Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
The psalm is a song of the sons of Korah written during or after Israel's captivity. It belongs with those associated with the Jews' return from Babylonian captivity, amid joy and sorrow and anxiety and the rebuilding and dedication of the second temple.
The verse declares God's past favor to His land in bringing back the captivity of Jacob, forgiving the iniquity of His people and covering all their sin. That forgiveness belongs with His taking away all His wrath and turning from fierce anger and turning aside the wrath they deserved. The forgiveness is associated with deliverance from captivity, whether describing a past deliverance or, if written before the captivity, foretelling one.
The return and forgiveness were the Lord's own work, not the work of Cyrus or Zerubbabel or Ezra or other human leaders. He is the source of every good in the deliverance, and the verse shows His goodness in doing all that was good. The covering of sin is God's forgiving mercy, not people hiding or excusing wrongdoing. Sin is truly covered as sinners are led through repentance and reformation to Christ's blood and God's forgiveness.
The remembered forgiveness grounds prayer for God to turn again and cause indignation to cease. It grounds prayer for Him to quicken His people again that they may rejoice, and to show mercy and grant salvation. It is part of a prayer recalling God's past favor and forgiveness. God is ready to speak peace to His children when they turn from sin and rebellion. The forgiveness experienced in the return also points to a glorious future deliverance from all sin.
The passage gave God's people encouragement and grounds for faith in a crisis. It belonged with humbling themselves and confessing sin and renewing consecration to the Lord. It belonged with trusting God to deliver His cause from disgrace. The verse is preeminently worthy of being memorized.
The psalm is a song of the sons of Korah written during or after Israel's captivity. It belongs with those associated with the Jews' return from Babylonian captivity, amid joy and sorrow and anxiety and the rebuilding and dedication of the second temple.
The verse declares God's past favor to His land in bringing back the captivity of Jacob, forgiving the iniquity of His people and covering all their sin. That forgiveness belongs with His taking away all His wrath and turning from fierce anger and turning aside the wrath they deserved. The forgiveness is associated with deliverance from captivity, whether describing a past deliverance or, if written before the captivity, foretelling one.
The return and forgiveness were the Lord's own work, not the work of Cyrus or Zerubbabel or Ezra or other human leaders. He is the source of every good in the deliverance, and the verse shows His goodness in doing all that was good. The covering of sin is God's forgiving mercy, not people hiding or excusing wrongdoing. Sin is truly covered as sinners are led through repentance and reformation to Christ's blood and God's forgiveness.
The remembered forgiveness grounds prayer for God to turn again and cause indignation to cease. It grounds prayer for Him to quicken His people again that they may rejoice, and to show mercy and grant salvation. It is part of a prayer recalling God's past favor and forgiveness. God is ready to speak peace to His children when they turn from sin and rebellion. The forgiveness experienced in the return also points to a glorious future deliverance from all sin.
The passage gave God's people encouragement and grounds for faith in a crisis. It belonged with humbling themselves and confessing sin and renewing consecration to the Lord. It belonged with trusting God to deliver His cause from disgrace. The verse is preeminently worthy of being memorized.