Web Chapel

Serving the Saints

Tag: Forgiveness

  • How shall I (Hosea 11:8)

    “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.”

    In the verses prior to these, the Lord spoke through Hosea to Israel concerning their sin. The Lord had told them that their sin would bring His punishment. Nearly all of the prophets brought the same message. They could not say that they had not been warned.

    Concerning God’s judgment of Israel for their idolatry, in Deuteronomy 29:23 we read, “…and that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath…” His warning included this outcome if they ignored Him. The verse above is clearly referring to this warning from Deuteronomy. And from it we also learn some geography.

    Hosea referred to Admah and Zeboim. Deuteronomy 29 reveals that Admah and Zeboim were destroyed with Sodom and Gomorrah. There were five cities in that plain that were to be destroyed: Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Zoar. Zoar was spared because of Lot. An aspect of the judgment that fell that day was Sodom and Gomorrah received “top billing” while the other cities were not mentioned. Theirs was a further judgment because they are not remembered like Sodom and Gomorrah.

    The LORD’s lament for Ephraim and Israel in Hosea includes this aspect. Not only were Admah and Zeboim judged, but they were set aside. Though mentioned a few times in the Word, Admah and Zeboim are less known. Israel was under God’s wrath for their idolatry, as Deuteronomy 29:23 promised, and facing the further prospect of being forgotten.

    But this was not God’s desire for Israel. Though He had promised that He would punish them for their idolatry, He ultimately did not want that end for them. And we see that in the verse above. He would surely punish them like that, if necessary, but what He wanted more was for them to restore themselves with Him.

    Through Hosea the LORD said, “…my heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.” The Lord’s heart is turned within Him for His people. His bowels yearned towards them, and his soul was grieved for their sin and misery. Judges 10:16 says, “…they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.” And Jeremiah 31:20 says, “Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? for since I spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.”

    The word repent is often used in the Old Testament, and it is almost exclusively speaks of the Lord repenting. For example, Genesis 6:5, 6 says, “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” The Hebrew word translated repent could also mean to sigh, and one can imagine God sighing over the turn that His creatures had taken against Him and His ways. Like parents that suffer the behavior of their children, out of concern for their welfare, so the Lord has concern for His people.

    With words reminiscent of Hosea 11:8, Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God’s heart, what He is like in His personality, is that people see Him for Who He is, and honor Him. While He promised judgment against sin, which His justice will require one day, His desire is that all come to repentance.

    God is good, and His ways are always right. Here we see a glimpse of His heart for His people. But let it never be thought that this side of His nature will overrule any other part. His justice must be satisfied, for He has promised that there is punishment for the misdeeds of mankind, so those punishments will be come. Now is the time to be certain before Him of our standing. In Jesus Christ there is reconciliation with God. Without Him, as Hebrews 10:27 says, there is a certain, fearful looking forward to of judgment.

    Great God of wonders! all Thy ways

    Display Thine attributes divine;

    But the bright glories of thy grace

    Above Thine other wonders shine:

    CHORUS

    Who is a pardoning God like Thee?

    Or who has grace so rich and free?

    Who is a pardoning God like Thee?

    Or who has grace so rich and free?

    Such deep transgressions to forgive!

    Such guilty sinners thus to spare!

    This is Thy grand prerogative,

    And in this honor none shall share:

    CHORUS

    Pardon, from an offended God!

    Pardon, for sins of deepest dye!

    Pardon, bestowed through Jesus’ blood!

    Pardon, that brings the rebel nigh!

    CHORUS (Samuel Davies)

  • He Forgave

    “But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.” (Psalm 78:38)

    Psalm 78 refers to the release of Israel from Egypt by God’s hand. In it, Israel’s unfaithfulness to the LORD is shown. For example, verses 35-37 say, “And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Nevertheless, they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.” Though the LORD had been gracious to them, and had mightily delivered them from Egypt, yet they turned from Him and worshipped idols.

    But the wonderful thing in the above verse is what it tells about God’s character. It is revealed in how He reacted to their treatment of Him. And verse 39 explains why He did what He did, “For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.”

    First, we are told that He is full of compassion. Or, He is merciful. Mercy is extended only where offense has occurred, it is not necessary for someone who is innocent. He was merciful to them in their sin against Him. Had God not been merciful, His justice would require punishment for their sin. Again, verse 39 explains the immediate reason for His compassion. Psalm 103:14 puts it this way, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”

    Then, because of His mercy, He forgave their iniquity. Since God is the offended party in all sin, He is the only one that can forgive it. It is wonderful to know that God is willing to forgive. When Jesus taught about forgiveness, He and Peter had a discussion. In Matthew 18:21, 22 we read, “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.” This kind of forgiveness is not just for us to offer. He, too, forgives to beyond 490 times. The fact is that we have all offended God so many more times than that.

    Then we are told that He did not destroy them. God had made promises to Israel about the inheritance which He would give them. Had He destroyed them because of their sin, He would have been unable to keep those promises. Before He made them, He knew in what way they would sin against Him. He made a plan by which He would be able to forgive their sin. Because of this plan He did not destroy them, though surely they deserved it, and even though He had every right to do so.

    Many times He turned away His anger. This is one side of a coin concerning God’s dealings with His people. He deferred His anger. We have all endured when someone, even of our family, has done something that has caused us to be angry. But as we consider what was done, and who it was that had done it, we set aside our anger for their sake. It is something we choose to do. As noted before, Jesus spoke of forgiving, and told Peter that he should forgive many times. Here, God turned away His anger many times. He deferred His righteous anger against them.

    And, many times He did not stir up all His wrath. This is the other side of the coin. When He did move with anger, He did not stir up all His wrath. In Ezra 9:13, Ezra said, “And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this…” Judah was back in the land that God had given them after seventy years of captivity. Ezra brought up the obvious. They had received less than what their iniquities deserved.

    God says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This is not only physical death, but it is also spiritual death, or separation from Him in Hell. This is why Jesus died. He took in mankind’s place the punishment that they deserve for sin. This was God’s plan from before the foundation of the world. And on this basis God can show the mercy and forgiveness that is His nature. Since His wrath was poured out on Jesus, His justice was satisfied. Sadly, not everyone receives the sacrifice of Jesus as being for them. But, for those that do there is mercy, grace, forgiveness, and assurance of eternal life.

    In Romans 5:6-10 Paul said, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

    As David said in Psalm 32:1, 2, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

    This is Who God is, compassionate, gracious, and forgiving. It is He that planned, even before creating us, to reconcile mankind to Himself through Jesus Christ!

    Great God of wonders! all Thy ways

    Display Thine attributes divine;

    But the bright glories of thy grace

    Above Thine other wonders shine:

    CHORUS

    Who is a pardoning God like Thee?

    Or who has grace so rich and free?

    Who is a pardoning God like Thee?

    Or who has grace so rich and free?

    Such deep transgressions to forgive!

    Such guilty sinners thus to spare!

    This is Thy grand prerogative,

    And in this honor none shall share:

    CHORUS

    Pardon, from an offended God!

    Pardon, for sins of deepest dye!

    Pardon, bestowed through Jesus’ blood!

    Pardon, that brings the rebel nigh!

    CHORUS (Samuel Davies)