Simple Bible Answers - A web site to further understand the Word of God.
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Simple Bible Answers - A web site to further understand the Word of God.
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Forgiveness- how often to forgive your brother. A prophecy wrapped up in an answer. (Matt.18:21-35/lk.17:4/Dan. 9:24-27)
Q. How often should I forgive someone? Q. Didn’t Jesus tell us 70 X 7, can I stop after 490 times?
One of a number of jobs I’ve had over the years was as a bridge tender. One of those guys you see in those little cubes that lift the draw bridges for passing boats. I was working a third shift late one morning and reading Matthew 18. What was brothering me was 18:21-22.
M't:18:21: Then came
Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? till seven times? I didn’t care for the “pat” answers that I heard over the years. Many would refer to the rest of Mt. 18 to show just how much we should forgive. True it is a wonderful example of how we should pattern our forgiveness after Jesus and the Father. But why 70 X 7? I remember asking a pastor does this mean I can make a list, and after 490 times I don’t have to forgive anymore? If you have a family member that drives you nuts on a daily basis, that’s only a little over a year. Do I get to “whack-um” then? And worst yet, does God stop forgiving me after 490 times. Even if it’s 490 times for each type of sin, how many people could match up to that? With just lying (half truths and white lies are just as bad), most will have run their limit before finishing their teens. A limit of 490 wouldn’t also be consistent with grace, what Christians live under. Was this just for the Jews? I was told I was being to literal, 490 was just a way to say there wasn’t any limit, if your counting your not forgiving. What happens if I mark it on a sheet then forgive? Was Jesus being flippant with His answer? Some of the prophets could be sarcastic but God never stuck me as being “flippant”. Also God is very careful with numbers. 40 days is 40 days, 144,000 Jews are 144,000 Jews, and so on. When God means something is uncountable He uses phases like, the sand on the shore, or the stars in heaven, so 490 must mean something. About now some of you readers are saying “get a life”, why are you dwelling on something so small when you have a number of “good” reasons for it? Well I wanted to make sure I had the right reason, not just a good reason, and it just didn’t seem “right”. That and the fact I’m a pain in the butt that way. So being the average human I am, when all else fails I turn to God (that’s sad, God should be first and foremost, never the backup). So I told God that this passage was brothering me and I needed help, I looked and I couldn’t find a answer that satisfied me. What happened next was what I consider a revelation. It also is a example of why you need to study the whole Bible because God reveals by His Word using the knowledge you have already learned. Also it shows why, how you study the Bible, is important. When I say I had a revelation I don’t mean I heard voices, light didn’t shine from above, birds didn’t flutter in, and I most certainly didn’t gain any unknown or added knowledge. What happened was everything just “clicked”. I had read the Bible a couple of times, front to back, and though I couldn’t (and can’t) quote it all by chapter and verse, still somewhere in my brain the information was there. That information is what the Holy Spirit uses to give meaning to the Bible, as a complete whole. The Bible must work as one unit, it was written by one author. Who wrote the Bible? What came to me was this, all at one time, in one moment. Who was Jesus talking to? What was the condition/climate/attitude of the time?
What were the people expecting, looking
for, seeking at the time? But the average Jew was also looking for their coming Messiah. They were looking for the Lion of Judah, the King of Kings, the root of David that would set the world right. They didn’t want the Lamb of God, and they sure didn’t want a Savior that would come for the sake of the whole world, a sacrifice for the sins of both Jew and Gentile. They wanted a King, not a Servant. A Lion, not a Lamb. Judgment (for everyone but them), not Forgiveness. A Jewish Messiah (Messiah=anointed one), not someone the gentiles would call their Christ (Christ=anointed one). Why were they looking for their Messiah at that time (besides wishful thinking)? Because they were told in the writings of Daniel (Dan. 9: 24-27) He was do at any moment. Dan:9:24: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Chick here for full passage. They could count; they knew Jesus was at hand, 70 weeks of 7 were almost up. Never mind the fact that it also said the Messiah would be cut off half way into the last week (Da. 9:26). They were waiting for, and wanted, a divine butt kicking to their enemies. So when Jesus said to forgive your brother 70 times 7. What would this mean to Peter, or any Jews that would have ears to hear? 70 times 7 meant the return of the Messiah (or Christ), this time as the “King of Kings”. In other words... You are to forgive your bother till the King comes to take His throne. Or simply... to always forgive! It is up to the Christ/Messiah, Jesus, to settle any scores. The earth now waits for the resumption of the last week, and its close. In the mean time we wait, and always forgive when we are wronged. Like I said this all clicked in a flash (may not seem a big deal to you, but to me it sure was). What was a little frustrating was that it was around 3 in the morning, and if I called anyone to tell them all this, they would have thought I was nuts. Also a thought crossed my mind, now that you know this what are you going to do with the information? The answer to that is the reason I’m writing this. In the long run did I come up with a answer that was different? Not really, we are to forgive always, just like our Father forgives us as long as we have accepted the gift of salvation. But the weak answer as to why Jesus used 70 times 7 can be replaced with one that makes better sense. The answer also is a support to Daniels 70 weeks, from God Himself. Also it shows why you need to study the whole Bible. God didn’t give me new knowledge, or added knowledge. If I didn’t know Daniels writings, if I hadn’t read the Bible as much as I did, chances are the Holy Spirit wouldn’t have tied it together for me. Could God have given me a understanding of it if I didn’t know as much(?), sure God can do anything, but why should He. Remember God tells us to seek and we shall find, ask and you will receive. If you think you can sit on your rear like a couch potato and point a remote at the ceiling, pushing “REC”, it just don’t work that way. There’s a good chance I’ll get email telling me how “this” author, or “that” book has covered the same idea. But I didn’t know it, I couldn’t find a answer in all I read, and God answered my request for wisdom and understanding. I’m far from a “good” person, I have no special gift, and I’m just a very average, and not all that bright, person. Once it “clicked” I couldn’t believe how simple and plain the answer was. So if God will answer me in this way (no matter how mundane you may think it was) I’m sure He will do that much, if not more, for you. But you need to study and keep studying. Now the rest of Matthew (MT 18:23-35) is pretty self explanatory. Remember who Jesus was talking to, the Jews. Christians under grace can’t lose their salvation. But we can see a bit of Gods thoughts. If we don’t forgive it won’t be forgotten in the end either. We can lose rewards in Heaven, and here on earth God isn’t going to bend over backwards for us, if we have a non-forgiving heart. You may make it to heaven, but while here on earth do you wish to be “delivered… to the tormentors, till (you) should pay all that was due unto (them)”. Life is hard enough, but the thought of living it without Gods help is just freighting. Jesus is our King and He has forgiven all our sins. All our sins, 24/7, for all our life. What He asks of us, is just to forgive our brother, who may sin against us so little, in comparison. For some of you that maybe thinking “you don’t know how much people have wronged me”. Well if everyone in the world was perfect, never sinned at all, everyone but you. God loves you so much that He still would have put Himself up on that cross just to pay for your sin. For you Jesus left His seat at the right hand of God, gave up all the glory of heaven, humbled Himself to become as one of His creation. Lived His life without the comforts we have, was beaten, spit on, demeaned, gave all His time and efforts for your benefit. Yes God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. But don’t lose sight that we have a one and one relationship with God, by way of His Son. So your sins would have nailed Jesus to the cross all by themselves, without anyone else's sins. That’s how much He loves you. Can you truly say that you have gone though anywhere near that, because of your brother? Would you be able to look at the holes in Jesus’ hands, and then look into His eyes and claim He has no idea how rough it was on you?
M't:18:21: Then
came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and
I forgive him? till seven times?
Da:9:24: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to
finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation
for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the
vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
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Last modified: 12/15/07For a FREE downloadable KJV Bible click here. Opinions or questions: Mail@SimpleBibleAnswers.com
Re:22:18: For I testify unto every man
that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto
these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
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