Have you ever read a psalm and been struck by the beauty of its verse and truth? That happened to me recently when reading Psalm 130. It’s an incredibly rich text and the poet has somehow managed to encapsulate the gospel in just 8 verses.
Psalm 130 lands in the middle of a collection known as the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134). These psalms were written to be recited or more likely sung by the Jewish people as they trekked up to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the Jewish feasts. And it was meant to prepare their hearts and minds for worship at the Temple.
What’s fascinating about Psalm 130 is that it is a kind of poetic journey. It mirrors the physical ascent to the Temple by pointing to a spiritual ascent. The poet begins in the depths of despair and eventually rises to the heights of hope. And he doesn’t make that climb on his own. The only reason he gets there, that he experiences redemption, is because of the grace of God. That’s the main point of this psalm. And praise God, it’s just as true and relevant today as the day it was written.
Wading in Guilt
“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!” (Verses 1-2)
The poet opens with a cry “out of the depths” to God for mercy. The Hebrew word used here for “depths” alludes to flood waters. And what we are meant to envision, what the poet wants us to see in our minds is the desperation and panic of being tossed by strong currents of water. The writer is likening his misery to the sensation of drowning at sea. Tidal waves are crashing down and threatening to overtake him. And as he struggles to stay afloat, he’s somehow able to find enough strength in his reserves to cry out for help.
And notice how he repeats his cry, which is the literary equivalent of raising his voice louder and louder. He wants to make sure his pleas for help reach the ears of the ultimate Rescuer – God himself.
What’s interesting is that he is asking not simply for help, but for mercy. And the reason why becomes apparent when we read the next stanza. He moves from the metaphor from sinking in the depths of the sea to standing before the Lord.
“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?” (Verse 3)
What’s his affliction? It’s guilt over his sin. We recently studied 1 & 2 Samuel and learned about King David, the man anointed by God to lead the people of Israel. He also was a prolific poet and wrote many of the psalms. And several of his psalms are petitions to God to save him from his enemies. But the author of Psalm 130 is not concerned about invading armies. In fact, his chief concern is not about anything external at all. Instead, he’s acutely aware of the sin present in his own heart, and that there’s coming a day of reckoning with his Creator. A day when iniquities will be marked. The ultimate naughty and nice checklist. And if God were to take an account of his sins now, if he was to stand in judgment, he would inevitably face God’s just wrath. And the retribution for his sin is eternal. Meaning, there’s no emerging from the depths.
But the poet is not just speaking about himself. It’s not just his problem. He wants us to see that it’s a universal problem. The answer to his rhetorical question, “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” is not a one. Not one person. No one. He’s implicating all of humanity. All are sinners and are, therefore, enemies of God. Romans 3:10-11 states, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.” By the way, when Paul wrote that he was quoting from the Psalms (Psalm 14:1-3; 53:1-3). It was not a new concept in Paul’s day. And it wasn’t new for the psalmist either. Since the Fall, all humanity has been plunged into sin and under condemnation for their willful rebellion against God.
Can you relate to the psalmist’s desperation? Have you ever felt the hopelessness of a life of sin? Have you ever considered the terror of coming face to face with a holy, wrathful God?
Washed with Forgiveness
The poet is honest with himself and with us, the readers. He is all too familiar with this sin. But he is also well acquainted with the nature of God. That he is compassionate and merciful. God is rightly angered by sin, and yet he is at the same time “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” God forgives sin. The poet cries out to God for mercy, for God’s undeserved favor, for God to relent of his just wrath. And God hears and answers his cry! The prayer God hears and will answer is the plea of those who desperately cry out to him for mercy. And he grants forgiveness through his Son Jesus Christ.
What was necessary for our forgiveness? It was the unjust, brutal crucifixion of the only innocent person that ever lived – Jesus Christ, the God-man. Through his substitutionary sacrifice, by putting himself in the place you and I deserved to be, the penalty of our sin has been paid for. We can have forgiveness now, with eternal implications – eternal blessings to follow. And it’s a transformative forgiveness, as the line and next stanza show us.
God’s forgiveness is of the transformative variety. Having been saved from sin, we are then recreated into people who once hated God into people who fear God. Not fright of God’s judgment. That’s been relieved by his forgiveness. But we are filled with a proper fear of the Lord that Proverbs says is “the beginning of wisdom” (skillful, God-glorifying living). The NIV renders verse 4 this way, which is more of an interpretation than a literal translation. “But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.” Sin, the one great barrier to life, hope, joy, and faithful service and worship of God has been defeated at the cross! All who trust in Jesus’ atoning death and his subsequent resurrection from the grave have been cleansed from sin and brought into reconciliation with God the Father.
Worshipful Waiting
And look at the poet’s response to God’s forgiveness in verses 5-6.
“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.” (Verses 5-6)
There are two important words here. Wait and hope. What is he waiting for? Notice that he doesn’t say, “I wait on the Lord” as if the poet is waiting on God to give him something, some material blessing. He writes simply, “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits “(verse 5). It’s God himself that he wants desperately to see. And the fuel for his waiting is hope in his word. This is a reference to God’s promises, promises that will not fail because they proceed from a trustworthy, sovereign God. His promises are linked to his nature. His return is as guaranteed as the light of morning follows the darkness of night. And this hope-saturated waiting keeps him up all hours of the night like a watchman waiting for the morning to dawn. He revels in the certainty of God’s promises. It’s a patient and persistent waiting.
When you consider God himself as the all-satisfying desire of your heart, that’s when you have understood the gospel. He is enough. We don’t always do that perfectly, but that’s when we press into the gospel. That’s when we have to ask the Holy Spirit to rekindle our faith in Jesus. And in those moments we have to remind ourselves that there is no better treasure than knowing the one who loved you and gave himself for you (Galatians 2:20).
Now, look at verses 7-8. The poet ends his psalm with an expression of joy! He can’t keep in the good news, and so he invites all of Israel – all of God’s people – to hope in the Lord. More than that, it’s an admonition, a call to worship!
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. (Verses 7-8)
He reminds Israel that their redemption is certain because it has nothing to do with their righteousness or efforts. The Exodus would have undoubtedly been on the people’s minds as they recited this. As well as their entrance into the promised land, and the countless armies they defeated in the land because of God’s faithfulness. Those stories of God’s might acts recorded in Scripture was the foundation of their hope for a future day when full redemption would finally take place.
Look again at verse 7. I love this verse because in one statement the poet links God’s covenantal name (YHWH) with his divine nature (steadfast love) and his mission (plentiful or full, complete redemption).
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
We stand shoulder to shoulder with this poet and all the saints of redemption history who placed their faith in God’s promises. And we have an even clearer vision of our redemption – Jesus Christ. Our hope today rests in the sufficiency of Jesus’ sacrificial death. Because of what he has done, we wait for the day of our full redemption. That’s our future hope. And it’s guaranteed because of Jesus Christ – his perfect life, his atoning death on the cross, and his resurrection from the grave. By God’s grace, we are forgiven and are free worship him.
We are still in a period of time when lamenting sin is necessary. But there’s a time when our lamenting will forever cease, when sin and death are finally destroyed, and God’s Church, his Bride will be finally be purified. We will be in the blessed presence of Jesus forever. In the meantime, we hold on to passages like this one, memorize them, recite them, and sing them together often so that we never forget about God’s glorious grace and his wonderful, redeeming work.