A Song of Ascents
Psalm 130
1 Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. 2 O Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings. 3 If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, so that You may be revered. 5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. 6 My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. 7 O Israel, wait for the Lord! For with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. 8 And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds.
This psalm consists of two out of seven categories of psalms first being a Lament psalm, or prayers for God’s deliverance. These types of psalms speak to believers in moments of desperation and despair when mankind is in need for God’s deliverance. The second being a Pilgrimage psalms, which were sung by worshipers as they traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish festivals. These psalms can help people establish a mood of reverent worship. Starting off with the first and second verse in this psalm the psalmist is praying to God the Father pleading for mercy in a sorrowful time in their life. Calling to the Father above understanding that the Lord is gracious, sovereign, and omnipresent. Furthermore, in verses three and four the psalmist asks a question saying, “O Lord, who could stand?”. Which will conclude that no man can stand against the Lord’s judgment because mankind is stained with original sin from Adam, but the psalmist exclaims that there is forgiveness in the Lord and in that forgiveness comes a reverent fear that consists of respect and adoration. In verses five and six waiting for the Lord combined with patience is what the psalmist grips onto, a powerful promise that is never failing, hoping for a deliverance from the current iniquity. Steadfastly waiting more than those who watch for the morning because they are eager for the sun to rise so that once the sun rises, they can move forward and advance. Verses seven and eight is advice and preaching to the people of Israel assuring them that there is mercy and everlasting redemption to those who call upon the Lord. Finally, assuring those who have faith in the Lord, that God will take away all iniquities, sinfulness, and shame away from individuals that follow His word and keep His laws because God is merciful and will not let the sparrow scattered by themselves in darkness.
