The Conquered Soul

Psalm 130

William Ernest Henley was a famous poet in the late 1800’s. He contracted tuberculosis at an early age and had to have one of his legs removed below the knee. He was a burley man with a big red beard. He was the inspiration for the fictional character Long John Silver. He was a big man with a big red beard.  He battled disease his entire life. He was in and out of the hospital a lot. During one stay he wrote the famous poem “Invictus”. “Invictus in Latin means “unconquered”. Listen to the words of this poem. He was an atheist and you can hear that very clearly in the poem.

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be
 For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
 I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance
 My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
 Looms but the horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.

This poem is an inspiration to many because it is defiant. It appeals to the pride in our human nature.

The poem we consider tonight is far greater than Invictus. It is the words of a conquered soul. All souls are eventually conquered. They are conquered by God in this world or the next. Those who bow the knee to Christ in this world find life and forgiveness. We’re going to break down this Psalm and I’m going to share with you six characteristics of the conquered soul.

1. The conquered soul cries out from the depths of misery (1).

This is another of the Songs of Ascent. Like Psalm 129 it also belongs to another classification. It is a Penitential Psalm as well. That means it involves the confession of sin.

“out of the depths” imagery is of one being cast into the sea. The meaning of the phrase is akin to our English phrase “deep water”. If someone says they are in deep water, it means they are in trouble. But it means more than that here. The Hebrew thought would have been of:

Hopelessness-Like Jonah who was cast into the sea. The safety of the ship was removed.

Judgment- Like the Egyptians who were consumed by the water.

Trouble- Psalms 69:14 says

“Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters”.

It’s clear from the context the writer is in the depths of misery over his sin (3). When God conquers a soul this is the first thing He does. He shows us our sin. When God shows us our sin is greater than our:

Conscience

Our fellow man

The justice system

God breaks the heart. God makes us miserable until we come to Him. God will bring us low before He takes us high. The important thing to do when we find ourselves miserable over our sin is to cry out to God. That is what the Psalmist does.

2. The conquered soul appeals to God’s mercy (2).

“Hear my voice”

“Be attentive to my prayer”

These are common phrases we see in Scriptural prayers. It is appropriate when we have prayed to simply say “Lord, hear my prayer”

His prayer was a plea for mercy.

Note he doesn’t say :

Be attentive to my works

Be attentive to my accomplishments

Be attentive to my righteousness

He is relying on the grace of God. He wants the Lord to hear his pleas for forgiveness and to forgive him based on divine mercy.

When God does a work in your heart you know your only hope is mercy. You make no excuse for your sin. We don’t approach God  in an attempt to impress or deceive Him.

3. The conquered soul understands the seriousness of sin (3).

He asks a question “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O LORD who could stand?”

He points out that there is not a person in the world who could stand before God if He kept a record of sin.

The truth is, The Lord does mark iniquities. He knows every sin each of us has committed. Let’s make a few points from this truth.

1) God is concerned with sin. The idea that God looks over sin and is not concerned about it is foreign to Scripture. God is holy and He hates sin.

2) God will render judgment on people because of their sin.

Romans 14:12 “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God”.

Rev. 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works

3) God will not remember the sins of those who are saved.

Isa. 43:25

“I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

While we know that our sins have been forgiven and removed, it may be helpful at times to think of if they had not been removed.

If you had to stand before God and give an account for every sin you committed, you would be in great fear.

You would be afraid to die.

You would be afraid to see God.

You be afraid of all your sins being made known.

It is a humbling thing to consider. Being reminded of my sins in the presence of God would be bad enough. Then having to atone for those sins would be unbearable.  

We should think of the joys of being saved. We should also remind ourselves of the horrors of being lost. When God has conquered a person’s soul they do remember where they have come from.

The redeemed are not nonchalant about sin. We do not go about thinking “The Lord will not remember, I may as well sin.”

4. The conquered soul is certain of God’s forgiveness (4).  

“is forgiveness” not may be, might, possibly. The Psalmist is forgiven, and he knows it.

“with You” speaks of the character of God.

There are many in the world that will not forgive you.

There are some we find it hard to forgive.

Illust. Imagine those who commit unspeakable crimes. Perhaps no one in the world would forgive them. God will.

We ought never come to God wondering if He will forgive us. We might wonder if we are sincere in our confession. But we ought never wonder if God will forgive us. He will.  

“that You may be feared” True forgiveness leads to fear of God not license to sin. The result of forgiveness is a person who fears the Lord.

Only those who are saved truly fear the Lord. The grace of God creates a gratitude in the heart of believers that leads to a godly life. The believer is certain God forgives. The fear of God is the certainty he/she has been forgiven.

5. The conquered soul anxiously waits in expectation for the Lord (5-6).

I wait- This is personal

My soul waits- This is spiritual

The repetition creates a depth. There is a fullness created in the believer. This is a passionate longing.

“in His Word I hope”

I believe this is referring to the future spiritual state of believers. We look forward to complete sanctification and glorification. The Word of God promises that we will ultimately be delivered from the very presence of sin.

1 John 3:2

Beloved, we are God 's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

The believer has been promised perfection. We long for that day. It’s not something we dreamed up. It is what God has told us will happen.

“my soul waits for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning” Notice that last phrase is repeated. That is to show how much more the Psalmist anxiously awaits than the watchmen did.

The watchmen knew morning was coming. They saw it happen each day. When the morning came:

They knew they were safe. The city had not been destroyed. When Christ returns we will be forever safe.

They knew they could rest. Their shift was over. They could finally go to sleep. When Christ returns, we rest forever.

They knew the darkness had passed. To see the sun rise is a beautiful thing. These guys watched it happen all week. One day we will see Christ come in all of His glory. The darkness will be removed at the brightness of His return.  

Those who are saved are anxiously awaiting:

Glorification

The Return of Christ

6. The conquered soul encourages others to experience forgiveness (7-8).

The Psalmist calls on all Israel to put their hope in the Lord. What will they find if they do?

Steadfast love

Plentiful redemption

Redemption is:

Freedom from the power and penalty of sin

Forgiveness

God is full of forgiveness and freedom from sin.

We are filled with sin; God is filled with forgiveness. God is not going to run out of love and mercy. The Psalmist wants all to experience it.

“And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities”

There is no reason to keep this secret. It is a common thing for God to forgive. The work has already been completed. Christ has taken our sins to the cross and the grave. Forgiveness is available to all who call upon the name of the Lord.  

When we experience the grace of God our natural reaction is to share it with others. We want others to be saved. We know that if God has forgiven us He will certainly forgive others.

This Psalm is a beautiful picture of a soul conquered by God. One who ran freely toward sin was captured by the grace of God. God tamed him. God changed him. This is the testimony of everyone who belongs to Christ. We are conquered and we are thankful to have a Master like Him to love and lead us.