Though sufferings for His sake are necessary to prove and make good the work in the soul, yet the Lord would not have us dwell on those things. Our hearts are prone to do this-dwell on what we have endured or given up for Him-but this brings in pride, so He cannot leave us there. He takes us aside here in this Psalm and shows us something of the wretchedness of our own hearts. He does this by allowing the light of His Word to shine upon us. This shining forth of the light of His Word was that which had aroused them no doubt in Psalm 120, but it is more intensified to them here. It reminds us of the brightness of light above the noonday sun which broke forth upon Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:3-9), and the voice that came with it revealing to him that Jesus of Nazareth, whom he despised, was now in glory. All this made him see the utter vanity and worthlessness of his former life and also of the traditions which he was blindly following.
The Lord does not allow the newly aroused soul of the 129th Psalm to remain where he could take credit to himself, but by the light of His Word leads him to self-judgment that he might not go on in his own strength, but that he might in his weakness receive strength from above which the Lord alone can supply. Psalm 130 shows the great depths of exercise through which they had been led.
(vs. 1) “Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O LORD.” This reminds us somewhat of that which Jonah passed through when he said, “The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the depth closed me round about ... I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever.” It was not, however, until he could say, “Salvation is of the LORD,” that deliverance came. See Jonah 2:5, 6, 9.
In our Psalm he is brought to say,
(vs. 3) “If Thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?”
But he receives the answer which gives him peace:
(vs 4) “But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.”
And this brings in the desire to wait upon the Lord.
(vs. 6) “My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.” David no doubt had many experiences in watching for the morning when hunted by king Saul, longing for the morning light to dispel the dangers of the night. So it is beautiful to see his deep exercises for the Lord spoken of as surpassing anything else through which he had passed.
(vs. 7) The true hope of Israel can now be rejoiced in on account of His loving-kindness and plenteous redemption, and is the leading on of the soul in becoming a true worshiper. This is begun here on earth and continues beyond this scene, as is seen in Revelation 5 for the heavenly people, and in Revelation 14 for the earthly people.