Lord, if you marked our transgressions, who would stand?

Psalm 130 is a wonderful psalm.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Yahweh!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O Yahweh, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

I wait for Yahweh, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, hope in Yahweh!
For with Yahweh there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

The psalmist is clear about his condition, clear about where his hope is to be found and clear about the implications. He directs his attention, and we direct ours with him, to the God of Israel, with whom there is forgiveness. Lest we miss the point, he calls all of us—for we are grafted into Israel—to direct our focus to Yahweh, the God of the covenant. His word is forgiveness, and his being is love.

And standing this side of the cross, we are directed particularly to focus on the one who endured the uttermost depths, who cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" and who is the Redeemer of his people Israel.