Psalm 130 – Out of the Depths
Psalm 130 – out of the depths, begins with a cry to God. Considered a desperate plea of a person in deep depression, but is that all? What more can we learn about this prayer?
Psalm 130
Psalm 130 is both a song of ascents and one of the seven penitential psalms. It relates the story of one person’s ascent from out of the depths of guilt. The psalm moves from a cry for help, to confession of sin, to waiting on God, and finally to joyful expectation.
It begins with a cry to God from the depths – a cry for mercy.
“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.” (1-2)
“Previously in the psalms there have been cries from the depths of the earth (Psalm 71:20) or the depths of the grave (Psalm 86:13). Once again, from a place of deep and overwhelming danger, the psalmist cries out to Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel.” Psalm 130 – Enduring Word
From this depth, the psalmist cries. “People experience depths of poverty, sorrow, confusion, and pain. Yet the depth that the psalmist cried from here was the depth of the awareness and guilt of sin (Psalm 130:3). Many have been spiritually drowned in these depths.” Psalm 130 – Enduring Word
Forgiveness
The psalmist goes on to speak of God’s great forgiveness.
“If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.” (3-4)
The writer packs so much in just two lines.
“Years of previous relationship with God had taught the psalmist that there is, in fact, forgiveness with God. When we are hit hard with our awareness of sin, it can be hard to believe, but it is true: there is forgiveness with God. …
“You may not find forgiveness with other people. Your husband or your wife may not forgive you, if you have wronged him or her. Your children may not forgive you. Coworkers may not forgive you. You may not even be able to forgive yourself. There is one who will, and that one is God. Write down where you can see and reflect on it often: Our God is a forgiving God.” (Boice) Psalm 130 – Enduring Word
Another translation of verse 4b reads: “That You may be feared.”
“One of the great purposes of God’s great forgiveness is to build a sense of gratitude and reverence in those He forgives. His pardon should lead to purity and His forgiveness to an appropriate fear of displeasing the One who has been so gracious.” Psalm 130 – Enduring Word
Those who have experienced God’s forgiveness, fear sinning again.
Waiting for the Lord
Having voiced his pleas to God, the writer now waits.
“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” (5-6)
The psalm concludes with words of hope, reflecting on God’s unfailing love. “In this Psalm we hear of the pearl of redemption, verses 7 and 8: perhaps the sweet singer would never have found that precious thing had he not been cast into the depths. ‘Pearls lie deep.’” (Spurgeon) Psalm 130 – Enduring Word
“Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.” (7-8)
And so, the writer goes from gloom to joy, offering words of hope to all of Israel.
“Nothing could be further from the shut-in gloom and uncertainty of ‘the depths’ than this. The singer is now liberated from himself to turn to his people and to hold out hopes that are far from tentative.” (Kidner) Psalm 130 – Enduring Word
God’s Mercy
God’s mercy appears throughout the Bible. That God is gracious and merciful is found repeatedly in the Bible. It appears in Psalm 86:5, 15; 103:8; 111:4; 116:5; and 145:8. It is also found in Joel 2:13; Nehemia 9:17; Deuteronomy 4:31; Numbers 14:18; 2 Chronicles 30:9; and Johan 4:2.
In Exodus 34:6-7, God speaks to Moses and declares his nature.
“Having come down in a cloud, the LORD stood with Moses there and proclaimed his name, “LORD.”
Thus the LORD passed before him and cried out, “The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” Exodus 34:6-7
“In the sacred setting of Mount Sinai, God reveals His essence to Moses, unveiling the core of His being and His relationship with humanity. These verses from Exodus 34:6-7 serve as foundational pillars for comprehending God’s attributes and His interactions with His creation.” What does Exodus 34:6-7 really mean? – God’s Blessing
Aware of God’s mercy, the writer of Psalm 130 – Out of the Depths, calls upon God with confidence.
“What God really wants to do—and is depicted as being eager to do—is forgive. God wants a relationship with the human beings made in the divine image. … Sin and evil fracture our ability to be close to a holy God. So what is to be done? The sin that blocks our access to God needs to be removed like an obstacle from a roadway. … Forgiveness puts things back to right and since between God and humanity that is the way God wants it to be, God forgives over and over.” Psalm 130 – Center for Excellence in Preaching
Out of the Depths
Most think of “out of the depths” as a place of darkness. “Grief, depression, illness, poverty, abuse—any of these experiences, and so many more, can plunge us into a darkness so deep that it can feel almost like death. That the abyss, the pit, the deep is so centrally and universally a part of human life is reflected in the Psalms’ repeated reference to it, as in 16:10; 40:2; and 69:2.” Commentary on Psalm 130 – Working Preacher from Luther Seminary
But the Psalmist doesn’t write from a sense of abandonment, rather from confidence that our merciful God hears.
Psalm 130 – Out of the Depths
There are other types of depths. There are the depths of joy, the depths of peace. That deep inner peace one may experience during prayer. The depth of love a parent feels when gazing into their newborn’s eyes. The writer of Psalm 130 moves out of the depths of despair he feels because of his sinfulness and into the depths of joy. To experience this joy, all we need do is accept the forgiveness our God is waiting and willing to give us.
Have you ever experienced the deep joy and peace that comes from God? If not, maybe there is something unforgiven that needs to be brought to God.
(For another take on this psalm, see Psalm 130: Hitting Bottom – Patricia M Robertson)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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