Title - Song of Ascents - meaning?

• Rising - going up steps.
• To Jerusalem. To the Temple.

First words are:
Ps 130:1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD (NIV)

• My soul is crushed.
• My God my God ...

The writer of this Psalm is feeling low. 
Starts in the depths of human experience.

But `Out' of the depths I ... 

He does not remain in the depths.
The whole Psalm shows how he rises out of the depths in ever increasing assurance 
and at the end of the Psalm he gives encouragement to many others.

What can we learn from this Psalm?

Title: `Song of Ascents'.
• Reminded of Jacob's ladder.

(Many people have behaved badly towards those close to us and feel cut off.)

• Slept in open - homeless.

• Homelessness today – often caused  by family break up.
• There is  not a big increase in population - more houses being built - yet homelessness increases.
• As families break apart need for more houses to give homes to same number of people.

Sleeping in open he has a dream 

• - Ladder joining earth to heaven.
• Angles descending and ascending.

`The Son of Man' 
- term used by Jesus to refer to his sufferings for the sins of the sons of men of all ages.

The cross on which He carried our sin is the link between earth and heaven.
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Out of the Depths
The term `depths' is used many times in Psalms. Describes various states of depression:

• Floundering of the lost.
• Terror of victims of cruelty.
• Mire of human sin.
• Silence of depression.
• Darkness of loneliness.

`Book’ and also `Books’
Book: - record of all our deeds. 
(Perhaps our thoughts and intents too).

• Tapes of President Nixon he wished weren't there.
• All our words taped and played: `Hang our heads in shame'.
• Video cameras - everywhere.
• Security identity cards - computer. 

nothing to fear if you haven't anything to hide.

• Dictatorial govts. Misuse such things.
• However God's book is just and true.

But the problem is that we all do have things to hide!
• There is another book.

• Book of life.
• Those who have confessed their sins to God and believed in Jesus His Son.
• There is forgiveness with God! 
• The record (slate) wiped clean.

The New Testament reveals the cost of that forgiving love.
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Verse 4 of Psalm 130 is a little puzzling:
We would expect the outcome of forgiveness to be joy, but instead:
`There is forgiveness with Thee that Thou mayest be feared'.

• But the fear is not terror. 
• Terror makes us want to flee away.

Rather in the words of the Hymn: 
`How dread are Thy Eternal years, Oh Everlasting Lord, By prostrate spirits day and night incessantly adored.
Oh how I fear Thee living God, with deepest tenderest fears, And worship thee with trembling hope and penitential tears. 
Yet I may love thee too, O Lord, Almighty as Thou art, For thou hast stooped to ask of me the love of my poor heart.

Forgiveness of God does not lead us to say:
`Ah I am free to sin because its His business to forgive'

• No the opposite: 

God's forgiveness leads to  reverence and love and will abhor the very thought of offending or grieving the God who in the sacrifice of Christ has forgiven me!

The next verse shows that the fear of God is not the same as terror.
Ps 130:5
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. (NIV)

He is waiting and longing for the Lord.
In the Scriptures Saints as those who are longing for His kingdom.
• `Blessed are those who hunger and ... '
• `Seek first His kingdom and righteousness ... '
• `Thy Kingdom come ... '

We wait for the face of the Lord and meanwhile we hope in His Word.

Sometimes the wait seems long.

Injustice and war in the world, suffering of children – seems to go on and on.

How long?
Ps 130:6
6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. (NIV)

Sometimes the night seems endless.
Ill at home or hospital unable to sleep ...
Night seems endless.
Yet is isn't
The morning is sure.
So the coming of the Lord is sure!
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Ps 130:7
7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. (NIV)

Unfailing love - Faithful love.
Human love is fickle.
He is faithful.

It is real love.

When the needy to Welfare or DSS office - only  a formal love that gives them help.

There is no real love  between the needy person and the man or woman in the office.

But God's love is real and dear and true.

`Full redemption'.
RSV: `Plenteous redemption.'
Overflowing abundance of God's mercy to us.

Verse 3 had implied that no-one could stand before God: 
Ps 130:3
3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? (NIV)
Sin includes all of us.

Now verse 8:
Ps 130:8
8 He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. (NIV)
Love of God is more than enough - overflows.

NT: ´Where sin abounded grace did much more abound'

Psalm 131 is a fitting conclusion.

• Describes the Christian life once we have left the depths.

Ps 131:1 My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. (NIV)

1 My heart is not proud. 
Pride undervalues other people - unless they are worth cultivating.
2 I am now not presumptive.
Presumption overestimates ourselves.

Ps 131:2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. (NIV)

Not a sucking child still at its mother's breast.
• Child already weaned at its mother's side.

Both `Independence and Trust'.
• God gave us individuality and freedom 
• and we must exercise it and use our initiative for His kingdom.
• But in a spirit of trust as we walk with the Lord.

Weaned from mother's milk so we eat solid food.
Jesus said:

John 4:34
34  My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.   (KJV)

May that be true of all of us! Amen.

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