Psalms 74

Psalms 74:1

Prayer for Help

David is utterly dependent on God. His health, both physical and mental, has failed him; his family and friends are distant; his enemies approach to give him the deathblow. All he can do is flee upward.

David cries out three times in these verses: to the LORD, to his God, and to the Lord. In his distress he begs the LORD, the God of the covenant, not to forsake him (Psalms 38:21). We have the promise that He will not desert us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5b). David also appeals to God as “my God”. Surely God is his God, isn’t He? Then He cannot be far from him, can He?

The need is great, the situation very threatening. Help must come from God soon (Psalms 38:22). For this he appeals to the “Lord, my salvation”. All his confidence for his salvation, his redemption is placed in the “Lord”, Adonai, the sovereign Ruler. He not only brings salvation, but is his salvation, his redemption. It is not an act, but a Person Who will perform the act of salvation in His time. His name is Jesus, which means “the LORD redeems, saves”.

Psalms 74:3

Introduction

Psalms 39 continues the subject of Psalm 38, the difference being that in this psalm David hardly speaks of his enemies, but primarily of his illness as a result of his sin. He acknowledges that God gives man a short life. Therefore, he pours out his heart to God as his only hope and asks Him to end His chastisement so that he may enjoy the remaining days of his life.

His illness, as a result of his sin, has brought him to awareness of his futility as a human being and of the transience and brevity of his life (Psalms 39:1b-6). This awareness leads him to ask the LORD to deliver him (Psalms 39:7-13).

Life Is Short

For “for the choir director” (Psalms 39:1a) see at Psalms 4:1.

The psalm is “for Jeduthun”. The name “Jeduthun” also appears in the heading of Psalm 62 and Psalms 77 (Psalms 62:1; Psalms 77:1). The psalm shows that sin is the cause of the transience and brevity of life and man. He also shows that the heart of the righteous learns to accept that. That is why, despite its dark subject, the psalm is also “for Jeduthun”, which means “choir of praise”.

Jeduthun is a Levite who, along with Asaph, Heman and Ethan, is commissioned by David to praise God (1 Chronicles 16:41; 2 Chronicles 5:12). He instructed his sons in the same work (1 Chronicles 16:38; 1 Chronicles 25:1; 3; 6; Nehemiah 11:17). David commissioned Jeduthun to teach and sing this psalm.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalms 3:1.

David tells what is on his mind. He describes the state of mind he is in. He says that he will guard his ways, which means that he will pay attention to which ways he is going (Psalms 39:1b). It shows that he intends not to deviate from God’s ways again. By his ways he means his entire life’s journey, his attitude and behavior. He focuses on his speaking. Keeping his ways means, above all, to guard his mouth. He will pay attention to what he says and above all what he should not say.

At all costs he wants to avoid sinning with his tongue. Here we see a continuation of what David intended (Psalms 38:13). He feels the urge to speak rebellious words when he sees the “wicked” in his presence. He sees how the wicked live and speak and how things are going with himself compared to that. That gets right to him, it does touch him.

But he does not want to be tempted to ventilate his frustration with the great danger of saying wrong things. For this he will guard his “mouth as with a muzzle”. This is strongly said, but that is how radical he is, and that is how radical we must also be when it comes to restraining our tongue (cf. Matthew 5:29-30). We often think that we should say whatever comes to mind. This is also encouraged by the people of the world around us, but here we see that this is inappropriate for the believer.

He is mute and keeps quiet in the presence of wicked people (Psalms 39:2). He sees their prosperity and untroubled lives, but restrains himself from saying anything about it. No rebellious words come out of his mouth. He refrains, literally keeps silence, from good, that is about the prosperity of the wicked. His misery and illness, the sorrow of his soul, is aggravated by seeing the prosperity of the wicked and by his attack on him.

His self-control is an inner struggle that gives no rest. By suppressing his feelings, his inner suffering becomes more severe. It does not mean that he has made a wrong decision to remain silent. A good decision can produce new struggles. David is no longer inwardly displeased with the wicked, but he is deeply troubled with his own life.

His heart begins to burn and becomes hot within him (Psalms 39:3). His sighing, that is complaining without words, becomes more intense and a fire is kindled. Then he can no longer restrain himself (cf. Jeremiah 20:9) and he speaks with his tongue, that is, he speaks aloud. He does not speak to his enemies, but to the LORD; he does not speak of his enemies, but of himself (Psalms 39:4).

David’s earlier words he speaks within himself and he does so because he sees the wicked facing him. Now he is in God’s presence. That changes a person. What he says are not rebellious words, but are about the shortness of life. Nowhere does a man see his perishableness more clearly than when he is in the presence of God, where he also realizes how sinful he is (cf. Isaiah 6:1-5).

In this prayer he speaks of the transience of life and the perishableness of man. Transient means to cease to be here, to pass away. David wants to know his end, how it will end for him, and how many days he has left to live. He would like to know when his days will be fulfilled. Then he will know how transient he is, how perishable, that is, he will know that his life is over, finished. He answers his questions himself in the following verses.

He knows that his days are determined by God and that God made his days only “[as] handbreadths” (Psalms 39:5; cf. Exodus 25:25). A handbreadth is four fingers (Jeremiah 52:21) and is one of the smallest units of measurement in ancient Israel. It indicates the brevity of life. Here David acknowledges that this measure applies to him as well. His life span, the number of days allotted to him, is “as nothing” to God, Who is the eternal God.

What is true of David is true of every man, for the life of “every man at his best is a mere breath” (cf. Psalms 62:9a; Job 7:7a). The Hebrew word for “breath” means vapor, mist, air. Life is altogether vanity, a vapor seen for a short time and then no longer there (James 4:14). Man in his conceit may think that he is “at his best”, literally “standing firm”, that nothing can shake his life, let alone make it disappear. It shows short-sightedness and blindness to the truth that David professes here. Any man who is wise will confess this with him.

Psalms 74:4

Introduction

Psalms 39 continues the subject of Psalm 38, the difference being that in this psalm David hardly speaks of his enemies, but primarily of his illness as a result of his sin. He acknowledges that God gives man a short life. Therefore, he pours out his heart to God as his only hope and asks Him to end His chastisement so that he may enjoy the remaining days of his life.

His illness, as a result of his sin, has brought him to awareness of his futility as a human being and of the transience and brevity of his life (Psalms 39:1b-6). This awareness leads him to ask the LORD to deliver him (Psalms 39:7-13).

Life Is Short

For “for the choir director” (Psalms 39:1a) see at Psalms 4:1.

The psalm is “for Jeduthun”. The name “Jeduthun” also appears in the heading of Psalm 62 and Psalms 77 (Psalms 62:1; Psalms 77:1). The psalm shows that sin is the cause of the transience and brevity of life and man. He also shows that the heart of the righteous learns to accept that. That is why, despite its dark subject, the psalm is also “for Jeduthun”, which means “choir of praise”.

Jeduthun is a Levite who, along with Asaph, Heman and Ethan, is commissioned by David to praise God (1 Chronicles 16:41; 2 Chronicles 5:12). He instructed his sons in the same work (1 Chronicles 16:38; 1 Chronicles 25:1; 3; 6; Nehemiah 11:17). David commissioned Jeduthun to teach and sing this psalm.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalms 3:1.

David tells what is on his mind. He describes the state of mind he is in. He says that he will guard his ways, which means that he will pay attention to which ways he is going (Psalms 39:1b). It shows that he intends not to deviate from God’s ways again. By his ways he means his entire life’s journey, his attitude and behavior. He focuses on his speaking. Keeping his ways means, above all, to guard his mouth. He will pay attention to what he says and above all what he should not say.

At all costs he wants to avoid sinning with his tongue. Here we see a continuation of what David intended (Psalms 38:13). He feels the urge to speak rebellious words when he sees the “wicked” in his presence. He sees how the wicked live and speak and how things are going with himself compared to that. That gets right to him, it does touch him.

But he does not want to be tempted to ventilate his frustration with the great danger of saying wrong things. For this he will guard his “mouth as with a muzzle”. This is strongly said, but that is how radical he is, and that is how radical we must also be when it comes to restraining our tongue (cf. Matthew 5:29-30). We often think that we should say whatever comes to mind. This is also encouraged by the people of the world around us, but here we see that this is inappropriate for the believer.

He is mute and keeps quiet in the presence of wicked people (Psalms 39:2). He sees their prosperity and untroubled lives, but restrains himself from saying anything about it. No rebellious words come out of his mouth. He refrains, literally keeps silence, from good, that is about the prosperity of the wicked. His misery and illness, the sorrow of his soul, is aggravated by seeing the prosperity of the wicked and by his attack on him.

His self-control is an inner struggle that gives no rest. By suppressing his feelings, his inner suffering becomes more severe. It does not mean that he has made a wrong decision to remain silent. A good decision can produce new struggles. David is no longer inwardly displeased with the wicked, but he is deeply troubled with his own life.

His heart begins to burn and becomes hot within him (Psalms 39:3). His sighing, that is complaining without words, becomes more intense and a fire is kindled. Then he can no longer restrain himself (cf. Jeremiah 20:9) and he speaks with his tongue, that is, he speaks aloud. He does not speak to his enemies, but to the LORD; he does not speak of his enemies, but of himself (Psalms 39:4).

David’s earlier words he speaks within himself and he does so because he sees the wicked facing him. Now he is in God’s presence. That changes a person. What he says are not rebellious words, but are about the shortness of life. Nowhere does a man see his perishableness more clearly than when he is in the presence of God, where he also realizes how sinful he is (cf. Isaiah 6:1-5).

In this prayer he speaks of the transience of life and the perishableness of man. Transient means to cease to be here, to pass away. David wants to know his end, how it will end for him, and how many days he has left to live. He would like to know when his days will be fulfilled. Then he will know how transient he is, how perishable, that is, he will know that his life is over, finished. He answers his questions himself in the following verses.

He knows that his days are determined by God and that God made his days only “[as] handbreadths” (Psalms 39:5; cf. Exodus 25:25). A handbreadth is four fingers (Jeremiah 52:21) and is one of the smallest units of measurement in ancient Israel. It indicates the brevity of life. Here David acknowledges that this measure applies to him as well. His life span, the number of days allotted to him, is “as nothing” to God, Who is the eternal God.

What is true of David is true of every man, for the life of “every man at his best is a mere breath” (cf. Psalms 62:9a; Job 7:7a). The Hebrew word for “breath” means vapor, mist, air. Life is altogether vanity, a vapor seen for a short time and then no longer there (James 4:14). Man in his conceit may think that he is “at his best”, literally “standing firm”, that nothing can shake his life, let alone make it disappear. It shows short-sightedness and blindness to the truth that David professes here. Any man who is wise will confess this with him.

Psalms 74:5

Introduction

Psalms 39 continues the subject of Psalm 38, the difference being that in this psalm David hardly speaks of his enemies, but primarily of his illness as a result of his sin. He acknowledges that God gives man a short life. Therefore, he pours out his heart to God as his only hope and asks Him to end His chastisement so that he may enjoy the remaining days of his life.

His illness, as a result of his sin, has brought him to awareness of his futility as a human being and of the transience and brevity of his life (Psalms 39:1b-6). This awareness leads him to ask the LORD to deliver him (Psalms 39:7-13).

Life Is Short

For “for the choir director” (Psalms 39:1a) see at Psalms 4:1.

The psalm is “for Jeduthun”. The name “Jeduthun” also appears in the heading of Psalm 62 and Psalms 77 (Psalms 62:1; Psalms 77:1). The psalm shows that sin is the cause of the transience and brevity of life and man. He also shows that the heart of the righteous learns to accept that. That is why, despite its dark subject, the psalm is also “for Jeduthun”, which means “choir of praise”.

Jeduthun is a Levite who, along with Asaph, Heman and Ethan, is commissioned by David to praise God (1 Chronicles 16:41; 2 Chronicles 5:12). He instructed his sons in the same work (1 Chronicles 16:38; 1 Chronicles 25:1; 3; 6; Nehemiah 11:17). David commissioned Jeduthun to teach and sing this psalm.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalms 3:1.

David tells what is on his mind. He describes the state of mind he is in. He says that he will guard his ways, which means that he will pay attention to which ways he is going (Psalms 39:1b). It shows that he intends not to deviate from God’s ways again. By his ways he means his entire life’s journey, his attitude and behavior. He focuses on his speaking. Keeping his ways means, above all, to guard his mouth. He will pay attention to what he says and above all what he should not say.

At all costs he wants to avoid sinning with his tongue. Here we see a continuation of what David intended (Psalms 38:13). He feels the urge to speak rebellious words when he sees the “wicked” in his presence. He sees how the wicked live and speak and how things are going with himself compared to that. That gets right to him, it does touch him.

But he does not want to be tempted to ventilate his frustration with the great danger of saying wrong things. For this he will guard his “mouth as with a muzzle”. This is strongly said, but that is how radical he is, and that is how radical we must also be when it comes to restraining our tongue (cf. Matthew 5:29-30). We often think that we should say whatever comes to mind. This is also encouraged by the people of the world around us, but here we see that this is inappropriate for the believer.

He is mute and keeps quiet in the presence of wicked people (Psalms 39:2). He sees their prosperity and untroubled lives, but restrains himself from saying anything about it. No rebellious words come out of his mouth. He refrains, literally keeps silence, from good, that is about the prosperity of the wicked. His misery and illness, the sorrow of his soul, is aggravated by seeing the prosperity of the wicked and by his attack on him.

His self-control is an inner struggle that gives no rest. By suppressing his feelings, his inner suffering becomes more severe. It does not mean that he has made a wrong decision to remain silent. A good decision can produce new struggles. David is no longer inwardly displeased with the wicked, but he is deeply troubled with his own life.

His heart begins to burn and becomes hot within him (Psalms 39:3). His sighing, that is complaining without words, becomes more intense and a fire is kindled. Then he can no longer restrain himself (cf. Jeremiah 20:9) and he speaks with his tongue, that is, he speaks aloud. He does not speak to his enemies, but to the LORD; he does not speak of his enemies, but of himself (Psalms 39:4).

David’s earlier words he speaks within himself and he does so because he sees the wicked facing him. Now he is in God’s presence. That changes a person. What he says are not rebellious words, but are about the shortness of life. Nowhere does a man see his perishableness more clearly than when he is in the presence of God, where he also realizes how sinful he is (cf. Isaiah 6:1-5).

In this prayer he speaks of the transience of life and the perishableness of man. Transient means to cease to be here, to pass away. David wants to know his end, how it will end for him, and how many days he has left to live. He would like to know when his days will be fulfilled. Then he will know how transient he is, how perishable, that is, he will know that his life is over, finished. He answers his questions himself in the following verses.

He knows that his days are determined by God and that God made his days only “[as] handbreadths” (Psalms 39:5; cf. Exodus 25:25). A handbreadth is four fingers (Jeremiah 52:21) and is one of the smallest units of measurement in ancient Israel. It indicates the brevity of life. Here David acknowledges that this measure applies to him as well. His life span, the number of days allotted to him, is “as nothing” to God, Who is the eternal God.

What is true of David is true of every man, for the life of “every man at his best is a mere breath” (cf. Psalms 62:9a; Job 7:7a). The Hebrew word for “breath” means vapor, mist, air. Life is altogether vanity, a vapor seen for a short time and then no longer there (James 4:14). Man in his conceit may think that he is “at his best”, literally “standing firm”, that nothing can shake his life, let alone make it disappear. It shows short-sightedness and blindness to the truth that David professes here. Any man who is wise will confess this with him.

Psalms 74:6

Introduction

Psalms 39 continues the subject of Psalm 38, the difference being that in this psalm David hardly speaks of his enemies, but primarily of his illness as a result of his sin. He acknowledges that God gives man a short life. Therefore, he pours out his heart to God as his only hope and asks Him to end His chastisement so that he may enjoy the remaining days of his life.

His illness, as a result of his sin, has brought him to awareness of his futility as a human being and of the transience and brevity of his life (Psalms 39:1b-6). This awareness leads him to ask the LORD to deliver him (Psalms 39:7-13).

Life Is Short

For “for the choir director” (Psalms 39:1a) see at Psalms 4:1.

The psalm is “for Jeduthun”. The name “Jeduthun” also appears in the heading of Psalm 62 and Psalms 77 (Psalms 62:1; Psalms 77:1). The psalm shows that sin is the cause of the transience and brevity of life and man. He also shows that the heart of the righteous learns to accept that. That is why, despite its dark subject, the psalm is also “for Jeduthun”, which means “choir of praise”.

Jeduthun is a Levite who, along with Asaph, Heman and Ethan, is commissioned by David to praise God (1 Chronicles 16:41; 2 Chronicles 5:12). He instructed his sons in the same work (1 Chronicles 16:38; 1 Chronicles 25:1; 3; 6; Nehemiah 11:17). David commissioned Jeduthun to teach and sing this psalm.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalms 3:1.

David tells what is on his mind. He describes the state of mind he is in. He says that he will guard his ways, which means that he will pay attention to which ways he is going (Psalms 39:1b). It shows that he intends not to deviate from God’s ways again. By his ways he means his entire life’s journey, his attitude and behavior. He focuses on his speaking. Keeping his ways means, above all, to guard his mouth. He will pay attention to what he says and above all what he should not say.

At all costs he wants to avoid sinning with his tongue. Here we see a continuation of what David intended (Psalms 38:13). He feels the urge to speak rebellious words when he sees the “wicked” in his presence. He sees how the wicked live and speak and how things are going with himself compared to that. That gets right to him, it does touch him.

But he does not want to be tempted to ventilate his frustration with the great danger of saying wrong things. For this he will guard his “mouth as with a muzzle”. This is strongly said, but that is how radical he is, and that is how radical we must also be when it comes to restraining our tongue (cf. Matthew 5:29-30). We often think that we should say whatever comes to mind. This is also encouraged by the people of the world around us, but here we see that this is inappropriate for the believer.

He is mute and keeps quiet in the presence of wicked people (Psalms 39:2). He sees their prosperity and untroubled lives, but restrains himself from saying anything about it. No rebellious words come out of his mouth. He refrains, literally keeps silence, from good, that is about the prosperity of the wicked. His misery and illness, the sorrow of his soul, is aggravated by seeing the prosperity of the wicked and by his attack on him.

His self-control is an inner struggle that gives no rest. By suppressing his feelings, his inner suffering becomes more severe. It does not mean that he has made a wrong decision to remain silent. A good decision can produce new struggles. David is no longer inwardly displeased with the wicked, but he is deeply troubled with his own life.

His heart begins to burn and becomes hot within him (Psalms 39:3). His sighing, that is complaining without words, becomes more intense and a fire is kindled. Then he can no longer restrain himself (cf. Jeremiah 20:9) and he speaks with his tongue, that is, he speaks aloud. He does not speak to his enemies, but to the LORD; he does not speak of his enemies, but of himself (Psalms 39:4).

David’s earlier words he speaks within himself and he does so because he sees the wicked facing him. Now he is in God’s presence. That changes a person. What he says are not rebellious words, but are about the shortness of life. Nowhere does a man see his perishableness more clearly than when he is in the presence of God, where he also realizes how sinful he is (cf. Isaiah 6:1-5).

In this prayer he speaks of the transience of life and the perishableness of man. Transient means to cease to be here, to pass away. David wants to know his end, how it will end for him, and how many days he has left to live. He would like to know when his days will be fulfilled. Then he will know how transient he is, how perishable, that is, he will know that his life is over, finished. He answers his questions himself in the following verses.

He knows that his days are determined by God and that God made his days only “[as] handbreadths” (Psalms 39:5; cf. Exodus 25:25). A handbreadth is four fingers (Jeremiah 52:21) and is one of the smallest units of measurement in ancient Israel. It indicates the brevity of life. Here David acknowledges that this measure applies to him as well. His life span, the number of days allotted to him, is “as nothing” to God, Who is the eternal God.

What is true of David is true of every man, for the life of “every man at his best is a mere breath” (cf. Psalms 62:9a; Job 7:7a). The Hebrew word for “breath” means vapor, mist, air. Life is altogether vanity, a vapor seen for a short time and then no longer there (James 4:14). Man in his conceit may think that he is “at his best”, literally “standing firm”, that nothing can shake his life, let alone make it disappear. It shows short-sightedness and blindness to the truth that David professes here. Any man who is wise will confess this with him.

Psalms 74:7

Introduction

Psalms 39 continues the subject of Psalm 38, the difference being that in this psalm David hardly speaks of his enemies, but primarily of his illness as a result of his sin. He acknowledges that God gives man a short life. Therefore, he pours out his heart to God as his only hope and asks Him to end His chastisement so that he may enjoy the remaining days of his life.

His illness, as a result of his sin, has brought him to awareness of his futility as a human being and of the transience and brevity of his life (Psalms 39:1b-6). This awareness leads him to ask the LORD to deliver him (Psalms 39:7-13).

Life Is Short

For “for the choir director” (Psalms 39:1a) see at Psalms 4:1.

The psalm is “for Jeduthun”. The name “Jeduthun” also appears in the heading of Psalm 62 and Psalms 77 (Psalms 62:1; Psalms 77:1). The psalm shows that sin is the cause of the transience and brevity of life and man. He also shows that the heart of the righteous learns to accept that. That is why, despite its dark subject, the psalm is also “for Jeduthun”, which means “choir of praise”.

Jeduthun is a Levite who, along with Asaph, Heman and Ethan, is commissioned by David to praise God (1 Chronicles 16:41; 2 Chronicles 5:12). He instructed his sons in the same work (1 Chronicles 16:38; 1 Chronicles 25:1; 3; 6; Nehemiah 11:17). David commissioned Jeduthun to teach and sing this psalm.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalms 3:1.

David tells what is on his mind. He describes the state of mind he is in. He says that he will guard his ways, which means that he will pay attention to which ways he is going (Psalms 39:1b). It shows that he intends not to deviate from God’s ways again. By his ways he means his entire life’s journey, his attitude and behavior. He focuses on his speaking. Keeping his ways means, above all, to guard his mouth. He will pay attention to what he says and above all what he should not say.

At all costs he wants to avoid sinning with his tongue. Here we see a continuation of what David intended (Psalms 38:13). He feels the urge to speak rebellious words when he sees the “wicked” in his presence. He sees how the wicked live and speak and how things are going with himself compared to that. That gets right to him, it does touch him.

But he does not want to be tempted to ventilate his frustration with the great danger of saying wrong things. For this he will guard his “mouth as with a muzzle”. This is strongly said, but that is how radical he is, and that is how radical we must also be when it comes to restraining our tongue (cf. Matthew 5:29-30). We often think that we should say whatever comes to mind. This is also encouraged by the people of the world around us, but here we see that this is inappropriate for the believer.

He is mute and keeps quiet in the presence of wicked people (Psalms 39:2). He sees their prosperity and untroubled lives, but restrains himself from saying anything about it. No rebellious words come out of his mouth. He refrains, literally keeps silence, from good, that is about the prosperity of the wicked. His misery and illness, the sorrow of his soul, is aggravated by seeing the prosperity of the wicked and by his attack on him.

His self-control is an inner struggle that gives no rest. By suppressing his feelings, his inner suffering becomes more severe. It does not mean that he has made a wrong decision to remain silent. A good decision can produce new struggles. David is no longer inwardly displeased with the wicked, but he is deeply troubled with his own life.

His heart begins to burn and becomes hot within him (Psalms 39:3). His sighing, that is complaining without words, becomes more intense and a fire is kindled. Then he can no longer restrain himself (cf. Jeremiah 20:9) and he speaks with his tongue, that is, he speaks aloud. He does not speak to his enemies, but to the LORD; he does not speak of his enemies, but of himself (Psalms 39:4).

David’s earlier words he speaks within himself and he does so because he sees the wicked facing him. Now he is in God’s presence. That changes a person. What he says are not rebellious words, but are about the shortness of life. Nowhere does a man see his perishableness more clearly than when he is in the presence of God, where he also realizes how sinful he is (cf. Isaiah 6:1-5).

In this prayer he speaks of the transience of life and the perishableness of man. Transient means to cease to be here, to pass away. David wants to know his end, how it will end for him, and how many days he has left to live. He would like to know when his days will be fulfilled. Then he will know how transient he is, how perishable, that is, he will know that his life is over, finished. He answers his questions himself in the following verses.

He knows that his days are determined by God and that God made his days only “[as] handbreadths” (Psalms 39:5; cf. Exodus 25:25). A handbreadth is four fingers (Jeremiah 52:21) and is one of the smallest units of measurement in ancient Israel. It indicates the brevity of life. Here David acknowledges that this measure applies to him as well. His life span, the number of days allotted to him, is “as nothing” to God, Who is the eternal God.

What is true of David is true of every man, for the life of “every man at his best is a mere breath” (cf. Psalms 62:9a; Job 7:7a). The Hebrew word for “breath” means vapor, mist, air. Life is altogether vanity, a vapor seen for a short time and then no longer there (James 4:14). Man in his conceit may think that he is “at his best”, literally “standing firm”, that nothing can shake his life, let alone make it disappear. It shows short-sightedness and blindness to the truth that David professes here. Any man who is wise will confess this with him.

Psalms 74:8

Hope for Deliverance

After the “surely” that every man standing firm is altogether vanity in Psalms 39:5, there follows in Psalms 39:6 the “surely” of every day’s practice: “Surely every man walks about as a phantom.“ The Hebrew word means ‘image’ or ‘shadow’. This is man who does not say “surely” to the truth that he is nothing more than a breath. That man chases after shadow images. It looks like reality, but it is to live in the lie. Today we can apply this to the virtual world, where a person pretends to be the person he would like to be but is not. He must become aware of the fact that his existence and future are filled with uncertainties.

With another “surely”, David points out how people restlessly chase in vain after more possessions. This is closely connected to the worrying about the things of this life, which the Lord Jesus speaks about. That doesn’t help a person either. Nor does it add anything to the length of his life (Matthew 6:27). “He amasses [riches]“ but he can take nothing of it with him after this life. Added to this is the frustration of not knowing who will run off with his collection of goods after his death (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19). God calls someone who lives this way a fool (Luke 12:16-21).

David’s expectation is of a different kind. The vanity of transient life drives him to the solid rock of the eternal God. His hope is in the Lord, Adonai, the Ruler of the universe (Psalms 39:7). From his hope in the Lord, David asks if He will deliver him from “all” his transgressions (Psalms 39:8) and thus put an end to His disciplinary actions. He knows that God is able and willing to do that. He does not resist God’s discipline, but longs for its end.

His demand for deliverance from all his transgressions is a profound confession that he has committed them. He does not demand deliverance, but longs for grace. This is what God wants to bring a person to, including the believer who has sinned. David adds that God’s deliverance results in the fact that he will not become “the reproach of the foolish”, that is, to the wicked person of Psa 39:1b. One who lives without God is a fool (cf. Psalms 14:1; Psalms 53:1).

The deep awareness of his futility and especially of his transgressions toward the great God kept David from criticizing God’s doing (Psalms 39:9). He does not complain about what God has done to him. God has His purpose with what He works or allows in a human life. David will “not open” his “mouth” about it. He knows and acknowledges that God has done it (Psalms 39:10; cf. Amos 3:6). God is not the Author of evil or sin, but uses it in carrying out His plans with man and with creation and in disciplining His own.

When he asks in Psalms 39:10 if God will remove His plague from him, it is not a rebellious question. God has brought His plague upon him and only God can take that plague away from him as well. As a motive, he argues that he is perishing because of the opposition of God’s hand. There is no strength left in him. Has God then not yet achieved His purpose with His discipline? Is His combating of the sin he has done then any longer necessary?

The chastisement with which God has chastised him for his iniquity has destroyed what is precious to him (Psalms 39:11). The Hebrew word for “precious”, hamudo, means “his desire, his lust”. The Lord’s disciplining purifies the heart, causing the transgression to lose its attractiveness to the heart. God has pulverized him with His chastisement as if he were a moth. As in Psalms 39:5, David comes to realize the futility of man through the discipline of God. Here he bows down deeply before God and acknowledges that there is nothing left of him. What David is to God, every human being is to God: a breath, vanity.

Psalms 74:9

Hope for Deliverance

After the “surely” that every man standing firm is altogether vanity in Psalms 39:5, there follows in Psalms 39:6 the “surely” of every day’s practice: “Surely every man walks about as a phantom.“ The Hebrew word means ‘image’ or ‘shadow’. This is man who does not say “surely” to the truth that he is nothing more than a breath. That man chases after shadow images. It looks like reality, but it is to live in the lie. Today we can apply this to the virtual world, where a person pretends to be the person he would like to be but is not. He must become aware of the fact that his existence and future are filled with uncertainties.

With another “surely”, David points out how people restlessly chase in vain after more possessions. This is closely connected to the worrying about the things of this life, which the Lord Jesus speaks about. That doesn’t help a person either. Nor does it add anything to the length of his life (Matthew 6:27). “He amasses [riches]“ but he can take nothing of it with him after this life. Added to this is the frustration of not knowing who will run off with his collection of goods after his death (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19). God calls someone who lives this way a fool (Luke 12:16-21).

David’s expectation is of a different kind. The vanity of transient life drives him to the solid rock of the eternal God. His hope is in the Lord, Adonai, the Ruler of the universe (Psalms 39:7). From his hope in the Lord, David asks if He will deliver him from “all” his transgressions (Psalms 39:8) and thus put an end to His disciplinary actions. He knows that God is able and willing to do that. He does not resist God’s discipline, but longs for its end.

His demand for deliverance from all his transgressions is a profound confession that he has committed them. He does not demand deliverance, but longs for grace. This is what God wants to bring a person to, including the believer who has sinned. David adds that God’s deliverance results in the fact that he will not become “the reproach of the foolish”, that is, to the wicked person of Psa 39:1b. One who lives without God is a fool (cf. Psalms 14:1; Psalms 53:1).

The deep awareness of his futility and especially of his transgressions toward the great God kept David from criticizing God’s doing (Psalms 39:9). He does not complain about what God has done to him. God has His purpose with what He works or allows in a human life. David will “not open” his “mouth” about it. He knows and acknowledges that God has done it (Psalms 39:10; cf. Amos 3:6). God is not the Author of evil or sin, but uses it in carrying out His plans with man and with creation and in disciplining His own.

When he asks in Psalms 39:10 if God will remove His plague from him, it is not a rebellious question. God has brought His plague upon him and only God can take that plague away from him as well. As a motive, he argues that he is perishing because of the opposition of God’s hand. There is no strength left in him. Has God then not yet achieved His purpose with His discipline? Is His combating of the sin he has done then any longer necessary?

The chastisement with which God has chastised him for his iniquity has destroyed what is precious to him (Psalms 39:11). The Hebrew word for “precious”, hamudo, means “his desire, his lust”. The Lord’s disciplining purifies the heart, causing the transgression to lose its attractiveness to the heart. God has pulverized him with His chastisement as if he were a moth. As in Psalms 39:5, David comes to realize the futility of man through the discipline of God. Here he bows down deeply before God and acknowledges that there is nothing left of him. What David is to God, every human being is to God: a breath, vanity.

Psalms 74:10

Hope for Deliverance

After the “surely” that every man standing firm is altogether vanity in Psalms 39:5, there follows in Psalms 39:6 the “surely” of every day’s practice: “Surely every man walks about as a phantom.“ The Hebrew word means ‘image’ or ‘shadow’. This is man who does not say “surely” to the truth that he is nothing more than a breath. That man chases after shadow images. It looks like reality, but it is to live in the lie. Today we can apply this to the virtual world, where a person pretends to be the person he would like to be but is not. He must become aware of the fact that his existence and future are filled with uncertainties.

With another “surely”, David points out how people restlessly chase in vain after more possessions. This is closely connected to the worrying about the things of this life, which the Lord Jesus speaks about. That doesn’t help a person either. Nor does it add anything to the length of his life (Matthew 6:27). “He amasses [riches]“ but he can take nothing of it with him after this life. Added to this is the frustration of not knowing who will run off with his collection of goods after his death (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19). God calls someone who lives this way a fool (Luke 12:16-21).

David’s expectation is of a different kind. The vanity of transient life drives him to the solid rock of the eternal God. His hope is in the Lord, Adonai, the Ruler of the universe (Psalms 39:7). From his hope in the Lord, David asks if He will deliver him from “all” his transgressions (Psalms 39:8) and thus put an end to His disciplinary actions. He knows that God is able and willing to do that. He does not resist God’s discipline, but longs for its end.

His demand for deliverance from all his transgressions is a profound confession that he has committed them. He does not demand deliverance, but longs for grace. This is what God wants to bring a person to, including the believer who has sinned. David adds that God’s deliverance results in the fact that he will not become “the reproach of the foolish”, that is, to the wicked person of Psa 39:1b. One who lives without God is a fool (cf. Psalms 14:1; Psalms 53:1).

The deep awareness of his futility and especially of his transgressions toward the great God kept David from criticizing God’s doing (Psalms 39:9). He does not complain about what God has done to him. God has His purpose with what He works or allows in a human life. David will “not open” his “mouth” about it. He knows and acknowledges that God has done it (Psalms 39:10; cf. Amos 3:6). God is not the Author of evil or sin, but uses it in carrying out His plans with man and with creation and in disciplining His own.

When he asks in Psalms 39:10 if God will remove His plague from him, it is not a rebellious question. God has brought His plague upon him and only God can take that plague away from him as well. As a motive, he argues that he is perishing because of the opposition of God’s hand. There is no strength left in him. Has God then not yet achieved His purpose with His discipline? Is His combating of the sin he has done then any longer necessary?

The chastisement with which God has chastised him for his iniquity has destroyed what is precious to him (Psalms 39:11). The Hebrew word for “precious”, hamudo, means “his desire, his lust”. The Lord’s disciplining purifies the heart, causing the transgression to lose its attractiveness to the heart. God has pulverized him with His chastisement as if he were a moth. As in Psalms 39:5, David comes to realize the futility of man through the discipline of God. Here he bows down deeply before God and acknowledges that there is nothing left of him. What David is to God, every human being is to God: a breath, vanity.

Psalms 74:11

Hope for Deliverance

After the “surely” that every man standing firm is altogether vanity in Psalms 39:5, there follows in Psalms 39:6 the “surely” of every day’s practice: “Surely every man walks about as a phantom.“ The Hebrew word means ‘image’ or ‘shadow’. This is man who does not say “surely” to the truth that he is nothing more than a breath. That man chases after shadow images. It looks like reality, but it is to live in the lie. Today we can apply this to the virtual world, where a person pretends to be the person he would like to be but is not. He must become aware of the fact that his existence and future are filled with uncertainties.

With another “surely”, David points out how people restlessly chase in vain after more possessions. This is closely connected to the worrying about the things of this life, which the Lord Jesus speaks about. That doesn’t help a person either. Nor does it add anything to the length of his life (Matthew 6:27). “He amasses [riches]“ but he can take nothing of it with him after this life. Added to this is the frustration of not knowing who will run off with his collection of goods after his death (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19). God calls someone who lives this way a fool (Luke 12:16-21).

David’s expectation is of a different kind. The vanity of transient life drives him to the solid rock of the eternal God. His hope is in the Lord, Adonai, the Ruler of the universe (Psalms 39:7). From his hope in the Lord, David asks if He will deliver him from “all” his transgressions (Psalms 39:8) and thus put an end to His disciplinary actions. He knows that God is able and willing to do that. He does not resist God’s discipline, but longs for its end.

His demand for deliverance from all his transgressions is a profound confession that he has committed them. He does not demand deliverance, but longs for grace. This is what God wants to bring a person to, including the believer who has sinned. David adds that God’s deliverance results in the fact that he will not become “the reproach of the foolish”, that is, to the wicked person of Psa 39:1b. One who lives without God is a fool (cf. Psalms 14:1; Psalms 53:1).

The deep awareness of his futility and especially of his transgressions toward the great God kept David from criticizing God’s doing (Psalms 39:9). He does not complain about what God has done to him. God has His purpose with what He works or allows in a human life. David will “not open” his “mouth” about it. He knows and acknowledges that God has done it (Psalms 39:10; cf. Amos 3:6). God is not the Author of evil or sin, but uses it in carrying out His plans with man and with creation and in disciplining His own.

When he asks in Psalms 39:10 if God will remove His plague from him, it is not a rebellious question. God has brought His plague upon him and only God can take that plague away from him as well. As a motive, he argues that he is perishing because of the opposition of God’s hand. There is no strength left in him. Has God then not yet achieved His purpose with His discipline? Is His combating of the sin he has done then any longer necessary?

The chastisement with which God has chastised him for his iniquity has destroyed what is precious to him (Psalms 39:11). The Hebrew word for “precious”, hamudo, means “his desire, his lust”. The Lord’s disciplining purifies the heart, causing the transgression to lose its attractiveness to the heart. God has pulverized him with His chastisement as if he were a moth. As in Psalms 39:5, David comes to realize the futility of man through the discipline of God. Here he bows down deeply before God and acknowledges that there is nothing left of him. What David is to God, every human being is to God: a breath, vanity.

Psalms 74:12

Hope for Deliverance

After the “surely” that every man standing firm is altogether vanity in Psalms 39:5, there follows in Psalms 39:6 the “surely” of every day’s practice: “Surely every man walks about as a phantom.“ The Hebrew word means ‘image’ or ‘shadow’. This is man who does not say “surely” to the truth that he is nothing more than a breath. That man chases after shadow images. It looks like reality, but it is to live in the lie. Today we can apply this to the virtual world, where a person pretends to be the person he would like to be but is not. He must become aware of the fact that his existence and future are filled with uncertainties.

With another “surely”, David points out how people restlessly chase in vain after more possessions. This is closely connected to the worrying about the things of this life, which the Lord Jesus speaks about. That doesn’t help a person either. Nor does it add anything to the length of his life (Matthew 6:27). “He amasses [riches]“ but he can take nothing of it with him after this life. Added to this is the frustration of not knowing who will run off with his collection of goods after his death (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19). God calls someone who lives this way a fool (Luke 12:16-21).

David’s expectation is of a different kind. The vanity of transient life drives him to the solid rock of the eternal God. His hope is in the Lord, Adonai, the Ruler of the universe (Psalms 39:7). From his hope in the Lord, David asks if He will deliver him from “all” his transgressions (Psalms 39:8) and thus put an end to His disciplinary actions. He knows that God is able and willing to do that. He does not resist God’s discipline, but longs for its end.

His demand for deliverance from all his transgressions is a profound confession that he has committed them. He does not demand deliverance, but longs for grace. This is what God wants to bring a person to, including the believer who has sinned. David adds that God’s deliverance results in the fact that he will not become “the reproach of the foolish”, that is, to the wicked person of Psa 39:1b. One who lives without God is a fool (cf. Psalms 14:1; Psalms 53:1).

The deep awareness of his futility and especially of his transgressions toward the great God kept David from criticizing God’s doing (Psalms 39:9). He does not complain about what God has done to him. God has His purpose with what He works or allows in a human life. David will “not open” his “mouth” about it. He knows and acknowledges that God has done it (Psalms 39:10; cf. Amos 3:6). God is not the Author of evil or sin, but uses it in carrying out His plans with man and with creation and in disciplining His own.

When he asks in Psalms 39:10 if God will remove His plague from him, it is not a rebellious question. God has brought His plague upon him and only God can take that plague away from him as well. As a motive, he argues that he is perishing because of the opposition of God’s hand. There is no strength left in him. Has God then not yet achieved His purpose with His discipline? Is His combating of the sin he has done then any longer necessary?

The chastisement with which God has chastised him for his iniquity has destroyed what is precious to him (Psalms 39:11). The Hebrew word for “precious”, hamudo, means “his desire, his lust”. The Lord’s disciplining purifies the heart, causing the transgression to lose its attractiveness to the heart. God has pulverized him with His chastisement as if he were a moth. As in Psalms 39:5, David comes to realize the futility of man through the discipline of God. Here he bows down deeply before God and acknowledges that there is nothing left of him. What David is to God, every human being is to God: a breath, vanity.

Psalms 74:13

Hope for Deliverance

After the “surely” that every man standing firm is altogether vanity in Psalms 39:5, there follows in Psalms 39:6 the “surely” of every day’s practice: “Surely every man walks about as a phantom.“ The Hebrew word means ‘image’ or ‘shadow’. This is man who does not say “surely” to the truth that he is nothing more than a breath. That man chases after shadow images. It looks like reality, but it is to live in the lie. Today we can apply this to the virtual world, where a person pretends to be the person he would like to be but is not. He must become aware of the fact that his existence and future are filled with uncertainties.

With another “surely”, David points out how people restlessly chase in vain after more possessions. This is closely connected to the worrying about the things of this life, which the Lord Jesus speaks about. That doesn’t help a person either. Nor does it add anything to the length of his life (Matthew 6:27). “He amasses [riches]“ but he can take nothing of it with him after this life. Added to this is the frustration of not knowing who will run off with his collection of goods after his death (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19). God calls someone who lives this way a fool (Luke 12:16-21).

David’s expectation is of a different kind. The vanity of transient life drives him to the solid rock of the eternal God. His hope is in the Lord, Adonai, the Ruler of the universe (Psalms 39:7). From his hope in the Lord, David asks if He will deliver him from “all” his transgressions (Psalms 39:8) and thus put an end to His disciplinary actions. He knows that God is able and willing to do that. He does not resist God’s discipline, but longs for its end.

His demand for deliverance from all his transgressions is a profound confession that he has committed them. He does not demand deliverance, but longs for grace. This is what God wants to bring a person to, including the believer who has sinned. David adds that God’s deliverance results in the fact that he will not become “the reproach of the foolish”, that is, to the wicked person of Psa 39:1b. One who lives without God is a fool (cf. Psalms 14:1; Psalms 53:1).

The deep awareness of his futility and especially of his transgressions toward the great God kept David from criticizing God’s doing (Psalms 39:9). He does not complain about what God has done to him. God has His purpose with what He works or allows in a human life. David will “not open” his “mouth” about it. He knows and acknowledges that God has done it (Psalms 39:10; cf. Amos 3:6). God is not the Author of evil or sin, but uses it in carrying out His plans with man and with creation and in disciplining His own.

When he asks in Psalms 39:10 if God will remove His plague from him, it is not a rebellious question. God has brought His plague upon him and only God can take that plague away from him as well. As a motive, he argues that he is perishing because of the opposition of God’s hand. There is no strength left in him. Has God then not yet achieved His purpose with His discipline? Is His combating of the sin he has done then any longer necessary?

The chastisement with which God has chastised him for his iniquity has destroyed what is precious to him (Psalms 39:11). The Hebrew word for “precious”, hamudo, means “his desire, his lust”. The Lord’s disciplining purifies the heart, causing the transgression to lose its attractiveness to the heart. God has pulverized him with His chastisement as if he were a moth. As in Psalms 39:5, David comes to realize the futility of man through the discipline of God. Here he bows down deeply before God and acknowledges that there is nothing left of him. What David is to God, every human being is to God: a breath, vanity.

Psalms 74:14

Cry for Help

David, under tears, makes an urgent appeal to God to listen to his prayer and cry for help (Psalms 39:12). He doesn’t ask for much, only that God will make his life bearable in the short time he is still here. Let God not remain silent.

David presents himself to God as “a stranger …, a sojourner” with Him. This means that the LORD is the Owner of the land (Leviticus 25:23) and that as a stranger he expects help from Him. That he is a “sojourner” means that he is a pilgrim merely passing through, which emphasizes the temporality of his existence. He points to “all my fathers”. They have been strangers and sojourners in the world, just as he is now, while they have lived with God. He will have thought of Abraham and the patriarchs and all who have lived in the faith (1 Chronicles 29:15; Hebrews 11:13). For us, too, we are aliens and strangers in the world (1 Peter 2:11).

How long that situation will last, God alone knows and determines. That is not determined by the wicked. They do boast that they have the future in their own hands, but that is unbridled presumption.

Now that he has acknowledged his iniquity (Psalms 39:9), he asks God to turn away from him His chastening, angry gaze that now rests on him (Psalms 39:13). Then he can smile again (cf. Job 10:20), which means that his vitality and joy of life return. Then he will be able to enjoy a few more days of rest and peace before his already short life on earth comes to an end and he departs and is no more. That he is no more means that he is no longer on earth. It does not mean that he would cease to exist.

He wishes to be delivered from his sufferings during his short life and to die in peace, with the assurance that God’s discipline is over and God has accepted him. It is his wish to leave the world not in gloom or with a gloomy and discouraging outlook, but with a joyful look back at the past and the glad expectation of the world to come.

Psalms 74:15

Cry for Help

David, under tears, makes an urgent appeal to God to listen to his prayer and cry for help (Psalms 39:12). He doesn’t ask for much, only that God will make his life bearable in the short time he is still here. Let God not remain silent.

David presents himself to God as “a stranger …, a sojourner” with Him. This means that the LORD is the Owner of the land (Leviticus 25:23) and that as a stranger he expects help from Him. That he is a “sojourner” means that he is a pilgrim merely passing through, which emphasizes the temporality of his existence. He points to “all my fathers”. They have been strangers and sojourners in the world, just as he is now, while they have lived with God. He will have thought of Abraham and the patriarchs and all who have lived in the faith (1 Chronicles 29:15; Hebrews 11:13). For us, too, we are aliens and strangers in the world (1 Peter 2:11).

How long that situation will last, God alone knows and determines. That is not determined by the wicked. They do boast that they have the future in their own hands, but that is unbridled presumption.

Now that he has acknowledged his iniquity (Psalms 39:9), he asks God to turn away from him His chastening, angry gaze that now rests on him (Psalms 39:13). Then he can smile again (cf. Job 10:20), which means that his vitality and joy of life return. Then he will be able to enjoy a few more days of rest and peace before his already short life on earth comes to an end and he departs and is no more. That he is no more means that he is no longer on earth. It does not mean that he would cease to exist.

He wishes to be delivered from his sufferings during his short life and to die in peace, with the assurance that God’s discipline is over and God has accepted him. It is his wish to leave the world not in gloom or with a gloomy and discouraging outlook, but with a joyful look back at the past and the glad expectation of the world to come.

Psalms 74:17

Introduction

David asked the LORD if He would deliver him from the anger of God that he was suffering because of his iniquity (Psalms 39:8). In Psalms 40, the LORD answers David’s request. The answer comes through Christ, the Son of David, Who came to this world (Psalms 40:7) to do the will of God, namely, to save David and all of us.

This is a Messianic psalm. It is about the Lord Jesus. This is clear from Hebrews 10, where Psalms 40:6-8 of this psalm are not listed as a quote from David, but are attributed to Christ. He speaks these words at His coming into the world (Hebrews 10:5-7). The psalm represents the Lord Jesus Who becomes the obedient Servant on earth in the body God has prepared for Him. On earth He is afflicted and needy, while He waits patiently on God for help.

Chronologically, it seems that Psalms 40:1b-4 should be at the end of the psalm. This first section of the psalm deals with the resurrection of Christ and its consequences. From Psalms 40:6 to the end, it is about the coming of Christ and His sufferings. It is different in this psalm than in numerous other psalms where the depth of suffering is described first and ends with a song of redemption and victory.

We see that in this psalm Christ endures the sorrows of His people and is being tested in order to be an encouraging example for them. He waits for deliverance by His God as He submits to the will of God. In this psalm it is occasionally about the atoning suffering as substitute for His people. The main idea is the suffering of Christ as encouragement for the faithful remnant in the great tribulation to follow Him in it.

A New Song

For “for the choir director” (Psalms 40:1a) see at Psalms 4:1.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalms 3:1.

There is no direct point of reference in David’s life that could be an occasion for writing this psalm. The Spirit of Christ inspired him to write this psalm with Christ in mind.

David or rather the Spirit of Christ begins the psalm by pointing out that he has “patiently”, in the sense of very strongly, “waited for the LORD” (Psalms 40:1b). It has not been merely a weak expectation, but he has waited intensely. With him, perseverance has been a perfect work (James 1:4). He has continued to trust in God while he suffered deeply, and God did not intervene.

This was particularly true of Christ. His life on earth was suffering, especially during the last week of His life on earth. His example will be a special encouragement to the believing remnant when they suffer in the great tribulation.

Christ experienced how God bowed down to Him. God has, as it were, kept His ear to Christ’s mouth. In this way He listened attentively to His cries for help. We hear this cry for help from Him when He offers prayers and supplications in Gethsemane to Him Who is able to save Him from death. And He is heard because of His piety (Hebrews 5:7), after He has gone the whole way of obedience to God.

A first answer to His supplications happened at the moment He commits His spirit into the hands of the Father. Then the work is finished. After the three hours of darkness in which the Lord Jesus is forsaken by God, there is again fellowship with His God. He is then brought up “out of the pit of destruction” (Psalms 40:2; cf. Psalms 69:2; 14). By this is meant the water of God’s judgment that has come upon Him. He has been submerged in the miry clay of our sins.

The further fulfillment of the answering occurs, when the glory of the Father raises the Lord Jesus from the dead (Romans 6:4), and sets His “feet upon a rock”. The resurrection is the solid, unshakable ground on which every believer stands who is connected to Christ through His work on the cross. On that way, the footsteps are made firm. There is no danger of falling into the pit again and sinking into the miry clay again.

This dealing of God in favor of Him in His deliverance is followed by the new song He puts into Christ’s mouth (Psalms 40:3). It is the song of complete deliverance from judgment because it was borne by Him. The new song is always connected with redemption (cf. Revelation 14:3).

The new song that is in His mouth becomes “a song of praise to our God”, which is a song of praise sung by all who call God “our God”. They belong to the Lord Jesus by faith in Him. Through His work, His God has also become their God (cf. John 20:17; Hebrews 2:12).

From what God has done in the resurrection of Christ, a testimony goes forth that is seen by many. As a result, they will fear God and trust in Him. This will also be true in the end time, when the believing remnant will sing the new song of salvation, having suffered with and for the sake of Christ, and have also been heard as He was heard. It is a testimony to all.

The same is true for us. Our lives are connected with the risen Lord. The new song we sing, the song of the Lamb, is also based on the sacrifice of Christ. It is a testimony to those around us, through which there will be those who will come to trust in God.

We are the first of the many who will sing the new song in heaven (Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3). We are already singing the new song on earth as a song of thanksgiving for the redemption given to us in Christ. Surely it is not possible to remain silent about His surrender to God, through which we have been saved from judgment and have received countless blessings, is it?

Those who, following Christ, put their trust in God are “blessed“ or happy in the fullest sense of the word (Psalms 40:4; cf. Psalms 1:1). The circumstances in which this occurs are mentioned in the second part of the verse. It is a time when many turn to people who are proud. Proud people trust in themselves and not in God. These are people who want to take the place of God; this is the very heart of the devil’s sin (1 Timothy 3:6), who wanted to be like God.

We see these proud people in the mass of apostate Jews. They reject the truth in Christ and resort to the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Proudness and falsehood are the characteristics of the antichrist and his followers. Those who do not go along with this, but trust in God against the current, are blessed.

David, through the Spirit of Christ, expresses his marvel about the wonders the LORD his God has done to all who are of the remnant (Psalms 40:5). Every believer who is kept from being carried away in the apostasy is a wonder worked by God. This applies to the believers in the great tribulation. He has kept them.

In fact, this is about the many wonders that the LORD has done for us in the past, especially in connection with Christ’s coming to earth. God’s wonders for His own are evident in every believer in all ages and in His people as a whole, both in the Old and New Testament.

Not only has God done many wonders, but He also has His thoughts about His own. These include His counsel, His purposes to bless all His own. His blessings include taking away our sins and allowing us to share in all the effects of Christ’s work. All of these thoughts have been accomplished by Christ. They are so numerous that they cannot be counted. They are also so great that they cannot be comprehended.

The meaning is that it is not possible to place them in any particular order or also that nothing can be compared to Him. We simply do not have the words or the knowledge for it (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9). We know in part or piece by piece (1 Corinthians 13:9). We cannot comprehend the entire picture and can only see blessing after blessing, marvel at it, and honor Him for it.

Psalms 74:18

Introduction

David asked the LORD if He would deliver him from the anger of God that he was suffering because of his iniquity (Psalms 39:8). In Psalms 40, the LORD answers David’s request. The answer comes through Christ, the Son of David, Who came to this world (Psalms 40:7) to do the will of God, namely, to save David and all of us.

This is a Messianic psalm. It is about the Lord Jesus. This is clear from Hebrews 10, where Psalms 40:6-8 of this psalm are not listed as a quote from David, but are attributed to Christ. He speaks these words at His coming into the world (Hebrews 10:5-7). The psalm represents the Lord Jesus Who becomes the obedient Servant on earth in the body God has prepared for Him. On earth He is afflicted and needy, while He waits patiently on God for help.

Chronologically, it seems that Psalms 40:1b-4 should be at the end of the psalm. This first section of the psalm deals with the resurrection of Christ and its consequences. From Psalms 40:6 to the end, it is about the coming of Christ and His sufferings. It is different in this psalm than in numerous other psalms where the depth of suffering is described first and ends with a song of redemption and victory.

We see that in this psalm Christ endures the sorrows of His people and is being tested in order to be an encouraging example for them. He waits for deliverance by His God as He submits to the will of God. In this psalm it is occasionally about the atoning suffering as substitute for His people. The main idea is the suffering of Christ as encouragement for the faithful remnant in the great tribulation to follow Him in it.

A New Song

For “for the choir director” (Psalms 40:1a) see at Psalms 4:1.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalms 3:1.

There is no direct point of reference in David’s life that could be an occasion for writing this psalm. The Spirit of Christ inspired him to write this psalm with Christ in mind.

David or rather the Spirit of Christ begins the psalm by pointing out that he has “patiently”, in the sense of very strongly, “waited for the LORD” (Psalms 40:1b). It has not been merely a weak expectation, but he has waited intensely. With him, perseverance has been a perfect work (James 1:4). He has continued to trust in God while he suffered deeply, and God did not intervene.

This was particularly true of Christ. His life on earth was suffering, especially during the last week of His life on earth. His example will be a special encouragement to the believing remnant when they suffer in the great tribulation.

Christ experienced how God bowed down to Him. God has, as it were, kept His ear to Christ’s mouth. In this way He listened attentively to His cries for help. We hear this cry for help from Him when He offers prayers and supplications in Gethsemane to Him Who is able to save Him from death. And He is heard because of His piety (Hebrews 5:7), after He has gone the whole way of obedience to God.

A first answer to His supplications happened at the moment He commits His spirit into the hands of the Father. Then the work is finished. After the three hours of darkness in which the Lord Jesus is forsaken by God, there is again fellowship with His God. He is then brought up “out of the pit of destruction” (Psalms 40:2; cf. Psalms 69:2; 14). By this is meant the water of God’s judgment that has come upon Him. He has been submerged in the miry clay of our sins.

The further fulfillment of the answering occurs, when the glory of the Father raises the Lord Jesus from the dead (Romans 6:4), and sets His “feet upon a rock”. The resurrection is the solid, unshakable ground on which every believer stands who is connected to Christ through His work on the cross. On that way, the footsteps are made firm. There is no danger of falling into the pit again and sinking into the miry clay again.

This dealing of God in favor of Him in His deliverance is followed by the new song He puts into Christ’s mouth (Psalms 40:3). It is the song of complete deliverance from judgment because it was borne by Him. The new song is always connected with redemption (cf. Revelation 14:3).

The new song that is in His mouth becomes “a song of praise to our God”, which is a song of praise sung by all who call God “our God”. They belong to the Lord Jesus by faith in Him. Through His work, His God has also become their God (cf. John 20:17; Hebrews 2:12).

From what God has done in the resurrection of Christ, a testimony goes forth that is seen by many. As a result, they will fear God and trust in Him. This will also be true in the end time, when the believing remnant will sing the new song of salvation, having suffered with and for the sake of Christ, and have also been heard as He was heard. It is a testimony to all.

The same is true for us. Our lives are connected with the risen Lord. The new song we sing, the song of the Lamb, is also based on the sacrifice of Christ. It is a testimony to those around us, through which there will be those who will come to trust in God.

We are the first of the many who will sing the new song in heaven (Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3). We are already singing the new song on earth as a song of thanksgiving for the redemption given to us in Christ. Surely it is not possible to remain silent about His surrender to God, through which we have been saved from judgment and have received countless blessings, is it?

Those who, following Christ, put their trust in God are “blessed“ or happy in the fullest sense of the word (Psalms 40:4; cf. Psalms 1:1). The circumstances in which this occurs are mentioned in the second part of the verse. It is a time when many turn to people who are proud. Proud people trust in themselves and not in God. These are people who want to take the place of God; this is the very heart of the devil’s sin (1 Timothy 3:6), who wanted to be like God.

We see these proud people in the mass of apostate Jews. They reject the truth in Christ and resort to the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Proudness and falsehood are the characteristics of the antichrist and his followers. Those who do not go along with this, but trust in God against the current, are blessed.

David, through the Spirit of Christ, expresses his marvel about the wonders the LORD his God has done to all who are of the remnant (Psalms 40:5). Every believer who is kept from being carried away in the apostasy is a wonder worked by God. This applies to the believers in the great tribulation. He has kept them.

In fact, this is about the many wonders that the LORD has done for us in the past, especially in connection with Christ’s coming to earth. God’s wonders for His own are evident in every believer in all ages and in His people as a whole, both in the Old and New Testament.

Not only has God done many wonders, but He also has His thoughts about His own. These include His counsel, His purposes to bless all His own. His blessings include taking away our sins and allowing us to share in all the effects of Christ’s work. All of these thoughts have been accomplished by Christ. They are so numerous that they cannot be counted. They are also so great that they cannot be comprehended.

The meaning is that it is not possible to place them in any particular order or also that nothing can be compared to Him. We simply do not have the words or the knowledge for it (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9). We know in part or piece by piece (1 Corinthians 13:9). We cannot comprehend the entire picture and can only see blessing after blessing, marvel at it, and honor Him for it.

Psalms 74:19

Introduction

David asked the LORD if He would deliver him from the anger of God that he was suffering because of his iniquity (Psalms 39:8). In Psalms 40, the LORD answers David’s request. The answer comes through Christ, the Son of David, Who came to this world (Psalms 40:7) to do the will of God, namely, to save David and all of us.

This is a Messianic psalm. It is about the Lord Jesus. This is clear from Hebrews 10, where Psalms 40:6-8 of this psalm are not listed as a quote from David, but are attributed to Christ. He speaks these words at His coming into the world (Hebrews 10:5-7). The psalm represents the Lord Jesus Who becomes the obedient Servant on earth in the body God has prepared for Him. On earth He is afflicted and needy, while He waits patiently on God for help.

Chronologically, it seems that Psalms 40:1b-4 should be at the end of the psalm. This first section of the psalm deals with the resurrection of Christ and its consequences. From Psalms 40:6 to the end, it is about the coming of Christ and His sufferings. It is different in this psalm than in numerous other psalms where the depth of suffering is described first and ends with a song of redemption and victory.

We see that in this psalm Christ endures the sorrows of His people and is being tested in order to be an encouraging example for them. He waits for deliverance by His God as He submits to the will of God. In this psalm it is occasionally about the atoning suffering as substitute for His people. The main idea is the suffering of Christ as encouragement for the faithful remnant in the great tribulation to follow Him in it.

A New Song

For “for the choir director” (Psalms 40:1a) see at Psalms 4:1.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalms 3:1.

There is no direct point of reference in David’s life that could be an occasion for writing this psalm. The Spirit of Christ inspired him to write this psalm with Christ in mind.

David or rather the Spirit of Christ begins the psalm by pointing out that he has “patiently”, in the sense of very strongly, “waited for the LORD” (Psalms 40:1b). It has not been merely a weak expectation, but he has waited intensely. With him, perseverance has been a perfect work (James 1:4). He has continued to trust in God while he suffered deeply, and God did not intervene.

This was particularly true of Christ. His life on earth was suffering, especially during the last week of His life on earth. His example will be a special encouragement to the believing remnant when they suffer in the great tribulation.

Christ experienced how God bowed down to Him. God has, as it were, kept His ear to Christ’s mouth. In this way He listened attentively to His cries for help. We hear this cry for help from Him when He offers prayers and supplications in Gethsemane to Him Who is able to save Him from death. And He is heard because of His piety (Hebrews 5:7), after He has gone the whole way of obedience to God.

A first answer to His supplications happened at the moment He commits His spirit into the hands of the Father. Then the work is finished. After the three hours of darkness in which the Lord Jesus is forsaken by God, there is again fellowship with His God. He is then brought up “out of the pit of destruction” (Psalms 40:2; cf. Psalms 69:2; 14). By this is meant the water of God’s judgment that has come upon Him. He has been submerged in the miry clay of our sins.

The further fulfillment of the answering occurs, when the glory of the Father raises the Lord Jesus from the dead (Romans 6:4), and sets His “feet upon a rock”. The resurrection is the solid, unshakable ground on which every believer stands who is connected to Christ through His work on the cross. On that way, the footsteps are made firm. There is no danger of falling into the pit again and sinking into the miry clay again.

This dealing of God in favor of Him in His deliverance is followed by the new song He puts into Christ’s mouth (Psalms 40:3). It is the song of complete deliverance from judgment because it was borne by Him. The new song is always connected with redemption (cf. Revelation 14:3).

The new song that is in His mouth becomes “a song of praise to our God”, which is a song of praise sung by all who call God “our God”. They belong to the Lord Jesus by faith in Him. Through His work, His God has also become their God (cf. John 20:17; Hebrews 2:12).

From what God has done in the resurrection of Christ, a testimony goes forth that is seen by many. As a result, they will fear God and trust in Him. This will also be true in the end time, when the believing remnant will sing the new song of salvation, having suffered with and for the sake of Christ, and have also been heard as He was heard. It is a testimony to all.

The same is true for us. Our lives are connected with the risen Lord. The new song we sing, the song of the Lamb, is also based on the sacrifice of Christ. It is a testimony to those around us, through which there will be those who will come to trust in God.

We are the first of the many who will sing the new song in heaven (Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3). We are already singing the new song on earth as a song of thanksgiving for the redemption given to us in Christ. Surely it is not possible to remain silent about His surrender to God, through which we have been saved from judgment and have received countless blessings, is it?

Those who, following Christ, put their trust in God are “blessed“ or happy in the fullest sense of the word (Psalms 40:4; cf. Psalms 1:1). The circumstances in which this occurs are mentioned in the second part of the verse. It is a time when many turn to people who are proud. Proud people trust in themselves and not in God. These are people who want to take the place of God; this is the very heart of the devil’s sin (1 Timothy 3:6), who wanted to be like God.

We see these proud people in the mass of apostate Jews. They reject the truth in Christ and resort to the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Proudness and falsehood are the characteristics of the antichrist and his followers. Those who do not go along with this, but trust in God against the current, are blessed.

David, through the Spirit of Christ, expresses his marvel about the wonders the LORD his God has done to all who are of the remnant (Psalms 40:5). Every believer who is kept from being carried away in the apostasy is a wonder worked by God. This applies to the believers in the great tribulation. He has kept them.

In fact, this is about the many wonders that the LORD has done for us in the past, especially in connection with Christ’s coming to earth. God’s wonders for His own are evident in every believer in all ages and in His people as a whole, both in the Old and New Testament.

Not only has God done many wonders, but He also has His thoughts about His own. These include His counsel, His purposes to bless all His own. His blessings include taking away our sins and allowing us to share in all the effects of Christ’s work. All of these thoughts have been accomplished by Christ. They are so numerous that they cannot be counted. They are also so great that they cannot be comprehended.

The meaning is that it is not possible to place them in any particular order or also that nothing can be compared to Him. We simply do not have the words or the knowledge for it (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9). We know in part or piece by piece (1 Corinthians 13:9). We cannot comprehend the entire picture and can only see blessing after blessing, marvel at it, and honor Him for it.

Psalms 74:20

Introduction

David asked the LORD if He would deliver him from the anger of God that he was suffering because of his iniquity (Psalms 39:8). In Psalms 40, the LORD answers David’s request. The answer comes through Christ, the Son of David, Who came to this world (Psalms 40:7) to do the will of God, namely, to save David and all of us.

This is a Messianic psalm. It is about the Lord Jesus. This is clear from Hebrews 10, where Psalms 40:6-8 of this psalm are not listed as a quote from David, but are attributed to Christ. He speaks these words at His coming into the world (Hebrews 10:5-7). The psalm represents the Lord Jesus Who becomes the obedient Servant on earth in the body God has prepared for Him. On earth He is afflicted and needy, while He waits patiently on God for help.

Chronologically, it seems that Psalms 40:1b-4 should be at the end of the psalm. This first section of the psalm deals with the resurrection of Christ and its consequences. From Psalms 40:6 to the end, it is about the coming of Christ and His sufferings. It is different in this psalm than in numerous other psalms where the depth of suffering is described first and ends with a song of redemption and victory.

We see that in this psalm Christ endures the sorrows of His people and is being tested in order to be an encouraging example for them. He waits for deliverance by His God as He submits to the will of God. In this psalm it is occasionally about the atoning suffering as substitute for His people. The main idea is the suffering of Christ as encouragement for the faithful remnant in the great tribulation to follow Him in it.

A New Song

For “for the choir director” (Psalms 40:1a) see at Psalms 4:1.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalms 3:1.

There is no direct point of reference in David’s life that could be an occasion for writing this psalm. The Spirit of Christ inspired him to write this psalm with Christ in mind.

David or rather the Spirit of Christ begins the psalm by pointing out that he has “patiently”, in the sense of very strongly, “waited for the LORD” (Psalms 40:1b). It has not been merely a weak expectation, but he has waited intensely. With him, perseverance has been a perfect work (James 1:4). He has continued to trust in God while he suffered deeply, and God did not intervene.

This was particularly true of Christ. His life on earth was suffering, especially during the last week of His life on earth. His example will be a special encouragement to the believing remnant when they suffer in the great tribulation.

Christ experienced how God bowed down to Him. God has, as it were, kept His ear to Christ’s mouth. In this way He listened attentively to His cries for help. We hear this cry for help from Him when He offers prayers and supplications in Gethsemane to Him Who is able to save Him from death. And He is heard because of His piety (Hebrews 5:7), after He has gone the whole way of obedience to God.

A first answer to His supplications happened at the moment He commits His spirit into the hands of the Father. Then the work is finished. After the three hours of darkness in which the Lord Jesus is forsaken by God, there is again fellowship with His God. He is then brought up “out of the pit of destruction” (Psalms 40:2; cf. Psalms 69:2; 14). By this is meant the water of God’s judgment that has come upon Him. He has been submerged in the miry clay of our sins.

The further fulfillment of the answering occurs, when the glory of the Father raises the Lord Jesus from the dead (Romans 6:4), and sets His “feet upon a rock”. The resurrection is the solid, unshakable ground on which every believer stands who is connected to Christ through His work on the cross. On that way, the footsteps are made firm. There is no danger of falling into the pit again and sinking into the miry clay again.

This dealing of God in favor of Him in His deliverance is followed by the new song He puts into Christ’s mouth (Psalms 40:3). It is the song of complete deliverance from judgment because it was borne by Him. The new song is always connected with redemption (cf. Revelation 14:3).

The new song that is in His mouth becomes “a song of praise to our God”, which is a song of praise sung by all who call God “our God”. They belong to the Lord Jesus by faith in Him. Through His work, His God has also become their God (cf. John 20:17; Hebrews 2:12).

From what God has done in the resurrection of Christ, a testimony goes forth that is seen by many. As a result, they will fear God and trust in Him. This will also be true in the end time, when the believing remnant will sing the new song of salvation, having suffered with and for the sake of Christ, and have also been heard as He was heard. It is a testimony to all.

The same is true for us. Our lives are connected with the risen Lord. The new song we sing, the song of the Lamb, is also based on the sacrifice of Christ. It is a testimony to those around us, through which there will be those who will come to trust in God.

We are the first of the many who will sing the new song in heaven (Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3). We are already singing the new song on earth as a song of thanksgiving for the redemption given to us in Christ. Surely it is not possible to remain silent about His surrender to God, through which we have been saved from judgment and have received countless blessings, is it?

Those who, following Christ, put their trust in God are “blessed“ or happy in the fullest sense of the word (Psalms 40:4; cf. Psalms 1:1). The circumstances in which this occurs are mentioned in the second part of the verse. It is a time when many turn to people who are proud. Proud people trust in themselves and not in God. These are people who want to take the place of God; this is the very heart of the devil’s sin (1 Timothy 3:6), who wanted to be like God.

We see these proud people in the mass of apostate Jews. They reject the truth in Christ and resort to the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Proudness and falsehood are the characteristics of the antichrist and his followers. Those who do not go along with this, but trust in God against the current, are blessed.

David, through the Spirit of Christ, expresses his marvel about the wonders the LORD his God has done to all who are of the remnant (Psalms 40:5). Every believer who is kept from being carried away in the apostasy is a wonder worked by God. This applies to the believers in the great tribulation. He has kept them.

In fact, this is about the many wonders that the LORD has done for us in the past, especially in connection with Christ’s coming to earth. God’s wonders for His own are evident in every believer in all ages and in His people as a whole, both in the Old and New Testament.

Not only has God done many wonders, but He also has His thoughts about His own. These include His counsel, His purposes to bless all His own. His blessings include taking away our sins and allowing us to share in all the effects of Christ’s work. All of these thoughts have been accomplished by Christ. They are so numerous that they cannot be counted. They are also so great that they cannot be comprehended.

The meaning is that it is not possible to place them in any particular order or also that nothing can be compared to Him. We simply do not have the words or the knowledge for it (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9). We know in part or piece by piece (1 Corinthians 13:9). We cannot comprehend the entire picture and can only see blessing after blessing, marvel at it, and honor Him for it.

Psalms 74:21

Introduction

David asked the LORD if He would deliver him from the anger of God that he was suffering because of his iniquity (Psalms 39:8). In Psalms 40, the LORD answers David’s request. The answer comes through Christ, the Son of David, Who came to this world (Psalms 40:7) to do the will of God, namely, to save David and all of us.

This is a Messianic psalm. It is about the Lord Jesus. This is clear from Hebrews 10, where Psalms 40:6-8 of this psalm are not listed as a quote from David, but are attributed to Christ. He speaks these words at His coming into the world (Hebrews 10:5-7). The psalm represents the Lord Jesus Who becomes the obedient Servant on earth in the body God has prepared for Him. On earth He is afflicted and needy, while He waits patiently on God for help.

Chronologically, it seems that Psalms 40:1b-4 should be at the end of the psalm. This first section of the psalm deals with the resurrection of Christ and its consequences. From Psalms 40:6 to the end, it is about the coming of Christ and His sufferings. It is different in this psalm than in numerous other psalms where the depth of suffering is described first and ends with a song of redemption and victory.

We see that in this psalm Christ endures the sorrows of His people and is being tested in order to be an encouraging example for them. He waits for deliverance by His God as He submits to the will of God. In this psalm it is occasionally about the atoning suffering as substitute for His people. The main idea is the suffering of Christ as encouragement for the faithful remnant in the great tribulation to follow Him in it.

A New Song

For “for the choir director” (Psalms 40:1a) see at Psalms 4:1.

For “a Psalm of David” see at Psalms 3:1.

There is no direct point of reference in David’s life that could be an occasion for writing this psalm. The Spirit of Christ inspired him to write this psalm with Christ in mind.

David or rather the Spirit of Christ begins the psalm by pointing out that he has “patiently”, in the sense of very strongly, “waited for the LORD” (Psalms 40:1b). It has not been merely a weak expectation, but he has waited intensely. With him, perseverance has been a perfect work (James 1:4). He has continued to trust in God while he suffered deeply, and God did not intervene.

This was particularly true of Christ. His life on earth was suffering, especially during the last week of His life on earth. His example will be a special encouragement to the believing remnant when they suffer in the great tribulation.

Christ experienced how God bowed down to Him. God has, as it were, kept His ear to Christ’s mouth. In this way He listened attentively to His cries for help. We hear this cry for help from Him when He offers prayers and supplications in Gethsemane to Him Who is able to save Him from death. And He is heard because of His piety (Hebrews 5:7), after He has gone the whole way of obedience to God.

A first answer to His supplications happened at the moment He commits His spirit into the hands of the Father. Then the work is finished. After the three hours of darkness in which the Lord Jesus is forsaken by God, there is again fellowship with His God. He is then brought up “out of the pit of destruction” (Psalms 40:2; cf. Psalms 69:2; 14). By this is meant the water of God’s judgment that has come upon Him. He has been submerged in the miry clay of our sins.

The further fulfillment of the answering occurs, when the glory of the Father raises the Lord Jesus from the dead (Romans 6:4), and sets His “feet upon a rock”. The resurrection is the solid, unshakable ground on which every believer stands who is connected to Christ through His work on the cross. On that way, the footsteps are made firm. There is no danger of falling into the pit again and sinking into the miry clay again.

This dealing of God in favor of Him in His deliverance is followed by the new song He puts into Christ’s mouth (Psalms 40:3). It is the song of complete deliverance from judgment because it was borne by Him. The new song is always connected with redemption (cf. Revelation 14:3).

The new song that is in His mouth becomes “a song of praise to our God”, which is a song of praise sung by all who call God “our God”. They belong to the Lord Jesus by faith in Him. Through His work, His God has also become their God (cf. John 20:17; Hebrews 2:12).

From what God has done in the resurrection of Christ, a testimony goes forth that is seen by many. As a result, they will fear God and trust in Him. This will also be true in the end time, when the believing remnant will sing the new song of salvation, having suffered with and for the sake of Christ, and have also been heard as He was heard. It is a testimony to all.

The same is true for us. Our lives are connected with the risen Lord. The new song we sing, the song of the Lamb, is also based on the sacrifice of Christ. It is a testimony to those around us, through which there will be those who will come to trust in God.

We are the first of the many who will sing the new song in heaven (Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3). We are already singing the new song on earth as a song of thanksgiving for the redemption given to us in Christ. Surely it is not possible to remain silent about His surrender to God, through which we have been saved from judgment and have received countless blessings, is it?

Those who, following Christ, put their trust in God are “blessed“ or happy in the fullest sense of the word (Psalms 40:4; cf. Psalms 1:1). The circumstances in which this occurs are mentioned in the second part of the verse. It is a time when many turn to people who are proud. Proud people trust in themselves and not in God. These are people who want to take the place of God; this is the very heart of the devil’s sin (1 Timothy 3:6), who wanted to be like God.

We see these proud people in the mass of apostate Jews. They reject the truth in Christ and resort to the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:11). Proudness and falsehood are the characteristics of the antichrist and his followers. Those who do not go along with this, but trust in God against the current, are blessed.

David, through the Spirit of Christ, expresses his marvel about the wonders the LORD his God has done to all who are of the remnant (Psalms 40:5). Every believer who is kept from being carried away in the apostasy is a wonder worked by God. This applies to the believers in the great tribulation. He has kept them.

In fact, this is about the many wonders that the LORD has done for us in the past, especially in connection with Christ’s coming to earth. God’s wonders for His own are evident in every believer in all ages and in His people as a whole, both in the Old and New Testament.

Not only has God done many wonders, but He also has His thoughts about His own. These include His counsel, His purposes to bless all His own. His blessings include taking away our sins and allowing us to share in all the effects of Christ’s work. All of these thoughts have been accomplished by Christ. They are so numerous that they cannot be counted. They are also so great that they cannot be comprehended.

The meaning is that it is not possible to place them in any particular order or also that nothing can be compared to Him. We simply do not have the words or the knowledge for it (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:9). We know in part or piece by piece (1 Corinthians 13:9). We cannot comprehend the entire picture and can only see blessing after blessing, marvel at it, and honor Him for it.

Psalms 74:22

Behold, I Come

Psalms 40:6-8 are not about David, but can only refer to Christ. This is clear from the quotation of these verses in the New Testament (Hebrews 10:7-9). By “sacrifice” (Psalms 40:6) is meant the peace offering. Of this offering the offeror may eat together with God and everyone who is clean. The “meal offering” is a non-bloody offering. In these sacrifices as such, God found no joy. They are only a shadow image. What God finds joy in is what these sacrifices refer to, which is Christ (Hebrews 9:11-14; Hebrews 10:5-9).

God has found joy in Him of Whom He has “opened” the ears – literally “dug the ears” – that is the Lord Jesus. He is the true peace offering and the true meal offering. Through Him, fellowship between God and the repentant sinner has been restored. Of this the peace offering speaks. As the true meal offering, Christ lived completely to God’s glory. That is what the opened ears speak of.

In Hebrews 10, “ears pierced [better: dug]” is quoted from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. It says that God “prepared” Him “a body” (Hebrews 10:5). Ears indicate hearing and obedience. His body is, so to speak, all ears for the will of the Father. He became a Slave and became completely obedient in all things, to death, yes, to the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7-8).

We read three times about the ears of the Lord Jesus and each time it relates to His obedience: 1. “My ears You have opened” (Psalms 40:6) points to the Lord Jesus becoming Man in order to obey and die. 2 “Opened My ear” (Isaiah 50:4-5), speaks of His life on earth being marked by obedience. 3. “Pierce his ear”, is about the ear of the Lord Jesus in the picture of the Hebrew slave (Exodus 21:5-6). This refers to the end of His service and life on earth, which are characterized by obedience. Also, this speaks of the fact that He will serve forever (Luke 12:37).

Of burnt offering and sin offering, Christ says that God has not required them. Did God not then prescribe or require the sin offering? After all, it says so time and again in Leviticus 4 (Leviticus 4:2-3; 13-14; 22-23; 27-28). Certainly they were offered because He commanded it. But it does not mean that He found any joy in doing so or that in bringing them the requirement of His righteousness was fulfilled. The LORD could only find joy in those offerings because they are shadow of the offering of Christ. Therefore, He could pass over the sins of the offerors (Romans 3:25).

Those offerings could not take away sins and could be brought with insincere hearts. God has never required them as offerings by which anyone can be brought into His presence, for that is impossible. An animal burnt offering cannot make a man acceptable to God, and an animal sin offering cannot take away any sin from a sinful man.

The word “then” with which Psalms 40:7 begins has the meaning “because this is so”, referring to the observation of the previous verse. Then the Lord Jesus speaks the impressive words “behold, I come”. He offers Himself to fulfill what no animal sacrifice has been able to do and to fulfill what all sacrifices have been pointing to: to Himself as the true Sacrifice.

He does so in accordance with what is written “in the scroll of the book” about Him (cf. Luke 4:17-21). It is impossible to apply this to David. No one but the Lord Jesus can say this. Of no one but the Lord Jesus can it be written that He said something “when He comes into the world” (Hebrews 10:5). God established in His counsel that Christ would come. He is the Lamb foreknown before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20). David says this prophetically of the Lord Jesus.

He not only offers Himself willingly, but also joyfully to do God’s will, which for Him means to “delight to do Your will” (Psalms 40:8). He knows that in doing God’s will He is carrying out His good pleasure. He is also fully capable of doing so, for God’s law is within His heart. His obedience is not only an outward, but also an inward matter. He carries out the whole law of God from His innermost being. We may well ask ourselves whether we are not merely doing the right things outwardly, and also whether God’s Word is within our heart so that from there all our thoughts, words and actions can be governed.

With the Lord Jesus, God’s law worked in His heart to proclaim “glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation” (Psalms 40:9). He does this while He goes His way on earth in “the great congregation” of Israel. We can think, for example, of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 which He spoke before a large crowd (Matthew 5:1).

He testified in great faithfulness of God’s righteousness as “glad tidings”. God’s righteousness is a glad tiding to the repentant sinner. He has not restrained His lips from speaking of it. He cannot and will not do otherwise and can therefore say that the LORD knows (cf. John 17:4; 6; 8; 14; 26)!

What He utters, what He testifies to, is nothing but what is peculiar to God: His righteousness, His truth, His salvation, His lovingkindness and His faithfulness (Psalms 40:10). God’s law is in His heart, but God’s “righteousness” He has not hidden in His heart. He has proclaimed God’s “faithfulness” and God’s “salvation”. God’s truth about man and the holiness of God have been preached by Him. He also pointed out the love of God by presenting God’s salvation, which is the way to be saved.

God’s “lovingkindness” connects to God’s salvation. Lovingkindness is the Hebrew chesed. It means covenant faithfulness. These are the blessings, the good things, that the LORD wants to give, either on the basis of the faithfulness of the people – which is not the case – or on the basis of the work of a Mediator Who fulfilled the requirements of the covenant, the requirements of the law, by dying on the cross.

In Christ, “the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared” (Titus 3:4). The entire life up to and including Christ’s death is the proclamation of God’s lovingkindness. God’s truth connects to God’s faithfulness. The Lord Jesus showed that God is completely faithful and worthy of trust.

Christ has revealed all these features of God in righteousness, that is, what He does is in accordance with Who God is. He did not hide God’s righteousness in the great congregation of Israel. Always and everywhere He spoke of Who God is, for the purpose that God’s people would return to God.

Psalms 74:23

Behold, I Come

Psalms 40:6-8 are not about David, but can only refer to Christ. This is clear from the quotation of these verses in the New Testament (Hebrews 10:7-9). By “sacrifice” (Psalms 40:6) is meant the peace offering. Of this offering the offeror may eat together with God and everyone who is clean. The “meal offering” is a non-bloody offering. In these sacrifices as such, God found no joy. They are only a shadow image. What God finds joy in is what these sacrifices refer to, which is Christ (Hebrews 9:11-14; Hebrews 10:5-9).

God has found joy in Him of Whom He has “opened” the ears – literally “dug the ears” – that is the Lord Jesus. He is the true peace offering and the true meal offering. Through Him, fellowship between God and the repentant sinner has been restored. Of this the peace offering speaks. As the true meal offering, Christ lived completely to God’s glory. That is what the opened ears speak of.

In Hebrews 10, “ears pierced [better: dug]” is quoted from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. It says that God “prepared” Him “a body” (Hebrews 10:5). Ears indicate hearing and obedience. His body is, so to speak, all ears for the will of the Father. He became a Slave and became completely obedient in all things, to death, yes, to the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7-8).

We read three times about the ears of the Lord Jesus and each time it relates to His obedience: 1. “My ears You have opened” (Psalms 40:6) points to the Lord Jesus becoming Man in order to obey and die. 2 “Opened My ear” (Isaiah 50:4-5), speaks of His life on earth being marked by obedience. 3. “Pierce his ear”, is about the ear of the Lord Jesus in the picture of the Hebrew slave (Exodus 21:5-6). This refers to the end of His service and life on earth, which are characterized by obedience. Also, this speaks of the fact that He will serve forever (Luke 12:37).

Of burnt offering and sin offering, Christ says that God has not required them. Did God not then prescribe or require the sin offering? After all, it says so time and again in Leviticus 4 (Leviticus 4:2-3; 13-14; 22-23; 27-28). Certainly they were offered because He commanded it. But it does not mean that He found any joy in doing so or that in bringing them the requirement of His righteousness was fulfilled. The LORD could only find joy in those offerings because they are shadow of the offering of Christ. Therefore, He could pass over the sins of the offerors (Romans 3:25).

Those offerings could not take away sins and could be brought with insincere hearts. God has never required them as offerings by which anyone can be brought into His presence, for that is impossible. An animal burnt offering cannot make a man acceptable to God, and an animal sin offering cannot take away any sin from a sinful man.

The word “then” with which Psalms 40:7 begins has the meaning “because this is so”, referring to the observation of the previous verse. Then the Lord Jesus speaks the impressive words “behold, I come”. He offers Himself to fulfill what no animal sacrifice has been able to do and to fulfill what all sacrifices have been pointing to: to Himself as the true Sacrifice.

He does so in accordance with what is written “in the scroll of the book” about Him (cf. Luke 4:17-21). It is impossible to apply this to David. No one but the Lord Jesus can say this. Of no one but the Lord Jesus can it be written that He said something “when He comes into the world” (Hebrews 10:5). God established in His counsel that Christ would come. He is the Lamb foreknown before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:20). David says this prophetically of the Lord Jesus.

He not only offers Himself willingly, but also joyfully to do God’s will, which for Him means to “delight to do Your will” (Psalms 40:8). He knows that in doing God’s will He is carrying out His good pleasure. He is also fully capable of doing so, for God’s law is within His heart. His obedience is not only an outward, but also an inward matter. He carries out the whole law of God from His innermost being. We may well ask ourselves whether we are not merely doing the right things outwardly, and also whether God’s Word is within our heart so that from there all our thoughts, words and actions can be governed.

With the Lord Jesus, God’s law worked in His heart to proclaim “glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation” (Psalms 40:9). He does this while He goes His way on earth in “the great congregation” of Israel. We can think, for example, of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 which He spoke before a large crowd (Matthew 5:1).

He testified in great faithfulness of God’s righteousness as “glad tidings”. God’s righteousness is a glad tiding to the repentant sinner. He has not restrained His lips from speaking of it. He cannot and will not do otherwise and can therefore say that the LORD knows (cf. John 17:4; 6; 8; 14; 26)!

What He utters, what He testifies to, is nothing but what is peculiar to God: His righteousness, His truth, His salvation, His lovingkindness and His faithfulness (Psalms 40:10). God’s law is in His heart, but God’s “righteousness” He has not hidden in His heart. He has proclaimed God’s “faithfulness” and God’s “salvation”. God’s truth about man and the holiness of God have been preached by Him. He also pointed out the love of God by presenting God’s salvation, which is the way to be saved.

God’s “lovingkindness” connects to God’s salvation. Lovingkindness is the Hebrew chesed. It means covenant faithfulness. These are the blessings, the good things, that the LORD wants to give, either on the basis of the faithfulness of the people – which is not the case – or on the basis of the work of a Mediator Who fulfilled the requirements of the covenant, the requirements of the law, by dying on the cross.

In Christ, “the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared” (Titus 3:4). The entire life up to and including Christ’s death is the proclamation of God’s lovingkindness. God’s truth connects to God’s faithfulness. The Lord Jesus showed that God is completely faithful and worthy of trust.

Christ has revealed all these features of God in righteousness, that is, what He does is in accordance with Who God is. He did not hide God’s righteousness in the great congregation of Israel. Always and everywhere He spoke of Who God is, for the purpose that God’s people would return to God.