Today as we remember our brave men and women who fought in defence of the freedoms we enjoy we often think of those who lost their lives in combat. We tend to overlook however those who were injured in battle. The one injury that is hardest to detect is the one that can't be seen in a physical examination: The mental anguish, specifically Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The emotional burnout that can develop from PTSD, occurs when people relive the feelings associated with the original traumatizing event whenever they find themselves in the same or similar situations. Also common to both is bad dreams, feeling fearful, and finding it difficult to stop thinking about what happened. (http://drmichellecleere.com/2012/similarities-of-burnout-and-ptsd/)
In Psalm 40, the Psalmist expresses anguish, despair and an emotional burnout. Given the nature of the psalm, the metaphors may also express the threat to Israel’s national existence by an enemy attack. The king personified the severity of the crisis by the imagery of his own suffering and the Lord’s deliverance. The deliverance experienced personally by the king was representative of the experience of the nation (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 5: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (318). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
The burnout experienced by military, police, fire and rescue personnel is a civic problem. They serve us, and on remembrance day, their pain, distress and burnout personifies and represents the feelings that any one of us can suffer with. Their answer, like our answer, is in more than remembrance. It is in action. God is not unaware of this distress. He calls out to each and every one of us to come to Him.
The answer for the anguish of emotional burnout is through 1) The Merciful Rescue by God (Psalm 40:1–3), 2) The Multiple Resources in God (Psalm 40:4, 5), 3) The Motivational Responses to God (Psalm 40:6–10)
1) The Merciful Rescue by God (Psalm 40:1–3)
Psalm 40:1-3 [40:1]I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. [2]He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. [3]He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. (ESV)
The attribution of the psalm to David rests solely on the superscription. The contents have no discernible points of connection with known circumstances in his or any other life (Maclaren, A. (1903). The Psalms. In W. Robertson Nicoll (Ed.), The Expositor's Bible, Volume 3: Psalms to Isaiah (W. Robertson Nicoll, Ed.). Expositor’s Bible (110). Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton Co.).
The speaker in verse one says He waited patiently for the LORD. It is believed that David wrote this psalm either at the time of Absalom’s rebellion, or the rebellion of Adonijah (Smith, J. E. (1996). The wisdom literature and Psalms. Old Testament Survey Series (Ps 40). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.).
The Hebrew (literally, “waiting, I waited”) may indicate “I continued to wait.” Here the verb for “to wait” (qawwoh qiwwithi) is repeated, a form that indicates intensity. The psalmist waited patiently and intently for Yahweh to deliver him (Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ps 40:1). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
Since the verb qâwâh also carries the connotation of expectancy or hope (Tesh, S. E., & Zorn, W. D. (1999). Psalms. The College Press NIV Commentary (303). Joplin, MO: College Press.).
The Hebrew idiom for the ‘waiting’ in v. 1 suggests a testing ordeal where hope and trust had to be sustained (Eaton, J. (2003). The Psalms: A historical and spiritual commentary with an introduction and new translation (173). London; New York: T&T Clark.)
David responded to his dilemma by waiting patiently for the Lord. In other words, he cast himself and his situation completely upon the Lord as the only possible way out. This doesn’t mean he passively sat down and fatalistically said, ‘If the Lord wants to deliver me, he will deliver me.’ His waiting rather consisted of crying to the Lord. Prayer is the means God has ordained for working his purposes out in the lives of his children (Ellsworth, R. (2006). Opening up Psalms. Opening Up Commentary (105). Leominster: Day One Publications.).
As with Abraham, it is likely that as the Psalmist “waited patiently” his faith grew (cf. Rom. 4:20–21). Thus Jesus tells us to keep on asking, to keep on seeking, and to keep on knocking, in present imperatives (Luke 11:9) (Williams, D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1986). Vol. 13: Psalms 1–72. The Preacher’s Commentary Series (318). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.)
Even Jesus did not always receive instant answers to prayer. But He realized that delays do not necessarily mean denials. Answer to prayer may not be immediate, but perseverance in prayer expresses itself in humble submission to God’s sovereignty and the longing for a “new” expression of God’s covenantal faithfulness (cf. 37:34; 38:15; 39:7) (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 5: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (318). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
• The Father answers prayer at the time that is best suited to the accomplishment of His purposes in our lives.
Quote: It has been said that: "God’s help comes, not too soon, lest we should not know the blessedness of trusting in the dark, and not too late, lest we should know the misery of trusting in vain".
Please turn to Psalm 69
In verse two, the Savior compares His glorious deliverance out of death to being rescued out of the pit of destruction/a horrible pit and from a miry bog. Although it is possible that the former deliverance was from severe sickness (cf. Ps 30:3–4), the royal context of this psalm makes it more likely that the deliverance was experienced in a military crisis (Craigie, P. C. (1998). Vol. 19: Psalms 1–50. Word Biblical Commentary (315). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.).
Psalm 69:1-14 [69:1]Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. [2]I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. [3]I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. [4]More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; mighty are those who would destroy me, those who attack me with lies. What I did not steal must I now restore? [5]O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. [6]Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, O Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel. [7]For it is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor has covered my face. [8]I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother's sons. [9]For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. [10]When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting, it became my reproach. [11]When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. [12]I am the talk of those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me. [13]But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. [14]Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. (ESV)
The pit is synonymous with the grave; and the Lord Jesus, who patiently waited upon the Lord God, received the fruit of that patience when after His crucifixion He was raised from the dead out of the miry bog (KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1032). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
Though Christ’s deliverance was unique, in a lesser sense we can all experience the power of God in saving us out of the pits and bogs of life. As we all know, life is full of these deep holes. The unconverted person who is being convicted of his sins by the Holy Spirit is in a particularly pit of destruction/a horrible pit. The sin stumbling believer also finds himself in a treacherous quagmire. There are the bogs of sickness, suffering and sorrow. Often when we are seeking guidance, we seem to be in a dark dungeon. And of course we sometimes sink in the morass of bereavement, loneliness, or discouragement. These are unforgettable experiences, times when we pray and cry and groan but nothing seems to happen. We need to learn from our Savior’s example to wait patiently for the LORD. In God’s own time and way He will come to our side, draw us up out of the pit, setting our feet upon a rock and making our steps secure. The rock (verse 2c) is a figure of safety, stability, security (Bratcher, R. G., & Reyburn, W. D. (1991). A translator's handbook on the book of Psalms. UBS Handbook Series (381). New York: United Bible Societies.)
God provided refuge, stability, and security. For David salvation is not only to be saved from something, it is also to be saved for something. Christ rescues us from (the dominion/control of) sin, and He also rescues us for Himself. We are secure and established in Him (Williams, D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1986). Vol. 13: Psalms 1–72. The Preacher’s Commentary Series (318–319). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc).
Notice in verse three that God is the source of our praise as well as its object. Biblical faith is not a leap in the dark; it results from the acquaintance with and the belief of evidence. The conviction that the hand of God had wrought his deliverance was sufficient to put a new song in the mouth of the psalmist (Tesh, S. E., & Zorn, W. D. (1999). Psalms. The College Press NIV Commentary (304). Joplin, MO: College Press.)
God puts the new song in our mouth—and it is a song of praise to our God. The “new” (33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 149:1) song was not necessarily a new composition. The newness lies in the event of salvation history. The recent victory is one additional chapter in a long series of God’s involvements with his people. An older hymn of praise could well have been used in the expression of thanksgiving. The situation is similar to our singing of psalms with which we associate the deliverance by our Lord with all the benefits provided by him. The magnificence of each act of deliverance in the history of redemption inspired awe ((VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 5: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (318). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
• It all probably refers to a change in outlook or frame of mind rather than a written song. Instead of mourning or lamenting, he now sings a song of praise (Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ps 40:3). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.).
• In emotional burnout, as with all difficulty, the solution is not extended introspection, but getting our eyes off ourselves and onto God.
Our deliverance results not only in praise to God but in testimony to others: “Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.” The verb and the noun forms of "trust" connote a faith of confident commitment, here in the right object, God alone (cf. the teaching of Jer. 17:7). David’s desire was always to make such commitment contagious (The MacArthur Study Bible. 1997 (J. MacArthur, Jr., Ed.) (electronic ed.) (Ps 40:3). Nashville, TN: Word Pub.).
• In the midst of difficulty, people will watch to see if we actually believe what we say we believe: Do we actually have faith in God that we say others should have?
• God will often allow difficulties to occur in our life not only to strengthen our faith, for He provides the resources and rescues in His due time, but to be a testimony to others that He is faithful.
Illustration: There was a time when leadership meant leading the whole person. With that concept now neglected, when only the outward obedience to a task is sought, the inward person is more apt to become discouraged and emotionally burned out.
In one of his speeches to the soldiers of the first World War, General Pershing said: “I have known Jesus Christ now for forty-seven years, and I could not face life without Him. It is no small thing to know that all the past is forgiven, that help is available from God every day.” Then continued the stalwart general: “I commend such a Saviour to you.” (As quoted in Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.)
2) The Multiple Resources in God (Psalm 40:4-5)
Psalm 40:4-5 [4]Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! [5]You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. (ESV)
As He thinks of those who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, the Risen Redeemer utters one of the greatest, most basic truths in all spiritual life: “Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust …” The Hebrew noun is an abstract plural. The word often refers metonymically to the happiness that God-given security and prosperity produce (see Pss 1:1, 3; 2:12; 34:9; 41:1; 65:4; 84:12; 89:15; 106:3; 112:1; 127:5; 128:1; 144:15) (Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Ps 40:4). Biblical Studies Press.).
• True happiness and fulfillment in life come only through faith in God. It could not be otherwise. We have been created in such a way that we can realize our destiny only when we acknowledge God as our Lord and Master.
Quote: Blaze Pascal said it well: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the human heart!” And Augustine put it this way: “Thou has made us, O Lord, for Thyself, and our heart shall find no rest till it rest in Thee!”
The ultimate proof of faith is to be seen, not in what one says, but in conduct. The psalmist demonstrates his trust in God by bearing testimony to others of the deliverance he has experienced. More than this, he pledges himself to walk in the way of the Lord (Tesh, S. E., & Zorn, W. D. (1999). Psalms. The College Press NIV Commentary (305). Joplin, MO: College Press.)
The blessed person not only turns to God but they turn away from proud people and followers of false gods. He is not tricked by two of the greatest delusions of life—the idea that the honor of proud men is important and the concept that the false gods of materialism, pleasure, and sexual indulgence can satisfy the human heart. The blessed man is more concerned with God’s approval than with man’s, realizing that fullness of joy is found only in God’s presence—not in the company of those who worship at idol shrines.
• Modern psychotherapy would tell you that you should take pride in your work and you know when you've done a good job when you receive the respect and honor of others. However, doing the right, and what is often difficult thing, usually is tougher and takes longer than shortcuts. God's timing is not man's timing. And instead of seeking the praise of others, which is a snare that results in dangerous shortcuts, seeking to glorify and praise God in our endeavors, many only result in hearing the words from God Himself: Well done, good and faithful servant.
Verse 5 leads the Messiah to think of how numberless are the mercies of God. His wondrous deeds/works. The mighty acts of the Lord are “wondrous” in the sense that they are acts of supernatural and providential deliverance (9:1; 26:7; 71:17; 75:1; 145:5; Neh 9:17). The acts of God are the manifestations of his “thoughts toward his people” (cf. 92:5; Isa 55:8–11). The history of redemption shows an inner cohesiveness and movement, unfolding the “thoughts” of the Lord that will ultimately result in the restoration of heaven and earth. The mighty acts of God are too numerous to recount (cf. 104:24; 106:2; 139:17–18; John 21:25). The blessing of the man who trusts in the Lord is such that he places himself under the protection of Yahweh, whose marvelous acts of redemption are too numerous to mention. He is the Incomparable (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 5: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (319). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Please turn to Isaiah 55
Who can fully describe the infinite details of His natural creation? Who can exhaust the remarkable interventions of His providence? Who can comprehend the magnitude of His spiritual blessings—election, predestination, justification, redemption, propitiation, pardon, forgiveness, salvation, the new birth, the indwelling Spirit, the seal of the Spirit, the earnest of the Spirit, the anointing, sanctification, sonship, heirship, glorification. The Messiah will proclaim/declare and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told/numbered.”
Isaiah 55:8-11 [8]For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. [9]For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. [10]"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, [11]so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (ESV)
Poem: Joseph Addison said: "When all Thy mercies, O my God, My rising soul surveys, Transported with the view, I’m lost In wonder, love and praise!"
3) The Motivational Responses to God (Psalm 40:6–10)
Psalm 40:6-10 [6]In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. [7]Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: [8]I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." [9]I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.[10]I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. (ESV)
Verses 6-8 specifically identify the Psalm as being distinctly Messianic. In Hebrews 10:5-9 we learn that these words were the language of the Son of God when He came into the world. He was saying, in effect, that although God had instituted sacrifice and offering for the nation of Israel, they never represented His ultimate intention. Sacrifice and offering are worthless if not presented to God with the right attitude. Acts of worship are meaningless ritual if not accompanied by obedience (see 1 Sam. 15:22). The sacrifice of self-will and self-importance is the primary sacrifice that God desires from us(see Ps. 51:16, 17) (Thomas Nelson, I. (1995). The Woman’s Study Bible (Ps 40:6). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
Please turn to Hebrews 10
In this verse the psalmist specifies four specific kinds of offerings: Sacrifice (Heb zebach; Gr thysia) the ordinary sacrifice of a victim at the altar; offering (Heb minchah; Gr prosphora) the meal offering of flour with oil and frankincense; burnt offering (Heb ˓ôlah; Gr holokautôma) the whole burnt offering; and sin offering (Heb chata˒ah; Gr peri hamartias) the sin or trespass offering. None of these, by the blood of bulls and goats, could make adequate atonement for our sins. Only the blood of Jesus Christ could do that (Heb 9) (KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1032). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
Hebrews 10:5-10 [5]Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; [6]in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. [7]Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" [8]When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), [9]then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second. [10]And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (ESV)
When the clause in Psalm 40:6 “you have given me an open ear” is quoted in Hebrews 10:5, it is changed to “a body You have prepared for Me.” The literal rendering of the Hebrew expression “open ear” is probably a figure of speech in which a part (here, the ear) is given for the whole (here, the body). (This is called synecdoche.) The NT expands and explains the meaning as a reference to the Incarnation.
Sometimes the expression “you have given me an open ear” is rendered “Ears thou hast digged/pierced) for me.” Some interpreters think this refers to the Hebrew slave of Exodus 21:5, 6. If a slave did not desire to be freed in the seventh year, his ear was pierced with an awl at the doorpost and he became indentured to his master forever. Christ, the Antitype, became a willing bondslave in His Incarnation (Phil. 2:7).
Recognizing the inherent weakness of burnt offerings and sin offerings, God instead gave an open ear to His Beloved Son. This simply means that the Savior’s ears were open to hear and to obey the will of His Father. It was with this attitude of willing and ready obedience that Christ came into the world.
• Emotional burnout revolves around the concept that we single handedly need to change the world. Christ knew that not everyone who heard His words or saw His works would believe. He focused on doing and pleasing the Father. To live our lives on human expectations, results in a never-ending demand for more than we have been tasked or equipped to do.
When Christ obeyed the Father's will it was not with meek resignation but with wholehearted delight. He said about this in verses 7-8 “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. [8] I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your Law is within my heart.” From cover to cover of the OT it was foretold not only that Christ would come into the world but that He would come with an eager, ready spirit to do the will of God. The will of God was not just in His head—it was inscribed in His very heart.'
• Burnout usually occurs when we either don't know, or lose focus of why we do what we do. Our daily activity becomes routine and the pressures overshadow the activity. Christ not only knew the word and person of God, but His life was one of adoration and celebration of the Father. Regardless if he faced evil, hunger, or persecution, His purpose was laser focused on doing and delighting in God and the Father's will.
Finally, verses 9 and 10 describe Christ's earthly ministry. He had told/proclaimed the glad/good news of deliverance in the great congregation, that is, to the house of Israel. Not only did great hoards of people hear the Lord as He spoke to them on the Galilean hills, but His whole life was a sermon. He taught of God’s salvation openly in the Temple, as well as the synagogue. He lived as an example of God’s righteousness wherever He went (KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1032). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
The faithfulness of God is an expression of His love (ḥeseḏ, “covenant love”; cf. 13:5; 18:50; 25:10; 31:7; 32:10) is constant. He is the God of love and “truth,” i.e., fidelity (cf. 26:3). Salvation is nothing less than the full enjoyment of God’s everlasting goodness (VanGemeren, W. A. (1991). Psalms. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 5: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (F. E. Gaebelein, Ed.) (322). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
We surely can’t read about David’s experience of deliverance without likening it to that greatest of all deliverances—that is, salvation from sin. All believers were once in the miry clay of condemnation, but God has lifted us and set our feet on the solid ground of the finished work of Christ. If David praised God for a temporal deliverance, how much more we should praise him for this spiritual and eternal deliverance! (Ellsworth, R. (2006). Opening up Psalms. Opening Up Commentary (106–107). Leominster: Day One Publications.)
(Format Note: Outline from MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Ps 40:1). Nashville: Word Pub. Some base commentary from MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Ps 39:12–40:10). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.)
