We’ve arrived. The last day of our 26-day journey through Psalm 130! Take time to read over the entirety of Psalm 130.

The redemption of God is not only sure, but also complete. We are told He (God) will redeem His people “from all his iniquities.” It’s hard to not think of this verse from the famous hymn by Horatio Spafford “It Is Well.”

What a strong promise in verse 8! It doesn’t say, “God might redeem…” It says, “God will redeem.” If our redemption were up to you or me, we’d be in quite the dire situation. However, we’re not just talking about any average person here, but the LORD Himself. It’s Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God. He does what He says, and He completes what He starts.

Christmas. Finally, the moment the watchmen were waiting for had come! The darkness was interrupted by the light. Interestingly it didn’t happen in the way most thought it would!

Happy Christmas Eve, friends! In verse 7, the psalmist calls the people to take the very same journey they had taken in the prior 6 verses. From the depths of despair to the heights of hope. That’s truth, is it not? We can only invite others to find hope where we find it.

The story of Advent is precisely at the heart of this verse: one day the coming Dawn will break and all our suffering and tears and pain will be done away with. Jesus Himself will return to heal this world and to rule and reign over it. He is the Dawn we long for.

Did you know there’s a watchman in each of us? On a dark night, every soul is on the lookout… For hope, for deliverance, for rescue. There’s an attentiveness and longing for the end of a dark and long night. Where have you set your hope?

In verse 5, the psalmist tells us he waits for the LORD, who is Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God. Immediately after in verse 6, the psalmist repeats nearly an identical phrase to verse 5, but uses the name Adonai instead, which highlights God’s sovereignty and power. We wait on a faithful God, but we also wait on One who’s ultimately and mysteriously in charge. We need both these truths as we wait, do we not?

Advent is a season of waiting, but the truth is not all kinds of waiting are equal. There are ways to wait well and ways to wait poorly. The psalmist teaches us a better way to wait… It’s not passive waiting like someone merely holding their breath or twiddling their thumbs until things become favorable or they get their way. We’re told instead that they were engaged in active waiting.

What is a soul, and what does a soul in waiting look like? In Hebrew the word for soul is “nephesh,” and generally referred to one’s entire being; your soul is your whole self. It’s the same word found in the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4 where we’re commanded to love God with all our heart, all our soul (nephesh), and all our might.

The psalmist tells us they’re waiting, not for a particular outcome, but for a Person. In this case, it’s the LORD, who as we learned earlier is the God who’s bound Himself to us in covenant! Waiting typically corresponds with your trust in the character of the person you’re waiting for…

Week 3 of Advent is upon us as we work our way through this season of waiting. We all hate waiting, don’t we? If for some reason Prime delivery can’t get that thing to us in 24 hours, we’re frustrated. And yet as humans, we can’t escape it.

We’re lingering on this topic of fear for another day before moving on! One of the most frequent commands in the Bible is, “Do not be afraid…” And yet we’re also told that as humans experience God’s forgiveness, it leads not to more folly and rampant sin but rather more fear and joyful obedience. How do we reconcile the fact that 1 John 4:18 tells us that perfect love casts out fear and Psalm 130:3 that merciful forgiveness produces it? Which one is it?

When sinful broken humans truly experience the forgiveness that Jesus offers us, it’s transformational. Forgiveness never leads us to a passive ambivalence toward God, but rather an active reverent gratitude that some call “the fear of God.”

Let’s play a game of theological Mad Libs. “With you there is (fill-in-the-blank)…” How would you fill in that phrase when you think about approaching God knowing you’ve sinned against Him and others?

Verse 4 begins this way: “But with you…” Our imperfections and inability to stand before God are graciously interrupted. In this case our stains and wanderings are met with not with a stern rebuke but a kind word of forgiveness. God is and forever will be the Kind Interruptor.

Verse 3 reminds us that God is perfectly holy and righteous. A question is asked: if God were keeping a running tally of sin, both of actions but also attitudes and intentions of the heart, who could stand before him? The sad truth is that no one could, from the most faithful worshiper to the most grievous sinner.

The second name for God used is “Lord.” In Hebrew, this is the name Adonai, which is tied to the idea of God being our master and superior. It has less to do with God’s faithfulness toward us like LORD to do more with His authority over us! Yahweh and Adonai. Two names for one God who is eternally committed to His people but also who rules over them and knows what’s best.

We move into the second week of Advent today, and similarly, in Psalm 130 we move our eyes from the depths to the heights.

The Psalmist cried out for mercy in Psalm 130:2. What is mercy? AW Tozer defined it this way: “Mercy is an attribute of God, an infinite and inexhaustible energy within the divine nature which disposes God to be actively compassionate.”

Not only does the psalmist pray out loud to God, but they also do so repeatedly! The psalmist says “…listen to my pleas (plural) for mercy.”

Sometimes it can feel like God turns a deaf ear toward us when we pray. What do we do when it seems as if our words are uttered in faith but met with silence? That felt reality doesn’t deter the psalmist!

“Oh Lord, hear my voice!” While God can hear our prayers spoken and unspoken, the psalmist encourages us to vocalize our prayers! When was the last time you prayed out loud? Today, turn up the volume of your prayers…

We don’t merely exist in the depths, but rather Psalm 130 teaches us that the depths can become a school and classroom for prayer. “Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD!” It’s here in the season of Advent when the valley can transform into a sanctuary!

Many Christians would say as they come into church, “Leave your burdens at the door.” Not Psalm 130! It says just the opposite: “Bring your burdens through the door!”