3. God’s Love Is the Kindest (vv. 7-9). The Lord in His grace not only sees us but also cares for us and helps us. He “stoops down” and condescends to work on our behalf (138:6-8). The picture in verses 7-8 comes from verses 7 and 8 of the song of Hannah (1 Sam. 2:1-10), part of which was borrowed by Mary in her song of praise to God (Luke 1:46-55). Hannah was a barren wife to whom God gave a son, Samuel the judge and prophet. The history of Israel contains the stories of several barren women to whom God gave sons. It begins with Abraham’s wife Sarah, who gave birth to Isaac (Gen. 17:15-19), and then Isaac’s wife Rebekah became the mother of Jacob, who fathered the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 25:19-23). Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel, gave birth to Joseph (Gen. 29:31; 30:22-24), the man who protected the sons of Israel in Egypt. Hannah gave birth to Samuel (1 Sam. 1:1–2:11), and Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-15), the forerunner of Jesus Christ.

The ash heap was the gathering place of the outcasts of the city, the unwanted poor, and the diseased (Job 2:8). The sun would warm the ashes during the day and the ashes would keep the people warm at night. It was the one place that people avoided going near, but our God visits rejected people and changes their lives! If this is a postexilic psalm, as many believe it is, this truth must have been a great encouragement to the Jewish remnant struggling to rebuild their nation and their lives. The love of God and the grace of God made our God stoop to our level, especially when He sent Jesus Christ to become one of us and die for us on the cross (Phil. 2:1-11). In John 8:6 and 8 and 13:1-11, Jesus stooped to forgive a sinful woman and to wash His disciples’ feet. But His greatest demonstration of grace was when He died for us on the cross. He condescended to become like us that we might become like Him (1 Cor. 1:26-29; Eph. 2:1-10). There can be no greater love (John 15:13). Only Jesus Christ can lift sinners out of the ash heap and put them on the throne! (Eph. 2:1-10). One day the Lord will visit “barren Israel” and bless the nation with many children (Isa. 54:1-3; 66:8-11). No matter how dark the day or impossible the circumstances, our God is able to do the impossible (Eph. 3:19-20).