Read Psalm 130:1-8 1Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! 2O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! 3If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. 5I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; 6my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. 7O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 8And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
There is no self-help here. Not in the depths. Not in the pit of despair. The cause? Guilt, plain and simple. And not false guilt either. The singer of this psalm must come face to face with their own iniquities. Their own twisted heart.
Verse four may come as a surprise to us. It is forgiveness that brings the fear of the Lord, not punishment. This helps us to see that the fear of the Lord is the fear of respect and relationship. Of love even. It also helps us to see that God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness, when truly understood, never increase sin but rather bring sin under the self-control of the changed heart. It is the grace of God appearing in the person of Jesus Christ that teaches us to say no to all ungodliness (Titus 2:11-12).
This is the uplifting hope that we have in Christ. The hope of plentiful redemption. The Psalmist can see it coming, even if he cannot see Christ and his cross clearly yet. To live is Christ has given us a clear view, however. Redemption from all our iniquities has taken place at the cross. Not a single sin remains unforgiven in Christ.
No, not a single one.
Prayer. Jesus, let your steadfast love and forgiveness continue to teach me to fear you. Amen.
To Live is Christ 