Psalm 130 Out of the Depths

Chris Broughton from The Guardian Saturday 24 August 201303.00 EDT

Like most first-time surfers, I quickly decided I was a natural, riding three large waves on my hands and knees. The current was far stronger than I was used to and I had moments of sudden panic – perhaps I should have taken them as a warning.

As the light began to fade, I felt compelled to have a last dip before we headed home. The waves had become choppier as afternoon eased into evening, but still appeared harmless enough from the shore. I plunged in and struck out, confident at first, realising my mistake only when I was out of my depth. The surf dragged at my legs, hauling me down, and rocks hidden below the surface grazed my knees and elbows as I tried to fight my way back to the beach.

A great, grey wave sucked me towards it and then broke across me like a sack of gravel, bouncing me along the seabed. Desperate for air, I was churned around until I no longer knew up from down. Then the current relaxed its grip and up I went, just in time for the next big wave to break over my head and push me back under.

Each time I surfaced, the process repeated itself, until I was battered and winded, and still out of my depth. I swallowed water, tried not to breathe it in, waved frantically at the party on the beach. They were packing bags and chatting, paying me little attention. Once or twice, someone waved back.

From their perspective, it probably looked as if I was larking around, diving into the waves; waving but certainly not drowning.. Then it really struck me that I was actually about to drown and no one knew. I experienced an acute sense of loneliness and isolation as another wave thrust me down.

I just felt overwhelmed, helpless and undignified, like a sock in a washing machine. As I struggled, an intense pain bloomed at the top of my chest, spreading downwards and inwards. That's my lungs giving out, I thought, or my heart. Back on the surface I tried to wave again, but I couldn't lift my arm and the pain became intolerable. I finally found myself able to breathe, but it only made the pain worse.

The next wave offered some relief, though, driving me towards the shore. My feet found a purchase at last and I stumbled forwards, my right arm dangling at my side. My brother-in-law, realising something was wrong, ran into the shallows to guide me on to the beach. "You've dislocated your shoulder," he said. Looking down, I could make out the strange peak at the top of my chest where my arm joint, torn clean out of its socket during the struggle, was protruding beneath the skin.

I sat on the beach, wrapped in a towel, shivering. Someone brought me coffee, but I was suffering from shock more than cold. Breathing became increasingly difficult. I'd escaped the sea but now felt as if I was drowning on dry land.

Months of physiotherapy helped the damaged muscle but nothing could rebuild my carefree attitude to water. Even small waves fill me with apprehension now. There's a sea pool in Bude, I swim only in there, and stick to breaststroke.

From the depths. Hopelessness. Seemingly no escape. Life shattered. Is there any way to find assurance once again?

It is not uncommon for life to offer up disaster. Can it be reesstablished? The Psalmist gives us hope.

(ESV) Psalms 130 A Song of Ascents. 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lordthere is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

I. Out of the depths: In the depths Ps 130:1

A. Near despair

(ESV) Psalms 130 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

1. floundering and terror

Deep waters

Drowning – no foundation / unable to breathe / gasping for air / panicking / no orientation / nowhere to turn

Jonah

(NKJV) Psalms 69 1 Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in deep mire, Where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, Where the floods overflow me.

Jeremiah

(NKJV) Psalms 69 14 Deliver me out of the mire, And let me not sink; Let me be delivered from those who hate me, And out of the deep waters. 15 Let not the floodwater overflow me, Nor let the deep swallow me up; And let not the pit shut its mouth on me.

The depths usually silence all they engulf

For all, the depth of their distress moves the depths of their being;

B. A cry for help

(ESV) Psalms 130 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

1. A search for help

2. Who can help? Desparation!

(ESV) Psalms 142 4 Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.

C. A need for mercy

(ESV) Psalms 130 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

1. Not deserving of anything

2. No bargaining going on – knows he offers nothing

3. Not a right but an appeal for mercy

D. A turning to the Lord

(ESV) Psalms 130 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

1. A cry to the only source of help

(ESV) Lamentations 3 55 “I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; 56 you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’ 57 You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’

II. Out of the depths: The problem of sin Ps 130:3-4

A. Our own inadequacy

(ESV) Psalms 130 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

1. Mark - Keep a record

2. Or guard (more literal) judgmental – won’t let the offence go away – guard it

3. Who then could stand before God / Who could stand in His presence / Who could abide with Him

4. Switch from Yhwh to Adonai again – master Lord – personal sense – relational appeal

(ESV) Malachi 3 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.

B. But the richness of His mercy

(ESV) Psalms 130 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

1. Where you are there beside you is mercy– like a favorite pet– life a close friend - like a shadow

2. Your character is such that mercy resides – Reach out to your character – Who you are means you are merciful

(ESV) Isaiah 55 6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; 7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

C. A combination that creates worship

(ESV) Psalms 130 3 If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared (worshiped).

1. revealing the humanly incomprehensible greatness of God

2. Should result in worship

Yhwh aims to arouse a gratitude that will lead us to commit ourselves to obedience

(ESV) Romans 2 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

(ESV) Jeremiah 33 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. 8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. 9 And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.

III. Out of the depths: Submissive faith Ps 130:5-6

A. Submissive surrender to the Lord

(ESV) Psalms 130 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

1. Yield

2. However long it takes

3. Whatever is required - submission

(ESV) Lamentations 3 19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20 My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.

21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

24 “The Lordis my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

(ESV) Lamentations 3 25 The Lordis good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

B. Based in His Word

(ESV) Psalms 130 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

1. Hope = trust / faith

2. I trust what He has said – so I wait with expectation

3. In what He has said – founded in truth

4. In what He will say – expecting to hear from Him

5. Intake His Word – regenerate one’s mind with His promises

6. The source of faith

C. Expectation in the midst of darkness

(ESV) Psalms 130 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6 my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

1. Wait -- with my whole being - Called faith – expect it to be so

2. In the darkest portion expect light

3. Enduring the cold/fearful darkness – knowing the day is coming

4. Fighting the danger of sleep and distraction – knowing that rest is coming

5. The pressure of the moment will end – a certainty – wait in faith

6. Repeat – wait even as you listen – for what comes next

IV. Out of the depths: A testimony to others Ps 130:7-8

A statement to others – even though the situation may not yet be changed – the Psalmist may still be waiting / but by faith has confidence.

A. Tell of His love

(ESV) Psalms 130 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

1. A commitment to someone – covenant love – keeps commitment unconditionally

B. Tell of His Redemption

(ESV) Psalms 130 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

1. Pay the price to set free from bondage – focus on the wonderful that the redeemer’s action brings

C. Invite all to respond

(ESV) Psalms 130 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8 And he will redeem Israelfrom all his iniquities.

1. Set free those who have strayed from the path – deliberately taken the wrong path

2. As with Israel – take them in the trouble they produced and free them / restore them / return them to a place of blessing