Psalms 130

Psalms 130:1-8

“ Out of the Depths” Psalms 130:1-8; Psalms 131:1-3 The cry, Psalms 130:1-2. The word Lord occurs as often as there are verses. The soul in trouble repeats again and again that precious Name, in which comfort and help are summed up. The chief cause of anguish, Psalms 130:3-4, is the memory of our sins. But our iniquities are not marked save by the jewels of forgiveness, like the pearls of an oyster that are set in the place where it was wounded. The soul’ s attitude, Psalms 130:5-6. It waits! He will surely come though He seems to tarry. Plenteous redemption, Psalms 130:7. It is not enough for God to forgive. He will abundantly pardon. Psalms 131:1-3 The cry of the child-heart. The psalmist said this in all simplicity. He did not exercise himself in things beyond his powers, but left God to reveal them to him, as he was able to receive them. We are reminded of Mat 11:25. Clearly he had not reached this position without effort. He had found it necessary to still and quiet himself, as a nurse quiets a fretful babe. There had been a time when he was fed at the breast of the world’ s consolations. The weaning had been hard, but he had learned to get all from God and to draw on His sustaining grace.

Out of the depths A choice Psalm! There are times in our experience when nothing suits us as these words. When like Jonah we are cast unto the deep, and all God’s billows and waves are passing over us; when like Peter we lose our foothold, and begin to sink–then, indeed, we may cry: “De profundis clamavi.” The name of “Lord” (either as “Jehovah,” “Jah,” or Adonai") occurs as many times as there are verses. The soul in trouble loves to repeat to itself again and again that precious name in which all help and comfort are enshrined.

Psalms 130:1. Out of the depths have I cried Great soul-trouble and sorrow are often compared to deep and tumultuous waters (Psalms 42:7; Psalms 88:7). There are times when no imagery so well sets forth our experiences as this: “All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” But there is no depth so profound that the soul cannot cry there from. If you cannot pray, cry.

Psalms 130:2. Lord, hear my voice! Can a mother so forget her child as not to hear its moan in pain? She may, but God cannot so forget his own (Isaiah 49:15).

Psalms 130:3. O Lord, who shall stand? If God should simply notice our sins and not our tears or faith–or, above all, the atonement of Calvary–we should be without hope.

Psalms 130:4. There is forgiveness with Thee Forgiveness does not lead to lax living, but to a godly fear. The forgiven soul dreads to grieve the Forgiver. Mercy is antiseptic to depravity.

Psalms 130:5-6. I wait for the Lord We are too apt to wait for circumstances, people, things, and to meet with disappointment, because they are apart from Himself. But those who wait for the Lord cannot be ashamed. There may be no Theophany, but, as they wait, a new strength and comfort steal into their hearts. Oh to have the eagerness of the watcher for the dawn, as we wait for God! And should not we all cherish this expectancy for the breaking of that eternal morning, when the day shall dawn on which night never falls?

Psalms 130:7. With the Lord, plenteous redemption In God there is something more than forgiveness–there is deliverance. He does not remember our sins. He redeems us from their tyranny and consequences. He does this plenteously, with good measure, pressed down and running over"; overtopping with a deluge of goodness and loftiest Himalayas of our sins.

Psalms 130:8. He shall redeem Israel HE SHALL! It is certain as his existence, as inevitable as his own glorious nature. If He has made, He can and will redeem.