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Matthew 6:12
Forgive us our debts For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life (Leviticus 17:11). What a mystical verse! Much is spoken about blood atonement in Scriptures. We are even told of the voice of the blood of Mashiach speaking a better word than that of the blood of martyred Abel’s crying to God from the ground (Genesis 4:10; Hebrews 12:24). Much has been lost in our understanding of Scriptures, some due to translations (which can never be perfect), but mostly due to our failure to acknowledge the Semitic culture of their linguistic dynamics. The issue we have here is with the word ‘atonement’. The word ‘atonement’ is very important in the Sacred Texts. It’s what they are all about, so we surely must make an effort to understand this word properly according to its own cultural context, values, and merits. The origins of the word ‘atonement’ is the Hebrew root word ‘kaphar’ from which we derive the words ‘lid’, ‘cover’, and ‘covering’. The word ‘kapporeth’ for the golden lid of the Ark covered by the wings of the cherubs and called in English ‘mercy seat’ has the same etymological root (Exodus 25:17). ‘Kippur; for 'Yom Kippur' or the 'Day of Atonement' (Leviticus 23:27) is also a derivatives of ‘kaphar’. What does 'kaphar' mean then? A way to explain the use of this word is by of analogy with a credit card . Let’s say that like many of us, you have contracted a very large balance on your credit card and you are unable to pay it. You risk losing your credit, even losing your car, or your house, until a generous soul comes around and say, don’t worry; I’ll ‘cover’ your credit card balance; (wouldn't that be nice!). It is not that the balance never existed or that it has been deleted from the records, it is only that it has been covered. The credit card company then doesn’t look anymore at your failure to pay your debts (which is a biblical command), but at the covering that expunged it. Even Matthew quotes the Master on the forgiveness of sin using financial terminology, he says, forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:12). Indeed, because of sin, we have a bad credit rating; we have even lost all credit in the sight of the Father. He is ready the yank the rug from under us but Someone comes to the rescue and covers the balance of our sins. It is not like we never sinned, but all the Father sees now is the covered balance by Yeshua. King David related to this principle as a shield. Here are a few of his statements, But you, O Adonai, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. For you bless the righteous, O Adonai; you cover him with favor as with a shield. My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart (Psalms 3:3; 5:12; 7:10). As Ruth by kinsman redeemer Boaz, may you be ‘covered’ (atoned) under the ‘wings’ of Yeshua the Messiah (Ruth 3:9).
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Matthew 5:21-26
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; … ' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. … First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, … and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the LORD, and that person realizes his guilt, he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. (Numbers 5:6-7 ESV). This is a very interesting verse. Sin here is viewed as 'breaking faith with the LORD', like breaking the terms of a contract. John actually teaches us that we 'trespass against the LORD', by breaking Torah commands (1 John 3:4 CJB). The CJB reads our verse in Numbers in this way, Adonai said to Moshe, "Tell the people of Isra'el, 'When a man or woman commits any kind of sin against another person and thus breaks faith with Adonai, he incurs guilt (Numbers 5:6). Sin here is viewed not only as the breaking of Torah command, but in the mishandling of people, or of people's property. Sin then becomes the trespasses against another human being made in the image of God. Along the same lines, Judaism teaches that because man is made in the image of God, in murder we actually attempt to commit deicide. In translating the verse this way, the CJB follows the translation given in Jewish texts. This translation may not seem literal, but it accurately follows the context. Notice here that the next verse speaks of 'restitution' because of sin. "Restitution' implies that a trespass against another was committed. The chapter even follows that context in telling us about the mishandling of someone's wife. This teaches us that when we mishandle he for whom Abba cares we mishandle Abba, and Abba is the faithful Avenger of His children. This section also teaches us about repentance according to the Father. In true repentance, we first admit guilt privately to God, but audibly (Psalms 32:5). But when we sin against others causing them some loss, it is not adequate to merely confess the sin the God and that's it. We confess sin, and then we repent by making restitution, even restitution above and beyond the cost of the trespass (Numbers 5:7). In this matter, Yeshua even gave us warnings about verbal offenses. How many times do we verbally trespass against God through uncontrolled and unjustifiable anger, sarcasm, mocking, condescending remarks towards loved ones, other drivers, store cashiers, restaurant waiters, even towards our children or our parents? The Master warned about that. He said, "by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:37). How it must pain the Father of all compassions to see how we treat each other so proudly and arrogantly! By Torah's restitution standards, we should all be totally broke and spend a life of servitude to each other in restitution. Maybe that's what the World to Come is all about! May it come soon, Abba, even in our days! Colossians 2:14
‘… Canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.’ As much as Leviticus tells us of the blessings incurred by those who walk in Abba’s Instruction, it also tells us of the curses that befall those who don’t (Leviticus 26). There is a common teaching out there that claims that in His death and resurrection, Yeshua conquered and annulled the curse that comes through disobedience and that only the blessings remain. In essence, the Torah has lost its ‘teeth’; there is no more retribution for sin. This interpretation of a statement found in Paul’s letter to the believers in Galatia is mostly due to mistranslation. Those who translated the letter did it under the influence of a theology that discarded the writings of Leviticus and believed the ancient Hebrew Scriptures obsolete. They also did not understand the cultural and social context of the Letter to the Galatians. Paul’s statement, “Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us … (Galatians 3:13)” certainly annot infer that the Torah itself is a curse. That would fly in the face of Its life giving purpose (Psalms 19:7) and eternal status (Psalms 19:9). It would also go against everything King David said about It (Psalms 119). What does Paul mean in his statement? It is explained by another statement “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14)”. What Messiah cancels ’nailing to the tree’ is the ‘record’ of our ‘debt’. Every sin (disobedience to Torah: 1 John 3:4) is a ‘debt’ unto God. A record is kept of this ‘debts’ which is what is brought to the judge by the prosecutor in a Roman court of Law; it is the written record of the charges against any of us. This is what is being annulled: the record of the charges against us that require the death penalty, not the Universal Code of Law that defines right and wrong. If the Code of Law if annulled sin disappears and then, what need is there for forgiveness? The death mentioned here is not physical death which we all partake of, but the ‘death’ that separates us from God forever. We must never forget though that the only reason we do not get the punishment of this death is because Mashiach takes it for us in a settlement out of court. The ‘charges’ are not ‘deleted’, just paid by Someone else! He is the only One Whose righteousness successfully defied ‘death’ and conquered it. In Yeshua, The ‘prosecutor’ found its match! In essence, we owe Him our lives. Our lives belong to Him and we should live in a state of eternal gratitude. When asked ‘how are you?’ a famous radio show host always answers, ‘better than I deserve’. That should also be the sentiments that runs through our being day and night, “better than we deserve”! Hebrews 12:15
See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; In their wonderings from Egypt to Canaan, our fathers learned to become a new nation. Birthed in a worldwide culture of idolatry they learned to become a people with a sense of morality and humanity: Hashem’s people,. They learned that both good and evil has consequences and retribution not only in the sight of man, but in the sight of God, and that He is the One who establishes what is justice and righteousness. One of Moses main point as he readies the people to enter the Promised Land is that being God’s people does not absolve us from the punishment of sin; that to the contrary, adoption into God’s Kingdom legally binds us to His rulings. Moses especially warns against the rationalization of sin. He says, Beware lest there be among you a man or woman … whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God … Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, … saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' … The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, … (Deuteronomy 29:18-20). Many years later, the apostle uses the same imagery to warn the Israeli Messianic community of believers about the dangers of disobedience and sin (Hebrews 12:15-16). Many seem to have an erroneous idea of ‘grace’. They see God’s abundant grace as some sort of divine unswerving ability to forgive our sins and wickedness. Any would be deity who absolves iniquity, sin and injustice without proper recompense and retribution is certainly not the God of Israel (Deuteronomy 29:20), and neither is he the god that Yeshua claims to be one in spirit and principle with (John 17:11). The Corinthians’ congregations had a difficult time pulling out of their Hellenistic sensual culture. They often argued with Paul trying to rationalize sin and disobedience, especially along the lines of sexual immorality. They had a hard time to obey so to them Paul explained the purpose of God’s grace. He said that, God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). The expression ‘good works’ is not solely referring to charity and good deeds. It is the Hebrew word ‘mitzvah’ which refers to the commandments. It refers to charity, but only in the context that charity and good deeds are commandments from the Torah. The ‘grace’ given to us is like an extra ‘boost’ from the Holy Spirit to help us obey God’s commands such as charity and good deeds, but also the other ones. Grace therefore has nothing to do with forgiveness and absolution, but everything to do with the ability to obey God’s commandments. In fact, if we claim to have the grace of God, we even take away our excuse for disobedience. May Hashem help us in properly evaluating our lives. May He deliver us from the evils caused by the rationalization of sin. May He give us His abundant grace that we may please Him through our obedience towards His will and commandments. John 9:3
"It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. The Torah teaches us the notions of right and wrong according to the Father Creator of the universe. It sets before us the rewards of obedience and warns us of the chastisements for breach of contract. God says to His Children who know His Name, have witnessed His power, and lived of His bounty, "If you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you (Leviticus 26:14-17). As the Messiah was the executer of God’s will at creation (John 1:3; Proverbs 8:22-31) so will Messiah be the executor of God’s judgment on the disobedient (Revelations 19). He will come in His time. In the mean time, should we deduct that all diseases, fevers, business and military failures are the direct consequences of our sins? Should we assume that one who is sick with cancer sins more than the one who is healthy? It is neither safe nor true to come to such conclusion. The Torah instructs us in this matter. The book of Job for example tells us of a man who was righteous and yet suffered affliction without measure (to be righteous doesn’t necessarily mean that one does not sin ‘for all have sinned’ (Romans 3:23). To be called righteous by God simply defines our status with Him). The whole Job event seems to be for the purpose of creating a Messianic analogy that teaches us about Messiah the True Righteous One who like Job, unduly suffered, was condemned by his friends for it (Isaiah 53:3-4), but who at a later time will be justified and vindicated by God in plain sight of those who accused him (Revelations 19). It seems like Job’s suffering were solely that God may tell us of His work through Messiah. It is just like with that time when the disciples asked the Master when they saw a man who had been blind from birth, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" The Master answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him (John 9:2-3). In a sense, the wise and safe conclusion we can make from our passage in the Book of Leviticus is that, ‘whereas sin and disobedience always result in calamities, calamities are not always the direct consequence of sin and disobedience’. |
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