Out of the Pit

This is a sermon based on the passage below from Ps. 40 and it emphasizes the deliverance the author experienced through God's intervention, which provides an analogy for our spiritual deliverance from sin.  

Psalm 40:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. ²  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. ³  He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.

Introduction:

Have you ever experienced physical, emotional, or spiritual circumstances that you could only describe as devastating and overwhelming? If you are alive and breathing, I think you could probably answer “yes” to that question.

We have all probably experienced circumstances that seemed devastating to us. Perhaps our situation was not as bad as another person’s, but to us it was almost more than we could bear.

Our scripture today represents a similar circumstance in the life of King David.

Transition:

In the Psalm we are considering today we have a report of King David’s rescue from devastating circumstances and his subsequent testimony of God’s deliverance and divine qualities.

As we look at this Psalm I want to emphasize David’s plight; David’s prayer; and God’s response and David’s witness.

I.              David’s Plight

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.

“pit” – grave, pit, or cistern

“horrible” – (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.) Basically, the word depicts the noise caused by a great crowd of people. It is the loud rumbling, crashing din of a huge crowd…. A more vivid usage of the word is found in passages where the noise of the crowd is compared to the rushing, roaring, tumultuous noise of the sea of many waters (Isaiah 17:12-13; Jeremiah 51:55; Psalm 65:8; cf. IQH2:27)…. A most difficult passage is found in Psalm 40:3. The "horrible pit" …This could be a pit of rushing waters signifying danger in general or referring to the waters of the underworld. It could be simply "a pit of devastation or destruction."

“miry clay” – (Keil and Delitzsch Commentary) Another figure is "mire of the marsh" ... i.e., water, in the miry bottom of which one can find no firm footing….

These poetic pictures describe the Psalmist in circumstances that are overwhelmingly devastating.

What was going on? Don’t know for sure. I couldn’t find definite opinion about what time of David’s life this may have been referring to. Could clearly apply to days he was fleeing from Saul; fleeing from Absalom; or other enemies of the kingdom.

Could clearly apply spiritually to his sins, especially his adultery with Bathsheba. (See v. 12; 38:4; 39:8)

Ps. 40:12 (NKJV) For innumerable evils have surrounded me; My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; They are more than the hairs of my head; Therefore my heart fails me.

Ps. 38:4 (NKJV) For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

Ps. 39:8 (NKJV) Deliver me from all my transgressions; Do not make me the reproach of the foolish. 

I’m certain that many of us here today have been in situations that resemble the horrible pit and miry clay that David describes. Perhaps you’re still feeling like you’re in that situation now.

I want to think of it particularly in the spiritual sense. I don’t believe a person can ever discover genuine deliverance from sin until they come to perceive their sins and transgressions as “a horrible pit;” or “pit of destruction.”

It’s not hard to get some people to see themselves in that light because they are enslaved with terrible habits and addictions. Others, however, are so self-righteous that they don’t truly grasp the seriousness of their condition.

II.        David’s Prayer

As we consider David’s prayer, I want to mention that most scholars believe Ps. 40 is a direct follow-up to the two previous psalms.

There are prayers for deliverance in both Ps. 38 & Ps. 39

Ps. 38:21-22 (NKJV) Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me! ²² Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

Ps. 39:12-13 (NKJV) "Hear my prayer, O LORD, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were. ¹³ Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, Before I go away and am no more."

Now, in Ps. 40, David describes his prayer as:

“I waited patiently” – This literally reads, “waiting, I waited.”

I don’t know if this grammatically emphasizes the idea of calm patience or not, but it certainly emphasizes the thought of determination, persistence and hope.

David didn’t give up believing and trusting that God was the answer to his dilemma and God would eventually bring him out or through his plight.

If you happen to be struggling now, don’t give up trusting in God’s power and ability to deliver you.

III.  God’s Response

I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. ²  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps. ³  He has put a new song in my mouth-- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.

There are several words that David uses to describe the response he received from the Lord.

·     God listened to his cry

·     God delivered from the pit

·     God imparted a new song

►   Others who sang new songs:

Moses, Miriam, and the children of Israel - after the miracle at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1ff)

Hannah after the birth of Samuel (1 Samuel 2:1ff)

Mary after her visit with Elizabeth (Luke 1:46-55)

When God delivers us, He gives us a new song too!

IV.   David’s Witness

There are many other great truths that could be emphasized throughout this Psalm, but I want to finish up with a brief look at David’s witness.

Ps. 40:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹ I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness In the great assembly; Indeed, I do not restrain my lips, O LORD, You Yourself know. ¹⁰ I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth From the great assembly.

In these two verses, David declares two things he has done (red font) and three things he has NOT done (blue font).

When God does such a miraculous work in our lives by delivering us from the pit of sin or any other pit we’ve been in, we need to spread the word to everyone we can!

Conclusion:

I know that many of you here today have been delivered from horrible, destructive and devastating situations in your life.

Most of you have been delivered from the horrible pit of sin.

If you’re still in the mire and sloppy muck of sin, God is able to bring you out too!

Let us close the service by singing:

He Brought Me Out (Red Hymnal # 286)