Psalms 130:1

PSALM 130

PRAYING FOR THE MORNING OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS

This psalm is an earnest prayer for the forgiveness of sins, not of the nation of Israel, but of a sinner who cries "out of the depths" unto the Lord. We have often noted that the absolute forgiveness of sins was not available under the Mosaic Law, nor anywhere else until the coming of Christ and his atoning death on Calvary. However, this psalmist, recognizing the agonizing sorrow of his penitent heart called to God for a forgiveness which he knew was "with God" (Psalms 130:4).

He was like a watchman "waiting for the morning" (Psalms 130:6); but that "morning" of forgiveness would not come until the heavens should ring with the angelic chorus singing Glory to God in the Highest and the shepherds of Judea would find the Christ child in the Manger of Bethlehem.

The theme of the psalm is in Psalms 130:5, "I wait for Jehovah, my soul doth wait; and in his word do I hope." It should not be overlooked that the psalmist was still in the dark; the morning had not come. Like all who lived under the Old Dispensation, he would "wait ... wait ... "until the Christ should come. "He felt sure that God would redeem him from all iniquity; but he lived in the twilight dawn, and he had to watch for the morning; the sun is indeed risen for us,"[1] even `The Sun of Righteousness' with healing in his wings!

There were doubtless many in Israel who, like this penitent psalmist, earnestly "waited" for the kingdom of God and the forgiveness for which mankind stood in the sorest need. Luke mentions the godly Simeon who was, "looking for the consolation of Israel" (Luke 2:26). We believe the psalmist here was also of that company who waited for the kingdom of God.

Barnes pointed out that, "Most interpreters suppose that the psalmist here is speaking, not as an individual, but in the name of the nation."[2] However, Barnes rejected this, stating that, "It may be the language of an individual mourning over his sins."[3] We interpret the psalm as exactly that. The idea that the nation of Israel was ever penitent in the sincere attitude of the psalmist in this song is foreign to everything the Bible says about the nation. If the nation ever repented of anything we certainly have no record of it. They never even repented for murdering the Son of God.

Psalms 130:1-2

"Out of the depths have I cried unto thee,

O Jehovah.

Lord, hear my voice:

Let thine ears be attentive

To the voice of my supplications."

"Out of the depths" (Psalms 130:1). There are several kinds of "depths" from which one may cry to God, (1) the death of a loved one, (2) a terrible illness, (3) a life-threatening danger, (4) some devastating loss, or (4) a soul-chilling consciousness of one's sinfulness. We believe that the latter is the "depths" spoken of here. There is no deeper pit than the black hole of despair which the soul experiences in the realization that one's sins have separated him from God.

Maclaren wrote:

"The beginning of true personal religion is the sense of personal sin. An insufficient realization of that is the mother of heresies in the creeds and superficial deadness in the practice of Christianity."[4]