Psalm 130
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Psalm 130
Psalm 130
Today I want to look quickly at two Psalms and actually link them together. In the first one we are going to see our position and hope and in the second our response.
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.
The Psalmist writes “Out of the depths I cry to you.” This Psalm, written by David, was probably penned during captivity. Some would suggest it was written either during the events with Bathsheba while others suggest while Saul was persecuting him. Regardless, David is going through trials and hardship. He cries out to the Lord for relief, for comfort.
And David also understands the reason for his distress, he understands his brokenness and his failures as a man. “Be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!” but then he immediately says,
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
Within this singular statement he acknowledges his unworthiness while exalting Christ, even using his name twice. Its actually two different Hebrew names first one being Yahweh, the personal name for God for the Israelites. And yet the second term is adon or Adonai meaning Lord or master. David in the same sentences acknowledges this closeness and relationship between him and God but also this reverence and respect by using both words.
I was talking about this yesterday with someone and its like a picture of a great father. One hand there is great love and on the other great discipline. And without one or the other it doesn’t work. A father that only loves has wild children and a father who only disciplines has resentful children. They go hand in hand and David is acknowledging this with God.
He also acknowledges that if God were to count or mark or keep wrongdoings, iniquities, who could stand? Its this idea of a judge feverishly noting everything you have ever done, well we all know that it wouldn’t take long for them to find something to charge us on, something we did wrong or said wrong or thought wrong. And if that’s the standard, were one slip up is a guilty verdict, who could survive that? No one.
But there is hope right, it doesn’t stop there.
But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
But, the great encouraging word of the bible, yes that is the state you are in, yes that is a problem, but, there is hope. But in Christ, in the Lord, there is forgiveness. We can be made right. And because of that great power and mercy that He has, He is worthy to 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.
And so David has hope, he waits for the Lord. He has given us His word, he has given us the bible so we can have hope. We rest in knowing that the Lord has given us this book to provide comfort and peace in the midst of trials.
When you look around the world, you look at everything going on and all the difficulties and you think, where is the hope? The economy is a mess, our political system is a mess, the school systems are a mess. Life as we know it seems to be on attack from all sides. Things that for centuries were assumed are no longer assumed—what is a man or a woman, what is marriage, what is a father or a mother or a pastor or a church or basic human rights.
And yet there is hope, we wait for the Lord, like a watchmen waits for the morning. A watchmen’s job was to wait up all night and be on the lookout for trouble. They were to protect the city and they were to be on their game all night, doing there job. They waited with eagerness for the morning because that meant their shift was over. And so with the same eagerness the watchmen waits for the morning light, we wait for the Lord. Our hope is in the Lord.
He has both his steadfast Love and also his plentiful redemption. Yes, if he were to mark wrongs we would come up short 10/10 times. But there is love and forgiveness and redemption in Christ.
And so how do we respond?
A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Make a joyful noise. We have something to celebrate and be glad in. We serve him with gladness and praise!
The Lord, he is God! He made us, we are His, His people! We belong to him.
And because of that we can enter into his courts.
The same God and judge who if he were to mark wrongdoings, none of us could stand. And yet that same God, he has offered forgiveness.
That is the great hope of the gospel, that is worthy of singing about and rejoicing in. We can now enter into his kingdom, enter in the courts with praise, because with him there is great forgiveness and redemption.
