Lectio Reflections: There is forgiveness....

A Song of Ascents.

A1 Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O LORD.

   ² Lord, hear my voice! Let Thine ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications.    

     A2    ³ If Thou, LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

            ⁴ But there is forgiveness with Thee, That Thou mayest be feared.

              B1            ⁵ I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait,

                  B2                      And in His word do I hope.

              B1           ⁶ My soul waits for the Lord More than the watchmen for the morning;

                               Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.

                  B2                    ⁷ O Israel, hope in the LORD;

A1  For with the LORD there is loving kindness, And with Him is abundant redemption.

      A2  ⁸ And He will redeem Israel From all his iniquities.

        

Context:  The Songs of Ascents (Psalms 120-135) have been described in different contexts: the people of God climbing Mt Zion to worship; Israel going up to Jerusalem (located in the mountains) at the three annual feasts; climbing the 15 steps leading from the outer court to the inner court of the temple;  returning to the promise land after captivity; or a spiritual ascent in the lives of God’s people. Referenced occasionally in the Midrash and Talmud, the history recorded is too faint to make a contextual statement. We can say that they all  “speak of Israel's return to God and restoration to fellowship with the Almighty in terms of the Jews' going up from all parts of the land to Jerusalem to appear before Jehovah and to worship Him there.” http://www.biblicalresearch.info/page112.html

Psalm 130 is a psalm that ascends from repentance to redemption through faith in the Lord and his word (waiting and hoping) that is laid out in a chiastic structure consisting of double bicolas or tricolas, (A form of Hebrew parallelism where meaning is found in the relationship of ideas).

It is out of a deep heart conviction of the soul, brought on by overwhelming (as if drowning in the depths of an ocean - overwhelming) stress of life.The Psalmist is aware of his separated position (iniquities) and seeks God's grace. 

Forgiveness is found through a repentance (or turning) from sin, and in one's faith in God. There is patience and hope in His word and nature ( loving kindness) and the promise of redemption. God is referred to as Yaweh (Jehovah) “LORD” (all caps in NASB)  the personal name for the God of Israel in verses 1,3,5,7, and Adonai “Lord” (only the first letter in caps), the term for Lord or master in verses 2, 3, and 6. While God is personal and intimate, He is also the master of our soul, able to lead us out of despair. In verse 3, both names are found in the same verse and provide an Interesting contrast of the nuance to consider.

In verse 4, we find forgiveness presented in the context of repentance and faith, as the means to receive God's grace and salvation. At first glance, fear may not seem an attractive outcome of forgiveness, but upon closer reflection, there is another aspect of fear that brings worship alive, and recognizes God in the light of his "otherness" or holiness.

 The concept of fear, for many of us, carries a negative connotation related to danger, which can cloud the original meaning of the author.

תִּוָּרֵא -Fear as translated from Psalm 130:4 is congegated as Niph.:45 Impf. 2 m. “to be feared” and carries the 3rd. definition in the BDB lexicon  to inspire reverence, godly fear, and awe: a. as attribute of God, לְמַעַן   תִּוָּרֵא that thou mightest be revered Psalm 130:4; BDB

The Halot, translates the context of the Psalm “to be feared” as  “to be honoured” (God) Ps 130₄

Keil & Delitzsch reflect:  “With the Lord is the willingness to forgive (הסּליחה), in order that He may be feared; i.e., He forgives, as it is expressed elsewhere (e.g.,Psalm 79:9), for His Name's sake: He seeks therein the glorifying of His Name. He will, as the sole Author of our salvation, who, putting all vain-glorying to shame, causes mercy instead of justice to take its course with us (cf. Psalm 51:6), be reverenced; and gives the sinner occasion, ground, and material for reverential thanksgiving and praise by bestowing “forgiveness” upon him in the plenitude of absolutely free grace.” (Emphasis mine) http://www.studylight.org/commentaries/kdo/view.cgi?bk=18&ch=130

When we consider a holy fear of awe and honor, it can take on a nuance of wonder and reverence as well as humility (to bow down) in our worship. The traditional concept of fear; that of being terrified, or “shaking in one’s boots” brings an awareness of something “unknown”, or “other” beyond oneself to an unexpected possible dangerous outcome.

God has been described as someone completely  “other” or "holy", and yet through his word, and our faith in Him, He can be known. There is a danger in following Yaweh, as we enter into His “otherness” or “holiness,” that provides no guarantee of safety or lack of suffering. God is Holy, "completely other", and we tremble in awe as we move towards Him on the basis of His forgiveness, while others one day will tremble "in their boots" on the threat of his judgment. One day every knee will bow!

As I reflected on this, a principle began to emerge. The restoration of our relationships (even those that are damaged down to our very soul) comes out of repentance and forgiveness, with God and each other. There can be hope, even when there seems to be none, based on God’s word and His nature (it is His loving kindness that leads us to repentance). Through this dynamic of repentance and forgiveness, God can give us patience to wait in the midst of our suffering and the ability to bear the pain until we are restored. It is sobering to note that our relationship with God can be affected by how we reflect His nature in the area of repentance and forgiveness to others. Yet as the Psalm begins with the author and the matters of his own soul, and then shifts to others, so we also bring our burdens to the Lord first, before approaching others.