Embrace the Word for Monday, March 23, 2026
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Psalm 40 rehearses God’s saving work, while also requesting God’s saving work. The superscription is a common one: “To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.” Psalm 40 has several links to Psalm 39. Both Psalms express waiting on the LORD (39:7; 40:1). Both Psalms speak of crying out to the LORD (39:12; 40:13-15). Psalm 40 has links to Psalm 38 as well. Both Psalms speak of those who seek David’s life (38:12; 40:1). Psalm 40 also has overlapping links to both Psalm 38 and Psalm 39. Each Psalm speaks of iniquities (38:4; 39:8; 40:12). Psalm 40 opens with David’s resolve to not “restrain my lips” (40:9) from praising the LORD (40:1-10); and it closes with David’s request that the LORD “not restrain your mercy” (40:11) from rescuing David (40:11-17).
Psalm 40 begins with David explaining how he waited on the LORD: “I waited patiently for the LORD” (40:1a). There is no clear indication of the episode for which David was awaiting the LORD to act. Perhaps David was not referencing a specific event at all; perhaps David was speaking of the entire time span from when he was anointed king to when he actually ascended to the throne (See 1 Samuel 16:1-2 Samuel 5:5). If that is the case, then David was waiting for quite an extended period of time. God often asks His people to wait. David wasn’t the first and is not the last. David waited, and waited, and waited. David did not take matters into his own hands, as he waited. David had multiple opportunities to take Saul out, but he didn’t. David trusted in the LORD’s timing and as he did he called upon the LORD.
David describes what the LORD did, when the timing was right: “he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God” (40:1b-3a). The LORD “inclined,” “heard,” drew,” “set,” and “put.” The LORD leaned forward and caught what David had to say. Next, the LORD pulled David out of his troubles, and then placed him in a safe and stable place. Finally, the LORD stirred a fresh song (either a literal new song or just a song expressed with new vigor) into David’s heart. David went from a place of trouble to a position of testimony of the LORD’s deliverance.
David’s testimony was rooted in a desire to see others know his God: “Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD” (40:3b). David wishes for others to experience the joy that the LORD brings: “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust” (40:4a). The enjoyment experienced by the one upon whom God’s favor rests is available to all who trust in the LORD. As Book 1 of the Psalter closes with the next Psalm, it is interesting to note that Psalms 1 and 2, which open Book 1, contain the word “blessed” (1:1; 2:12), and now Psalms 40 and 41, which complete Book 1, contain the word “blessed” (40:5; 41:1,13). David adds a vital clarification about the exclusivity of trusting in the LORD: “who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!” (40:4b). David is all in on the matter of trusting only in the LORD: “You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told” (40:5). David’s heart is overflowing in response to how he considers what “my God” has thought of him and done for him. To recount all of it is more than David can fully explain, but he is, nevertheless convinced that there is none like the LORD.
David offers himself to the LORD: “In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart” (40:6-8). David’s desire to obey the LORD seems to have parallel with Samuel’s confrontation of Saul’s disobedience. When Saul disobeyed the LORD’s instructions to destroy Agag and the Amalekites, he explained that he spared the animals so that they could be sacrificed to the LORD (See 1 Samuel 15). Samuel then explained to Saul that the LORD wanted obedience, not sacrifice: “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams…Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has also rejected you from being king” (1 Samuel 15:22-23).
David’s statement about obedience reflects his understanding about what went wrong in regards to Saul. The LORD wants obedience over sacrifice. The LORD’s first choice is obedience, as sacrifice is actually a provision only made necessary because of the lack of obedience. David is stating that the LORD has “given me an open ear,” that is, enabled him to hear and obey what God has said. Further, David understands that his becoming king is the outcome of what God promised, “in the scroll of the book it is written of me.” Thus, David knows what it is that the LORD requires of him as king, “I delight to do your will, O my God,” as well as what the LORD has provided to him to accomplish that, “your law is within my heart.”
David then turns from offering himself to the LORD to declaring the worthiness of the LORD: “I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation” (40:9-10). As king, David assembled the people and told them of “the glad news of deliverance,” he has not “restrained my lips,” nor has he “hidden your deliverance.” Instead, David has spoken willingly of the LORD’s faithfulness, salvation, steadfast love, and faithfulness. David knows that as the LORD’s king, he is called to declare the LORD’s truth. David owes his deliverance, his placement as king, and even his obedience to the LORD. Therefore, David expresses his calling to declare before the “great congregation” the greatness of God.
To carry out the purposes to which the LORD called him, David prays: “As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!” (40:11). David launches his prayer with an assurance that the LORD would not restrain His mercy from him, but would in fact preserve him because of His steadfast love and faithfulness. David is confident in the LORD. And out of his confidence, David turns to the LORD stating two reasons he needs the LORD: “Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me!” (40:13). David locates two enemies he needs to be delivered from. First, David needs to be delivered from the enemy within him: “For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me” (40:12). David is aware of how the sin within him surrounds him, overwhelms him, can overtake him, and even how it blinds him. David, also needs to be delivered from enemies around him: “Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt! Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” (40:14-15). David is alert to those who seek his life. He prays that his external enemies would be put to shame, unsuccessful in their attempt, turned back, and dishonored.
After David prays for the defeat of all his enemies—internal and external—he asks the LORD to cause him to rejoice and shout: “But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the LORD!” (40:16). David asks this request for himself as well as for all who seek the LORD and love His salvation. David’s ultimate focus is not his enemies, but his God. David prays for the removal of his enemies not as an end in itself, but as a means to an end: that he and the “great congregation” would happily give praise to God.
David closes with one very personal request: “As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me” (40:17a). David is not very impressed with himself and has been brought low by the difficulties he has faced. However, he is acutely aware of the fact that the LORD lovingly took thought of him. What a warm assurance to consider the Father’s loving regard for His own. With such an assurance, we are more quickly propelled to ask our Father: “You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!” (40:17b).
As we consider Psalm 40 we can consider how the writer of Hebrews uses this Psalm: “Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” (See Hebrews 10:5-7; quoting Psalm 40:6-7). David was only a provisional preview of the kind of obedience that God requires. David’s seed, the Lord Jesus Christ is the One who rendered a true obedience. And not only does Jesus render a true obedience, He also offers Himself as the final sacrifice: “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (See Hebrews 10:12). Sacrifices are necessary because full obedience had never occurred. But the sacrifices of the Old Covenant were never successful in truly dealing with sin and guilt. So when Christ came, He not only rendered full obedience, but His prefect life enabled Him to make a full satisfactory atonement for sin, rendering the Old Covenant obsolete. Jesus provides a New Covenant for all who come to Him, a free, full, and forever forgiven life given in Christ.
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Monday, March 23, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Wednesday, March 25, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 41.