Ps. 40.9-10 (liturgy as delivery)

“I have declared / glad tidings / of righteousness – in / the great congregation; - Lo / I do not / restrain; - you know that / O Yhwh. – I have not / hidden your righteousness / within my heart; - I have been outspoken / concerning your faithfulness / and your salvation; - I have not hidden / your lovingkindness – or / your truth / from the great congregation.” I have included the portion of verse 9 commented on yesterday in order to show how these two verses function as a single unit: opening with a declaration “in the great congregation” (9a) and ending with a similar revealing “in the great congregation” (10b). In between these two poles are some of the most fundamental attributes of Yhwh’s covenantal expressions to Israel: righteousness; faithfulness; salvation; lovingkindness; truth. It is real liturgical litany of Yhwh’s salvific power and concern for his covenantal partner; indeed, they stand as the very ground and possibility of the covenant itself. What is central for our reflection though is the constant refrain of the king that he “does not hide” or “withhold” these things from being proclaimed. In his liturgical person, the king becomes a mirror of Yhwh’s covenantal power and care to Israel. As we emphasized yesterday: the king is a public person and it is uniquely in his role as king that he must be a public person. As Israel’s representative he cannot retain any portion for himself (as David attempts to do with Bathsheba/Uriah with such devastating results; he is a type of Adam ‘seeing the fruit’ and taking what is not his). Everything has been focused, laser-like, into him and he must, thereby, pour out those things publicly and readily in front of Israel. And here we come to an important development of a theme: just as the opening verse indicates the king’s patience and readiness in front of Yhwh, so too must that same visibility and openness be mirrored to Israel (the ‘great congregation’). The king must be, continuously and already, absolutely open both vertically and horizontally. We clearly see this in the fact that this ‘confession’ on his part as to his openness to Israel (horizontal) is a prayer to Yhwh (vertical). In the king, one does not survive without the other. And this is precisely why the king can use this confession of public display as a reason or sign to Yhwh that he, Yhwh, should come to his aid (vs. 11; “Come O Yhwh, do not hold back…”).  Which directs us to our concluding comment: it is here in public declaration of Yhwh’s covenantal concern that we realize why liturgy marked the ultimate objective of Yhwh’s rescuing of the king in verse 3. This ‘new song’ sung by the king is, in a very real and concrete (almost sacramental manner), the handing over of Yhwh’s covenantal power to Israel. Were the king to withhold these declarations, the river flowing from Yhwh to Yhwh’s people would be reduced (and, perhaps need to find outlet, as in the prophets). It is, therefore, in the king’s liturgy that we come to see the real enactment of Yhwh’s concern for his flock. It is an astonishingly precarious burden to place on one man (…Adam-like; and second-Adam-like). If he remains the perfect representative and mediator, everything is blessed. Were he to grasp for himself, everything could fall subject to curse.