Establish the need: Is this Psalm Messianic? Many Bible scholars seems to think it is not, but what about you?
Purpose: In this session we will see three points concerning this Psalm’s Messianic character so that we would be at awe with God.
- Psalm 40 is Messianic because the New Testament uses it that way
- Psalm 40 is Messianic because of context of Book 1 of the Psalms
- Psalm 40 is Messianic because of details within Psalm 40
Psalm 40 is Messianic because the New Testament use that way
Only one New Testament quotation from Psalm 40: “Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, “You have not desired sacrifice and offering, But You have prepared a body for Me; 6 You have not taken pleasure in whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin. 7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (It is written of Me in the scroll of the book) To do Your will, O God.’” 8 After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and offerings for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), 9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second. 10 By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.” (Hebrews 10:5-10)
- In the context the chapter is talking about the Old Testament sacrifice is not sufficient; in contrast Christ is the one time sacrifice needed.
- The author quotes from Psalm 40:6-8.[1]
- Verses 8-10 explains Psalms 40:6-8 that the writer of Hebrew quoted.[2]
- Notice the author of Hebrew sees Psalm 40 as being about Christ (see verse 10).
Given the authority of the Word of God we must conclude that the New Testament infallibly interpreted Psalm 40 as pointing to the Messiah. The next question is how does Psalm 40 points us to the Messiah?
Psalm 40 is Messianic because of context of Book 1 of the Psalms
There are Messianic Psalms in Book 1
- Psalms have 5 books.
- Book 1 is from Psalm 1-41 which Psalm 16 is a part of.
- There are prominent Messianic Psalms in book 1: Psalm 2, 3, 8, 16, 22, 23, 24.
- Since there are Messianic Psalms in Book 1 we are not surprise if there’s Messianic Psalms; that should be our expectation.
Psalm 40 parallel with Psalm 22 which suggests this Psalm 40 is Messianic.
- The “I” that is speaking is addressing the “Great Assembly” in Psalm 40:9 and Psalm 22:25.[3]
- Mockers who are laughing and sneering are mentioned in Psalm 40:15, 17 and Psalm 22:7-8.[4]
- Despite the hostility from mockers in both Psalm 40:11 and Psalm 22:23 mentioned God did not turn away from the individual speaking.[5]
- In fact in both passages after the mockery there is a shift of the “I” turning people’s attention to God and praise, see Psalm 22:22-25 and Psalm 40:9-11.[6]
- Why the transition where the person speaking is suffering from enemies and yet later others can rejoice? It is because of what the Messiah’s suffering bring about: salvation!
- In addition as we will discuss below there is also the parallel with both passage talking about the Messiah being pierced in the Hebrew. This “nails” it for me in seeing Psalm 40 as Messianic.
- Given the parallel of Psalm 40 with the Messianic Psalm of Psalm 22 it suggests Psalms 40 is also Messianic.
Immediate context
- Psalms 37-40 all present petitions to God to be delivered from suffering.[7]
- Concerning these four Psalms we see that trouble is the theme for Psalms 37-39, but Psalm 40 transitions to triumph.[8]
- Part of that Triumph isn’t just what David did; rather it goes back to the theme mentioned in the introduction of Book 1 of the Psalms in Psalms 2 with the Messiah!
Psalm 40 is Messianic because of details within Psalm 40
Outline of the structure of this Psalm[9]
- Deliverance Described (1-10)
- Calling out for Deliverance (11-17)
This passage should understood to be prophetic: “Then I said, “Behold, I have come; It is written of me in the scroll of the book” (Psalm 40:7)
- Whatever this book and scroll written about this individual is an important document that the readers should also know about.
- Scripture is one of the most important set of writings.
- The combination of “scroll” and “book” strongly suggest this is talking about the Bible.
- If this person is saying the Scripture is talking about Him, this Person is important.
- Don’t forget the context that the verse before in verse 6 is talking about God not wanting mere sacrifices and so this person that comes is greater than Old Testament sacrifice and that the Bible is talking about Him.
- This can’t be David since David did not ended the sacrificial system nor is he greater than the sacrificial system and was fully righteous.
- This is none other than the Messiah!
The Messiah would be righteous and keep the law: “8 I delight to do Your will, my God; Your Law is within my heart.”” (Psalm 40:8)
The Messiah would be pierced as satisfying God more than Old Testament sacrifices: “You have opened my ears.” (Psalm 40:6)
- The Greek translation of the Old Testament translates this more generally as “A body you have prepared for me.”[10]
- The New Testament in Hebrews 10 takes the Greek Septuagint Reading and mentioned body.
- There is not a problem with “ears” and “body” and the two translations can be reconciled if we understand the Septuagint as a summary, and ears is a metonymy in which it’s a part of the body that represents the whole human body.[11]
- What is fascinating is the passage literally in the Hebrew is “You have dig out my ears.”
- The verb “dig out” is כָּרָה is also used in Psalm 22:16 to talk about the Messiah being pierced.
- I would translate this “You have pierced my ears/body.”
- This passage then talks about the suffering of the Messiah in a verse that is talking about God wanting more than Old Testament sacrifices; that’s incredible!
Possible objection: Some say this cannot be the Messiah since Psalm 40:12 states “For evils beyond number have surrounded me; My guilty deeds have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; They are more numerous than the hairs of my head, And my heart has failed me.” How do we respond?
- I think to begin with we must realize there’s also a dilemma that if we take Psalms 40 to not refer to the Messiah but only about David then the description of the person speaking as “I” is difficult to attribute it to David. See above.
- I think the best way to interpret the Psalms is to consider the outline of the Psalms being divided into two parts; so the “I” that speaks in the second part (11-17) which includes verse 12 is David who cries out to God and confesses his sins in light of the accomplishment of the person speaking in the first person singular in verses 1-10.
[1] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_040.pdf
[2] Zane C. Hodges, “Hebrews” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Victor, 2000), 804.
[3] Daniel D. Green, “Psalm 40: A Body Prepared for Death” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2018), 568.
[4] Daniel D. Green, “Psalm 40: A Body Prepared for Death” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2018), 568-69.
[5] Daniel D. Green, “Psalm 40: A Body Prepared for Death” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2018), 568.
[6] Daniel D. Green, “Psalm 40: A Body Prepared for Death” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2018), 568.
[7] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_040.pdf
[8] Source: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_040.pdf
[9] Modified from Daniel D. Green, “Psalm 40: A Body Prepared for Death” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2018), 560.
[10] Allen Ross, “Psalms” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Victor, 2000), 824.
[11] Daniel D. Green, “Psalm 40: A Body Prepared for Death” in The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2018), 566.
The Domain for Truth 
Hey, Jimmy. I don’t normally do this; however, I have to be honest, I’m not 100% sold on this. I think it is an echo at best. Even if it is Messianic, there are definitely stronger Messianic psalms as you have shown in this series. I also would not take a Jewish person or an unbeliever to Psalm 40 in order to prove Messianic prophecy.
This was not an easy one! I almost didn’t teach this last night and I spent a long time afterwards still researching and thinking of the passage! I told everyone of all the prophecies and types this one had me ask more questions than I would like, and I was on a time crunch too to teach it. Hence this super late post! I definitely won’t be using this as my first stop with someone Jewish. Agree with you on that one! Thanks for dropping by and also sharing your thoughts on concern on this one!! How is Florida?
Thank you for NOT being upset! Beautiful day with Jesus and my mom!!!! I am looking forward to joining next Tuesday!!!
This I believe. Amen.
Amen! Blessings to you Bonnie! God bless, have a blessed week in the Lord!!
To you also.
This is a hard Psalm to understand, Jimmy. The way it starts out triumphant, as though the troubles are over, and God has delivered the speaker. Then with verse 12 the troubles seem to be back. It helps to think of it as two people speaking. I’m not sure I would have figured that out on my own.
“My ears you have pierced” always made me think of the bondservant – one who willingly gave himself to serve his master for life, where the master pierced his ear, and the earring was a symbol of the lifetime commitment of one who loved his master with total loyalty. That may have nothing to do with this, but that’s what I think when I see a reference to a pierced ear – total devotion and service. I guess the Messiah did obey the Father unto death …
This was a harder one for me to grasp and I did think about the suffering servant theme and that Old Testament law practice with a committed servant’s ear. Still I think there is something in the Psalm that indicate this isn’t ordinary but definitely makes me want to study this more in the future!! There’s been messianic texts in the past that I had questions about and didn’t see but years later I read a really good study on it that helped a lot. Hopefully same thing will happen with psalm 40 in the future! Blessings to you!
Blessings to you and yours, too. 🙂
Well, if we accept Hebrews as part of the canon, then Psalm 40 is Messianic.
I think the idea of Messianic psalms is a relatively advanced concept. The time to bring it up is when we want to show someone who has read the Bible how the whole refers to Jesus.
When I read the first line Psalm 22 and remembered reading the same words in Matthew and Mark, something clicked. Here in Psalm 22 Jesus is telling us how much He suffered, and He is telling of His triumph.
I think Psalm 40 reminds us of why He suffered.
Jesus was sinless. When our sins became his sins, He suffered for our sins.
Amen to your comment! I think the passage about something pleasing God more than sacrifice (while David in the same Psalm admit that he’s sinful) really begs and anticipates the Gospel in some ways. Grateful for what the New Testament revealed! Grateful you also read this brother!
Psalms 22 is amazing
Good point about verse 7: “This can’t be David since David did not ended the sacrificial system nor is he greater than the sacrificial system and was fully righteous.”
Thanks for noticing this point! Blessings to you
Thanks for this examination of Psalm 40 as a Messianic Psalm and I’ve also read the comments. While at first glance Psalm 40 may not be as strikingly identifiable as a Messianic Psalm as some others are, the inspired author of Hebrews clearly identified it as a Messianic Psalm as you point out.
Yeah the book of Hebrew use of Psalm 40 suggests to me something there in Psalm 40. I fell into deep sleep and didn’t get to finish things last night! How did your Wednesday go?
Wednesday went well except for that “late night” dinner I complained about previously. I snowblowed the driveway for the first time yesterday and again today. I was hoping to make it through the entire winter without snowblowing. How does your Thursday look?
Brother Jim, this is a tough one. I appreciate your insight. I read your response to Mandy’s comment. I see how you got here though.
Blessings from mighty King Jesus.
Yes this is a tough one!
Reblogged this on clydeherrin.
Thank you. The reading of both Hebrews and Psalms and the comparison of the Word to itself is a blessing.
It is a blessing to read and study the inter-relationship of these passages! I love intertextuality and the topic of NT use of the OT!
I don’t see any of my commentaries go indepth on Psalm 40 and some seem unaware its a Messianic Prophecy. I’ll have to look up the sources from your footnotes
Glad someone looks at my endnotes!!!
The topic got me interested to learn more
As Abraham Kuyper wrote, “This is the Christ, says the apostle Peter [1 Pet. 1:11], who governed prophecy. In prophecy and through the Holy Spirit, he revealed himself, announced his own life, and predicted his own future. He even disclosed himself in the shadows so that the church of the old covenant could already be enlivened by the everlasting beauty of the Mediator and be justified by faith.”
“A body you have prepared for me” — how poignant, and so Christ reveals himself in such prophetic lines that in the light of the Gospel could not possibly be better fitted for anyone’s lips than Christ’s.
That Kuyper quote is from this link:
https://reformedreader.wordpress.com/2023/01/26/christ-and-in-the-old-testament-kuyper/
Thanks for sharing the Kuyper quote; also thank you for sharing the Claremont Review article on the problem of evolution earlier too!
[…] 6.) Psalm 40 is Messianic […]
I found another instance of a debate over a scripture being about the messiah, just this morning. The article I found discussed it in detail. You can find it here: https://www.bing.com/search?q=Did+Balaam+Prophecy+Concerning+the+Messiah%3f+-+Wayne+Jackson&FORM=AWRE
Thanks for sharing this; I’m blown away with the Balaam prophecy when I studied it a few months ago but always love to study what others share too!!!