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Here we have two figures. (1) The blotting out of a book. (2) The blotting out of
remembrance. Deuteronomy moreover, contains the curse written against the idolater in
Israel "The Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven" (Deut. 29: 20), and David
in his own Psalms had used the word to speak of this terrible judgment upon the wicked:
"Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the
righteous" (Psa. 69: 28).
"Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted
out" (Psa. 109: 13).
He knew that where sin was not `blotted out' it was `remembered'.
"Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his
mother be blotted out" (Psa. 109: 14).
From another point of view, Nehemiah reverses the prayer made by Moses and says:
"Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I
have done for the house of my God" (Neh. 13: 14).
Perhaps the most terrible passage wherein this word `blot out' is found is in the record
of the Flood:
"I will destroy man" (Gen. 6: 7);
"Every living substance . . . . . will I destroy (margin blot out)" (Gen. 7: 4);
"Every living substance was destroyed . . . . . they were destroyed from the earth"
(Gen. 7: 23).
As one ponders the usage of this expression, the completeness of the forgiveness of
David's sin becomes apparent. If such a `blotting out' from the Divine record as this
term implies be accomplished, David could anticipate the language of another, who
though once calling himself a `wretched man' and `the chief of sinners', yet could say:
"Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?"
We will take up the reference to washing and cleansing in our next article. We leave
the reader to ponder the grace that can so effectively `blot out' transgression as to justify
the use of so strong a word as that employed by David in Psa. 51: What was true of
David will be true of Israel, and true of all saints.
"I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine Own sake, and will not
remember thy sins" (Isa. 43: 25).
"I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins;
return unto Me; for I have redeemed thee" (Isa. 44: 22).
"The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces" (Isa. 25: 8).