Forgiveness
From the beginning of the Writings Of Moses(Torah), the CREATOR of the Heavens and the Earth has given us Laws and Teachings that we would be able to learn to be Righteous.
In the “Garden in Eden”, the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” only taught us the difference between Right and Wrong. There is a time in almost every life, when that person crosses from good and does that which is evil. It is a learning experience, which means that you will chose to do that which you know is wrong. How does this relate to the “Garden in Eden”? If you were to review that story in the Written Torah, when the serpent and Eve are having the discussion, Eve tells the serpent what the Rule is and WHO declared it. Even though, she had not heard the source of the rule say the rule. She knew. She talks herself into eating of the tree, by deciding that it was good to eat and she adds to that it will “Make Her Wise”, which was never discussed prior to this. It did not make her wise, or even smarter. She gives to her husband, Adam, who just eats without discussion. Adam also knew the rule, for he did hear it stated to him and both knew the speaker. Instead of wisdom they learned what it means to sin.
Before that we were righteous for we only had one rule. After they chose to break the rule we knew what evil was. Once you have done something, you cannot undo the knowledge of the thing.
There are consequences to our actions. Most things we can get the ALMIGHTY, Creator of the Heavens and the Earth’s forgiveness, which is what I tried to explain in “Forgiveness”.
There are some things that the LORD does not forgive, or so it seems.
Committing self MURDER is: Death. Murder of another person is: Death. Stealing a man and selling him(enslaving by guile): Death.
The punishment list above(Death) is in two forms. Death of the body, and the one the LORD is concerned about is Death Of Your Soul, which could live thousands of years past the body. As long as there is life in the body, most things you may seek forgiveness and live righteously(the doing part).
Proof that the LORD does not forgive these and some other events.
“Exodus 21:14 And if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from Mine altar, that he may die”.(This is MURDER.)
“Exodus 21: 16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.” (This is the “Theft of a Life”.)
There is one that the LORD declares to Moses, separate from the Covenant, which is from Exodus 20 through Exodus 23. This one needs a little introduction. At this place, Moses is trying to get forgiveness for those involved in the golden calf incident, which is about worshiping an idol as a god. Truly a sin against the ALMIGHTY Sovereign of the Universe.
Moses is making his case:
Exodus 32:31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said: ‘Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them a god of gold.
32 Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.'(Note in the Written TORAH, original text, it has spaces for the — actually in the scroll, indicating a pause in the speaking.)
JUDGEMENT
Exodus 32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book’.( This is where the idea of the “Book Of Life” comes from. Not in this BOOK, your souls marked for death. Why is this so serious? That soul not only has done something worse than stealing a man, for stealing a life and a soul. This is a person who is Against THE ALMIGHTY GOD, The Source of their own life.)
What happens after this declaration by the LORD?
“Exodus 32:34 And 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.’
35 And the LORD smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.”
Okay, so there are somethings that the LORD does not seem to forgive. When HE does forgive, is everything just erased and then you are clean?
Your concentrated attention please. Image if you can, a pond 50 feet across and three feet deep. There is a sign beside the pond, that says: “Do Not Disturb The Water!!”. There are many, many smooth rocks, at your feet. The kind that seem good for skipping on this water. On the right side of the Pond is a long pole with a net on it, held on a stand where the pole is balanced and easily taken.
You are aware that you should not do this, but you pick up a rock and give it a throw. It does not go far when it impacts the water and sinks to the bottom. There are waves spreading out from where the rock impacted the water, and not they cover the pond in ripples. You have sinned, and if allowed by the owner of the pond to take the pole and remove the rock, you cannot stop the ripples on the water and under the surface.
The point is this: If you get forgiven for your sin, the consequences of your action does not stop. The pond is your family, your descendants, and your action has impacted them(taught them things to do, because the copy us.). Exodus 20:4 “. . . . .for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me”
The iniquity is your actions. What we do does not just effect us, but our descendants. Somebody will think for themselves and decide that it is not good to do what has been done, and will change their path. But it will take time.
It is best not to sin. However, for most minor sins you can change your outcome and maybe that of your children.
In the Tanakh:
We can see this in action:
“Ezekiel 18: 18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, committed robbery on his brother, and did that which is not good among his people, behold, he dieth for his iniquity.
19 Yet say ye: Why doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father with him? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all My statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die; the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father with him, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son with him; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. ”
“Ezekiel 18:21 But if the wicked turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22 None of his transgressions that he hath committed shall be remembered against him; for his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.”
“Ezekiel 18:24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous deeds that he hath done shall be remembered; for his trespass that he trespassed, and for his sin that he hath sinned, for them shall he die.”
It is your actions and the results of them that are witness of you. Hence, when you return to evil . . . . Perhaps even your children will learn to do different by watching you.
“Ezekiel 18:27 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.
28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”
Isaiah 1:11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? saith the LORD; I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.
12 When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample My courts?
13 Bring no more vain oblations; it is an offering of abomination unto Me; new moon and sabbath, the holding of convocations–I cannot endure iniquity along with the solemn assembly.
14 Your new moons and your appointed seasons My soul hateth; they are a burden unto Me; I am weary to bear them.
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes, cease to do evil; . . . .
Note –Read all of Isaiah 1, even the Whole Written Torah and Tanakh, it will give you great context to what is being declared, why, when, how, who and what.
So what do we learn with this? Stop doing that which, according to GOD is evil, do that which is righteous(Obey the WORD OF GOD) in your every action. From Isaiah 1 we are taught that the LORD knows out hearts and when we ask for forgiveness, we should really stop doing the evil that got us needing to repent.
Warning: If you think that you can do evil and then later just do that which is Righteous so that you will be Righteous at your death, REMEMBER You do not know if the next heart beat will be there, nor your next breath, so now, turn back to the LORD GOD and do that which is Righteous. Do that which the LORD declared and caused to be Written. The LORD already knows your heart and your intentions. HE IS NOT FOOLED.
In all of the Tanakh(Old Testament) no one, ever, was declared by the LORD as evil for not obeying the laws of man, only that we walk contrary to HIS WORD and Covenants. Your soul hangs in the balance, as does you children’s soul for you are the TEACHER of your children first and everyone that sees you, learns from you. Yet it is your soul first that is in danger.
Don’t have a Tanakh, try this Tanakh.
Last thought: The ONE who said “Let There Be Light” and it was so, could at anytime, with none the wiser or being able to speak against say “Lights Out” and the Universe will cease to be. There must be some reason HE keeps the lights on and continues to give us a chance to live, to choose and to find our Father.
Are you looking?
My prayer is that The LORD grant you eyes that see, ears that hear and an understanding heart, then you return unto HIM soon!(Isaiah 6: 9 And He said: ‘Go, and tell this people: hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, return, and be healed.’)
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Yaakov