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O U T L I N E S
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Rev. Ronald C. Purkey, an ordained Baptist minister, claims no originality for the contents
of these Bible study outlines. However, every Bible study posted on this website has been
taught by Rev. Purkey. To see more Bible study outlines go to the Archives Page:
rcpbibleoutlines.com/index10.htm_
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EXPECTANT WATCHFULNESS
July 28, 2024
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 130:1-8
KEY VERSE: “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope” (Psalm 130:5).
INTRODUCTION: The Songs of Ascents.
First, Psalms 120–134 form a collection of 15 psalms identified in their headings as the Songs of Ascents.
Regarding songs, four are attributed to David (Psalm 122; 124; 131; 133) and one to Solomon (Psalm 127); the others are anonymous. They are a carefully selected group of psalms arranged here in the text around the theme of the Lord’s messianic promise to David (see 2 Samuel 7:11–17). The central psalm of the unit is Psalm 132, which recounts the Davidic Covenant.
Second, The meaning of the “Ascents” has several possible implications.
It could refer to: (1) ascending the steps leading up to the altar in the temple, so these psalms would have been sung by the Levitical priests offering sacrifices; (2) worshipers going up (ascending) to Jerusalem during one of the annual pilgrimage festivals (see Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast Tabernacles; see Deut. 16:5–17; Lev. 23; Ps. 122:1), when these psalms would have been sung as part of these appointed feasts; or (3) the Jewish people coming up out of the Babylonian exile and back to the land of Israel, sung in route in hope of return and again in celebration after return (Psalm 126:1).
Third, Within the context of the Psalms these options are not contradictory, as this collection of psalms was organized as a unit in the final postexilic arrangement of the Psalter.
Throughout the OT, the return from the Babylonian exile is seen as a precursor of the time of Messiah (see Isaiah 40), so reading the Psalms of Ascents in this matter is an expression of the hope of God’s faithfulness to fulfill the Davidic Covenant with the reign of King Messiah, Son of David (the Lord Jesus Christ.)
A SHOCKING REVEALATON
By David Jeremiah
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. (Psalm 130:5)
In the chaos of everyday decisions and demands, it's easy to forget God is guiding us. The story of Esther reminds us that although we may not see the fruition and impact of His plans immediately, He is working on our behalf. Esther was an orphan, raised by her uncle, and became queen to a foreign king. When an evil plan to annihilate the Jews was announced, she had a choice: to believe that God had orchestrated her ascension to the throne to save the Jews or to hide her identity for the sake of self-preservation.
Although we may never experience such a shocking a revelation, we are faced with the same choice. Will we trust God or trust ourselves? Jesus frequently referred to Himself as a shepherd, and a good shepherd does not leave his sheep to fend for themselves. A good shepherd protects and leads his sheep. Will you trust Him today?
-- By David Jeremiah, A Turning Point devotion, August 31, 2015.
I. THE HUMAN NEED FOR MERCY (Psalm 130:1–3).
INSIGHT: Psalm 130 is a cry to the Lord for Mercy.
Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? (Psalm 130:1–3).
A. This penitential psalm is a cry for mercy from out of the depths (see other penitential Psalms 6:2–5; 32; 38; 51; 69).
The depths out of which the psalmist cried to the LORD were not physical depths, but rather, expresses the low point of his emotional condition (see Psalm 69:2, 14). He acknowledged the contrast between his iniquities and God’s righteousness, so that if it were not for God’s mercy, no one could stand before the Holy One; this is the universal problem of sin for all humankind (see Psalm 9:7–8; Eccles. 7:20; Acts 3:23). If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, that is count all sins against the sinner, who could stand, under Your righteous judgment? The answer to this rhetorical question is “Absolutely no one could stand in God’s presence.”
B. The psalmist cries out to God from the depths of his emotional turmoil (Psalm 130:1).
He realizes his desperate situation as his sin is contrasted with God’s holiness: If you kept an account of iniquities, LORD, who could stand? (Psalm 130:3). When our sin is measured against God’s righteousness, we fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) and deserve death (Romans 6:23).
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
“For the wages of sin is death; but the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
II. THE DEVINE GIFT OF MERCY (Psalm130:4–6).
But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning (Psalm 130:4–6).
A. The Lord is holy but there is forgiveness with God (see Nehemiah 9:17; Daniel 9:9), that He may be feared (see Psalm 19:9; 34:9, 11; 111:10; 128:1; Ex. 34:6–7).
The purpose of His attribute of mercy with its resulting forgiveness, along with His many other attributes, is that He might be feared, that is, worshiped with reverence and awe. The personal experience of this divine forgiveness underlies the psalmist’s affirmation, I wait for the LORD … and in His word I do hope. He is eagerly expecting the Lord’s continued goodness. He compares his attitude to that of watchmen who are awake on the job all night, eagerly waiting for the morning.
B. The grace that saves us as Gentiles will save the nation of Israel also.
The day is coming when Israel’s cry out of the depths will be answered. Christ will return unto Zion and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob: “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes” (Romans 11:26–28). During the Great Tribulation they will wait for the Lord to deliver them more than the watchers for the morning. You and I also are to wait for the rising of the Bright and Morning Star, the Lord Jesus Christ, when He comes for His own.
INSIGHT: Praise God—with God there is forgiveness! In the Old Testament the LORD made forgiveness possible through the atoning sacrifices he required of Israel day by day and year by year. But, ultimately, these sacrifices were fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ on His cross. The New Testament tells us that by faith in the Gospel (His death on the cross and His resurrection ) “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:14). God extends such grace not so that it will lead to indulgence but so that He may be revered and taken seriously (see verse 4).
The psalmist waits for divine deliverance from guilt, like watchmen who stay awake all night waiting for the morning to come. He looks to God to remove the weight that his sin had laid on him (see Psalm 130:5–6).
III. THE RESPONSE TO THE MERCY AND FORGIVENESS OF GOD (Psalm 130:7–8)
Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. (Psalm 130:7–8)
A. In response to the forgiveness of God, Israel is reminded to hope in the LORD (Psalm 130:5).
This hope is linked to the lovingkindness (see Psalm 5:7). While this exhortation certainly includes the general desire to see his people blessed spiritually (i.e., “saved” in the sense typically intended in the NT, as in Romans 10:9) in every age and generation, the psalmist’s primary reference in this last section is to that day when God will redeem Israel from all his iniquities, that same day of which Zechariah and Paul wrote (Zcher.12:10–13:1; Romans 11:25–27).
B. In light of God’s faithful love, the psalmist urges Israel (and believers today) to put their hope (i.e., “trust in the Lord for the blessings of redemption and deliverance (Psalm 130:7).
One day, the Lord will redeem Israel from all its iniquities (Psalm 130:8). They will believe in their Messiah and repent of their rejection of him, and Christ’s millennial kingdom will be ushered in.
IS THERE A SIN GOD CANNOT FORGIVE?
By David Jeremiah
First, One of the questions I’m regularly asked is, “Pastor, can I commit a sin that God cannot forgive?”
Jesus addressed the topic in Mark 3:20-30. According to Jesus, there is one thing a person can do for which there is no forgiveness either in this age or in the age to come: blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. But what does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit?
Let’s look directly at Jesus’ concluding statement in verses 28-30:
“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation,”—because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Christians have often misunderstood this paragraph. To arrive at the correct interpretation, we must begin with the last phrase, which explains why Jesus made this statement. He gave this teaching because His critics were accusing Him of being demon–possessed (verse 22). Our Lord was telling them, in essence, “There is a sin that you are on the verge of committing. You should be very careful because you’re about to do something for which there is no forgiveness.”
What is it? [It is the rejection of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior! See John 3:16]
Second, Have You Committed the Unpardonable Sin?
The thought of an unforgivable sin has haunted sensitive people in every Christian century, and maybe it has haunted you. I want to be clear in saying that if you’re bothered in your spirit that you may have committed a sin God will not forgive, the very fact that you have anxiety over that is evidence you’ve not committed the sin. If He is still working in your heart, it’s not possible to have committed the unpardonable sin. The very fact that you’re reading this article is a tremendous indication you’ve not committed the unforgivable sin described in the Gospel of Mark.
In its essence, the unforgivable sin is hardening your heart against God by repeatedly refusing to respond to His entreaties to your soul. By continuing to resist and reject the Lord, you build calluses on your soul until the conviction of the Spirit of God no longer registers in your heart. Over time, you become hardened. You hear the Word of God, and it makes no impact on you. If you die in that condition, there’s no further forgiveness available. For those who reject Jesus Christ, there’s no forgiveness anywhere else, anytime, either in this world or the next. He died for you, and if you reject that, there’s no other sacrifice for sin.
So don’t worry that you’ve committed the unpardonable sin. But if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, be concerned that you might. If you’ve resisted Christ and refused Him as your Savior, and if something happens and you die, you will have committed the unpardonable sin. You don’t get a second chance after death. Whatever we do concerning Christ, we do in this life. Don’t gamble that you will have time or that you can respond later. The Bible says, “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).
You can trust that Jesus is who He claims to be. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is the only way to God. He is Son of God and Son of Man, our Savior, the Word made flesh, the Firstborn from the Dead. He is our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend. He is Christ the Lord, the Rock of Ages, the Sure Foundation, the Cornerstone. When He is your unforgettable Savior, you’ll never have to worry about the unforgivable sin.
-- By David Jeremiah, A “Turning Point” Blog.
CONCLUSION: As you think about Psalm 130, see yourself in four different situations, and learn what it means to trust the mercy of the Lord.
First, In the depths (Psalm 130:1–2). The depths of despair overwhelm you. You are drowning, and all you can do is cry out to God. He hears—and He rescues you!
Second, In the court (Psalm 130:3–4). You are on trial, facing your sins, and you have no defense. The Judge pays the penalty, and you are forgiven!
Third, In the dark (Psalm 130:5–6). You are waiting patiently, yet, it seems morning will never come. But the sun rises, and God gives you the dawning of a new day!
Fourth, On the block (Psalm 130:7–8). You are a slave, bound by your own sins, and you are about to sell yourself to a terrible master. But the Savior comes and purchases you and sets you free!
That is a picture of our salvation! What a wonderful salvation we have. We are free, free, free; our sins (past, present, and future) are forgiven as soon as we trust Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (see John 3:16).
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: “God is completely sovereign. God is infinite in wisdom. God is perfect in love. God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He always knows what is best, and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about.” -- Jerry Bridges.
REFERENCES: References used in these Bible studies are the Moody Bible Commentary, J. Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible Commentary: (www.ttb.org), the Scofield Study Bible, the Believer’s Bible Commentary, Dr. Charles J. Woodbridge Bible Outlines, Dr. Lee Roberson’s Sermons, Dr. Charles Stanley: (http://www.intouch.org/), Don Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Women’s Study Bible, The Bible Reader’s Companion Ed. 3, The Nelson Study Bible: New King James Version, Dr. Tony Evans (https://tonyevans.org/), KJV Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the New Testament ed. 4, Dr. David Jeremiah: (http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/), Dr. Cliff Robinson’s Bible Outlines, Dr. Robert Jeffress’ Pathway to Victory (https://ptv.org/), Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines of the Old Testament, Dr. Alan Carr’s The Sermon Notebook (www.sermonnotebook.org), With the Word Bible Commentary, Wiersbe’s “Be” Series: Old & New Testaments, Radio Bible Class Ministries (http://rbc.org/), selected illustrations and other references.
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