Psalms 130:3

"If thou, Jehovah, shouldest mark iniquities.

O Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with thee,

That thou mayest be feared."

"If thou shouldest mark iniquities" (Psalms 130:3). This emphasizes the truth that if God kept a permanent record of all sins instead of forgiving them, no mortal could stand justified in the sight of God. The epic question of the Apocalypse is, "The great day of God's wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:17).

"But there is forgiveness with thee" (Psalms 130:4). No greater insight into God's character is to be found anywhere in the Old Testament. Indeed yes, God has forgiveness; and, although it was not available in the absolute sense during the Old Covenant days, yet devout, God-fearing souls certainly found the equivalent of it in God's remission of the penalties deserved in anticipation of the Atonement in the times of the Incarnation. Paul referred to this as, "The passing over of the sins done aforetime." (Romans 3:25).

"That thou mayest be feared" (Psalms 130:4). The thought here is that, "The only hope is in God's forgiveness, which in turn quickens the feeling of awe"[5] in the sinner seeking forgiveness, without which his eternal death is certain.