This week’s study is from Tehillim / Psalms 40:1-17, we discuss many things including the Torah, the place of Torah in the life of a believer, and whether the Torah was given for the purpose of earning one’s way into Heaven, a concept the church believes is the purpose of the Law. In Tehillim / Psalms 40, David opens the Psalm saying, א לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר: ב קַוֹּה קִוִּיתִי יְהֹוָה וַיֵּט אֵלַי וַיִּשְׁמַע שַׁוְעָתִי: For the choir director. A Psalm of David. 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. (NASB) David says that he waited patiently for the Lord and he listened to his cry for help. The Lord’s help resulted in the following: ג וַיַּעֲלֵנִי | מִבּוֹר שָׁאוֹן מִטִּיט הַיָּוֵן וַיָּקֶם עַל-סֶלַע רַגְלַי כּוֹנֵן אֲשֻׁרָי: ד וַיִּתֵּן בְּפִי | שִׁיר חָדָשׁ תְּהִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ יִרְאוּ רַבִּים וְיִירָאוּ וְיִבְטְחוּ בַּיהֹוָה: 40:2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the Lord. (NASB) He established David on a solid foundation, he made his steps firm, the Septuagint states that the Lord put in order his steps. The Lord’s work in his life causes him to say, 40:4 How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood. 40:5 Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done, And Your thoughts toward us; There is none to compare with You. If I would declare and speak of them, They would be too numerous to count. (NASB) David says ז זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה | לֹא-חָפַצְתָּ אָזְנַיִם כָּרִיתָ לִּי עוֹלָה וַחֲטָאָה לֹא שָׁאָלְתָּ: 40:6 Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. (NASB) This draws a parallel to Samuel the prophet’s words in 1 Samuel 15:22. Read More here: Tehillim 40-Part1
