Psalm 130 - Our magnanimous God

Psalm 130 is the eleventh of the Songs of Ascent or Degree that pilgrims would sing as they journey to Jerusalem for their yearly feasts. The first four words show the predicament of this Psalmist. He was in the depth of desperation and affliction, and “out of the depth” he cried to the Lord God. In the first four verses he made a desperate plea for deliverance. Verses 5-6 tell us he did not come flippantly but with great expectancy and eagerly anticipated that God would answer his plea. As the Psalmist waited, he also called on others to join him to place their hope in God.

This Psalm teaches us how we ought to approach God, especially when we are in need of His urgent intervention.  It is one thing to know that God can help but quite another to make an attempt to seek that help. The Psalmist’s willingness to call on the Lord reveals that he knew God could make the difference in his situation. God’s ear is always open toward His people. Why don’t we make seeking his help our first option and not only in desperation?

The fact that the author mentioned iniquities gives us the hint of how they, the people of God, had ended in that predicament. Thankfully for the Psalmist knew that God does not mark out our sin. He is a forgiving God who looks at His children with compassion. He has a tender heart toward those who are quick to deal with and repent from their sins. The highlight of verses 4 and 5 is the magnanimity of God. However, God’s willingness to forgive shows us that we should all the more live reverently to honor Him. 

Coming to the Lord is important but what’s more critical is the attitude we adopt as we approach Him. The Psalmist shows us how we should come. He came to God with the attitude of expectancy and trust. And so must we! As we do so we must also inspire others to trust and hope in Him. This was what the Psalmist did. The crux of this Psalm is that we have a magnanimous God who will generously forgive our sins when we repent from them. He is one who desires to bless us more than He wants to punish us. This should motivate us to live carefully and when we stumble, we must repent and return to Him in repentance.