Forgiveness (Part 5 of 0)

Forgiveness – Part 1

This series of articles will address the following topics related to forgiveness:

  1. God forgives — this is an essential part of His character.
  2. “Forgiveness” terminology and definitions — God’s Word is full of expressive language enabling us to talk about forgiveness.
  3. We must forgive others — God makes His forgiveness of us contingent on us forgiving.
  4. Cognitive therapy in the Bible as regards forgiveness — God instructs us how to reprogram our minds to conform to His way.
  5. Myths of forgiveness — we need to avoid the many misunderstandings as­sociated with forgiveness.
  6. Activities of forgiveness — we can learn and practice the discipline of for­giveness.

Why are we writing about forgiveness?

Here are few of the reasons we have chosen to write on this important topic:

  • Forgiveness removes the sin that separates us from God, bringing us into harmony with our heavenly Father.
  • Refusing to forgive those who have sinned against us causes us great harm. The positive benefit of forgiving others is well established.1 Forgiveness can change you completely. Research shows that the effects of forgiveness are quite amazing.
  • We cannot get through life without having to face serious forgiveness issues; for example, being jilted, suffering from family break-ups, being fired from work because your boss had it in for you, suffering the distress of a car ac­cident, being the victim of alcohol abuse, and a multitude of other misery-inducing dramas. We cannot avoid these situations, so wisdom dictates that learning how to forgive is both prudent, and a practical necessity for our own well-being.
  • The Lord teaches us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” then after completing his pattern prayer, he continues: “For if we forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt 6:12, 14-15). The importance of us forgiving is clear, especially when we recognize that this is the only petition in the Lord’s Prayer on which Jesus comments. It is also the only petition in which we have an active part.
  • We can get better at forgiveness. Like any skill, there are techniques, and we can grow in our maturity in using them. Forgiving is one of the few traits of God we can mimic, and we can become more like Him by practicing forgiveness. We need to improve our ability to forgive, as individuals and as a community.
  • Comedienne Lily Tomlin cleverly summarizes, “Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.” Put another way, forgiveness is the first step to a better future.

The character of God

Forgiveness is a key element of God’s character. In response to the children of Israel fashioning and worshiping the golden calf, the Lord declares His intention to destroy them all and to create from Moses a new nation (Exod 32:10). Moses intercedes and the Lord relents (Exod 32:11-14). Moses smashes the tables of the law and the 3,000 men directly responsible for the sin are executed (Exod 32:15­ 29). Moses asks that the Lord forgive the nation of their great sin:

“And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin —; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written” (Exod 32:30-32).

The Lord responds:

“Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made” (Exod 32:33-35).

God declares the danger of His continuing in the midst of this stiff-necked people and tells Moses He will not go up with them. Moses pleads with Him, and again God relents (Exod 33) and reestablishes the covenant (Exod 34). In particular, the Lord declares the essence of his name:

“And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and pro­claimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsu~fer- ing, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation” (Exod 34:5-7).

This affirmation forms the basis for Lord’s relationship to His people and becomes the foundation of Israel’s prayers for forgiveness. When ten of twelve spies returned with an evil report, the Lord said to Moses:

“How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they” (Num 14:11-12).

Moses’ response is based on Exodus 34:

“And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long suering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth genera­tion. Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now” (Num 14:17-19).

This forgiveness is an essential part of David’s prayers:

“Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee… But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gra­cious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth” (Psa 86:3-5, 15).

“The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psa 103:8-12).

The Sons of Korah follow the same pattern:

“LORD, thou hast been favorable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation” (Psa 85:1-7; cf. Exod 32-34).

As do the Songs of Degrees:

“Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared” (Psa 130:1-4).

The Law of Moses

In the sin and trespass offerings, the LORD repeatedly emphasizes His provision for forgiveness, and its dependence on the shedding of blood:

“And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them…

“And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him…

“And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LoRD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him…

“And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LoRD: and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him…

“And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him…

“And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest’s, as a meat offering…

“And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him…

“And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estima­tion, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him…

“And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespass­ing therein” (Lev 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7; cf. Num 15:22-29, esp. vv25, 26, 28).

Solomon’s dedication prayer

Forgiveness is the repeated catchphrase of Solomon’s dedication prayer for the temple:

“And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive” (1Kgs 8:30; 2Chr 6:21).

“Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers” (1Kgs 8:34; 2Chr 6:25).

“Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance” (1Kgs 8:36; 2Chr 6:27).

“Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)” (1Kgs 8:39; 2Chr 6:30).

“Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven they dwelling place, and maintain their cause, And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them cap­tive, that they may have compassion on them” (1Kgs 8:49-50; 2Chr 6:39).

In response, the LORD confirms His commitment to hear their prayer from heaven and forgive their sin:

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2Chr 7:14).

Next: “Forgiveness” Terminology and Definitions