Rev (Dr) Quek Suan Yew

Psalm 40 – Trust in the LORD – A Patient Wait! (Part 1 of 3)

Introduction – In an age of great carnality whereby Christianity has fallen away into apostasy, how does one know that he has truly believed in the LORD? It is during times of trial that the clarity of truth is made known in the heart of the child of God. The Bible teaches that the perseverance of the saints is entirely the work of God in the believer’s life. No one can take the child of God out of the Father's hand and that of the Son as well. This is God's all-powerful guarantee.  John 10:27-30 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one.” However, this does not mean that the child of God need not experience this amazing truth in his heart as he serves and witnesses for the LORD on this sin-filled earth! The assurance of salvation is based upon God's promises in His holy and perfect Word of God but that does not exclude the precious experiences of the abiding presence of God’s love and mercies in the believer’s life. 

Times of adversities are the best periods in every believer’s life to taste this goodness of his heavenly Father for him. Psalm 40 is a psalm that teaches this. It helps the child of God to know (experientially) how good and gracious God will always be to him; not when he arrives in heaven but the moment he becomes a child of God. The spiritual benefits are for today’s experiences. The LORD knows that His children need them. He wants them to draw nigh to Him under all circumstances, especially dire ones. This is what Psalm 40 is about. 

I.     Why We Wait! (vs. 1-5) – The literal translation of the phrase “I waited patiently” is “to wait I will wait.” This is the strongest way to emphasize a point where the same verb is used twice. David would do whatever it takes, and no matter how long it would take him, to continue to wait for the LORD to accomplish His holy will in his life. David would never stop trusting in the LORD, his God. No matter what his enemies might do to him or how they discourage him. David would remain faithful! This was his patience and determination in waiting for the LORD, to do whatever He determined to be the best for David. In times of trials such determination will be stretched to its limit where the thread of trust will be paper thin. With such a determination, David experienced the LORD’s provision and protection.

Using synthetic parallelism, David testified that “he [the LORD] inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” Psalm 40 was David’s testimony of the LORD’s perfect timing in coming to His servant’s help. It is never too early that God’s servants will miss the hand of God in their deliverance. It will never be too late that His servants are crushed under the load. The timing will be just right so that the servants of the LORD will see and experience all that the LORD had intended in that trial. All God’s servants have to do, like David, is to wait patiently, no matter how long it takes. 

Verse 2 (synthetic parallelism) – David shared that the LORD, “brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” There is no indication of the context in which this psalm was written. What pit David experienced could only be one of two events in his life as recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel. It was either during his time as a fugitive when he ran from King Saul or the time when his own son Absalom usurped his kingdom and wanted to kill him to secure his kingdom. Based upon the tone of the psalm it is most likely the former rather than the latter. He said that he was established by the LORD and his enemies were “more than the hairs of mine head.” (cf. verse 12b) This could only have happened during the time of King Saul when David had to hide outside of Israel in Philistine territory to be safe. David was determined on at least two occasions to not touch the Lord’s anointed, King Saul, because David waited patiently for the LORD to make him the next king. David did not take matters into his own hands by killing Saul, which was what all Gentile kings did in those days. David was the man after God’s own heart. He wanted to please his LORD at all costs, even if it meant living like a fugitive for years. The horrible pit and miry clay would be metaphors that David used to describe his many near death experiences when King Saul came very close to killing him if not for the LORD’s divine interventions. 

Using synthetic parallelism, David said that the deliverance of the LORD was not only to take him out of danger but also to place him in safety. Such an experience makes the patient waiting priceless. David had drawn closer to his LORD through his patient waiting. There was no other way. The LORD set his feet upon a rock and established his going. This means that David was one hundred percent certain that what he was doing was pleasing to his LORD. He tasted the LORD’s deliverance. His position of service was to be the king of Israel. The LORD helped him. The manner in which he became king was just as important as becoming king, if not more. He began his kingly ministry on a clear slate of holiness. He did not cut corners or sin. All Israel loved him. No one could blame him, not even the Benjamites, as Saul lost his kingdom because of his own transgressions. David had a crystal clear conscience as he began his service as king. This is the rock and establishment that David referred to. 

Verse 3 (synthetic parallelism) – The result is that David gave the LORD praise from his heart. His song of praise unto the LORD was spontaneous. He credited it to the LORD’s doing. “3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” By the experience of the LORD’s deliverance in his life, David ascribed the spontaneous praise from his lips to his LORD. It was not empty praise that was a routine ritualistic exercise but a genuine heartfelt thanksgiving to his LORD. This was a new song based upon a recent and new experience. It was a present day experience that David praised his LORD for. It was not for past experiences even though David had many of them growing up as a faithful shepherd looking after his father’s flock. Believers need to have present day experiences with their LORD just like David. 

All those around him would see the LORD’s deliverance and be afraid. What is there to be afraid of? King Saul marshalled his whole army and threatened the whole of Israel to capture David so that he could kill him because David was anointed to be the next King of Israel as the LORD had determined. But he failed miserably. He got himself killed at the end of his failed and foolish endeavours. He tried to stop God by trying to kill David and he failed miserably. That is why all those who knew and saw were afraid. Do not go against the servant of the LORD whom the LORD has appointed to do His holy will. To stop David was to stop God. To stop any of God's children today who are doing God’s will is the same. That is why those who know and see ought to fear! Those who are born again will trust more deeply in the LORD in ways that only such a testimony can bring about. When they see the LORD deliver those who patiently wait for the LORD and how they become better believers, they will be encouraged to do the same. If it can happen to a believer like David, it can happen to me too! 

Verse 4 (synthetic parallelism) – The conclusion is that the man is blessed by the LORD. “Blessed isthat man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” The word “blessed” is used here to refer to a believer who is happy because he knows (experientially) that he is a child of God. He has a personal relationship with the LORD because he patiently waited for the LORD to deliver and the LORD did! He deliberately made the LORD his trust even though the enemies tried their utmost to discourage him. David had to live outside of the Land of Promise and hide in enemy territory, thus it was as good as saying that the LORD did not protect him in Israel. So why do he still want to trust in God? Thank God David persevered to the end of his trial. This experience made him blessed in the sight of the LORD. 

David refused to stoop to the level of his enemies who employed evil and wickedness to get their way. They were proud and filled themselves with lies to fulfil their evil hearts’ desires! David did nothing to King Saul to deserve his murderous rage. Saul lost his kingdom because of his self-centred arrogance and man pleasing heart. David did not take his kingdom away from him. Yet, he blamed David for it because of his sins and the LORD chose David as his successor. 

Verse 5 (synthetic parallelism) – When trials are over and the child of God grows in grace and knowledge of the LORD Jesus Christ, he can confidently declare that, “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” David could easily testify of the goodness of his LORD through his numerous patient-waiting for his LORD to help him. This was a continuous daily experience. The LORD was near him. The LORD helped him. The LORD spoke with David and David with his LORD, even during the times he sinned. David’s life was far from perfect but it was not perfection the LORD sought. The LORD sought holiness and David experienced that in his life. The intimacy between David and his LORD was sweet and warm. It gave him all that his heart and soul needed even though at times he did not get what he want or asked for. This is the way with the LORD. He decides because He knows best and perfectly what His children need and He will give it to them. All that His children need to do is to trust and wait patiently. These experiences in his life from the day he knew the LORD were too many for him to recount. 

What David experienced is supposed to be the norm for all of God's children. However, living in the 21^st century of compromise and spiritual apostasy, the slightest hint of spirituality or holiness in a child of God's life is regarded as a supreme experience, like a blind man given a glimpse of light from a dim torch light and thinking that it is the bright light of the noon day sun! Living in carnality has dominated believers’ lives today. The benefits of waiting patiently for the LORD’s help in times of spiritual distress are more difficult to attain and experience than finding diamonds in the streets. Trusting in the LORD requires long patience. The blessings are numerous as David had testified. The greatest benefit is that the child of God is drawn closer to his heavenly Father and to walk with Him intimately right now!

[To be continued]