with boundless arrogance. (Proverbs 21:24)

Paul warns Timothy that there will be more and more people like that as the final period of history begins.

You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving. They will slander others and have no self control. They will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

These people are grumblers and complainers, doing whatever evil they feel like. They are loud mouthed braggarts, and they flatter others to get favors in return. But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ told you, that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to enjoy themselves in every evil way imaginable. Now they are here, and they are the ones creating divisions among you. They live by natural instinct because they do not have God’s Spirit living in them. (Jude vs. 16-19)

The proud, the arrogant look for ways of working their way into positions where they can exercise power over others. Jesus spoke to his disciples of people in leadership who had become like that—people they were not to imitate

But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:25-28)

Peter also saw the false teachers of his day as those who, with doctrinal swords flashing, would try to exercise power over others.

These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones without so much as trembling … These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, who are born to be caught and killed. They laugh at the terrifying powers they know so little about, and they will be destroyed along with them … These people are as useless as dried-up springs of water or as clouds blown away by the wind—promising much and delivering nothing. They are doomed to blackest darkness. They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With lustful desire as their bait, they lure back into sin those who have just escaped from such wicked living. (2 Peter 2:10b, 12, 17-18)

Peter Craigie[14] notes that the Hebrew word translated idols ‘is of uncertain meaning.’ The word kazab has also been translated as ‘a lie’, ‘falsehood’, ‘false gods’ or ‘deception.’ As in this message from the Lord to Ezekiel …

Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: “Because what you say is false and your visions are a lie, I will stand against you.” (Ezekiel 13:8)

And in Solomon’s advice to anyone invited to a banquet put on by a person of power we read his note of caution …

Dahood suggests the word be translated as ‘fraudulent images’ and Leveen as ‘those who spread lies.’[15]

Paul reminds us of the failure of human wisdom to provide us with a solid base for our trust. But rather, he goes on to say, a complete and meaningful world view is to be found only in Christ.

Don’t let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world and not from Christ. For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe. (Colossians 2:8-10)

While one of the characteristics of philosophers is their never ending search for truth, it means that their search runs them round in circles as they discuss the most recent ideas circulating. And all too often they reject without any meaningful discussion the one source of truth, the Scriptures, not realizing that ‘all Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.’[16] Paul encountered philosophers like that during his visit to Athens.

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. He went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.

He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “This babbler has picked up some strange ideas.” Others said, “He’s pushing some foreign religion.”

Then they took him to the Council of Philosophers. “Come and tell us more about this new religion,” they said. “You are saying some rather startling things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” (It should be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time discussing the latest ideas.) (Acts 17:16-21)

The Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus time, for example, sought to dominate and control others by their teachings—to imprison people in their religious structures. Jesus could see through the shell they had built around themselves as he alerts his disciples to their devious ways.

“They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden … they love to sit at the head of the table at banquets and in the most prominent seats in the synagogue … they enjoy the attention they get on the streets, and they enjoy being called ‘Rabbi’ … How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you won’t let others enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and you won’t go in yourselves … You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self indulgence … How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you build tombs for the prophets your ancestors killed and decorate the graves of the godly people your ancestors destroyed. Then you say, ‘We never would have joined them in killing the prophets.’ ” (Matthew 23:4, 6-7, 13, 25b, 29-30)

It is no wonder that the Lord once said of the religious activities of his people …

“I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your hymns of praise! They are only noise to my ears. I will not listen to your music, no matter how lovely it is. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry.” (Amos 5:21-24)

So many people hope that education will provide them with the tools for carving out a better life for themselves. The problem is that education by itself does not lead us to God. A meaningful life cannot be found apart from him. Without him there is always something missing. Because of our sins separating us from him, the only way to God is by means of the sacrificial death of Christ on our behalf. This is what Jesus had in mind when he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”[17] Paul shows his understanding of this when he writes …

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never find him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save all who believe. (1 Corinthians 1:18-21)

A very rich man[19] once came to Jesus wanting to know how he could be sure of receiving eternal life. As the conversation progresses it appears that this man thought that keeping the commandments, as he had done all his life, would guarantee him his place in heaven. Jesus however saw beneath his veneer of self righteousness to what he was trusting in for his well being in this life—his wealth. And so Jesus explains to the man that he needs to forgo his trust in his riches and follow him. As an indication of his intention the man is challenged to give away his wealth to benefit the poor. This said Jesus, would give him ‘treasure in heaven.’ But this he could not do ‘and he went sadly away because he had many possessions.’ His riches had deceived him into thinking that they could give him what he wanted. One of the psalmists writes of people like that.

They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough to live forever and never see the grave. Those who are wise must finally die, just like the foolish and senseless, leaving all their wealth behind. The grave is their eternal home, where they will stay forever. They may name their estates after themselves, but they leave their wealth to others. (Psalm 49:6-11)

All deception has its source in Satan for, as Jesus reminds us, “He was a murderer from the beginning and has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”[20]

Needed by all people of all cultures, ‘For all have sinned. All fall short of God’s glorious standard.’ And needed now, ‘For the wages of sin is death.’[21] Trust in the Lord is the only way to be saved from this penalty.

Your reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. This salvation was something the prophets wanted to know more about. They prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you, even though they had many questions as to what it could all mean. (1 Peter 1:9-10)

God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this, it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8)

And when the jailer in Philippi enquired about the way of salvation, Paul and Silas were able to point him to it. After the earthquake which set the prisoners free,

Trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down before Paul and Silas. He brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household.” Then they shared the word of the Lord with him and all who lived in his household. That same hour the jailer washed their wounds, and he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. Then he brought them into his house and set a meal before them. He and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. (Acts 16:29-34)

Having trusted the Lord for our salvation we continue to trust in him for his direction in life—for a sense of purpose, for guidance in setting goals and determining priorities. Solomon’s advice is clear—not trusting in our own wisdom but in the Lord.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn your back on evil. Then you will gain renewed health and vitality. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

I think you ought to know, dear friends, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us. (2 Corinthians 1:8-11)

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this violent storm is past. I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. He will send help from heaven to save me, rescuing me from those who are out to get me. My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness. (Psalm 57:1-3)

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if the earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. (Psalm 46:1-2)

We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success comes from God. (2 Corinthians 3:4-5)

Luke tells us that Paul was also confident that the church leaders in Ephesus would receive the same help because of their trust in the Lord …

Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church and prayed for them with fasting, turning them over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had come to trust. (Acts 14:23)

Notice that David speaks not just of trusting in the Lord of trusting him with joy. “Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,” he reminds us. God’s people are able to be …

“Praise the LORD! He was angry with me but now he comforts me. See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The LORD God is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.”

With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation! In that wonderful day you will sing:

“Thank the LORD! Praise his name! Tell the world what he has done. Oh, how mighty he is! Sing to the LORD, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. (Isaiah 12:1-5)

I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

Paul prayed with joy for God’s people in Philippi. He says in his letter to them,

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy because you have been my partners in spreading the Good news about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. (Philippians 1:3-4)

The Lord assures people of all cultures that they are able to call upon him with joy. He gives this assurance to all people …

“I will also bless the Gentiles who commit themselves to the LORD and serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who have accepted his covenant. I will bring them also to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer. (Isaiah 56:6-7a)

When the people of Israel returned to their homeland after their years of captivity in Babylon, some focussed on the way things used to be and found it hard to be joyful. But others served the Lord with joyfulness as they set about rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem. Ezra tells us of their joy.

The construction of the Temple of God began in mid spring, during the second year after they arrived in Jerusalem. The work force was made up of everyone who had returned from exile … When the builders completed the foundation of the LORD’s Temple, the priests put on their robes and took their places to blow their trumpets. And the Levites, descendants of Asaph, clashed their cymbals to praise the LORD, just as King David had prescribed. And they sang this song to the LORD:

Then all the people gave a great shout, praising the LORD because the foundation of the LORD’s Temple had been laid.

Many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders remembered the first Temple and they wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud commotion that could be heard far in the distance. (Ezra 3:8a, 10-13)

Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the presence light of your presence, LORD. They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation. They exult in your righteousness. You are their glorious strength. Our power is based on your favor. Yes, our protection comes from the LORD, and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king. (Psalm 89:15-18)

Reflecting on his earlier years the psalmist writes, “O LORD my God, you have done many miracles for us.” (vs. 5a) He may have been thinking of the people’s deliverance from Egypt, or the crossing of the Red Sea, occupying the land of Canaan, or any number of the things God had done for them for, as another psalmist asks, “Who can list the glorious miracles of the LORD? Who can ever praise him half enough?” (Psalm 106:2. But for any who have become discouraged, the same reflection on the Lord’s goodness to them in past times will begin to restore that joyful trust in the Lord that was once known.

The young pastor Timothy comes to mind. It seems that at one time during his pastoral ministry he had become discouraged. His earlier zeal was burning low, the vision dulled. Perhaps caused by some of the difficulties he was encountering in his pastoral work. Hearing of this may have been one of Paul’s reasons for writing a second letter to him. He reminds Timothy of all that the Lord has done for him—through the prayers and teaching of his mother and grandmother, the special gift he had received, all the fruit born of his ministry.

I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother Eunice, and your grandmother Lois. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self discipline. So you must never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I am in prison for Christ. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the proclamation of the Good News. (2 Timothy 1:5-8)

The writer of the article entitled Hebrews, contains this piece of counsel for all Christian people.

Don’t ever forget those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail. When all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew you had better things waiting for you in eternity.

Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. (Hebrews 10:32-36)

Reflecting on all that the Lord has done for us in the past must surely help us to maintain a joyful trust in him. And perhaps even more so, the thought of …

From his remembrance of past blessings the psalmist looks with renewed hope to the future as he affirms to his Lord, “Your plans for us are too numerous to list.” (vs. 5b). The promise made initially to the people of Israel but now extended to all of his people comes to mind.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you,” says the LORD. (Jeremiah 29:11-14a)

The Hebrew word translated here as ‘plans’ is machashebeth, from chasab ‘to think’. The primary component of its meaning refers to what a person is thinking. In choosing this word the psalmist is telling us that God’s people are always in his thoughts as he plans for their future. As his plans unfold for us it may not always be as we might have expected but it is always for our ultimate good and well being. As Isaiah was reminded …

“My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

When his brothers sold him as a slave to some Ishmaelite traders[22] Joseph could never have imagined the good that would come from it. But as his life progressed according to God’s plans for him, he was able to say to his brothers,

“As far as I am concerned, God turned into good what you meant for evil. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people.” (Genesis 50:20)

Faith is always strengthened in recalling all that the Lord has done for us and in accepting his assurance that all he has planned for us in the future is for our good and the good of those we are called to serve. It is with a joyful trust in the Lord that the psalmist declares, “If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.” (vs. 5c)

In another of his psalms David assures us that all that the Lord does is in righteousness.

Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple. Your answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations. Those living far away fear your wonders. Where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy. (Psalm 65:4-8 NIV)

“Now that you have made me listen,” writes David, “I finally understand …” (vs. 6a). What is it that David has come to understand? He talks firstly about the things that God does not require. It is …

When David says to the Lord, “You don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings” (vs. 6b), he is thinking beyond the actual ceremony because, until the coming of Christ, whose sacrificial death would replace those offerings, they were still needed.

David is thinking primarily of what was required of him as he took part in the temple services—thinking perhaps of the guidelines Moses set down for kings. They are to remain humble before God and his people. They are to allow the Scriptures to instruct them.

When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy these laws on a scroll for himself in the presence of the Levitical priests. He must always keep this copy of the law with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of this law. This regular reading will prevent him becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. This will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)

Peter Craigie[23] writes of this section of the psalm in the light of those guidelines.

But the offering of sacrifices alone was not enough. More was required of him. The general background, then, to these verses is to be found in the “law (or Torah) of kings,” (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). When the suppliant states, “it is written about me in the scroll of the book” (vs. 8), he is referring to the Deuteronomic law and its cultic requirements of kings. But the Deuteronomic law, while imposing on the king certain cultic requirements, had a deeper spiritual dimension to it. It was to instill in the king the fear of the Lord and keep him humble amongst his brethren (Deuteronomy 17:19-20). These verses in Psalm 40 thus point to the characteristics required of the king beyond the cultic offerings and sacrifices.

What David has come to understand is that taking part in the services where the sacrificial offering were presented is not to be with an outward show of righteousness. This is not what God requires. It was this outward show that was so evident in the life of the nation’s religious leaders by the time of Jesus. Their outward show masked an inner sinfulness and turmoil. This is why he referred to them as those who were simply play acting.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of the religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the Scriptures. So practice and obey whatever they say to you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach … How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you won’t let others enter the Kingdom of Heaven and you won’t go in yourselves. (Matthew 23:1-3, 13)

The term hypocrites comes from the Greek word ‘ύποκριτηѕ’ (hupokritēs). William Barclay[24] explains the meaning of this word.

Originally the Greek word hupokritēs meant one who answers. It then came to be specifically connected with the statement and answer, the dialogue of the stage. And it is the regular Greek word for an actor. It then came mean an actor in the worst sense of the term, a pretender, one who acts a part, one who wears a mask to cover his true feelings, one who puts on an external show while inwardly his thoughts and feelings are very different.

To Jesus the Scribes and Pharisees were men who were acting a part. What he meant was this. Their whole idea of religion consisted in outward observances, the wearing of elaborate phylacteries and tassels, the meticulous observance of the rules and regulations of the Law. But in their hearts there was bitterness and envy and pride and arrogance. To Jesus these Scribes and Pharisees were men who, under a mask of elaborate godliness, concealed hearts in which the most godless feelings and emotions held sway. And that accusation holds good in greater or lesser degree of any man who lives life on the assumptioon that religion consists in external observances and external acts.

And so the LORD says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote.” (Isaiah 29:13)

What can we bring to the LORD to make up for what we have done? Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and tens of thousands of rivers of oil? Would that please the LORD? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for the sins of our souls? Would that make him glad?

No, O people, the LORD has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires—to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:6-8)

David is now looking beyond mere religious observance. He has come to understand that what God is looking for is …

David has heard the call of the Lord to move on from the offerings themselves and to come to him. Jesus offers the same invitation to all who are burdened with the burdensome demands of religion.

Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28-29)

David’s response is decisive when he says to the Lord, “Look, I have come.” (vs. 7a). He comes, as Stewart Perowne[25] understands his response to indicate, as “an inferior into the presence of a superior, or of a slave before his master.” The phrase, Perowne continues, is similar to the expression ‘Behold, here I am,’ generally expressive of willingness.

Samuel responded in this way to the call of the Lord to him. Being familiar only with the religious services of the temple he did not at first recognize that it was the voice of the Lord calling to him. But when he did he responded positively.

Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the LORD before. So now the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you need?”

Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling to the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Yes LORD, your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went back to bed.

And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Yes, your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:7-10)

One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. Suddenly the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn’t burn up. “Amazing!’ Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go over to see this.”

When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses’ attention, God called to him from the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another,

At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.

Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips. Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

The I heard the voice of the LORD saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

David finds a new delight in the Scriptures with his discovery that they speak to him personally. When he says “… this has been written about me in your scroll,” (vs. 7b), he may well be thinking of the Lord’s instructions for kings that we referred to previously.[26] The Scriptures have found a special place in his heart—“your law is written on my heart,” he says. (vs. 8b) Another of the psalmists explains how he too came to delight in the Scriptures.

How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its rules. I have tried my best to find you—don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O LORD. Teach me your principles. I have recited aloud all the laws you have given us. I have rejoiced in your decrees as much as in riches. I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your principles and not forget your word. (Psalm 119:9-16)

When the psalmist says, “I have hidden you word in my heart,” he uses an interesting word. The Hebrew word tsaphan ‘to hide’ has in its meaning the idea of storing something of great value in order to keep it from being stolen away. Job uses the word when he describes the place of the Scriptures in his life.

But he knows the way that I take. When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. My feet have closely followed his steps. I have kept to his way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of his lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. (Job 23:10-12)

This reminds us of the way the words of the Lord concerning the coming of the savior filled the thoughts of Mary.

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had told them about this child. All who heard the shepherd’s story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. (Luke 2:13-19)

And now, leaving the performance of religious observance and performance behind him and with heart and mind filled with the Scriptures, David has discovered that …

David is now able to say “I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your law is written on my heart.” (vs. 8) Joyfully and without fear he makes known what he has learned of …

David affirms, “I have told all your people about your justice.” He has a strong sense of the rightness in all that God does. Like Abraham, who, after learning of the judgment about to fall on Sodom and Gomorrah, was confident to say, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25b) And as David declares in another of his psalms …

For the word of the LORD holds true, and everything he does is worthy of our trust. He loves whatever is just and good, and his unfailing love fills the earth. (Ps. 33:4-5)

David is assuring his people that the Lord can be relied on to rule with fairness and impartiality. Another psalmist, Ethan, writes of the Lord …

Powerful is your arm! Strong is your hand! Your right hand is lifted high in glorious strength. Your throne is founded on two strong pillars—righteousness and justice. Unfailing love and truth walk before you as attendants. (Psalm 89:13-14)

Justice: The rightness of God’s dealings with his creatures, either in approving and rewarding or condemning or judging. God’s attitude and acts based on his righteousness.

God is faithful because faithfulness is an element of who he is. And because he never changes he cannot be unfaithful. One of the psalmists writes of the Lord …

In ages past you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Even they will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment, and they will fade away.

Tozer[28] writes of it this way as he sees God’s faithfulness to be part of the oneness of all his attributes …

In studying any attribute, the essential oneness of all the attributes soon becomes apparent. We see, for instance, that if God is self-existent He must also be self sufficient; and if He has power He, being infinite, must have all power. If he possesses knowledge, his infinitude assures us that He possesses all knowledge.

Similarly, His immutability presupposes his faithfulness. If he is unchanging, it follows that he could not be unfaithful, since that would require him to change …

All of God’s acts are consistent with all of His attributes. No attribute contradicts any other, but all harmonize and blend into each other in the infinite abyss of the Godhead. All that God does agrees with all that God is, and being and doing are one in him.

God is faithful because that is who is and he cannot act in any other way for that would be to deny who he is. We have the capacity to be unfaithful but God does not. This is why Paul was able to assure Timothy that …

If we are unfaithful he remains faithful for he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)

God is faithful in our times of trouble. No affliction comes to us except through his hands. The troubles he allows into our lives are designed to strengthen our trust in him, to teach us endurance. This is the assurance the psalmist has when he says to the Lord …

I know, O LORD, that your laws are righteous, and in faithfulness you have afflicted me. May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. (Psalm 119:75-77 NIV)

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (1 Peter 4:19)

God is also faithful in watching over our children—constantly working to bring them to himself, always searching for the lost sheep.

Forever, O LORD, your word stands firm in heaven. Your faithfulness extends to every generation, as enduring as the earth you created. Your laws remain true today, for everything serves your plans. (Psalm 119:89-91)

Writing in other psalms as Israel’s anointed king he acknowledges that God’s saving power was something that he had experienced in his own life.

Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power. Some nations boast of their armies and weapons, but we boast in the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:6-7)

Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance. Be their shepherd and carry them forever. (Psalm 28:6-9 NIV)

And so now he reaffirms his intention to tell everyone about God’s ‘faithfulness and saving power.’ (vs. 10b)

Paul writes of his confidence in the saving power of the Lord. To the people of Rome he writes …

So I am eager to come to you in Rome too, to preach God’s Good News. For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—Jews first and also Gentiles. (Romans 1:15-16)

And he reminds the church in Corinth that God’s saving power remains unknown in the world’s philosophies.

I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God. As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas.”[29] So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense. (1 Corinthians 1:18-20)

- his unfailing love (vs. 10
Love is another of God’s attributes. But, as A. W. Tozer[30] reasons thoughtfully, ‘love’ should never be given as a definition of God.

The apostle John, by the Spirit, wrote, “God is love,” and some have taken his words to be a definitive statement concerning the essential nature of God. This is a great error. John by those words was stating a fact, but was not offering a definition.

Equating love with God is a major mistake which has produced much unsound religious philosophy …

Had the apostle declared that love is what God is, we would be forced to infer that God is what love is. If literally God is love, then literally love is God, and we are in all duty bound to worship love as the only God there is. If love is equal to God then God is only equal to love, and God and love are identical. Thus we destroy the concept of personality in God and deny outright all his attributes save one, and that one we substitute for God …

We say that God is love; we say that God is light; we say that Christ is truth; and we mean the words to be understood in much the same way that words are understood when we say of a man, “ He is kindness itself.” By so saying we are not saying that kindness and the man are identical, and no one understands our words in that sense.

The words “God is love” mean that love is an essential attribute of God. Love is something true of God but it is not God. It expresses the way God is in His unitary being, as do the words holiness, justice, faithfulness and truth. Because god is immutable He always acts like himself, and because He is a unity He never suspends one of his attributes in order to exercise another.

At a time when his troubles threatened to overwhelm him, Jeremiah was comforted in knowing that he was greatly loved by God. He writes of his experience.

The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:

The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. (Lamentations 3:19-26)

It would be helpful at this point to notice that what David said of his discovery and of himself, the author of the Hebrews treatise attributes to Christ as also saying of himself.

For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That is why Christ, when he came into the world said,

“You did not want animal sacrifices and grain offerings. But you have given me a body so that I may obey you.

No, you were not pleased with animals burned on the altar or with other offerings for sin.

Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God—just as it is written about me in the Scriptures.’ ” (Hebrews 10:4-7)

Let’s stay for awhile with this quotation of what Christ said of himself. We learn from it that …

To his father in heaven Christ said, “You have given me a body so that I may obey you.” (vs. 5) His purpose in visiting planet earth was to offer himself as the sacrificial lamb to replace all offerings made before him—those ‘animals burned on the altar’ and ‘other offerings for sin’. Those offerings were but only ‘a mere shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.’[31] The Greek word translated ‘substance’ ties in with what Christ said. The word Paul uses is σωμα (sōma) ‘body’. The author of the book Hebrews writes of it this way …

The old system in the law of Moses was only a shadow of the things to come, not the reality of the good things Christ has done for us. The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. (Hebrews 10:1)

John the Baptist was one of the first to recognize Christ as the one who, by his own sacrificial death, would accomplish all that was pictured in the old sacrifices. The apostle John writes,

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Soon a man is coming who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before I did.’ ” (John 1:29-30)

In the light of Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf, Paul challenges us to present our ourselves to him, ready for sacrificial service in his name.

And so dear friends, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? (Romans 12:1)

Let’s return now to our Psalm to see how David’s recollection of past blessings leads him to make …

At this point there is a sudden change in the psalmist’s tone. The blue sky of the past has become overcast with the clouds of his experience in the present …

How typical this is of life! Triumph and travail alternate. Joy and sorrow chase one another. Our landscape is made up of hills and valleys. And, of course, wherever there are hills there must be valleys … The psalmist has been delivered from some enemies (vs. 1-10) but not from all enemies. (vs. 13-15) If life were but one battle we could put off our armor when it was won, but as life is a campaign we can never afford that. We must be ever watchful and ever prayerful, and ever hopeful. The God who has delivered, can deliver, and will deliver.

Paul reminded the members of the church in Corinth of God’s ongoing care for them—he has delivered, can deliver, and will deliver.

We are confident that as you share in suffering, you will also share God’s comfort. I think you ought to know, dear friends, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who raised the dead. And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us. (2 Corinthians 1:7-10)

So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.

David would have listened to the singing of that song many times, and probably sang along with the songsters himself. Before we move on however, it is worth noting who these Korahite Songsters were. Craigie[33] tells us that …

There may have been two collections of the psalms of the Sons of Korah. Psalms 42-49, with the exception of Psalm 43, and Psalms 84-88, with the exception of Psalm 86. The Korahites were Levites, descended through Kohath (1 Chronicles 6:22), who were involved in the music of the Temple.

And so it is that David, encouraged by the memory of how the Lord had answered his cry for help in former times, turns once more to him for help in his current troubles. His prayer has a chiastic structure, its literary form is that of introverted parallelism. In this literary form, what is said in (a¹)complements or expands what is said in (a). What is said in (b¹) that of (b). What is said in (c) is at the heart of what is being said, it binds the whole together. A note of urgency sounds throughout his hopeful plea for help …

As David prays “LORD, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me,” he may well have been thinking of one of the songs written by the Korahites songsters as he prayed this prayer—a song reminding him that the Lord will never withhold what he sees to be good for us.

David tells the Lord that he is surrounded by troubles, building on each other like the stones of a wall. He says of his troubles, “They pile up so high I can’t see my way out. (vs. 12a) The high wall of the troubles that surround him are preventing David from seeing that there is a way out.

But David seems to have forgotten that there is a way, for on another occasion he writes with this assurance …

LORD, you have brought light to my life. My God, you light up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army. With my God I can scale any wall. (Psalm 18:28-29)

Then after helping us to jump over those troublesome walls, the Lord surrounds us with his own protective wall, high as a mountain, his very own presence. As one of Israel's song writers puts it …

Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion. They will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds and protects his people, both now and forever. (Psalm 125:1-2)

Praise the LORD, I tell myself, with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! (Psalm 103:1-5).

David also admits to being afraid as he looked at the wall of his trouble around him. But he need not be. For as another psalmist says of his experience when in trouble …

In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and rescued me. The LORD is for me , so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 118:5-6)

Based on the meanings of the Hebrew words translated ‘distress’ and ‘rescued’ the psalmist’s first sentence could be paraphrased, ‘When confined in a tight, restricted place, I prayed to the LORD and the LORD answered and put me out into a large spacious place.’

David prays, “Please, LORD, rescue me! Come quickly LORD, and help me.” (vs. 13) In view of how David had previously had to ‘wait patiently’ (vs. 1) for the Lord to help him, can he now ask for the Lord to act quickly on his behalf. Yes, because the Lord does act quickly when he sees that the situation requires it, when it is in the person’s best interests to do so. The Lord acted quickly, for example, when the disciples were caught in a life threatening storm.

One day, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and started out. On the way across, Jesus lay down for a nap, and while he was sleeping the wind began to rise. A fierce storm developed that threatened to swamp them, and they were in real danger.

The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

So Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waves. The storm stopped and all was calm. (Luke 8:22-24)

The literary form takes us now to a further reference to David’s troubles as he prays, “May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace.” (vs. 14b) He is trusting the Lord to handle his troubles for him, to help him through them. Peter, while acknowledging the part we must play, offers us this counsel.

Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.

Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that Christians all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. (1 Peter 5:6-9)

But we note that David also adds a prayer for those who, instead of troubling him, want to get to know his God. “But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, ‘The LORD is great.’ ” (vs. 16) Faith is the essential ingredient in searching for the Lord. As one writer puts it, almost as an after thought when describing Enoch’s experience …

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“suddenly he disappeared because God took him.”[34] But before he was taken up, he was approved as pleasing to God. So you see it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (Hebrews 11:5-6)

In this final segment of the literary form, David’s thoughts return to the request expressed in the first segment. There he asks the Lord to ‘not hold back’ (vs. 1), and now he is imploring the Lord not to delay. While he is praying with such urgency, David senses that the Lord has not forgotten him—“… the LORD is thinking about me right now,” he writes. (vs. 17a) We too may be certain that we will never be forgotten by the Lord even though, like the people of Israel on one occasion, we may be tempted to think that he has forgotten us. Isaiah tells us of the Lord’s promise to his people at that time …

Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their sorrow.

“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for a child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on my hand.” (Isaiah 49:13-16a)

Like any loving parent, the Lord has his children constantly in his thoughts. Like David you can be say with confidence, “As for me, I am poor and needy, but the LORD is thinking about me right now.” His thoughts towards us are …

- profound. God’s thinking and planning for us extends to every area of our lives.
As another of the psalmists says …

O LORD, what great miracles you do! And how deep are your thoughts. Only an ignorant person would not know this! Only a fool would not understand it. (Psalm 92:5-6)

If we were left to our own thinking we would be unable to cover all bases. For, as the Lord reminds us,

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God! They are innumerable! I can’t even count them. They out number the grains of sand! And when I wake up in the morning, you are still with me! (Psalm 139:17-18)

- always with the intention of doing us good. The Lord gives this timely assurance to his people.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me if you seek me. I will be found by you,” says the LORD. (Jeremiah 29:11-14a)

And so with the memory of how the Lord had heard his patient plea for help back then (vs. 1-3), he makes his hopeful plea for today.

LORD, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. My only hope is in your unfailing love and faithfulness … the LORD is thinking about me right now. You are my helper and savior. Do not delay, O my God.” (vs. 11, 17)

[1] Craigie, Peter. WORLD BIBLICAL COMMENTARY. Psalms 1-50. Texas: Word Books. 1983. p. 316.
[2] Scroggie, W. Graham. THE PSALMS. Volume 1. Psalms 1-50. London: Pickering and Inglis. 1948. p. 233.
[3] ibid: pp. 233-234.
[4] Genesis 39:19 - 40:4.
[5] Such as Samson experienced, Judges 17:21.
[6] Like was done to Paul and Silas, Acts 16:22-24.
[7] 1 Kings 22:26-27.
[8] Ezekiel 19:8-9.
[9] THE BIBLICAL WORLD. A DICTIONARY OF BIBLICAL ARCHAEOLOGY. Editor: Charles F. Pfeiffer. Michigan: Baker Book House. 1966. p. 349.
[10] A ‘stele’ is an upright slab or pillar of a building, usually containing an inscription and decorative sculptures.
[11] 1 Samuel 1:6-7, 18.
[12] See Acts 1:6-12 for the account of Jesus’ lifting up to heaven.
[13] Revelation 7:9.
[14] Craigie. ibid: p. 313.
[15] Quoted by Craigie. ibid: p. 313.
[16] 2 Timothy 3:16.
[17] John 14:6.
[18] Isaiah 29:13-14.
[19] Mark 10:17-31.
[20] John 8:44b.
[21] Romans 3:23, 3:23.
[22] Genesis 37:18-36.
[23] Craigie. ibid: p. 315.
[24] Barclay, William. THE DAILY STUDY BIBLE. MATTHEW. Vol 2. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press. 1975. pp. 288-289.
[25] Quoted by Spurgeon, C. H. THE TREASURY OF DAVID. Volume 2. London: Marshall, Morgan and Scott. 1950. p. 246.[26] Deuteronomy 17:14-20.
[27] Swindoll, Charles R. GROWING DEEP IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. Portland Oregon: Multnomah Press. 1986. p. 418.
[28] Tozer, A. W. THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY. New York: Harper Collins. M1992. p. 122.
[29] Isaiah 29:14.
[30] Tozer. ibid: pp. 151-153.
[31] Colossians 2:17 NASB.
[32] Scroggie. ibid: pp. 233-234.
[33] Craigie. ibid: p.28.
[34] Genesis 5:21-24.