13. The Christian’s Acceptable Sacrifice

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Hymns: RHC 314 Nearer, Still Nearer, 313 O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go, 311 Does Jesus Care

PSALM 40

1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David)I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 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. 6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. 11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. 12 For 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. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. 14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. 15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. 16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. 17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

The Christian’s Acceptable Sacrifice in the Sight of God

OUTLINE

  • The Sacrifice of Thanksgivingfor deliverance is most acceptable to God (verses 1-5)
  • The Sacrifice of Whole-hearted Devotionis most reasonable to God (verses 6-8)
  • The Sacrifice of God in His divine love for us is most needful to be declared (verses 9-11)
  • The Sacrifice of a Poor and Contrite Spirit is most needful for our salvation (verses 12-17) 

INTRODUCTION

It is said that “Any recipe for success must include the ability to follow instructions.” The sweet Psalmist of Israel (2 Samuel 23:1), King David shares his personal experience how we can find the fullness of God’s presence in our lives. And declares to us upon finding God in his life, he was glad and how his heart rejoices to experience the salvation of God (verse 16). 

How you found that pearl of great price? David declares joy and gladness in knowing the truth concerning his Maker, Sustainer, Provider and Saviour. For if we have, may be able to say like the merchant man in Matthew 13:45-46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls. Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” 

The pearl of great price is worthy of the sacrifice of his all to obtain it. I shall present this psalm from the end to the beginning. We shall begin with 

  • The Sacrifice of a Poor and Contrite Spirit in our heartsis most needful for our salvation (verses 12-17)

Verse 17 “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.”

The word “poor” is an adjective that describes the state of being oppressed in various ways, physically, mentally or spiritually. The word “poor” has the meaning of afflicted, humble, wretched, weak, lowly. 

The word “needy” describes one who is in want, needy, poor. Two words to emphasize that the writer needs help and is suffering. The writer William Wordsworth observed that “A deep distress has humanized my soul” and “In suffering one learns to pray best of all” confesses a Christian writer.

It is in times of great affliction, there is great searching of the soul to find the meaning of one’s existence. David in his affliction was found by God. For he acknowledged that “the Lord thinketh upon him”. 

We may be unfaithful but David wanted to impress upon us that there is an unchanging and faithful God that cares for him. This is a good thought, thoughts of a caring heavenly Father. He pleads and cries out to His heavenly Father – do not delay to help and deliver me. Notice here that “Lord” means “master”, it denotes authority rather than ownership, signifying the sovereignty of God. David acknowledges that there is a master above that orders life and he cannot order it on his own and he is pleading with His “Master” to help him. 

Verse 12 “For 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.”

David has experienced great troubles in his life. His troubles come from without (enemies & hostile environment) and within (his own sins). Externally, he experienced “innumerable evils” (verse 12) compassing or encircling/surrounding him from the many enemies who wanted his life. From the time he was brought as a young shepherd boy to the palace of King Saul, Saul tried to kill him 8 times but failed (1 Samuel 18:10, 1 Samuel 18:17, 1 Samuel 19:9, 1 Samuel 19:12, 1 Samuel 23:7, 1 Samuel 23:23, 1 Samuel 24:2, 1 Samuel 26:2). 

In the time when kings go forth to battle, David remained in the palace sending his general Joab to fight Israel’s enemy, the children of Ammon (2 Samuel 11:1). He fell into sin when he saw a woman bathing and the lust in his heart overtook him and he fell into the sin of adultery when he took Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Later, he ordered his general Joab to send Uriah to the hottest battle front to be killed before taking Bathsheba as his own wife. He described his sins as “mine iniquities taken hold upon him”. The sinful nature in man caused him to display crooked and perverted behaviour. This is the word for “iniquity”, the outward manifestation of inward depravity of the heart in crooked and perverted actions. The guilt of sin cripple us, our conscience gives to us no peace when we sin against God’s laws expressed in the ten commandments, a summary of all the sins that a man can possibly commit. David says “I was not able to look up”, for shame filled his heart. He admitted that his sins are “as many as the hairs” of his head. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). David declared “my heart faileth me”, on his own strength, he could not order his life nor fight against his sinful nature. The Apostle Paul shared that same understanding on the deceitfulness of the human heart when he said “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” (Romans 7:19-20) There is that constant battle in his heart with sin and externally with his enemies who trips him from doing God’s will which admittedly, he was powerless to save himself. 

Verse 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to helpme.

He declared that his help is in the LORD (Jehovah) “hw”hy>”, the covenant God of Israel. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) Who is this God? We said earlier that God is David’s Maker, Sustainer, Provider and Saviour. 

Verse 14-15 is a description of the David’s enemies who schemed and plotted to destroy him. Remember the time when Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to number Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1)? God was sore displeased with it and He smote Israel with pestilence and there fell 70,000 men. It was the sin of pride that caused David to think in his heart, it is my kingdom and my people and forgot that it was the LORD that made him king and it is the LORD’s people. Satan the prince of this world, the Christian’s archenemy seeks to destroy us by tempting us to sin against God.

But “Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.” (Psalm 40:16)

Once lost and now finally found the bearing and anchor of life in God, we would rejoice and be glad for the salvation that has come. For David, time and time again when he was in trouble, he called upon his God, who without fail, helped him. He testifies that indeed his God is living and true, that he can count on.

How does salvation come? It is by a poor and contrite spirit, God will not despise. David says “I am poor and needy, yet the LORD thinketh upon me! The gates of heaven for the lowly, those who stand tall and mighty cannot enter, but to the lowly and humble, God giveth grace. When we are proud and full of ourselves, we fail to see our own depravity, we are blinded – A blind man who sees is better than a seeing man who is blind.

Therefore, we say this – The Sacrifice of a Poor and Contrite Spirit is most needful for our salvation (verses 12-17). This is the first step to know God.  

  • The Sacrifice of God in His divine love for us is most needful to be declared (verses 9-11)

9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation. 11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

Having experienced how when he prays, God answers to help him through every trial and temptation of life, David had to testify of God’s goodness to him. He had to declare the righteousness of God in the great congregation. It is borne out of a grateful heart.  

David says “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.” What is the preaching of righteousness? It is declaring the way to make right with God. He had to show others how to approach God. 

The prophet Isaiah declares “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2) 

He says “I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.” (verse 11)

David wanted to declare that he has a God that is faithful to be there for him every time without fail. This is the God that also save him from every trial and temptation. The word “lovingkindness” means goodness and kindness. 

Our LORD’S lovingkindness never runs dry, the poor sinner must run and flee to Him to be nourished each time. The word “lovingkindness” describes God’s love in condescending to the needs of his creatures delivering them from enemies and from despair. When we acknowledge our utter disability God will show us His exceeding ability through us. 

David says that he is preserved by God’s truth. If you are a driver, you will know that traffic rules serves to protect the driver so that those who inadvertently break the rules are taken to task for their infringement. Following the truth of God’s word protects us from the pitfalls of life. 

  • The Sacrifice of Whole-hearted Devotionis most reasonable to God (verses 6-8)

6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

The Scribes and Pharisees come to God with a hypocritical heart, caring for external piety. Our Lord Jesus had to rebuke them. They would hide behind the traditions that are erected around God’s Word. They cherish to fulfill the letter of the law and totally missed the spirit of the law. Following is an example.  

Matthew 5:21-23 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee.”

These verses were quoted by the author of Hebrews to show that salvation is in Christ alone, the once for all sacrifice.

Hebrews 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law. Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

This is why we remember Good Friday.

  • The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving for deliverance is most acceptable to God (verses 1-5)

1 (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David) I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 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.

The last portion is therefore of thanksgiving. Having “waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry, bringing me up out of an horrible pit of sin, out of the miry clay of despondency, and he is set my feet upon a rock, the Rock of all ages, even Jesus Christ the Son God God. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God, many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

David cannot contain the gratefulness in his heart for all that God has done for him. 

CONCLUSION

Have you received Jesus as your Saviour? Come to Him today! He can help you from the clutches of death and give to you life eternal. Amen.