Psalm 130: Awareness of our sin means we must trust in God’s forgiveness

A song of ascents.

 [Preliminary Comments: In this eleventh short psalm of ascents, the focus is turned from their neighbors, seen in the previous psalm, but now upon themselves and their propensity to get it wrong. He seeks God’s mercy [v.1,2], aware of their sins [v.3] and all he can do is trust in God’s forgiveness [v.4]. Now, for himself, all he can do is wait on the Lord in whom he puts his hope [v.5,6] and calls his people to do the same [v.7], trusting that He will redeem them all. It is with such an honest and trusting attitude he continues to ascend towards the Lord’s presence.]

v.1,2 A cry to God for mercy

v.1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
v.2     Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy.

v.3 The psalmist is aware of their sins ….

v.3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?

v.4 …. and he just has to trust in God’s forgiveness

v.4 But with you there is forgiveness,
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

v.5,6 This creates in him a yearning to hear (approval) from the Lord

v.5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
v.6 I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

v.7 All they could do is hope in His love, forgiveness and redemption …

v.7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with him is full redemption.

v.8 … that indeed He would redeem them from their sins

v.8 He himself will redeem Israel
    from all their sins.

[Additional Comments: There it is, simply put – we sin and get it wrong, and when we do, we need to own up to it and [confessing it – see 1 Jn 1:9] trust in God’s forgiveness. This has to be at the heart of our relationship with the holy God.

After perhaps going back and meditating on individual verses, now read it meaningfully out loud straight through

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
2     Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
    to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
    and in his word I put my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love
    and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
    from all their sins.

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: