The Letter to the Hebrews (10:5) places on the lips of Jesus verses 7-9 which express his perfect obedience. May we also be able to say: “Here I am!”
① 1* 2With resolve I waited for the Lord; he listened and heard me beg.
3Out of the horrid pit he drew me, out of deadly quicksand. He settled my feet upon a rock and made my steps steady.
4He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and be awed and put their trust in the Lord.
5Blessed is the one who relies on the Lord and does not look to the proud nor go astray after false gods.
6How numerous, O Lord, are your wonderful deeds! In your marvelous plans for us you are beyond compare! How many they are – I cannot tell them or count their number.
7Sacrifice and oblation you did not desire; this you had me understand. Burnt offering and sin offering you do not require.
8Then I said, “Here I come! as the scroll says of me. 9To do your will is my delight, O God, for your law is within my heart.”
10In the great assembly I have proclaimed your saving help. My lips, O Lord, I did not seal – you know that very well.
11I have not locked up in my heart your saving help, but have spoken about it – your deliverance and your faithfulness;
I have made no secret of your truth and of your kindness in the great assembly.
12Do not withhold from me, O Lord, your mercy; let your love and faithfulness preserve me constantly.
13For troubles beyond number have closed in on me; I am all covered by sins and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and I am losing courage.
14May it please you, O Lord, to rescue me. Make haste, O Lord, to help me!
15May those who seek my life be brought to shame and disgrace; may those who want me destroyed be turned back in confusion.
16May those who taunt me with, “Aha, aha!” be filled with shame and consternation.
17But may all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; and may all who love your saving grace continually say, “The Lord is great.”
18Though I am afflicted and poor, yet the Lord thinks of me. You are my help and my savior – O Lord, do not delay!
- Two prayers have been combined in this psalm. The first is verses 2-12 (or 13).
With resolve I waited for the Lord. Who speaks in this psalm? If one compares it to the Poems of the Servant (Isaiah 49-53) or to Psalms 22 and 68, it seems that it is not a matter of only one person. The psalm expresses the thanksgiving of the believing minority of God's people, agents of God for the salvation of the world. It is also a fact that in the Bible someone, a savior or the Savior always embodies the people or the faithful group. This psalm then is in a special way applicable to Christ, even if it expresses the prayer of the people of God in their trials.
Out of the horrid pit he drew me. Many will see and be awed and put their trust in the Lord. The Church is in the hands of God and he will not spare it from trials along the way. Could it, without that, be the instrument of salvation? God asks all of us to accept in different ways this vocation of sacrifice, but it is only perfectly accomplished in the case of Christ: Then I said, Here I come!
From verse 14, we have the text of Psalm 70: verse 13 was probably part of it.
