What a Psalm; what a series. Faith waits ON God (vv 1-4) that waits FOR God (vv 5-8). As long as I know he is coming for me, I can wait on him. Saul waited on God (willing to serve him), but did not wait for God (when Samuel tarried his coming), and so Saul lost the kingdom (1 Sam 13:8-14). He waited on circumstances—by serving people and things—instead of waiting for the Lord. Isn't that amazing? I wonder what you will do if Jesus keeps tarrying his coming?
Jeremiah cried out of the dungeon. Daniel cried out of the den. Jonah cried out of the whale. Feel like you can't pray? CRY! "Since it is our duty to cry, it is in our interest to cry," because crying turns waiting from being hopeless resignation, into hopeful expectation. But be careful to hope, not based on your own opinion or imagination, but based on what is promised to you in God's word (v 5).
This is a double-header. First, forgiveness brings out holiness (v 4). Second, suffering brings on sanctification (v 8). As F.B. Meyer puts it, "Mercy is antiseptic to depravity." Ha! That means forgiveness of the sin which caused your suffering is more important than getting deliverance from the suffering itself.
Let me open a window on that word so you won't be so slow. The paralyzed man in Mark 2 had his friends drop him from the drop-ceiling in order to get him in front of Jesus so he could be healed. However, Jesus' first word to him was not, Get up and "walk it out," but "Son, your sins are forgiven."
Oh, turn off your halo. You know you are always asking God to stop your suffering, but not willing to ask him to save you from sinning. You're just like Augustine. When he was twenty-something he prayed, "Lord make me morally pure . . . but not yet!"
Martin Luther classified this as a "Pauline Psalm," because it promises forgiveness of sins by God's grace to anyone that exercises faith, totally apart from self-righteousness, self-effort, rules or religious rituals. That means the closer the pilgrims got to the Temple Mount, the better idea they got of Pauline doctrine. They were reminded that the sacrifices were a substitutionary atonement, and that we are justified by an imputed righteousness. Otherwise no one could "stand" (v 3).
Consider this. "I cried to the LORD" (v 1) and said, "Lord . . ." (v 2). Okay, I can see you missed it. Five times he calls on the LORD (Jah or Jehovah), and three times on the Lord (Adonai). Okay, let me instant replay and slow it down.
In the King James Bible "LORD" in all capitals translates the name Jehovah. Whereas "Lord" translates the name Adonai. Jehovah is his covenant name, promising salvation. Adonai is his controlling name as Lord and master. So you can cry to the LORD to deliver you precisely because of his Lord-ship over all obstacles in the way of delivering you. How'd you miss that, all these years?
There is "plenteous redemption" (v 7). As Matthew Henry says, that means "enough for all, enough for each, enough for me." And redemption from sin includes redemption from all other evils. Wait. Because that means in God there is more than forgiveness—there is deliverance. You know why? Because it included for them (and includes for us) (1) freedom from slavery, (2) victory over the enemy, and (3) a Promised Land for eternity.
Awesome! Amazingly awesome.
