I have recently started to journal my thoughts as I read my Bible, and I am finding it to be a very helpful way to dissect Scripture for all its worth. Over the past few weeks, I have been going through Psalm 40, taking it apart verse by verse and trying my best to analyze it to the best of my ability. I have only made it through two verses, but I have realized that, once I slow down and focus on the little details, two verses can house a rich supply of treasure. Therefore, in this blog post, I would like to present my findings to you. First, I will quote the verse (using the New International Translation), and then I will give my thoughts on it. Without further ado, here is my analysis of the first two verses of Psalm 40.
Verse 1:
“I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.”
The first thing that I noticed in this verse is that the author of this Psalm, David, is waiting patiently for the Lord. I think that David purposefully describes both how he waited, as well as who he waited for. He didn’t try to figure everything out on his own or rush ahead; instead, he trusted in God, knowing that He would help him. I think that we all should model this kind of patience in our times of distress.
The second half of verse one is very interesting to me, as I believe that it reveals a great deal about the nature and Character of God. Notice how the Lord “turned” to David. What does this mean? It certainly doesn’t mean that God was not seeing or paying close attention to what David was going through. I think it's kind of like when you know someone is watching you, but then they either say something or act in a way which confirms that they are, indeed, watching you. I think that David is telling us that he knew that God was watching over him in His sovereign power, but that He confirmed it by “turning” to him; by hearing David’s cry and saving him from his overwhelming distress. Furthermore, this idea that God “turned” to David seems to suggest that God looked at him and noticed the state he was in. God wasn’t seeing this in His peripheral vision; God doesn’t have peripheral vision. Rather, He was laser focused on David the whole time, and David didn’t even know it. But the amazing thing about God is that He distributes this same laser focus to everyone, everywhere, all the time. Once again, the text states that God “turned” to David and “heard” him. These are very real, intimate, human verbs, which remind me of a few other parts of Scripture where God notices His people. A few that came to mind are: Psalm 94:9 “Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?”, and Exodus 3:7 “The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.’” Isn’t it amazing how all of Scripture is connected?
Verse 2:
“He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.”
David gives some very good imagery here of the type of situation he was in. He says he was in a “slimy pit”. Now, I think that he is using the word “slimy” as an adjective to evoke the feeling of grossness and filth he was in, but the dictionary has a second meaning for this word, which is “disgustingly immoral, dishonest, or obsequious”. Some Bible translations add that this was a “pit of destruction” or “despair”. The use of words like “mud” and “mire” suggest that this was a gross place, and also a difficult place to get out of. One commentator says that this “’Miry clay’ suggests a slippery, unstable ground, symbolizing the instability and danger of the psalmist's situation. In ancient Near Eastern culture, clay was a common material, and its use here emphasizes the difficulty of finding firm footing. Spiritually, it represents the entanglements of sin and the world's troubles, from which only God can deliver. This deliverance foreshadows the stability and security found in Christ, who is the solid foundation” (Berean Study Bible).
So, David waited for God, and God eventually delivered him. It’s important to note, however, that God intentionally allowed David to be in this situation in the first place. If David was never put in this situation, he wouldn't have been able to experience God's amazing power to save. We benefit from David's time in the pit as well, because this Psalm wouldn’t exist if David had never been in the pit. All these years later, God is using David's pit experience to guide, encourage, and comfort His people. This reminds me of Romans 8:28, which says that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Finally, God delivered David and “set [his] feet on a rock”, giving him “a firm place to stand”. This is, of course, a great thing for David, but it is also great for us. We were once in a pit; a pit that we couldn’t get out of no matter how hard we tried. But then, Jesus came and saved us from that pit by going into it Himself and taking on all the muck and mud and mire that we so greatly deserved. Just as David was delivered from the pit, Jesus was delivered from the grave, and we are delivered from sin and death. God has delivered us from the pit and has set our feet upon the solid Rock; the true Rock that will never fail—the Rock named Jesus. Mathew Henry says, “Christ is the Rock on which a poor soul can alone stand fast”.
I hope this brief analysis of the first two verses of Psalm 40 encouraged you, strengthened you, or comforted you in some way. I really enjoy digging into the Bible, and I am grateful that I am able to do so here, with this blog!
ความคิดเห็น