Psalm 40 (again)

Psalm 40 (again)

Psalm 40

This is the second, third, next part so you may want to check below if you missed the others.

Verse six sounds like a strong shift in the Psalm.

He has been remembering the miry pit.

Then he celebrates being lifted out of the pit.

This celebratory praise is a new song of trust in the Lord.

Verse six shifts from what God has done to what God now requires.

Let’s focus in on the verse itself.

Sacrifice and meal offering You have not desired;

My ears You have opened;

Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required.

Analyze it as a small stanza of poetry ABA

The two As are what we call a synthetic parallelism. The same thing is said in slightly different fashion in each half of the parallelism.

God has not desired (first A) nor has God required (second A) either meal offerings or sin offering.

So the opening and closing are about what God does not require or desire. They both describe rituals and sacrifices.

What about the middle?

This discloses what God does require, what the Lord indeed desires.

What is it that God desires?

Your attention.

He wants you ears to be open to His Word.

He asks you to listen when He speaks.

Give him the consideration of respectful attendance upon His Word.

Consider what He has said.