But now, please forgive their sin …
Summary: The Hebrew word for “forgive” is a word that describes physically lifting a burden up and taking it away. This is a perfect description of what God does for us when we go to him for forgiveness.
If I were going to write a book about myself, it would make me look good. It would be about the good things I’ve done and the smart things I’ve said.
And, it would be a short book!
One reason we can know that the Bible was written by God is that it is about Him. It tells of the good things he has done and the smart things he has said. It is not a short book. Instead, it is a really long and complicated book. (Psalm 139:17)
In Exodus, we read about the Israelites being rescued from slavery in Egypt. God shows them miracle after miracle to establish his bonafides with them. Once in the desert, they pause for a short time while Moses when up to the top of Mt. Sinai to receive instructions from God. While he was away, the Israelites lost their minds.
Within a few days, they had reverted to the Baal worship they had seen used in Egypt. Then they decided it was time to party, and that is what they did. This party was not simply a family barbecue. It was way worse. The penalty for what they did was death, and when Moses returned from the mountaintop, many of them died because of their sin.
Afterward, Moses returned to the mountain to speak with the Lord. He knows the Israelites are in deep trouble. His approach to God is humble and self-abasing:
“So Moses went back to the Lord and said, ‘Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin—but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.’” (Exodus 32: 31-32)
The word “forgive” in this passage is translated from the Hebrew word, nāśā’. Nāśā’ is a word that is used to describe lifting something up and taking it away. Moses is asking God to lift the burden of guilt off of the Israelites and remove it.
When we pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,” we are asking God to do the same thing. At the same time, we are promising to do the same for others.
Sometimes people know they have sinned and sometimes they don’t. The people who know they have done wrong carry the burden of knowing. For these people, lifting the burden from them means letting them know that they have been forgiven. For the rest, those who don’t know they have sinned, we can let God know we have forgiven them.
For his part, God lifts the burden of our sins from our shoulders. These are the wrongs that we have committed against God. Sometimes our wrongs are against God and someone else. In that case, we may need to repent before an adversary here on earth (Matthew 5:25). Once lifted from our shoulders, the absence of sin feels wonderful. It is a feeling worth protecting by making sure we keep our eyes on God.
Application: Seek relief from the burden of sin, both from God and from man.
Food for Thought: Why do we sometimes hesitate to lift the burden of sin from someone’s shoulders?
Thank you Jeff for the links to the different verses you mention.
You’re welcome! 🙂
Usually, when I feel someone has sinned against me, I feel a sense of injustice and I want to be “made whole.” I think that is a natural feeling, but it is like being at a crossroads. Go left and forgive, you will be made whole spiritually, as you are able to forgive as God forgave you. Go right and demand reparations, you may be made “whole” materially or personally, but you may also place yourself above your neighbor. There was a term for it I used to hear in the military a lot: “occupying the moral high ground.” Usually though whenever I saw someone “occupying the moral high ground” they completely ignored their own shortcomings and focused instead on someone else’s shortcomings. They were reluctant to forgive as it gave them a sort of power over the other person. So I think we sometimes are hesitate to lift the burden of sin from someone’s shoulders because in a weird kind of way it makes us feel like we are not so bad after all. It is completely opposite to God’s Will though, as forgiveness would actually bring you true peace.
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Chris,
Thank you! There is a sort of self-deception that occurs in the situations you describe. Satan is quick to take advantage of our willingness to ignore our own faults.
Thank you for the devotion. And I agree with Chris’s comments. Well said Chris.
I think if we refuse to forgive it does have a feeling of power and superiority over another. The problem is it is illusory because it ignores our own shortcomings (sin) and the other person often doesn’t know or care. James 5 tells us to confess our sins to one another. The opposite is to confess others sins to whoever will listen.
James 5: 16. Confess and pray together.
Thank you, brother!
Your words remind me of Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4: 1-11) and Satan’s third temptation. He offered Jesus “power and superiority” over all the earth if only he, Jesus, would worship Satan. Wow. What a trade! That’s like saying “Give up your relationship with your Father and I’ll give you something he (your Father) plans to give you anyway.” It also short circuits the process of salvation. What Satan offered was power over the physical part of our being. Jesus, knowing the physical dies, died to redeem the eternal part of our being, our spirits (2 Corinthians 5: 1-10).
01-05-2023, Why do we sometimes hesitate to lift the burden of sin from someone’s shoulders?
Why do we even hesitate to act in obedience to God’s command???
God gives commandments for our benefit. Our obedience to His commandments demonstrates our love for Him and leads to our being blessed with His presence in our lives. Some people feel that His commandments are burdensome and they limit our freedom and personal growth.
We are broken people living in a broken world. People look at me funny when I call our church a Christian Hospital. We know absolutely know beyond any doubt, obedience to Gods will is our mission in life, and then we just turn around and become undisciplined trash.
Jesus asked 3 of His disciples to “Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Matthew 26:41
The body is weak.
Ron,
Interesting take on the question! You get points for the most concise answer today! 🙂
“The body is weak.”