A Song of Ascents

1
A Song of Ascents

• Psalm 130

2
Psalm 130

• 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. If you, O Lord,
  kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
  But with you there is forgiveness therefore you
  are feared. I wait for the Lord , 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. 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.

3
A Song of Ascents

• The songs of ascent were sung by Jewish pilgrims
  on the way to worship at the temple in Jerusalem.
  
• This Psalm of ascents greatly influenced and
  touched
• John Wesley Father of Methodism
• John Owen Minister and Theologian wrote a 323
  page paper on this Psalm alone.
• Martin Luther - The great Reformer called it a
  Pauline Psalm because of its emphasis on the
  forgiveness of sins through Gods grace alone.

4
A Hearts Cry for Help

• VS 2 Let your ears be attentive to the voice of
  my supplications.
• Depths -- to be deep, make deep, to be profound.
• A cry from brokenness, despair, hopelessness.
• A cry from the deepest part of who I am.

5
Our Only Hope

• VS 3 If you kept a record of sins, O Lord, who
  could stand.
• There are only two things that can permanently
  separate us from hope in God.
• Refusing to face our sins
• Refusing to let God deal with our sins.

6
It is Gods Desire to Forgive

• VS 4 But with you there is forgive-ness
  therefore you are feared.
• O.T. examples of Gods provision for sin
• Temple sacrifices
• Passover
• Day of Atonement

7
Lamb of God, Jesus

• All OT examples point to what was fulfilled in
  Jesus
• Romans 623 For the wages of sin is death, but
  the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
  our Lord.
• 1 John 19 If we confess our sins, he is
  faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
  and purify us from all unrighteousness.

8
Waiting/Watching for God

• VS 5,6 I wait for the Lord , my soul waits, and
  in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the
  Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning...
• Waiting/watch (shamar)
• Treasure up
• Watch, observe
• To keep and have charge of, to tend to.

9
A Hope That Gives Confidence

• VS 7,8 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.
• It is true that our faith is only as good as the
  object in whom it is placed. It is also true for
  our hope.
• In what or when have you placed your hope?