Song Deep Dive: Psalm 130 (Out of the Depths)
About Psalm 130
Psalm 130 is a psalm of deep lament, a cry from someone who knows the weight of sin and feels it pulling them into the depths. The psalmist admits that if the LORD kept a record of sins, no one could stand, yet he turns to the God who offers forgiveness to those who cannot lift themselves up. This psalm points us to the heart of the gospel. Scripture teaches that Jesus took the curse of sin upon Himself so that we could receive God’s blessing. The cross shows both the seriousness of our sin and the depth of the LORD’s love, as Jesus bore what we could not carry and opened the way for us to stand forgiven. Psalm 130 moves from sorrow to hope, from crying out in brokenness to trusting in God’s unfailing love. It invites us to bring our guilt, fear, and need for mercy to the LORD and to find in Him full redemption and the peace that comes from knowing we are blessed because of what Christ has done.
Psalm 130
A song of ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord;
2 Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
3 If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
4 But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.
5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
6 I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7 Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.
Stephen's Thoughts
Psalm 130 was one of the earliest Songs of Ascents I composed. The middle section mirrors one of the first pieces I created back in high school called “Rescue Me.” In that song, God kept calling out, “Come back to me, my lost sheep,” while I sang about feeling unable to return. In Psalm 130, that same tension appears. Lisa sings the voice of hope, “O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love,” while I continue to cry out from the depths, “LORD, hear my voice.” This is the moment when the song shifts from a quiet duet into a thunderous section driven by drums. When we were mixing the track, I told Jay at Audible Images that I wanted us to feel the drums, not just hear them, and he delivered exactly that. With the addition of my old bandmate from Quiver, Levi Stahl, the song transformed and became a powerful, thunderous cry to the LORD.
Listen to Psalm 130 (Out of the Depths)
Musical Credits
Lisa Vesolich (Vocals)
Stephen Vesolich (Vocals and Guitar)
Levi Stahl (Drums)
Ariel Goehring (Cello)
Lyrics
Out of the depths, I cry to You.
O LORD, hear my voice.
Let Your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
If You, O LORD, kept a record of sin,
O LORD, who could stand?
But with You there is forgiveness;
therefore, You are feared.
I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in His word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the LORD
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love,
and with Him is full redemption.
He Himself will redeem. (Repeat)
Out of the depths, I cry to You.
O LORD, hear my voice.
Let Your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.
O LORD, hear my voice.
Let Your ears be attentive
to my cry—my cry for mercy, O LORD.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love,
and with Him is full redemption.
He Himself will redeem
All sin. All sin. He Himself will redeem all sin.
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