Psalms 40 - Introduction

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‘For the Chief Musician. A Psalm to/for David.'

This Psalm is offered to the person responsible for the sacred music, or the choirmaster, and is of the Davidic collection. ‘To (or ‘for') David' may indicate that it was dedicated to David, written for the Davidic house, or even written by David himself.

The Psalm in its final form appears to have been presented by David to the Chief Musician for use in the worship in the Tabernacle. It very much reflects a certain period in his life, when he experienced God's merciful deliverances only to find himself then plunged into even worse troubles. (See 1 Samuel 19:1 to 1 Samuel 27:12). It divides into a number of sections, the last of which (Psalms 40:13) is paralleled in Psalms 70. But the letter may well be an extract from the Psalm for use in public worship.

The Psalm commences with a cry of triumph as he is delivered from some predicament, which has resulted in his being inspired to compose and sing a new song (Psalms 40:1), and it continues with a period of consolidation in which he can rejoice in God's works (Psalms 40:4) leading up to his dedication of himself to follow God's will as revealed in His Instruction (Psalms 40:6), something which results in his declaring God's faithfulness to all the assembled people (Psalms 40:9).

But then comes a period of trouble in which he is very much aware that his own sins are overwhelming him, a period in which his enemies are seeking to take full advantage of him, and he brings the Psalm to its conclusion in the confidence that God will deliver him out of it, in spite of his undeserving, because He is his Helper and Deliverer.

It is a reminder that there are many ups and downs in life, and of our need in the midst of them to give ourselves wholly to God, whatever the future holds. It is a reminder that while such dedication might lead us into even more troubles, it also certain that through such troubles we will learn that God is our Helper and Deliverer too. The idea that God's people must rejoice in such tribulation, that is tribulation that brings them closer to God, is prominent in the New Testament (see Romans 5:1; Hebrews 12:2; James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6).

The Psalm follows a regular pattern found in many prayers, especially those of spiritual people facing severe difficulties who do not just want to be seen as launching straight into a begging session. It is a pattern of true prayer. It begins with a consideration of God's mercies, accompanied by an expression of gratitude for them, followed by a statement of confidence in His faithfulness. It then results in a rededication to His service, and an assertion by the worshipper that he will give faithful testimony to others about what God has done, before launching into a declaration of an awareness of present sin and into a plea for help in the particular difficulties being faced. And it ends with a call for God not to delay in acting in mercy, but to help him in spite of his undeserving. It is thus a well rounded prayer.

We can analyse it as follows:

· David Rejoices In His Past Deliverance Because He Believes That It Will Cause Many To Trust In YHWH (Psalms 40:1).

· He Declares That The Man Who Does So Trust In YHWH, And Lives Accordingly, Will Experience God's Wonderful Working On His Behalf (Psalms 40:4).

· He Recognises That In Order For A Man To Express His Gratitude to God Religious Observances Are Not Enough, And That What God Requires Of Him Is Total Obedience to His Will, Something To Which He Gladly Accedes (Psalms 40:6).

· He Assures God That He Has Been Faithful In His Testimony Towards His Fellow Believers About God's Goodness And Faithfulness Towards Them, Which Is Of Course An Essential Part Of His Obedience (Psalms 40:9).

· Having Thereby Established His Gratitude And Loyalty And The Faithfulness Of His Testimony With Regard to God, He Now Seeks God's Aid In Helping Him With Regard To His Own Sinfulness And Prays Also For Assistance Against Those Who Are His Enemies (Psalms 40:11).

· He Ends Up By Depicting Who Are The Truly Righteous, To Whom He Knows YHWH Will Provide Help, And While Not Seeing Himself As Comparing With Them, Nevertheless Looks To God For Him Also To Help Him (Psalms 40:16).