If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? (Psalm 130:3)

Psalm 130:3 gives an indication of the immeasurable love that our Father in heaven has for us. No wonder in John 3:16 we read:

Together with verses 1, 2 and 4, we are also reminded of our Father’s mercy and forgiveness:

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.

We are saved by our Father’s grace through faith in His son, Christ Jesus, and it is our Father’s mercy and forgiveness that prevent us from receiving deserved punishment, as the author Philip Wijaya wonderfully explained in his article What Is the Difference Between Grace and Mercy?

Mercy is the act of withholding deserved punishment, while grace is the act of endowing unmerited favor. In His mercy, God does not give us punishment we deserve, namely hell; while in His grace, God gives us the gift we do not deserve, namely heaven.

Note that since the Book of Psalms is the 19th book of the Bible, the identifier of Psalm 130:4 is 19+130+4=153.

Conclusion. Through the Lord’s Prayer, we acknowledge that with our Father in heaven, there is mercy and forgiveness.

Discussions

Psalm 130:3 and the Lord’s Prayer both touch upon the themes of human fallibility, the need for God’s mercy, and forgiveness.

1. Recognition of Human Sinfulness:
   • Psalm 130:3 acknowledges that if God were to keep a record of sins, no one would be able to stand before Him, highlighting the universal need for mercy.
   • The Lord’s Prayer includes the plea, “forgive us our debts,” which is an admission of our own sins and shortcomings, and our need for God’s forgiveness.
2. The Need for Forgiveness:
   • The Psalmist is aware of the human condition that necessitates forgiveness, which is a central request in the Lord’s Prayer as well.
3. The Assurance of God’s Forgiveness:
   • While Psalm 130:3 poses a rhetorical question about God’s judgment, it implies trust in God’s forgiveness, which is addressed directly in the subsequent verses, especially verse 4: “But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.”
   • In the Lord’s Prayer, there’s an expectation of forgiveness: “as we also have forgiven our debtors,” indicating that just as we are forgiven by God, we are also to extend that forgiveness to others.
4. Mercy Over Judgment:
   • The Psalm presents a God who is more interested in redemption than in keeping a tally of wrongs, resonating with the Lord’s Prayer’s call for God’s mercy over strict justice.
5. The Foundation for Ethical Living:
   • The understanding of God’s mercy leads to a life of reverence and service, as suggested in Psalm 130:4. This reverence can be tied to “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” from the Lord’s Prayer, suggesting a life aligned with God’s will, partly characterized by mutual forgiveness among people.

In essence, the link between Psalm 130:3 and the Lord’s Prayer can be found in their mutual recognition of the need for divine mercy and forgiveness, without which humanity cannot stand before God. This recognition is not meant to lead to despair, but rather to a profound understanding of the grace that underpins the relationship between God and humanity, and the call to live out this grace in our relationships with others.