What does Psalm 40:2 mean?
Scripture does not record any literal events in David's life such as being trapped in a pit. Rather, this is additional poetry describing how deeply desperate was David's plight. David's warlike life was full of near-death experiences, some of which seemed so hopeless that they were like being in a trash pit or slimy swamp. One can imagine being abandoned in a cavernous hole in the ground filling with water, mud, and slime. In such a predicament it is impossible to get a foothold, but the Lord reached down to David, answered his cry for help, and pulled him to safety. David says the Lord set his feet on a rock and made his steps secure. The imagery indicates that the Lord rescued David from his enemies and provided security for him.The patriarch Joseph experienced the calamity of being thrown into a pit, in a very literal sense. His brothers despised him and tried to get rid of him by putting him into a pit. However, in God's providence, Judah, one of the brothers, persuaded the others to draw him out of the pit and sell him to a caravan of Ishmaelites bound for Egypt. The brothers received twenty shekels of silver from the traders (Genesis 37:12–28).
Psalm 40:1–10 delivers a steady stream of thanksgiving, as David recounts the Lord's deliverance of him from his enemies. He is grateful for giving him a new lease on life. He commits himself to doing the Lord's will and to telling others about how the Lord delivered him from his enemies. Psalm 37:1–7 emphasizes the fact that the Lord delivers those who wait on Him and commit themselves to His will. Hebrews 10:5–9 quotes the Greek version of Psalm 40:6–8 and applies the passage to Jesus the Messiah.
David waited on the Lord for quite some time to be delivered from his foes, and the Lord heard him. This remarkable deliverance would persuade many to trust in the Lord. David insists that no one can compare with the Lord. Verses 6–8 are messianic; Hebrews 10:5–9 applies them to Jesus. David shared this story with his fellow worshipers in the sanctuary. He was confident that the Lord would continue to show him His mercy, His steadfast love, and His faithfulness. David needed the Lord's help because he was conscious of his many sins, and he knew his enemies wanted to kill him. He concludes this psalm by humble acknowledging that the Lord thought about him and was his help and deliverer. He asks the Lord to come quickly to his defense.
