Psalm 130
A Song of Ascents.
Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD!
O Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
If You, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (ESV)
Its Place in the Psalter:
† A Penitential Psalm Belonging to the “Songs of Ascents” (Psalms 120-134)
† Collection of 15 psalms likely sung by pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for festivals
† “Ascent” refers to both physical climb and spiritual journey
1. The Depths of the Penitent (v. 1)
1.1 Old Testament Understanding
† Physical Depths
• Refers to primordial waters or abyss (tehom)
• God’s power over chaotic waters (Genesis 1:2, Psalm 89:9)
† Spiritual Depths:
• Symbolises human depravity (Jeremiah 17:9)
• Expresses spiritual turmoil (Psalm 71:20, 69:1-2)
1.2 New Testament Development
† Christ’s Descent: Christ’s descent into depths for redemption (Mat. 12:40, Eph. 4:10)
† Spiritual Depths of Sin: Represents profound nature of human sinfulness (Rom. 3:10-11)
2. The Pleas of the Penitent (vv. 2-3)
The Desperation
† The Cry to the Lord (v. 1)
† The Plea for attentive ears (v. 2)
† The Acknowledgement of inability to stand if God marked iniquities (v. 3)
3. The Hope of the Penitent (vv. 4-8)
3.1 The Forgiveness of the Lord
“But with You there is forgiveness” (v. 4a)
3.2 The Purpose: The Fear of the Lord
“that You may be feared” (v. 4b)
3.3 The Patience: The Expectation
† Waiting for the Lord with hope in His word (v. 5)
† Waiting more than watchmen for the morning (v. 6)
3.4 The Call to Communal Hope
“O Israel, hope in the LORD!” (v. 7)
3.5 The Love of the Lord
“For with the LORD there is steadfast love” (v. 7)
3.6 The Redemption of the Lord
† “and with Him is plentiful redemption” (v. 7)
† “And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities” (v. 8)
Conclusion
Psalm 130 presents the complete journey of penitence:
“The penitent first sees himself in the depths of sin, then cries to God for mercy and finally rests in the hope of God’s forgiveness and redemption.” – Richard Baxter