< SPECIAL TOPIC: Forgiveness

SPECIAL TOPIC: FORGIVENESS IN THE OT

The only place to begin a discussion of forgiveness is the character of the God who forgives. This self revelation of God's character is clearly stated in Exod. 34:6-7, at the time of the replacement of the Ten Commandments after Aaron's sin of making the golden calf and Israel's flagrant idolatry.

The phrase about YHWH visiting the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generations (cf. Exod. 20:5; Deut. 5:9) has always bothered me. But, praise God that love and covenant mercy flow to "the thousandth generation" to "those who love Him and keep His commandments" (Deut.7:9; 5:10).

The two keys to biblical forgiveness are

  1. God's character, SPECIAL TOPIC: CHARACTERISTICS OF ISRAEL'S GOD (OT)
  2. human's repentance and faith, SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE (NT);   SPECIAL TOPIC: REPENTANCE (OT)

This concept of Israel's sense of the need for divine forgiveness is clearly seen in the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem (cf. 1 Kings 8; 2 Chronicles 6).

  1. for Israel, vv. 31-40, 46-53
  2. for the nations, vv. 41-45, 60

There is both an individual aspect related to divine forgiveness and a corporate aspect, so clearly seen in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16).

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL, I. E. #2

Here are most of the Hebrew words or idioms that express divine forgiveness of human sin and rebellion.

  1. "forgive," "pardon," סלח ‒ BDB 699, KB 757, i.e., Exod. 34:9; Lev. 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7; 19:22; Num. 14:20; 15:25-28; 30:5,8,12; I Kgs. 8:30, 34, 36, 39, 50; Ps. 25:11; 103:3; Isa. 55:7; Dan. 9:19; Amos 7:2 (this term is always used of God, never of humans)
  2. "wipe away," "blot out," נשׂא (very common VERB with many meanings) ‒ BDB 669, KB 724, i.e., Exod. 23:21; 32:32; 34:7; Num. 14:18; Josh. 24:19; Ps. 25:18; 32:1,5; 85:2; 99:8; Micah 7:18
  3. "cover," "atone," כפר ‒ BDB 497, KB 493, i.e., very common in Leviticus (esp. chapter 16); Ps. 65:3; 78:38; 79:9; Isa. 6:7; 22:14; Jer. 18:23; Ezek. 16:63; Dan. 9:24
  4. "blot out," "wipe out," מחה ‒ BDB 562, KB 567, i.e., Neh. 4:5; Ps. 51:1,9; Isa. 43:25; 44:22; Jer. 18:23
  5. "heal," רפא ‒ BDB 950, KB 1272, i.e., II Chr. 7:14; Ps. 41:4; 103:3; Isa. 6:10; 57:18; Jer. 3:22; 17:14; 30:17; Hosea 5:13; 14:4
  6. "passing over," עבר ‒ BDB 716, KB 778, i.e., Pro. 19:11; Amos 7:8; 8:2; Micah 7:18
  7. "wash," כבס ‒ BDB 460, KB 459, i.e., Ps. 51:2,7; Jer. 2:22; 4:14
  8. "cleanse," טהר ‒ BDB 372, KB 369, i.e., Lev. 16:30; Ps. 51:7; Prov. 20:9; Ezek. 24:13; 36:25
  9. "cast behind the back," שׁלך ‒ BDB 1020, KB 1527, i.e., Isa. 38:17; Micah 7:19
  10. "purge," חטא ‒ BDB 306, KB 305, i.e., Ps. 51:7 (this connotation of divine cleansing of this common VERB, is found only here)
  11. "hide Your face from," סתר ‒ BDB 711, KB 771, i.e., Ps. 51:9
  12. "remember" (neg.), זכר ‒ BDB 269, KB 269, i.e., Isa. 43:25
  13. "tread on" (lit. "subdue"), ??? ‒ BDB 461, KB 460, i.e., Micah 7:19

Finally, on the subject I would like to express my personal joy at the biblical truth that when God forgives, God forgets (cf. Ps. 103:11-13; Isa. 1:18; 38:17; 43:25; 44:22; Mic. 7:19)!!

 

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