Temple Baptist Church - 5-25-2025
Psalm 130
Introduction:
A. Psalm 130 is another of the Songs of Degrees, also known as the Upward Psalms, which are intended to be sung by the Jewish people on their journey to Jerusalem during the Feast Days.
B. This is a Penitent Psalm. The spiritual time of this Psalm is one of honesty with God. It is a time of despair, deep sorrow, and brokenness. It is a prayer of complete honesty before God during sinful despair.
C. The Psalm guides us to three places when we find ourselves in a state of sin.
1. It guides the believer to repentance, which brings about mercy, to a confident hope.
2. The Psalm does not lead the believer to a place of utter despair.
D. At this point, we need to refresh our memories concerning the two types of repentance.
1. Repentance unto Salvation. This is not making a list of sins and asking God to forgive each of them. We could not even remember all our sins because they would be too extensive. Also, there are sins of ignorance and presumption, and all must be under Christ's blood.
Repentance unto salvation is repentance from “dead works.” Hebrews 6:1.
Hebrews 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
This repentance involves understanding and acknowledging that we cannot save ourselves due to our sinful state. I call it “Bringing a bankrupt sinner to Christ.” Positional Repentance is a one-time event that covers all sin: past, present, and future.
2. Repentance unto Restoration to Fellowship. After salvation, we remain sinners. This is not a license to sin; it is the truth that our sinful flesh is still alive and our old nature intact. Thus, Romans 7:7-25 and 1 John 1:9! There will never be an eradication of our sinful nature until either death or the rapture of God’s church.
Romans 7:18-21 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. (19) For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (20) Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (21) I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
1 John 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
E. In Psalm 130, we find some important things:
1. The Realization of Sinfulness. “Out of the depths.” Not literal water, but emotional, spiritual despair. This is the cry of someone drowning in guilt, fear, or shame. The image of drowning, of being submerged in guilt or sorrow. The “depths” in biblical language often represent chaos, judgment, or despair (Jonah 2, Lamentations 3:55).
a. Darkness is not like turning a light switch on or off. There, you immediately transition from light to darkness or darkness to light. I fear that many of God’s children have, to some degree, seared their consciousness of sinfulness. I call this “getting used to the dark!”
b. We will never get right with God until we come face to face with who we are and what we have done. There are no “little sins” as Christ Jesus had to die to pay for each of them.
c. Little sins ultimately transition into what we call large sins. Evidently, the psalmist had drifted along for some time, which produced “the depths” in which he now resided.
2. The Personalization of sinfulness. “If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?”
a. We need to realize that personal sinfulness rests wholly upon self. No victimization. I am the problem, and the fault or sin is mine alone. Victims can always find someone or something to blame for their predicament.
b. We need to realize that we have a sinful nature and wicked flesh, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God!” This is not an excuse for sinfulness, but a statement of sinfulness.
c. Because of this, we must stand guard 24/7! Do not trust the flesh to make decisions regarding spiritual matters, as the flesh is in opposition to God and our primary enemy.
d. This is a profound acknowledgment of human guilt. None of us could stand if God kept a strict account of our sins. But verse 4 brings the gospel note:
“But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.”
Here is the good news in the middle of a psalm of lament. God forgives! Not cheaply, not casually—but thoroughly. And this forgiveness doesn’t lead to laxity—it leads to reverent fear. The more we grasp God’s mercy, the more we reverence Him.
Theological Point:
This is not mere leniency. It’s covenantal mercy. The Hebrew word used here suggests a forgiveness that is rooted in relationship. God's mercy flows out of His steadfast love
3. The Confession of Sinfulness. “I cried unto thee.”
a. We cannot forgive our sins; we must ask for forgiveness, as the power of forgiveness belongs to God alone. The primary biblical example of this is familiar to both you and me. King David’s sin of lust, adultery, murder, and concealment (he thought).
b. David thought that he had it covered, but “But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.” (2 Samuel 11:27 )
c. Psalm 51 is David’s Penance Psalm.
Psalms 51:1-4 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. (2) Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (3) For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. (4) Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
d. Though David certainly sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite, and Ahithophel (Bathsheba’s grandfather), he realized that his sin was “against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight!”
e. Our sinfulness is against the Lord and needs to be dealt with before we can get right with others we may have offended.
4. The Forgiver of sinfulness. “O LORD!”
a. I am so glad that we do not have to go to Confession, my pastor, or the Church to find forgiveness of sin. Neither do we have to do penance for our sins. Our Lord Jesus paid the full price for our sin, and no other sacrifice is needed.
b. Confessing and forsaking—this is the definition of repentance, which means not confessing while continuing in sin.
c. Most people want a quick fix or a spiritual band-aid applied, but God requires complete honesty and godly sorrow.
2 Corinthians 7:10-11 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. (11) For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.
d. God's mercy is greater than our sin, and our hope rests in His unfailing love and redemption.
Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
5. The Timing of Forgiveness. These Jews could receive forgiveness before they arrived at Jerusalem and the Temple. I have no problem with God’s people recognizing their sinfulness during a church service and addressing it right there, but I am thankful that I can reconcile with God before I go to church and then enjoy the service.
In Jeremiah 33:3, the Lord said, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
The proper timing for confession, repentance, and forgiveness is as immediate as possible! Sin is much like physical sickness. Ignoring it will not make it go away.
6. The Faith of Forgiveness. “let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.”
a. This past Sunday morning, we saw that God said, in Exodus 34, that He was the God of forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)
b. Our faith is based upon God's Word. God has promised forgiveness to all for everything. So, ask!
c. Our faith is based upon God’s love for His children. God’s love and forbearance are incomprehensible to us as they have no limits.
d. Take your burden to the Lord and LEAVE IT THERE. Now the psalmist shifts from plea to posture. He waits. He trusts. He looks to God’s Word, expecting Him to act.
1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
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