"You who hear prayer, To You all men come. Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You forgive them.” (vv.2-3)
Our God is the God who hears our prayers and provides atonement for our sins. The Hebrew word for atonement, kaphar, literally means to cover over, as with a lid. It is found 3 times in the Book of Psalms, and is the word used for the top covering of the Ark of the Covenant. It is also where we get the name for the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur.
In this psalm, it (atonement) describes how God covers over sin and its effects. We find, in this one word, the love of God meeting the holiness of God. God’s perfect holiness requires that the law be upheld by the prescribed payment—death. And God’s perfect love paid that price by Jesus’ death on the cross. By placing our faith in His death and resurrection, His atonement covers over our sin. Hallelujah!
The Truth: "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
