Proverbs 16:6. By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one turns away from evil.
In the Old Testament the Hebrews celebrated the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement or, Yom Kippur, is still a Jewish holiday today. Yom Kippur was the day that God would atone for (cover over) all of the iniquities (sins) of the past year for all of the people. The High Priest would sacrifice a goat and spread its blood on the mercy seat atop the ark of the covenant in the Holiest Place inside the Tabernacle. The people didn’t have to do anything to have their sins atoned for except trust in the blood of the sacrifice. But the blood of that goat wasn’t magical. It didn’t really do anything. It just symbolized the steadfast love and faithfulness of God.
The tricky thing about this proverb, however, is that it is not describing the attributes of God, his steadfast love and faithfulness, but rather it is describing the attributes of the person that fears the Lord, our steadfast love and faithfulness.
But this leaves us with many questions. Is this then describing salvation by works, not grace? How can we atone for sins? Isn’t it only God that has steadfast love and faithfulness? Why are these attributes being applied to people in this proverb?
For Solomon to apply the two most unique character traits of God to God’s people is quite telling. Does he have in mind the imago dei. Because we image God we too can have steadfast love and faithfulness? Could even those under the law envision relationships of grace flowing from a changed heart? It seems as though the proverb is not speaking of atoning for our own sins with our love and faithfulness, but our atoning for the sins of others, covering over those sins committed against us by others, just like God does with us. Why does God atone (cover over) our sins? Because he is full of love and faithfulness. How can we cover over the sins of others? Because we too are full of the love and faithfulness of God.
How much more so in Christ?
The person in Christ knows two paradoxical truths. First, that we could never atone for our own iniquities. If we could, then why the cross? Why union with Christ? Why union with the cross? And second, that in Christ we can atone for the sins of others. We can cover over offenses. We can forgive iniquities. We can allow love to replace vengeance.
The cross is God’s pardoning, not just covering over, all of our sin simply because he loves us. Just like on the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament, we don’t have to do anything to have our sins forgiven except trust in the blood of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God, the final sacrifice for sins. And our union with the cross is what allows us to offer this same grace of God to others who have sinned against us.
The more we understand God’s steadfast love and faithfulness toward us in Christ, the more we will be able to put into practice that same steadfast love and faithfulness toward others in our lives.
You: Do you cover over other’s sins and failures, or do you hold on to them as currency to use against them one day?
You in Christ: Your sins are not just covered over, they are removed. How does this truth free you up to also let love cover a multitude of sins?
Christ in you: Is there an iniquity that you need to graciously cover over today?
Pray: Father, your steadfast love and faithfulness have graciously removed all guilt. I want to set others free from their guilt toward me too. Help me I pray. Amen.
To Live is Christ 