ASCENDING TO THE HOUSE OF GOD

(Our Hope - Psalm 130)

Pastor Don Fortner
Grace Baptist Church of Danville
2734 Old Stanford Road
Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438


Psalm 130 describes our hope. It is the hope of grace and forgiveness through redemption. Robert Hawker wrote, “This most precious psalm contains the deep breathings of the soul under a sense of sin, the holy triumphs of the soul in the view of the propitiary, the redemption by Jesus, and the earnest recommendation of a soul that, having found mercy himself, holds forth encouragement to others.” This sweet psalm contains much that calls for relentless meditation and praise.

“Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.” — The soul convinced of sin is in the depths of utter despair. It is God the Holy Spirit who graciously brings the lost soul into such depths. That same divine Comforter puts in the heart the cry for mercy. And he who puts us in the way will lead us to the end, giving us the blessed assurance of mercy in Christ.

“If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” — If the holy Lord God marks our iniquities against us, we must perish forever. “But there is forgiveness with thee!”— Sweet assurance of redemption! Blessed be his name forever, there are some against whom God does not and will not mark sin (Jer. 50:20; Rom. 4:8). There is forgiveness with our God; and that forgiveness is Christ, the propitiation for our sins. God is a great forgiver because he is “a gracious and merciful God” (Neh. 9:31; Micah 7:18). He forgives naturally (Ex. 34:6), constantly (John 1:29), and abundantly (Isa. 55:7). As we multiply sins, he multiplies pardons!

“That thou mayest be feared.” — He forgives us our sins to teach us to worship him. If there were no forgiveness with God, no man would worship him. All would fly from him in terror, as all do who know not his forgiveness, and dread him as an angry tyrant. But obtaining complete and unalterable forgiveness through the blood and righteousness of Christ, believing sinners gladly put themselves into the hands of strict justice, in confident expectation of mercy, and worship the God of all grace as his own dear children.

“Let Israel hope in the Lord.” — All who have been made by grace princes with God have reason to lift their hearts to the holy, triune God in confident hope, as Jude puts it, “looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

“For with the Lord there is mercy, and with him plenteous redemption.”— Did you catch those two words: “plenteous redemption!” My heart begins to dance when I think of it. – “With him is plenteous redemption!” This psalm is a prophecy of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and that sure, effectual redemption which he accomplished for sinners at Calvary – “He shall redeem Israel (those he has chosen) from all his sins.” This is what the psalmist is telling us – The redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ is infinitely full, meritorious, and effectual.

Well may the redeemed of the Lord sing, as we ascend to the house of God to worship such a gracious, forgiving God, who has redeemed us by the blood of his own darling Son with a “plenteous” redemption! I have found redemption through Christ's precious blood, and have found it “plenteous” redemption indeed to my soul. Let none despair, for I, “the chief of sinners,” have experienced it!