Psalm 40. While these are the words of David, Look what he says in verse 12,
for innumerable evils have compassed me about. Mine iniquities have
taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up. You've said that before. David
has said that. But when we read this psalm,
I want us to read every word as Christ speaking in the first
person. Every word of this psalm. It's
quoted in Hebrews chapter 10, and it's Christ speaking in the
first person. Now let's read this together. I waited patiently for the Lord. Now that opening verse tells
me that this is Christ speaking. He's the only one who's ever
done that. Me and you haven't done that. He did. I waited patiently for the Lord
and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also
out of an horrible pit, a dungeon. out of the miry clay, and set
my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a
new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. Many shall see,
and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. Blessed is that man
that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud,
nor such as turn aside to lies, Many, O Lord my God, are thy
wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which
are to usward. They cannot be reckoned up in
order unto thee. If I would declare and speak
of them, there more than can be numbered. Now this is that
passage that's quoted in Hebrews chapter 10, the next three verses.
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire. Mine ears hast thou
opened. or bore, burnt offering and sin
offering thou hast not required, then said I, lo, I come. In the
volume of the book it's written of me, I delight to do thy will,
O my God. Yea, thy law is within my heart.
I have preached righteousness in the great congregation. Lo,
I've not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest. I have not hid
thy righteousness within my heart. I've declared thy faithfulness
and thy salvation. I've not concealed thy loving
kindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Withhold
not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord. Let thy loving kindness
and thy truth continually preserve me. For innumerable evils have
compassed me about. Mine iniquities have taken hold
upon me so that I'm not able to look up. They're more than
the hairs of mine head. Therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver
me. O Lord, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded
together that seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be driven
backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate
for reward of their shame that say unto me, aha, aha. Let all
those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee. Let such
as love thy salvation say continually, the Lord be magnified. but I
am poor and needy. Yet the Lord thinketh upon me. Thou art my help and my deliverer. Make no tearing, O my God. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for who
you are. How we thank you for this psalm
that We hear our Lord speak. And Lord, we ask that we might
be spoken to by you, by your grace. We ask that we might be
forgiven of our sins. We ask that you'd unite our hearts
together to fear thy name. Bless us for Christ's sake. Lord,
we would Remember those people in the Ukraine at this time,
we pray that you would give the leaders of this world the wisdom
in dealing with that. We pray for them and for your
mercy upon them. Lord, we are so thankful, so
thankful that you're on the throne. We're so thankful for who you
are. May we be found in your son, be with all your people
wherever they meet together. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen. This could very easily be called
a psalm of Christ because this is Christ speaking in the first
person in every single line. Now look what he says in verse
one. I waited patiently for the Lord. Have you ever done that? Not
once. Not once. There's only one person
who ever waited patiently for the Lord. That is God the Son. I waited patiently for the Lord
and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also
out of an horrible pit. Now that word is generally translated
a dungeon. Now, a dungeon was a horrible
pit. It would have something put over
it. No light would get in. It was in the miry clay. And
this is a reference to what was going on on the cross. The Lord
was in the dungeon of God's wrath. No light whatsoever. A miry pit. He brought me up and this is
talking about the resurrection. He brought me up also out of
an horrible pit. That word horrible, my marginal
reading says a pit of noise, the noise that was taking place. I don't know what all that noise
was, but it was beyond anything you and I can understand. He brought me up out of the mire
clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings as
the great mediator for my people. Verse three, and he hath put
a new song in my mouth. Now, the gospel's new, isn't
it? When we hear it as old, we're
not hearing it as gospel. The gospel always comes as news,
like it's the first time you've ever heard it. Don't you love
it when you're enabled to hear the gospel like that, as news? Well, he who is eternal speaks
of the gospel. And he says, you put a new song
in my mouth, even praise unto our God. Many, not everybody, but many. He gave his life a ransom for
many. He died for a whole lot of people, not all men without
exception, but many. I'm thankful for that word, many.
Many, and look at the order, he's talking about what people
will experience as a result of him being raised from the dead
out of that miry clay and this new song. Many shall see. Many
shall see who I am. They'll see who they are. They'll
see that I am salvation. Many shall see. And here's what
folks do who see, they'll fear. This is the fear of the Lord.
That's the beginning of wisdom. They fear God. This is worship, the fear of
God. And they shall trust in the Lord. Now notice the order. They'll
see, they'll fear, and they'll trust. That's the experience
of every believer. Verse four, blessed is that man. that maketh the Lord his trust. Oh, if the Lord is your trust,
how blessed by God you are. If you're looking to Christ only
right now, you don't have anything else. You've been blessed of
God. Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust. And
here's what everybody, here's the attitude of everybody who
makes the Lord his trust. They respect not the proud, nor
such as turn aside to lies. Now pride, Pride. If you're a believer, you hate
pride, most especially in yourself, because you see it's so groundless
and wicked. You have no respect for pride.
Pride of face, pride of place, pride of race, most especially
pride of grace. How offensive. You know pride's
the most groundless thing in the world. Somebody says, I'm
proud. Of what? What do you have that you didn't
receive? It is so evil. There's no respect for pride
in that person who trusts the Lord. And look what it says next,
nor such as turn aside the lies. A false gospel, lies on God,
lies on how God saves sinners. There's no respect for that in
a believer. Verse five, many, Oh, Lord, my
God. Are thy wonderful works. Thou
has done now. His wonderful works could be
divided into works of creation. Works of providence. And works
of salvation. Many are your wonderful works,
that creation is what God has done. Nobody else could do it,
could they? Every work of providence, everything that takes place is
what God has done. Aren't you thankful? There's
nothing independent of him being the first cause. You know, people
will turn around and say, well, you're making God the author
of evil. You know, I hate it when people say that. Whatever
God does is holy. Whatever God does is just, righteous. I don't claim to understand it
all, but God's the first cause of everything. You can say, well,
you're making him the author of evil. I'm saying God's God,
that's all I'm saying. And the only reason evil is is
because of his purpose for his own glory. Works of salvation, every aspect
of salvation is what God has done. And if he saved you, you
know your salvation is what God has done. Can't you say amen
to that? It's his work. Many a Lord God are thou wonderful
works, which thou has done and thy thoughts, which are to us. Now, God's thoughts. Jeremiah 29, 11 says, I know
the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts
of peace and not of evil to bring you to an expected end. Now,
how many times do we think when the Lord thinks of us, he's mad
or upset or sickened or whatever adjective you want to describe
because you know yourself and you think of something like that.
But he says, I know the thoughts that I have for you, the thoughts
of peace, satisfaction, not of evil, to bring you to an expected
end. And what about this thing of
us-ward? Who's the us-ward? You know, everything the Lord
did, he did as an us. Listen to this scripture. thus
it becometh he said to john the baptist thus it becometh us me
and you and all the elect the whole us word thus it becometh
us to fulfill all righteousness if god be for us notice the us
if god be for us who can be against us now he says Thy thoughts which
are to usward, they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee.
If I would declare and speak of them, there more than can
be numbered. Oh, the thoughts of peace and grace. Now, this
is what is quoted in Psalm, I mean, in Hebrews chapter 10, and these
are obviously Christ speaking in the first person. Sacrifice
and offering, thou didst not desire. You know all these animal
sacrifices, they didn't do anything for God, they didn't do anything
for us, is what they picture. This is not something you desire,
just these animal sacrifices. Mine ear hast thou opened, or
digged, or bored. Now what that's talking about
is the Hebrew bond slave. Now if a man was set free, let's
say a slave, his time of serving was over, And he could be set
free. He could go. But he couldn't
take his wife with him. He couldn't take his children
with him. They still belonged to the owner. But if he willingly
said, I love my master. I love my wife. I love my children. I'm going to stay here forever
because that's what I want to do. And then his master would
bore his ear to show that he is a willing bond slave. Christ would not leave me and
you. He could have gone, but he said,
I'm going to have my ear born. And this is what is being referred
to. He is the bond slave. Mine ears hast thou opened, burnt
offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said
I, Lo, I come. In the volume of the book it's
written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy
law is within my heart." Now, Christ came to do His Father's
will. This is the will of Him that
sent me. that of all which he hath given me, I should lose
nothing." He won't lose one. Raise it up again. At the last
day, lo, I come in the volume of the book it's written of me.
Now, the scripture had not been yet written. He's talking about
that volume spoken of in Revelation 5, all of God's purposes and
decrees, written within and without on BOTH SIDES, sealed with seven
seals, everything God will do. Is that a literal book? I guess
maybe, I think it's figured as speech. But in that volume, this
was written of Christ. He's gonna come to do his father's
will. He said in verse eight, I delight
to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart. Now, the Lord describes his preaching. Aren't you interested in how
the Lord would describe his preaching? You know, the Lord was a preacher. Don't forget that. The Lord was
a preacher. He said, God has sent me to preach
the gospel to the poor. The Lord was a preacher. And
look how he describes his preaching in verses 9 and 10. He says,
I've preached righteousness in the great congregation. That's
talking about the church. I have preached righteousness
in the great congregation. Lo, I've not refrained my lips,
O Lord, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness
within my heart. I have declared thy faithfulness
and thy salvation. I've not concealed thy loving
kindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Now that's
the Lord's summary of his preaching. Now there's three words. He describes
that he didn't do. Just look at these briefly. He
says in verse nine, I've not refrained my lips. I've not held
back. And then he says in verse 10,
I've not hid. I've not covered up. I've not
covered up. And notice he says, I've not
concealed in verse 10 too. I've not concealed. I've not painted up the message to make
it more attractive to the flesh, to conceal things from people. I've not done that. Well, his message, I have preached
righteousness. You know, if somebody says, well,
he's preaching righteous living. Well, look in verse 10, I've
not hid thy righteousness. I've not hid thy righteousness.
The Lord is a preacher of his own righteousness, the righteousness
of God. If you're justified before God,
it's for this reason. You have his righteousness as
your personal righteousness. I've not hid thy righteousness
in the great congregation. Lo, I've not refrained my lips,
O Lord, thou knowest I've not hid thy righteousness within
my heart. I have declared thy faithfulness. That's the message
of Christ, the very faithfulness of God. He's faithful to do all
he said he would do. and i've declared thy salvation
that salvation which is of the lord this is the message i've
declared thy salvation and he says i've not concealed thy loving
kindness that's somebody once said that's the old testament
word for grace his grace his loving kindness and thy truth
the truth of the gospel from the great congregation now there
the lord gives us a a description of his preaching, and that deserves
a whole message. I preached one a few years ago,
probably 15 years ago on that, but the preaching of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now let's go on reading, verse
11. Withhold not thou thy tender
mercies from me, O Lord. Now they were being withheld
on the cross, weren't they? He was forsaken and how it grieved
his spirit and he could not help but to cry out withhold not thou
thy tender mercies for me. Oh Lord, let by loving kindness
and thy truth continually preserve me for now he's talking about
his experience on the cross. For innumerable evils have compassed
me about, they've surrounded me, mine iniquities. Now, notice what he says. He
doesn't say Todd's iniquities that were imputed to me and charged
to my account. If that's the way I understand
that, I've missed it. And really, there's no real comfort
in that kind of thinking. You know, somebody says justification
is just as if I've never sinned. That won't do me any good because
I still sinned if it's just as if I never sinned. But my sin
actually became his sin so that he sinned. mine iniquities, that
filthy sin that I've committed became his sin. That's why he died. My sin became
his sin. So that he said, mine iniquities
have taken hold upon me. so that I'm not able to look
up. I'm so ashamed of my sin. I'm not even able to look up.
Now you and I have certainly felt that. And I don't know how
many times I've read that when I thought, yes. But here, this is the Lord saying
this in the reality of him being made sin. I want to read a passage
of scripture to you found in Lamentations chapter one. The last phrase of verse 11 says,
Oh Lord, consider for I am become vile. Now, did you ever become
vile? No, you were born that way. You
were born that way. He became vile on Galilee's tree. Listen to this. Is it nothing
to you, all ye that pass by, behold and see if there be any
sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me wherewith the
Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger? From
above he sent fire into my bones and it prevails against them.
He has spread a net for my feet. He has turned me back. He has
made me desolate and faint all the day. The yoke of my transgressions
is bound by his hand. They are wreathed and come upon
my neck. He has made my strength to fall.
The Lord has delivered me into their hands from whom I am not
able to rise up. The Lord has trodden underfoot
all my mighty men in the midst of me. He's talking about himself. Back to Psalm 40, withhold. Verse 12, for innumerable evils
have encompassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon
me so that I'm not able to look up there more than the hairs
of my head. Therefore, my heart fails me. Totally desolate. Be pleased,
oh Lord, to deliver me. Oh Lord, make haste to help me. Now you've prayed that prayer.
Lord, be pleased. I can't do anything. I mean,
I'm encompassed with my sin. I can't even move a finger. Be
pleased. Let it be your pleasure. Let
it be your will to deliver me. That's exactly what the leper
said, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean and be pleased. Even the Lord at this time was
in total submission to his father. Be pleased, oh Lord, to deliver
me. Oh Lord, make haste to help me. Now, if you want the Lord's help,
you want it in a hurry. You want it right now. And that's
what he's praying. Make haste to help me. Now he prays against his enemies. Now, remember the Lord prayed
this prayer in John chapter 17. And included in that prayer,
he said, I pray for them. I pray not for the world, but
for them which you have given me." Now, why did the Lord make
that statement? To let us know that anybody he
prays for, they're saved. That's why he let us know that.
I'm not praying for the world. I'm not praying for those who
will be in hell. I'm not praying for those who
die rejecting me. No, I'm not praying for them.
I pray for them which you've given me. for they are thine."
Now, he's praying against his enemies. Now, it's true, if God
be for us, who can be against us? It's equally true, if God
be against us, who can be for us? Now, look at him praying
against his enemies. Verse 14, let them be ashamed
and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy
it. And there's a lot of that going on, wasn't there? in the cross, the whole life
of our Lord, let them be driven backward and put to shame that
wish me evil." Now that happened literally, didn't it? Remember?
When they came to arrest the Lord, he said, whom seek ye?
Jesus of Nazareth, I am. Oh, what power. I am. I am that I am. What's
the scripture say? They were driven backward, weren't
they? They were driven backward. The Lord's letting them know
at this time, I love this. I'm in control of this, not you.
And the Lord says that about everything that took place on
the cross. I'm in control of this, not you. Everything that's
happening is his will being done. But he prays, let them be driven
backward and put to shame that wish me evil. Let them be desolate
for reward of their shame that say unto me, aha, aha, this is
how we'd have it. We've got you now, you've been
exposed, we've got you. Verse 16, let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad in thee. Let such as love thy salvation
say continue The Lord be magnified. Now he describes his people in
these two ways. Number one, they seek thee. Seeking the Lord. When thou said
seek ye my face, my heart said thy face, O Lord will I seek. They seek the Lord. They want
to know him. They want to be found in Him.
They seek the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And next, they're
described as those who love by salvation. You know, I love the
way God saves. I love Him who is the Savior.
And I love the way He saves, all of grace. You love that? Let such as love thy salvation. Here's what they're to say continually,
nonstop. The Lord be magnified. The Lord
be magnified and glorified. Now the Lord says this, and this
is me and you, but the Lord is saying this in context of, you
know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich yet
for your sakes, he became what? Poor. Poor. Now, me and you, we're poor.
We don't have anything to bring to the table. Nothing. And we
have great needs. And I never want to leave that
to you. Poor and needy. That's a good place to be. But
this is the Lord speaking. He says, I'm poor. He became
poor on the cross and needy yet. The Lord thinketh upon me." You
know, the son was never so lovely to the father as when he was
nailed to that cross as the willing substitute for his people doing
the father's will. How lovely was the son to the
father and how he was thinking upon him, thou art my helper.
and my deliverer. And you know, he helped him when
he raised him from the dead and delivered him as the complete
sufficient savior of his people. Make no tearing, oh Lord, my
God. Now, like I said, that's Christ. Every one of those words are
Christ speaking in the first person. Yes, they're David speaking
as well. But this is truly the song of Christ. Amen.