As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.Psalm 103:12
Here is the next verse which also reveals the scope of His actions.
David uses another distance metaphor not to illustrate a navigational feat, but how measureless His mercy really is. East and west, unlike north and south, and not fixed points—they are headings. They are in opposite directions, and they never meet. They are, in the extreme from one another.
Another way this could be stated is: as far as the sunrise is from the sunset. When using this variation, more analogies come into play.
- The difference of day and night
- The extreme opposites of our 24 hour day
- The hope of a new day
- Even death and resurrection (darkness and light)
And those extremes are how far our sins, and therefore the associated punishment, are removed from us.
The Hebrew word for removed means to set or put far away, and to be gone. So the verb is consistent with the picture.
The question arises: How forgiven do you feel? How far are you delivered from your past sins? If you feel that they are lurking around the corner, then you have a problem with the extent of God’s forgiveness. May you find strength and comfort that your sins have been removed, put far away, and are gone.
Father, help me to abide in you, and far away from my sins. Amen.