Forgiveness is one of those biblical terms that really is beyond our complete understanding. However, GOD, through the inspired word, has offered several analogies to help us. Micah offers one such picture. Remember that Micah prophesied about 700 years before Christ. This is long before man had any understanding about the depths of the sea.
Recently we have read news reports about James Cameron becoming the first person to pilot a submersible to the ocean’s deepest point in the Mariana Trench. This trench is the deepest part of the ocean located in the Pacific off the coast of Japan and the Philippines. It is said the trench reaches a maximum depth of 35,800 feet. That is almost 7 miles deep!
My wife, Teresa, and I have made trips to the Rockies and love to visit some of the peaks above 14,000 feet. These are huge, majestic mountains. If one doubled the height of these mountains you would still be less than the world’s tallest peak, Mount Everest, at 29,029 feet. What does this have to do with the Mariana Trench and forgiveness?
If you took Mount Everest and placed it in the Mariana Trench the peak would still be covered by more than a mile of water.
When GOD wanted us to understand something of His forgiveness He referenced the depths of the sea. Micah says “Who is a GOD like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19)
It has taken us almost 3000 years to fully appreciate the example but we can now better understand how far removed our sins become when GOD forgives.
Thank you LORD for forgiveness…