Psalm 40:1-8
In contrast to the many laments we have read this past month, in today’s reading we see David thanking and praising the Lord for deliverance from past difficulties, although we have no idea of the nature of those difficulties. The first three verses are direct, more personal thanksgivings. Then David goes on to offer encouragement to his fellow Israelites by reflecting on their corporate faith, all the while continuing to give praise to God for … Your wondrous deeds and Your thoughts toward us… These verses are so very different from what we have been reading!
Then we get to verses 6-8. My Study Bibles agree on confusion as to these verses. David is rejecting sacrifices and offerings (quoted in Hebrews 10:5-7), instead preferring obedience: I delight to do Your will… (v. 8b). Note – this is the same David who entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread (see I Samuel 21:1-6) in direct disobedience to the Law. (See Jesus’ comments on this incident in Mark 2:25-26.) So David, in agreeing with Jesus’ words a thousand years later was well ahead of his time!
I find the praise and thanksgiving to God that David sings is a joyful reminder to all of us. Despite desperate situations, the miry pit, He is our rock and will always be with us, on earth and in heaven. Hallelujah!
I am particularly struck by verse 6:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened — burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.”
What does the Lord require of us?
My study Bible gives several strong cross references regarding offerings and sacrifices to God which are displeasing to him (and rejected by him) when the person’s heart is not committed to his ways. I don’t always look these up, but today I did—very sobering…
In addition, in the phrase “my ears you have opened,” I was touched that God helps the psalmist to be open to hear him.
Finally, my notes also mention that the word “opened” can be translated “pierced”—when a servant wanted to stay with his master instead of being freed at the end of his time of service, he would agree to have his ear pierced as a sign of his lifelong, unbreakable commitment. May I be that willing to serve my Savior!
I liked vs. 5, specifically the later half of the verse, “If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them”, meaning to me that God showers me with more blessings and miracles than I can count. That brought to mind my 17+ years of sobriety. I would need a calculator to count up all the individual sober days that amounts to. Then all the additional days of good health, healing, seeing others healed, the list goes on… I would never come to the end of the list indeed!
I guess the point I’m coming to with this reflection is to not take the miracles and wonderful deeds that God pours out on me for granted. Give praise to and thank God every day for those miracles. It keeps me humble. That’s what this reading and vs. 5 reminded me to do.
Amen, Bruce!