complete dependence upon the
Lord for all needed help this evening wish to direct your very
prayerful attention to Psalm 130 and by way of text verses
3 and 4 Psalm 130 verses 3 and
4 If thou, Lord, shouldest mark
iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness
with thee, that thou mayest be feared. If thou, Lord, shouldest
mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But
there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared you know there are some scriptures
that we must take plainly at face value there are those scriptures that
perhaps are mysterious or in our translation it may not be
immediately apparent what is meant There's truth there, but it may
not be so easy to discern at a first glance. But then there
are those things which are very simple. There are those things
that are very true. There are those things that are
very straightforward. But they're real. And that is what we have here.
in Psalm 130. It's a very short Psalm. We can see only eight verses
of Scripture. A lot of these Psalms from Psalm
120 onwards are short. They have been, I think for the
most part, certainly very excellently divided by the translators because
each of them in virtually every case begins with this prayer
this spirit of prayer this feeling dependence upon the Lord then
the psalmist nearly always ends in some cry
of victory or some declaration of what the Lord has and is doing. Now, this particular Psalm 130,
you'll notice it says it's a song of degrees. The author is not given, although
it's believed by the vast majority of people to be David there are
those that say it could be Ezra but that is doubtful we think
that it is David speaking here and speaking what we might term
a penitential psalm we think, we believe and if we
look at the language I agree with Dr. Gill that it is likely
that this psalm was penned after his sin of murdering Uriah the
Hittite and committing adultery with Bathsheba. Indeed it is thought that the
very time that he penned this was when Nathan the prophet had
appeared to him and the Lord had used that to
arrest him and this was his cry, wasn't
it? in verse 1 out of the depths have I cried unto thee O Lord out of the depths have we ever been in the depths? have we ever come here? sooner or later every believer
in some measure or other, will have to come here. This is real
conviction of sin, isn't it? It caused this prayer to burst
forth from his heart, Lord hear my voice, let thine ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications, to my needs, to my situation,
You know, I don't believe that it's any coincidence at all that
the book of Psalms, which is the largest book in the scripture,
you all know that, is primarily given over to experiential religion. Primarily. There are doctrines,
of course. There is doctrine in the Psalms.
But it is primarily a book of experiential truth and it is no coincidence to me
that it is the largest book of holy scripture there it has been
said that there is a psalm for every situation I think that
that's true I think that that's true here David in this wicked
sin that he had committed or sins plural One sin often spirals into another,
doesn't it? And that was where Sir David
had come. But eventually, the Lord brought
him to his senses. And this is what he said, out
of the depths of I cried unto thee. He's overwhelmed. Absolutely
overwhelmed. And he needs the Lord to hear
his voice. you see all this ties in with
the commencement of our text if thou Lord shouldest demark
iniquities O Lord who shall stand? all these things he was mindful
of the sins of his mind, of the sins of his heart of the situation
that he was in if thou Lord should us mark iniquities
you know there's an emphasis here in habitual
sin isn't there? the numbering of sins Archbishop Usher calculated the
number of sins a man would commit in his life and it came to several
billion we shouldn't be surprised people wouldn't like that sort
of they don't like to hear that kind of thing today in chapels
they don't like to hear it sadly but you know it's true and if
we do like to hear we don't like we don't like to admit the flesh
doesn't like to admit that it sins but you know when the Lord
moves we have to confess that we sin And we have to hear sin
traced out. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark
iniquities, the graciousness of the Lord, that we sin, and
we sin, and we sin, and we sin, and the Lord still has mercy.
You know, even believers, we might not walk after the course
of the flesh. and after the order of this world
going to the same excess of riot with them but you know lyings,
adulteries, murders, blasphemies all these things proceed from
the heart they're in our heart they are in our heart you might say well I've never
committed murder yes you have yes you have that anger, that
fierce wrath that rises up in us when somebody says something
we don't like or says something contrary to what we think, we
can get angry and it's that fallen nature within
us, yes there's the Lord's constraining hand but they're iniquities and they're
iniquities that are marked. Now, when I
say this, you'll notice that there's a marginal reference
to Job in chapter 10 and verse 14. And he makes this statement,
doesn't he? If I sin, then thou markest me,
and thou wilt not acquit me from mine Enemy. If I sin, then thou
markest me. You see, Job was aware that the
Lord knew every single one, and he does know every single sin.
He knows every single sin. But you see, there's a difference
here, isn't there? There's a difference. The Lord
does know every single sin. but you know what's significant
is that the sins of the reprobate on the judgment day are those marked iniquities that
are paid in the very person in the unrepentant sinner's own
person at the judgment and God being an eternal being requires
an eternal judgment But you know, for the Christian,
for the believer, there is an eternal forgiveness
which is spoken of in verse 4. There is an eternal righteousness
that is the righteousness of Christ imputed unto us. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark
iniquities. We just make this point. notice
the difference between the Lord's grace and our feelings about
things notice the difference sometimes a man might run another
man and there may be some reconciliation a man might wrong another man
for some years and in many ways and there might be some acknowledgement
and there might be some forgiveness even but men don't forget do they?
there's that saying about forgiving and forgetting but human nature
being what it is doesn't really forget not really not really
even if things are if wrongdoing is sanctified to an individual
they don't hold a bitter grudge any longer but they don't forget
how different with the Lord you see here we have pure gospel
even in these two verses because the Lord doesn't mark
the iniquities in the sense He doesn't hold them against His
people because those sins are laid to Christ's charge Him who
knew no sin who has made sin for His people who shall stand? who shall stand? you see we must enter into this
in the experience of Him we must realize an unregenerate person
reading this would read these eight verses and they might think
well okay but we must realize O Lord who
shall stand? there is none that doeth good,
no not one there's none righteous there's none that can stand before
the bar of God and say I am innocent who shall stand? who shall stand? well David knew it and that's what we have need
of to know it's ok mentally to say well Yes, I'm a sinner. But do we know it? This man knew it. All these sins, he committed. And we're never aware of all
of them. We're only, even if we've been brought into great
conviction, we're only shown a little. Only a little. if all our sins were laid before
our eyes we would not be able to bear it we wouldn't but here this man knew it and that is what is essential
that is what is essential to know because in the beginning
of verse 4 there is a but and there's a blessed butt, praise
God for the butts of scripture you see it's this two-edged sword
of the gospel isn't it? but there is forgiveness with
thee those two words in the Hebrew there is of course put in by
the translators but forgiveness with thee we can see the force
of it we can see the meaning of it and this is the other side
of experiential truth, isn't it? but there is forgiveness
with thee and we have to make this point, we've made it before
but we have to make it because we have to guard against it just
as we have to guard against those who don't like to hear about
sin and some of us have been told that they don't like us
to preach about sin and that has consequences, usually you're
not asked again But also, there's those who do
like to hear about sin because they love the remedy of sin and
the remedy can only be truly appreciated if we know the malady. This is the blessed butt of Scripture.
There is forgiveness with thee. And this is the issue I'm speaking
about. There are those that will tell us that there may be forgiveness
but we can't really know it you can't really be sure you
can't really know that you are one of God's people well that
friends is an erroneous statement it's a doctrine that's crept
in to sadly to some of the aspects of our churches and some of the
Dutch churches as well in relatively recent years, the last a hundred
years or so even less in some cases but there is forgiveness
with thee forgiveness and that's why I read Psalm 86 there's that marginal reference, isn't there,
to verse 5 of Psalm 86. We can see these psalmists speaking
so clearly about this. For Thou, Lord, art good and
ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call
upon Thee. Notice the language here. This
is wonderful language. Not just the language of the
authorised version, that is beautiful in its literary sense, but it's
more than that. For thou, Lord, art good and
ready to forgive. This is the Lord's disposition
to his people. He loves to be kind. He loves
to be gracious. He loves to display salvation. He loves to display His mercy. Plenteous in mercy. Praise God
that He is plenteous in mercy. Else where would you and I be?
Unto all them that call upon thee. Notice He doesn't say unto
all men. He doesn't. some people like
to make it seem as though that's what it's saying but it's not
it says unto all them that call upon thee you see some people
get themselves all in a fix about this word whosoever it simply
means this it could be anybody you and I don't know where the
Lord's people are we don't really know Who are the Lord's people? I know some people like to make
judgments. It's a very dangerous thing to
do, is to make a judgment in respect to somebody's spiritual
state. It's not a good habit. But whosoever means, it could
just be anybody. It could be anybody. And that
is what the apostle was meaning when he spoke of he would have
all men to be saved he didn't literally mean all men indiscriminately
he meant all kinds of men in all times in all generations
in all places but you know they're always a remnant they are always
a remnant we have to come back to that doctrine of the remnant
but there is forgiveness with thee Notice the last verse here, or
the last two verses, let Israel hope in the Lord for with the
Lord there is plenteous, there is mercy and with him is plenteous
redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all iniquities. This cry, this great triumph
that is spoken of here. David wasn't talking about all
literal Israel. We couldn't have been. Because
for the most part, what do we read? The children of Israel,
they murmured against Moses. We always get people like that. There were those who complained
because of the hardness of the way. There were those who despised
David's kingship. The Israel he's speaking of is
the spiritual Israel in the Old Testament times just as much
as the New Testament times. We get ourselves into a pickle
if we think that we're speaking of any literal people. I love that term, with him there
is plenteous redemption. You know all the events of this
life have to do with redemption. They do, all of them, all of
them. because that's God's purpose
to his people to gather in his elect that this forgiveness that
is spoken of here might be known that it might be known this is
the purpose it's a very solemn witness to go all of our days
in despair and in a somewhat fatalistic spirit. You see, we're
Calvinists, we're not fatalists. We're high Calvinists, we're
not fatalists. There is a difference. It is
not a scriptural or a spiritual condition to sit there and think,
well doubtless we are the people. Wisdom will die with us. If I'm
one of the laws elect, then he'll call me and I shall sit here,
unmoved. Friends, that is a sure sign
of an unregenerate heart. It is. It's a sure sign. But
to be unmoved in our souls. To be unmoved. We can't quicken
ourselves into life. We can't. Absolutely not. But
are we speaking the words that we find in our chapter this evening? Out of the depths have I cried
unto thee. This is the mark of an elect
child of God, isn't it? This is the mark here. A man
who says, or a woman, a boy or a girl who says, if thou watchest
us mark iniquities. There is trouble in the soul.
There is a movement. But there is forgiveness with
thee. And this is the end of it. You know the Lord does not
bring people into bondage about their sin to leave them there
forever. He doesn't. He doesn't. The Gospel is good
news to sinners. It's good news to sinners, and
it's good news to none but sinners. There is forgiveness with thee. There is that which is to be
known. The love of Christ to be shed
abroad in the heart. This is what we're speaking of
here. It's simple Gospel, but it's real. it's real and this
is what must be known this is what David knew and it's left
on record for our benefit you see the language of a penitent
sinner this is one who only found his
trust and his righteousness and all merit in the Lord Jesus the
Saviour, the Messiah that was to come. And with Him is plenteous
redemption. There's that knowledge, isn't
there? That the Lord is gracious, that
He's kind, and that He brings His people to a knowledge of
salvation. But He says this, and our final
clause is one of application really but there is forgiveness
with thee that thou mayest be feared now here we would make an observation
an ecclesiastical observation by that one that is in respect
of the church Like I said earlier, we have
to be very careful in making judgments about individuals,
spiritual state. But here we have something that
is very real. There is forgiveness with thee
that thou mayest be feared. When the Lord brings a person
to a knowledge of their sinnership, and to a knowledge of their salvation
that will make them fear God now I'm not speaking of a simple
dread that the unregenerate may feel when facing the end of this
life that is not the fear that is
meant here the fear that is spoken of here is a filial fear if we know who the Lord is we
know ourselves and we know Christ this will inevitably cause us
to fear the Lord's name I mean reverence holy and reverence
is His name His name to revere, to reverence His name to not
be over familiar this is the mark of a Christian
which is why it always troubles me we're about to come to a prayer
time and it troubles me, I've been to prayer meetings, I'm
sure you have as well and men and sometimes and sadly women
that's another subject but it's unscriptural we know for women
to pray publicly would they say something like
we just ask that you would etc etc and it's a very solemn way
to go you know it's not the language of scripture it's not the language
of David here is it? we must revere the Lord's name neither lifted up with air, nor
dejected to despair, as the hymn writer said, boldly coming to
a throne of grace, coming with all speech, laying all before
Him, acknowledging first of all what He's done for us in thankfulness,
absolutely, acknowledging all that He's done for us in providence, and reverently, making our requests
known unto Him to fear His name to fear His name it troubles
me to hear the Lord's name used flippantly I'm sure it does
you as well or in that other familiar manner That is not the
way the Lord is to be addressed. He is to be feared. Feared, really
feared. Why? Because God is holy. And we are sinners. We might
be saved sinners, saints. The word saint simply means sinner
saved. But we are to fear His name.
Why? Because these are the things
that we have been taught about who the Lord is and about who
we are and about our relationship to Him. You see, the language of Scripture
speaks for itself. There are several instances in
the Scripture. My mind always goes to John in
the Revelation as it happens, but there are several instances
in Scripture when the Lord appeared, I fell at his feet as dead. That
wasn't somebody who was going along presumptuously, always
in victory and always without a doubt and without a care in
the world. That was somebody that feared God. But that was
the believer. That was the believer. There is forgiveness with thee
that thou mayest be feared. And we have to remember and in
conclusion we come to this. what is the purpose of all these
things? the purpose of salvation the
purpose of even our meeting here this evening is for the honor
and for the glory of God you know some people and we can all
be guilty of this we can have a very self-centered religion
we can But all things are for the honour and for the glory
of God. And you know when we realise that, we put all things
into perspective. We do. All things. Particularly
in respect of the church. You speak to some people and
they think that the whole purpose of the church is to pack them
in and get as many in as we possibly can and try and exhort them to
put on professions. There's nothing of the kind.
It's for the honour and for the glory of God. All things. Our preaching. Our prayers. Our
lives in this world. It's for the honour and the glory
of God. It's unto Him that the Christian
lives. It's unto His. It's His glory
that we're jealous for. Not ours. It's unto Him. It's unto Him. this wonderful
statement, this wonderful psalm when we've reached the end if thou Lord shouldest mark iniquities
all who shall stand not one shall stand we know that we know that
but there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared
Amen