O LORD, do not withhold Your mercy from me; Your loving devotion and faithfulness will always guard me. Sermons
I. HERE IS A SOUL IN DEEP DISTRESS. (Ver. 12.) Whether the "evils" are the iniquities themselves, or the form in which those iniquities are brought home to him, is not absolutely clear. Probably the latter is the case. Very often surrounding circumstances may bring to us bitterly painful reminders of past sin. And this may be one of God's means of bringing a soul to repentance through the avenue of remorse and shame. II. HERE IS AN UTTER ABSENCE OF SYMPATHY FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD. Yea, something more than a lack of sympathy; for there is ridicule (ver. 15), there is joy over his sorrow (ver. 14, latter part); there is even an effort to destroy his peace, and perchance to further a plot against his life. Note: In the moments of deepest distress, when we look for succour from man, we find that the greater part are so engrossed in their own affairs, that they have never a tear to shed over another's sorrows, nor a hand to help in another's needs. This is hard. But it is a part of the discipline of life; and it is made use of by God to drive us to himself. III. THE PSALMIST IS SHUT UP TO GOD. (Vers. 11, 13, 17.) It is not for nought that we are sometimes shut off from the sympathies of man. However trying, it is an infinite mercy when we are left with God alone. There, however, we have a perpetual Refuge. There are no fewer than four comforting thoughts specified here. (1) There is the name - Jehovah; (2) there is the assurance of having a share in the thoughts of God (ver. 17); there is in God (3) loving-kindness; and (4) faithfulness. "Thy truth," i.e. thy fidelity to thy promises. Note: Whoever has such a Refuge to which to flee, is well prepared for the worst of times. IV. TO GOD HE UTTERS A FERVENT, PLEADING PRAYER. 1. One part of his prayer, and a prominent part too, is against his enemies. (Ver. 15.) We need not imitate David here" (see our homily on Psalm 35.). Let us leave our enemies in the hands of God; or, rather, let us pray for them. 2. A second part of his prayer is on behalf of the godly. (Ver. 16.) Note: This indicates that the psalmist was not moved by private feeling only, but by a pious public spirit. 3. A third part of his prayer is for himself. (Vers. 13 and 17.) Note: It will be very selfish of us if we pray only for ourselves, and very unnatural if we do not include ourselves. - C.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. In the text are two subjects. David's privilege or happiness itself. The ground or foundation of this his happiness. In the letter and proposition of it, we have the comfortableness and advantage of natural rest. In the scope and drift of it, we have the comfortableness and advantage of God's favour. The security and fearlessness of a godly person, who is in the love and favour of God, and hath this evidenced and made good to his soul. He is one that is free from all inordinate disturbance, and disquietness of spirit. Those who are reconciled to God, and in His love, have privileges beyond others, so as "in patience to possess their souls,' in the midst of the greatest outward trouble. This is grounded upon that persuasion which they have of God Himself, and of His affections towards them. It is implied, that none can well thus compose themselves, but those which are thus affected. None can lie down in peace and sleep securely, but those who have made their peace with God, and are in favour with Him. A guilty conscience can never lie down in quiet. Great estates in the world are, for the most part, occasions of great distraction and disquietness of spirit, and such as are subject to break men of their natural rest. Why could David sleep with his estate, rather than his enemies with theirs? Because his was sanctified and sweetened to him by the love of God. Note the ground of the godly man's composure. "Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." The blessing itself — a safe and secure habitation. As we desire to dwell safely, let us be careful to dwell holily: and that includes piety and religion; justice, honesty, and righteousness; peace, friendship, love and quietness of spirit; charity and giving to the poor. This blessing flows from God Himself. It is not a business of mere casualty, there's a providence in it. Not a business of mere endeavour, it comes by the blessing of God.(T. Horton, D. D.) (Matthew Henry.) 1. By doing all that in us lies to preserve a peaceful conscience during the day. Begin the day with earnest prayer. Our morning prayers may show us what we wish to be, but the temptations of the day show us what we are. Our consciences cannot but be injured, if we are guilty of faults and errors during the day, and take no account of them at the dose of the day. Self-examination gives an earnestness and a reality to the prayer for pardon. If it be true that the last sleep of all makes the sleep of each night more solemn, it is also true that each night's sleep makes the last sleep of all less strange. What is each day but a picture of the whole life, and each night but a picture of death? Then we must do all that in us lies to preserve a peaceful conscience during the years of life. (W. H. Ranken, M. A.) Contributors to, Tracts for the Times. This is one of the many verses in the Bible, especially in the Psalms, which, must come home to every heart of man, if read with any degree of simple faith. It sets full before us the most comfortable and refreshing picture or a devout, sober, honest person, after his day's work is ended, his passions kept in order, his sins repented of, and his prayers seriously said, laying himself down to his night's rest, in the full consciousness that he is neither alone nor unguarded; that as there has. been a merciful Eye watching over him, a mighty Hand stretched out to guard him, through the dangers and temptations of the day, so it will be with him in the night also. This entire rest and tranquillity of God's faithful servants, when they lay them down on their bed at night, is beautifully expressed in the text, "I will lay me down 'all together'"; all my powers of mind and body agreeing, as it were, one with another; not torn by violent passions, by desire on the one hand, and remorse on the other. How catholic, how universal is the thought expressed by the Psalmist. There is no one condition of life that it suits better than another. The need of taking rest is an universal law of God's providence over men here in this lower world. As death, so sleep may be truly called a great leveller. As sleep is the image of death, and as the slumber of every night is a kind of sacramental token of that last long sleep, these words may be used for a dying Christian also. Only a Christian has a warrant from Holy Scripture to regard death as no more than a quiet sleep. The Father, acknowledging them as His children, receives them at their death into the everlasting arms. As all the blessings which we have or hope for depend on the Passion of our Lord and Saviour, so this blessing of taking our rest, whether in our bed or in the grave, seems to bear an especial relation to the mystery of the burial of Jesus Christ. Our warrant for our hope is that the Son of God died for us, bought us to be His own in such sort, that we should be really joined to Him, mystically made members of His body. As members, inseparable members, of the Man Christ Jesus, we hope to have our bodies buried with Him; and for our souls, our true selves, we hope that when they pass away from our bodies they may be with Him that day in Paradise. Except we have this hope in us, we cannot apply to ourselves the comfortable words of this Psalm. How is it that in sleep, and still more in death, Christian men may humbly depend on a peculiar presence of our Lord Jesus Christ to guard them?1. Because He is King, who has promised, "He that keepeth thee will not sleep." 2. In this act of lying down comes in the remembrance and the power of our Lord's sacrifice. That deep sleep of His, on the Cross and in the grave, has sanctified and blessed the sleep of all penitent Christians for all time to come, whether in their beds or in the bosom of the earth. Sin and its punishment, disease and misery, is the great disturber of sleep. Then to have a reasonable hope, grounded on a good conscience, that blemished as you are with many infirmities, you have not forfeited the blessing of Christ's death; this is the secret of good nights, and a comfortable death time. Again, we are taught in Holy Scripture to regard the Holy Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ as one very especial safeguard for the sleeping, until they wake, and for the dead, until they rise again. (Contributors to "Tracts for the Times.) I have noticed in the books of travellers, this observation, "We found it exceedingly difficult to obtain a tent keeper who could keep awake at night." One gentleman speaks of discovering a thief in his tent, and when he went outside to call the watchman he found that the man had gone so soundly to sleep that he could only be aroused by one or two gentle kicks. When a man has been travelling with you all day, it is unreasonable to expect him to keep awake through the night to, take care of you. Hence the beauty of the words, "Behold He that keepeth Israel." etc.( C. H. Spurgeon.). Give ear to my words, O Lord. The Psalm falls into two main parts — vers. 1-7, and vers. 8-12. The inward comes first; for communion with God in the secret place of the Most High must precede all walking in His way, and all blessed experience of His protection, with the joy that springs from it. The Psalm is a prayerful meditation on the inexhaustible theme of the contrasted blessedness of the righteous, and misery of the sinner, as shown in the two great halves of life: the inward of communion, and the outward of action. A Psalmist who has grasped the idea that the true sacrifice is prayer, is not likely to have missed the cognate thought that the "house of the Lord, of which he will presently speak, is something other than any material shrine. But to offer sacrifice is not all which he rejoices to resolve. He will "keep watch"; that can only mean that he will be on the outlook for the answer to his prayer, or, if we may retain the allusion to sacrifice, for the downward flash of the Divine fire, which tells his prayer's acceptance. The confidence and resolve ground themselves on God's holiness, through which the necessary condition of approach to Him comes to be purity. God's holiness shuts out the impure. The Psalmist's vocabulary is full of synonyms for sin, which witness to the profound consciousness of it that law and ritual had evoked in devout hearts. In ver. 7 the Psalmist comes back to the personal reference, contrasting his own access to God with the separation of evil-doers from His presence. But he does not assert that he has the right of entrance because he is pure. The second part may be taken as his prayer when in the temple, whether that be the outward sanctuary or no. The whole of the devout man's desires for himself are summed up in the prayer for guidance. He breaks into prayer which is also prophecy. We come into the sunshine again at the close of the Psalm, and hear the contrasted prayer, which thrills with gladness and hope.(A. Maclaren, D. D.) This Psalm hath two parts —1. The prophet prayeth the Lord to hear his prayer; which thing the wicked cannot, or may not hope for. 2. He beseecheth the Lord to direct him, that the enemies might take no advantage of him; whose nature he describeth, praying God to overthrow them; comforting, on the other side, the godly with excellent promises. Ver. 1 teacheth that God's children many times use words in their prayers, many times not. So did Moses, and Anna the mother of Samuel. God's children should strive to earnestness in prayer, and should pray unto none but to Him alone. Ver. 3 teacheth that we should break our sleep in the morning, to the end we might pray unto the Lord. Seeing God cannot away with wickedness, His children should abhor it likewise. In ver. 6 are comprehended judgments against the ungodly, namely, against liars, cruel persons, and deceitful men. We may not appear before God in the trust of our own merits, which indeed we have not, but of His mercies only. Also that with reverence we should repair to the places of God's service, and reverently also there behave ourselves. Unless God guide us, we shall go out of the way; the strength of our corrupted nature carrying us headlong thereto. Also we should pray for a holy life, and to this end, that the mouths of our enemies may be stopped from evil speech. Ver. 9 is a lively description of the qualities of the ungodly: they are inconstant, they imagine mischief, they are given to cruelty and to flattery. It is lawful to pray against the enemies of the Church, that their counsels and desires may be scattered. The faithful may rejoice at the overthrow of God's enemies. From ver. 12 we learn in what assuredness they are, whom the Lord defendeth; those who repose themselves upon the rock of His almighty protection cannot miscarry. (Thomas Wilcocks.) Homilist. I. IN RELATION TO GOD. Here are revealed —1. His beliefs of God. In His omniscience the Eternal knows our "meditation." In God's moral holiness, God's being is the foundation, God's will the standard, and God's influence the fountain, of all moral excellence in the universe. In the administrative rectitude of God. The holy God must punish unrepenting sinners, wherever they are found. There is administrative justice in the universe which will righteously balance the affairs of humanity one day. 2. His feelings towards God. The feeling of personal interest. My King. He felt that the Guardian of the universe was in a high sense his; his Guardian, his Father, and his Friend. A feeling of earnest supplication. And the feeling of practical expectancy. David "looked up" expecting. 3. His purpose in relation to God. He purposed early prayer; orderly prayer; there is a becoming order in worship. II. IN RELATION TO SOCIETY. 1. He regards all who are his enemies as enemies to God. See in David's conduct the common mistake of bigots, and the persecuting spirit of bigots. 2. He regards all who were God's friends as his own. God's friends should be our friends, His people our people. (Homilist.) I. THE ADDRESS AND MANNER OF PRAYER (1-3). Uttered words tell not all the heart meditates. These meditations are the groanings which cannot be uttered, but which the Spirit understands (Romans 8:26, 27). As soon as we awake at early dawn let Us speak to God, "direct," set in order, our prayer. We are not to pray without method; and having prayed, look out for the answer (Habakkuk 2:1). We miss many answers, because we get tired of waiting on the Quays for the returning ships.II. CONTRASTED CHARACTERS (4-7). There are here severe expressions for the ungodly. They may not even "sojourn" with God, as a wayfaring man (2 John 10). They speak leasing, an old English word for lying. Not in the spirit of boasting, but of humble gratitude does David turn to himself (1 Corinthians 15:10). "Thy holy temple" (Daniel 6:10; 1 Samuel 1:9; 1 Samuel 3:3). III. THE PRAYER (8-12). We may appeal to God's righteousness to vindicate His righteous ones. Because He is what He is, we may count on Him (2 Chronicles 16:9). How terrible is the description of the ungodly (9), yet it is almost entirely concerned with the sins of the tongue. Wicked men are like sepulchres, fair without, corruption within, and exhaling pestilential vapours. Ver. 11. "Trust," and with it goes joy and love (Deuteronomy 33:23). (F. B. Meyer, B. A.) This Psalm is a prayer. And while the subject matter is of great interest, the Psalm is peculiar in setting forth the characteristics of prayer in general.A suggestion of the VARIETY OF PRAYER (vers. 1, 2). Prayer is a provision for a universal need, and must therefore be capable of a large variety of adaptations. If a man is to pray without ceasing, he must pray under an endless variety of circumstances. That is prayer which is denoted by the word "meditation"; that which lies in the heart as unexpressed desire or aspiration; which indicates a state or habit of mind quite as much as an act. "Meditation," says Gurnall, "is prayer in bullion; prayer in the ore — soon melted and run into holy desires." The soul's unexpressed aspiration is often more truly prayer than the well-rounded formula. Distinguish between the spirit and the habit of prayer. The spirit can be the result only of the life of God in the soul; the habit of prayer may be the result of education merely. Another variety of prayer is suggested by the word "cry" — the passionate outburst of a soul in distress, or dejection, or danger; throwing out a prayer like a strongly-shot dart, which gives to such prayer the name of "ejaculatory." "These darts may be shot to heaven without using the tongue's bow." Such prayer as this links itself closely with meditation. Ver. 2 directs thought to THE APPROPRIATING POWER OF PRAYER. God is addressed as "my King," "my God." Our Lord's model of prayer strikes at all unselfishness in our petitions. But it does not exclude the personal element. Ver. 3 points out THE STATEDNESS AND DECENCY OF PRAYER. It is well that prayer should be spontaneous; but also well that it should be properly regulated. A rich soil is a good thing; but its richness is no reason why its fruits and grasses should be allowed to grow up in confusion. The suggestion of decency in the act of prayer is furnished by the Word "direct. The original word is used of arranging the wood and the sacrifice upon the altar day by day. Read, "I will pray, setting forth my supplication in order." In this there is nothing to repress spontaneity or to fetter liberty. It merely teaches that prayer should be decorous and well pondered and marked by an intelligent purpose. We should do well to cover less ground in our prayers, and to ponder their details more carefully. Ver. 3 gives another characteristic of prayer — EXPECTANCY. "I will watch, or look up." He who has thoughtfully and reverently set forth his prayer before God, should expect the answer. We are to watch unto prayer — with reference to prayer. Someone has pithily said that the man who does not look after the prayers he has put up, is like the ostrich, which lays her eggs and looks not for her young. Ver. 7 gives another characteristic — CONFIDENCE. The Psalmist speaks as one who has a right to come into God's house. It is his house because it is God's. This confidence by no means excludes humble reverence. It is of free grace, of undeserved compassion, of abounding love, that I am permitted to come. And such an approach to God must involve the last element of prayer suggested by the Psalm — JOY. On earth, the intercourse of love is often marred by danger; but he who talks with God in His own house, always communes in safety. Thus this Psalm is a great lesson on prayer.(Marvin R. Vincent, D. D.) "The power of language has been gradually enlarging for a great length of time, and I venture to say that the English language at the present time can express more, and is more subtle, flexible, and at the same time vigorous, than any of which we possess a record." So writes Richard Jefferies in one of his latest essays. But, notwithstanding all this, he recognises that we have still thoughts and feelings beyond expression. "How many have said of the sea," he exclaims, it makes me feel something I cannot say. And how much more does this feeling possess us as we commune with Him who made the sea. Words fail to express the thoughts, and thoughts fail to fathom the truth.Consider my meditation. And not only must his tongue be listened to, his thought must be interpreted as well. He implores, "Understand my meditation." This is the old Prayer Book rendering, and seems to come nearest the Hebrew (bin). A parallel passage is, "Thou understandest my thought afar off; for there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether." The petition "Understand my meditation" coming after "Give ear unto my words" is deeply suggestive. It implies that there was a voiceless meaning in his prayer which was not only more than he could express, but more than he himself could, even to himself, perfectly explain. In the profoundest prayer not only more is meant than meets the ear, but more is meant than the mind itself can quite decipher. And expansion in Romans 8 is very wonderful, very touching, and encouraging: "We know not how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit."(B. Gregory, D. D.) People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Always, Compassion, Compassions, Continually, Faith, Faithfulness, Gentle, Kindness, Love, Loving, Lovingkindness, Loving-kindness, Mercies, Mercy, O, Preserve, Protect, Restrainest, Safe, Steadfast, Tender, Truth, Wilt, WithholdOutline 1. The benefit of confidence in God6. Obedience is the best sacrifice 11. The sense of David's evils inflames his prayer Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 40:10-11 1030 God, compassion Library Two Innumerable Series'Many, O Lord my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and Thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered ... 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head; therefore my heart faileth me.'--PSALMS xl. 5, 12. So then, there are two series of things which cannot be … Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Out of the Deep of Sin. The Master's Profession --The Disciple's Pursuit Brought up from the Horrible Pit "Lo, I Come": Application "Lo, I Come": Exposition Some General Uses from this Useful Truth, that Christ is the Truth. "He Hath Put a New Song in My Mouth, Even Thanksgiving unto Our God. " -- Psalm 40:3. A New Song Life of St. Vincent de Paul Introduction to Expositio Fidei. The History of the Psalter Life Hid and not Hid How when Tribulation Cometh we must Call Upon and Bless God Like one of Us. Eligius, Bishop of Noyon. The Lamb of God, the Great Atonement Out of the Deep of Doubt, Darkness, and Hell. Of Internal Acts Distinction Between Exterior and Interior Actions --Those of the Soul in this Condition are Interior, but Habitual, Continued, Direct, Profound, Simple, and Imperceptible --Being a Continual The Mystery Period ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire Until the Collapse of the Western Empire and the First Schism Between the East and the West, or Until About A. D. 500 "That the Righteousness of the Law Might be Fulfilled in Us. " The Man after God's Own Heart Links Psalm 40:11 NIVPsalm 40:11 NLT Psalm 40:11 ESV Psalm 40:11 NASB Psalm 40:11 KJV Psalm 40:11 Bible Apps Psalm 40:11 Parallel Psalm 40:11 Biblia Paralela Psalm 40:11 Chinese Bible Psalm 40:11 French Bible Psalm 40:11 German Bible Psalm 40:11 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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