READ: Ps. 40:1–17: … Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require. Then I said, “Behold, I come …” … my iniquities have overtaken me … let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You … do not delay …
This is a Psalm of David in which thanksgiving for God’s deliverance from the distress of iniquities and calamities is followed by a cry for help in new misery. In this the life of believers is reflected: again and again they are delivered by the LORD. There is also a passage that is specifically fulfilled in the coming and work of Jesus (vv.7,8; Heb. 10:5–10).
David sets before us that in adversity we must be patient and in prosperity thankful. That patience can be under tension in persistent misery (v.2),yet the LORD will always respond to the cry for help of His children if they continue to trust in Him (vv.4,5,18).
How are we to interpret David’s distress? It concerns spiritual distress in particular. In the Old Testament this was often also experienced physically: wars, calamities, drought.
For a believer it is not only important in distress to continue to humbly call upon the help of the LORD (vv.2,5,14,18), but equally, in His deliverance, to express abundant thanksgiving and joy and to share it within the congregation (vv.4,10,11,17).
David cannot finish speaking about the multitude of wonders that the LORD has done (v.6). Even a believer who observes them cannot count them—they are so many! Therefore let us continually thank and praise the LORD for this.
Concerning the bringing of sacrifices, David notes that this has meaning only if it is done with a believing heart that turns to the LORD in sincere awareness of guilt and gratitude (v.7; cf. Ps. 51:18,19).
Verses 7 and 8 refer to such sacrifices. They have power only because of the one true atoning sacrifice that Christ gave on the cross. With that sacrifice of His life He fulfilled the will of the Father (John 17:4). Because of the mercies of God shown to us through His Son, our whole life should now be a living thank offering (Rom. 12:1).
How do we give shape to that?
Singing: Ps. 40:1,3,4