From the Depths to the Heights

Well, it's nice to be back with you once again today and to be able to go through another

psalm. Last week, those of you who were here will remember that we looked at two psalms

last week and they were both to do with David as he was running away from Saul and how the

Lord watched over him and how his confidence was in the Lord, his God. We're just dealing

verse by verse with Psalm 130 today and you will notice that these psalms are referred

to as songs of ascent. What does that mean? Well, they were songs that were sung by the

pilgrims as they made their way up to worship in the temple. They were required by the law

to go up three times a year. Exodus 34 and verse 23 says, three times a year all your

men are to appear before the sovereign God, the God of Israel. So as they made their way

up, so they sang these psalms. And one can imagine the Lord Jesus himself on his 12th birthday

or round about that time as he went up to the first Passover, singing something like this,

I rejoice with those who said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord. There are 15

of these psalms all together, beginning in Psalm 120 and going right through to Psalm 134.

They're psalms of ascent. Of course, they come under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit.

Men wrote them as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. What they wrote were literally

breathed out by God. But they benefit us today, of course, for all scripture is God breathed and

is profitable. But it's real men speaking about their real experiences. Sometimes the psalms speak

about the sadness in their lives or sickness or problems in their family. Other times the psalms

are full of worship. Sometimes they speak of God's providential overruling. But they're all there

for our learning. So what's happening to the psalmist here? Well, the psalmist, you'll notice,

goes from the very depths to the heights. That's where he begins. Out of the depths I cry to you,

O Lord. That's his position at that particular time. But at the end of the psalm, he's on the heights.

O 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. The mood has changed as he's reflected upon the

goodness of God. So as we look at this psalm, if perhaps this morning we have come here feeling

in the depths for whatever reason, I trust that before we leave we'll know what it is to reach

the heights because of God speaking to us from his word. So there are four points I want to bring

to you this morning. The psalm divides itself nice and neatly for us. Each section is in two verses,

verses 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and so forth through the psalm. So let's look at verses 1 and 2 to begin

with. And you'll notice that they are a petition. Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. O Lord,

hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. Now we're not told the identity of the

psalmist on this occasion, only that he's in the depths. He's obviously hurting for some reason or

another. And out of the depths he makes his call to God. He petitions the almighty, the living God.

What's bothering him? Well it doesn't seem to be danger. It doesn't seem to be illness. But it does seem

to be a question of sin because he speaks of sins in verses 3 and 4. So he's bothered by sin.

And that would be understandable. To be bothered by one's sin. Certainly he was bothered. I remember a

young man in Waterford. He didn't live a particularly bad life. But he was conscious of his sin when he

became a Christian. Before it didn't bother him. And when asked what it meant to him to now be a

Christian. He said, now sin bothers me. And the psalmist is in that sort of position. Sin is bothering him.

And he's crying out to the almighty God for mercy. Because it's only the almighty God that can deal

deal with his problem. Of course Jesus himself spoke a parable, didn't he? We read that parable in Luke 18 and

verses 9 to 14. Remember the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. They both go into the temple.

They are both seeking God in their own particular way. And the Pharisee, we're told, prayed thus to

himself. His prayer didn't go higher than the ceiling. But more or less he's telling God how good and how

righteous he is. He's a cutter above others in the moral realm. And he looks over at this tax collector.

This man who fraternised with the Romans. This man who was looked at them. And he said,

well I'm just not like him. I'm somehow different. But here's the tax collector who can't go near the

front. He's way at the back. And all he can do is beat himself as it were and say, God be merciful to me,

a sinner. And that's the same idea that we have with the psalmist here. The psalmist is bothered by

his sin. And he's crying out to God for mercy. Oh Lord, he says, hear my voice. Let your ears be

attentive to my cry for mercy. He's aware, you see, of the gulf that existed between him and God.

Let's remember the context of the psalm. He's going up to meet with this God in his temple. That was a

very dwelling place of God. He could possibly see the golden dome of the temple in those days, in the

distance. God dwelt there. And God was absolutely holy. And he sees himself as totally unfit to meet with

God. What can he do? Well, he can cry out for mercy. And from the depths, he addresses this God. He makes his

petition known. Just before the service started, and they say confession is good for the soul, but bad for the

reputation. And just before the service started, Rosemary said, you've got a dirty mark on your sweater.

And here am I at the front with a dirty mark on my sweater. You didn't know that, did you, until I pointed

it out? Perhaps you did. But I didn't notice it, but there was a higher authority on this occasion who was

pointing it out to me. Who was pointing it out to me. It was seen. But in all seriousness, aren't we all

before a much higher authority? We were before God himself. We might consider ourselves clean, but to his

all-seeing eye, what can we do? We can only cry out for mercy. And that's what all of us must do. Even if we're

Christians here this morning, we constantly need his mercy, we constantly need his grace.

And as we think of his petition, he not only sees the God that exists, but he must ask himself the

question, would God listen to his petition? Would this absolutely holy God show him mercy?

Would God really care about his condition? Or would God shut his ears? Was there any hope for him?

Or maybe his mind would go to another psalmist like David. Remember the depths of sin to which David sank

was in the death of her husband, O God, that he could take hope? Because that same David, in confessing his sin

and asking God for mercy, is able to say the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise. Or maybe he thought back of Israel's history and thought of various people who had known the grace of God.

Noah, who found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Jacob, that cheat and liar who held on to God until God was blessed him.

Yes, God would hear his cry for mercy. And isn't it wonderful that we do have a God who does hear our cries.

He does hear the cry of every penitent sinner. And that leads us to the second point. And that is, not only is there

a petition in this psalm, there is also pardon. Verses 3 and 4.

If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness.

Therefore you are feared. Conscious as he is of his shortcomings, he knows that he deserves to be shut out

from the presence of God forever. If you kept a record of sins. If you kept a record of sins, O Lord, who can stand?

Again, I say we don't know the writer. But here is a writer who is calling out to the judge of all the earth.

Imagine this man, if you will, in the dock. He sees his sin and he knows the record of his sins.

Imagine him in the dock. And the judge of all the earth is asking him the question,

have you loved the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,

and with all your strength? How do you plead?

And he might say, well, I've done my best.

I've tried to live a good life. No, no, I'm not asking you that.

Have you loved the Lord your God with all your heart?

And he would have to say, no, I haven't.

And we all fail.

Because we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God.

And then the judge of all the earth would ask the second question.

Have you loved your neighbour as yourself?

Well, I've tried not to do it. No, no.

Have you loved your neighbour as yourself?

And again, he would have to plead guilty.

If you would keep a record of sins, O Lord, who can stand?

Another psalm puts it like this.

Psalm 76 and verse 7.

Who can stand before you when you are angry?

From heaven you pronounce judgment.

And the land feared and was quiet.

You see, sin is serious.

And sin has to be dealt with.

God is not a benign being up there in the sky

who teaches, looks down upon us as a father might his child

and spoil that child and become indulgent with that child.

No, God isn't like that.

He must punish sin.

Because he's holy.

And we see his holiness again and again brought before us in Scripture.

If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, who could stand?

But with you is forgiveness.

Therefore you are feared.

Again, remember the context of the psalm.

Here is the psalmist.

He's going up to Jerusalem to meet with God.

Why is he going up?

Well, it was a time of sacrifice.

That's the reason they went up to the temple

to offer sacrifices to God.

So the man would not be going up to the temple empty-handed.

As he ascended to the temple,

he might be bringing a lamb with him.

If he was a more wealthy farmer,

he would be bringing a bullock.

If it were a poor person,

they would have money in their pocket,

ready to buy a few turtle doves

in order to sacrifice them.

Perhaps it was the time of Passover

when they were going up.

What would happen at Passover?

Well, a lamb would be sacrificed

and they would remember God's deliverance

out of Egypt

and remember how the children of Israel

had sheltered under the blood of the lamb.

The lamb had died

in the place of the firstborn.

But where there was no blood,

the judgment of God came

upon those particular houses.

So the man going up

would know that there was forgiveness

because he could go up with a sacrifice.

And the man of faith,

if he was bringing his bullock,

would come to the temple

and he would present this bullock

and he would bring it before the priest

and he would take hold of the head of the bullock

and he would say,

Yes, Lord,

I have failed to love you

with all my heart,

with all my soul

and with all my strength

and I know I haven't loved my neighbour

as I have myself.

I know I have done wrong

and offended you

and as he laid his hands upon the bullock,

so his sins would pass

to that sacrificial animal

and the animal would die

in the man's place.

So the man going up to worship

would know that there was pardon for him.

He would know that there was forgiveness

if he offered that animal in faith.

And the man who offered that animal in faith

would also be looking forward

to one who was promised.

Because right through the Old Testament

we have this pointing forward

to the Lord Jesus Christ.

And as we think of him,

isn't that exactly what we do?

Our sins are laid upon him

that the judgment of God

might not come upon us.

with you there is forgiveness

therefore you are feared.

It should produce in all of us

a sense of awe

that God has loved us so much

that he sent his son

into the world for us.

That Christ came into the world

to be our Passover,

to be our perfect sacrifice,

to be our once and for all sacrifice.

And pardon is obtained

for each one of us

who put our trust

in the Lord Jesus Christ.

So the pilgrim makes his way up

as he sings this song of ascent.

He's conscious of his sin.

He's conscious of his faults and failures.

But he's conscious also

that there's pardon

that can be obtained.

Let's move on to the third point

in verses 5 and 6.

I wait for the Lord, he says.

My soul waits

and in his word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen wait for the morning.

More than watchmen wait for the morning.

What's happening here?

He's patiently waiting for God.

They use the word patience

in the sense of hope,

in the sense of confidence.

Psalm 40 says,

I waited patiently for the Lord

and he listened to me.

Those who wait on the Lord,

we're told in Isaiah 40 and verse 31,

or those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

So the psalmist makes his way

to the temple,

conscious of his sin,

conscious of the fact

that God is ready to pardon,

conscious of the fact

that his only hope

is the Lord himself.

I wait for the Lord.

My soul waits for him

and in his word

I hope.

There's an anticipation here,

isn't there?

There's a longing.

He's going up

and he can't wait

to be in the presence

of his Lord.

He's pinning everything

upon his God.

There is, if you like,

the patience of faith,

the patience of hope.

As he takes his sacrifice,

as he offers it,

he's looking forward

to being able to do that.

He has to wait

because he's not at the temple yet,

but he's getting near

and his hope is in God

who will pardon his sin.

And notice there's nothing uncertain

about his waiting.

In his word he says,

I put my hope.

The pilgrim, you see,

knows that God doesn't lie.

That God is absolutely trustworthy.

That the promises of God

can be depended upon.

Wasn't the temple,

the dwelling place of God

in those times,

didn't God come down

among his people

and meet with them there?

Didn't God say

that he could be approached there?

Yes, all of these things

were said

and so much more.

So the psalmist comes

to offer his sacrifice

with utter confidence

in God.

He traveled along

difficult and dusty roads,

sometimes a week's journey

in order to be there.

But he came with the word of God

ringing in his ear.

That if he sinned

and if he failed,

God would be ready to forgive.

You see,

when the temple was erected,

God had spoken

to King Solomon

in 2 Chronicles 7 and verse 14.

If my people

who are called by my name

will humble themselves

and pray

and seek my face

and turn from their wicked ways,

then I will hear from heaven

and will forgive their sin

and heal their land.

I will wipe the cellmate clean.

In his word,

do I hope,

said the psalmist,

God's promises

will be kept.

And notice how his whole being

is taken up

with his waiting.

He describes himself

just like the watchman.

And notice how

he repeats himself

in verse 6.

That's not a mistake.

It isn't like

going to sleep

at the computer

with your,

you know,

your finger

on the A

and you get a whole long of A's.

You know,

perhaps you've never done that.

You know,

I have.

But it's,

you know,

it happens.

But he hasn't made a mistake.

He knew what he was doing.

He wanted to emphasize

the fact,

I wait for you

as watchman,

he says,

wait for the morning.

Yes,

just like that,

more than watchman

wait for the morning.

Now,

I've never been on guard

all night long.

I've never been in that position.

But I can imagine

what it must be like

for the century.

He can't wait

for the morning lights.

He's been up

through the night.

There are dangers

to watch out for.

How does he stay awake?

Because most of the time,

nothing will happen.

But there is that occasion

when something

will happen.

So he has to be alert.

He has to be watching.

Now,

said the psalmist,

I'm just like that century

as he's looking for,

I'm longing.

And I'm longing

after God.

As a century

watches for the morning,

I'm more than that,

he says.

Because he wants to

meet with his God.

And he's waiting

with his patient confidence.

Trusting in his word.

Looking forward

to meet with his Lord.

And shouldn't this

be the longing

of each forgiven sinner?

We're not looking,

of course,

for Jerusalem.

We don't have to go

on a pilgrimage.

We don't have to come

to any temple.

But we do have to come

to God through that

once and for all

sacrifice.

Even our Lord

and Saviour,

Jesus Christ.

If we would come

before God,

we cannot come

in our own righteousness.

Because our own righteousness

is just like dirty rags.

But we come

with the righteousness

of another.

Even the righteousness

of our Lord

and Saviour.

And by him

we have access

into God's

holy presence.

Because doesn't

the promise

come to us

that the blood

of Christ

cleanses us

from all sin.

That there is

one who is faithful

and just

to forgive us

our sins

and to cleanse us

from all

unrighteousness.

So from the depths

he comes with

his sacrifice.

He's waiting

before his God.

And finally

there is this

proclamation.

O Israel,

he says,

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.

From the depths

his petition

the promise

of pardon.

Patiently

he waits.

But he's now

no longer

in the depths

is he?

He's risen

to the heights

and he longs

that others

might join him

there.

And his proclamation

is an appeal

to his fellow citizens.

He can't be quiet.

He sees the wonder

of God's forgiveness.

The wonder

of God's salvation.

And he says,

now put your hope

in the Lord.

What Lord?

Well he tells us

the Lord

of unfailing love.

He looks back

into the past.

And he thinks

of Abraham

and how God

took him

from a life

of idolatry.

He thinks

of Joseph

who was sent

ahead of the

children of Israel

so that they

might not die

of starvation

in the land

of Egypt

where they went

to live.

He thinks

of Moses

and that deliverance

out of Egypt.

He thinks

of the judges

perhaps that God

raised up.

there were no

shortage of

examples

of God's

love

to his

people.

And you and I

have so much

more to go on.

God

so loved

the world

that he gave

his only begotten

son

that whoever

believes in him

should not perish

but have

everlasting life.

In Christ

we have

life.

In Christ

we have

hope.

In Christ

we have

a victory

that the

world

cannot give

and a peace

that the

world

cannot give.

Put your

hope

in the

Lord

of

unfailing

love.

Rise

from the

depths

of sin

to the

heights

of blessing.

Is his

love

unfailing?

Well

didn't he

think of us

from before

the foundation

of the world?

In eternity

God

put upon us

in love.

Will he not

take us

into eternity

with that

same love?

Put your

hope

in the

Lord

of unfailing

love

he says

for in him

is full

redemption.

He himself

will redeem

Israel

from

some of

their sins

most of

their sins

no he

doesn't say

that.

He himself

will redeem

Israel

from

all

their sins.

How is he

going to

do it?

Well

through

himself.

He

himself

will redeem

Israel

from

their sins.

He would

send his

son

into

the world

the perfect

sacrifice

and the

psalmist

ends that

by pointing

us

forward

to the

one who

would

purchase

us

with his

own

precious

blood.

So the

psalmist

shouts

it out

put

your

hope

in the

Lord.

Let us

go with

that

note

ringing

in our

ears.

And as we

share the

bread together

and drink

the cup

once again

we put

our hope

in the

Lord

who has

loved us

with an

everlasting

love.

From the

depths

to the

heights.

Amen.

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