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SHATNEZ:
Forbidden Mixtures
From a teaching delivered by Web Hulon at the
Union of Two-House Messianic Congregations conference.
Lev 19:19
19 `You shall keep My statutes. You shall not let your livestock breed with another kind. You shall not sow your field with mixed seed. Nor shall a garment of mixed (shatnez) linen and wool come upon you.
8162 sha` atnez (shah-at-naze'); a cloth made by weaving linen and wool together
This Commandment is concerning your clothing. The Hebrew word translated as "garment" is beged. It means, "a covering, clothing", but its primary meaning is "treachery, deceit". This reminds us of this situation:
Gen 3:6-7
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin cloths.
Gen 3:21
21 Also for Adam and his wife YHWH Elohim made skin coverings and wrapped them.
Their beged, covering, came about as a result of treachery and deceit. They tried to cover themselves with leaves, something grown out of the ground, a type of linen. YHWH wrapped them in coverings of skin, or owr in Hebrew. Owr means, "skin of humans or animal hides". His covering was that of a living animal, like wool.
Another similar event takes place with Adam and Chava's sons:
Gen 4:2-7
2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to YHWH.
4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And YHWH respected Abel and his offering,
5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
6 So YHWH said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
7 "If you do the right thing, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
Once again, we see YHWH preferring the animal over that from the ground. What is the difference? Of course there is something to be said for the fact that Abel brought the firstborn, a picture of Messiah, while Cain just brought an offering. But the big difference between the offerings was blood. Abel's animals and Cain's produce were both "living", yet only Abel's offering included blood. Cain's fruit came forth from the ground and the death of a seed, but Abel's flock came from the womb of life.
The offering of the ground is a picture of your life on earth, a life of toil.
Gen 3:17-19
17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return."
The offering of the animal holds a different picture:
Lev 17:11
11 'For the life (nefesh) of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'
The Hebrew word translated as "life" is nefesh, which means, "the breath, the soul, the vitality". It is the same word that is translated as "soul" in this passage. It is also used in this passage:
Gen 2:7
7 And YHWH Elohim formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (nefesh).
So Abel's offering represented what YHWH breathed forth out of eternity. It is a picture of the ways of Heaven the ways of YHWH.
Prov 8:32-36
32 "Now therefore, listen to me, my children, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life, and obtains favor from YHWH;
36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me love death."
Cain's offering represented man's own labor as a result of sin. YHWH even reminded Cain of the problem of sin lying in wait. It is a picture of the way of the earth, the way of men.
Prov 16:25
25 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
Isa 55:7-9
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to YHWH, and He will have mercy on him; and to our Elohim, for He will abundantly pardon.
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says YHWH.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Abel's offering, the animal, was in accordance with the ways of Heaven. Cain's offering, the plant, was in accordance with the ways of men. So, we do not mix thread from an animal with thread from a plant. We are not wear upon us a garment that is part Kingdom and part the way of the world. We are to physically not wear mixed garments so that we may FEEL the difference between linen and wool, earthly ways and Kingdom ways, on our skin. But there is a deeper level to this. We must also not mix threads by mixing YHWH's ways with men's ways. We need to commit to the Kingdom or commit to the world:
Rev 3:15-18
15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'-- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked--
18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
We see here a reference to the nakedness in the Garden. We also see a parallel established between garments and works, as is in this passage:
Rev 3:4-5
4 "You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
5 "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
As returning Israel, we are to wear the garments of the Kingdom, the works and the ways of the Kingdom, which are the ways of YHWH. Our problem is that we inherited a mixed, and therefore worthless, garment from our fathers:
Jer 16:19
19 O YHWH, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things."
We must now begin to unravel this garment, thread by thread, to separate between the linen and the wool. One of the first steps is to remove the shatnez from our mouths by removing the Name and reputation of YHWH from the pagan names that we have replaced and mixed it with. YHWH is NOT god or lord; He is YHWH our Elohim. Yahshua HaMashiach is a Heavenly thread, while Jesus Christ is a thread of men's creation.
We must separate between the threads of days, weaving the Kingdom threads of YHWH's Sabbath and Festivals as set forth in His Word, and unraveling the threads of pagan-based observances like December 25 and SUNday.
It is time for us to put on a garment of worship as YHWH prescribed in the Psalms: the worship He desires, as He instructed Israel to worship Him in the Temple, and tear away our foreign ways of worship.
Israel is called to wear a pure language, Hebrew, and to worship and communicate in this language, putting off the languages of curse given at Babel.
Contrary to popular teaching, we are NOT to walk in a garment of compromise for the sake of a false peace. We are to live, teach, and completely uphold the ways, the days, the titles, and the Name of YHWH. Of course we feed milk to babes, but it is cruel and wrong to allow babes to remain babes, when they should be walking upright and eating meat..
We must choose hot or cold, wool or linen, Abel or Cain, the narrow way or the broad way, YHWH or our way. We are being called to put on the Garments of the Kingdom, to complete the repair of Adam's transgression. It is our choice. Let us heed the words of our Messiah Yahshua:
Luke 12:22-32
22 Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.
23 "Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
24 "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and YHWH feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
25 "And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
26 "If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?
27 "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
28 "If then YHWH so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
29 "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
30 "For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.
31 "But seek the kingdom of YHWH, and all these things shall be added to you.
32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
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A Time for WAR
by Web Hulon
Eccl 3:1,8
1 Everything is given an appointed season and a time to be a pleasure unto Heaven.
8 ...........; a time for war, and a time for peace.
The Hebrew word translated as "war" is milchamah. It means "battle; generally, war". It is from the word lacham, which means "to fight, to do battle, to make war: to eat, to use as food". This is the same word, pronounced lechem, that is generally translated as "bread". So war and bread are not only connected, they are practically the same thing.
If we break down the word milchama into mi l'chama, we can read it as "who is bread", as well as "who will devour" or "who will make war". Being "The Bread" means being one who will make war. Who is The Bread?
Matt 26:26
26 And as they were eating, Yahshua took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."
1 Cor 10:16-17
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the community of the blood of Messiah? The bread which we break, is it not the community of the body of Messiah?
17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
The Bread is the Body of Messiah. This means that he "who will war" is the body of Messiah. What a departure from the normal perspective of the body! But doesn't this make sense? Consider the Scriptures.
Paul describes the desired attributes of the believer as "the whole armor of YHWH":
Eph 6:13-17
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of YHWH, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of YHWH;
Yahshua is seen as a fierce warrior in Revelation:
Rev 19:11-15
11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.
12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of YHWH.
14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.
15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty Judge.
And consider this:
Exod 15:3
3 YHWH is a man of war (ish milchamah); YHWH is His name.
Even YHWH is called a man of war! He is identified over and over in the Scriptures as YHWH Tzavaot, YHWH of the armies. So, having established the "who" of war, we will examine the "when", so that we may know the appointed season and a time for war to be a pleasure unto Heaven. We will start with Abram.
Gen 14:5-14
5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him came and attacked the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,
6 and the Horites in their mountain of Seir, as far as El Paran, which is by the wilderness.
7 Then they turned back and came to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and attacked all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Hazezon Tamar.
8 And the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out and joined together in battle in the Valley of Siddim
9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar-- four kings against five.
10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of asphalt pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled; some fell there, and the remainder fled to the mountains.
11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way.
12 They also took Lot, Abram's brother's son who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
13 Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and they were allies with Abram.
14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained servants who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
Abram went to war when he "heard that his brother was taken captive". It is also interesting to note Abram's companions, "three hundred and eighteen trained (servants) who were born in his own house". The word for "servant" is not in the Hebrew text. He had with him "three hundred and eighteen trained who were born in his own house". The Hebrew word translated as "trained" is chanik. It means "trained, instructed, or disciplined". These people were Abram's students, his fellow believers. So how does this apply to us?
2 Tim 2:24-26
24 And a servant of the Master must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if YHWH perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
When our brethren are taken captive by HaSatan's lies, it is a time for us to go to war. We are to war by patiently teaching and humbly correcting them. This helps us to understand these passages:
Eph 6:10-12
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in YHWH and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to stand against the deceit of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
2 Cor 10:3-6
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in YHWH for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of YHWH, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Not only are we to go to war on behalf of our brethren, we are go to war alongside our brethren:
Num 32:5-7
5 Therefore they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan."
6 And Moses said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: "Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?
7 "Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which YHWH has given them?
We are not to stand idly by while our brethren are at war. We must stand with them and encourage them. To do anything else is a sin against YHWH:
Num 32:20-23
20 Then Moses said to them: "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves before YHWH for the war,
21 "and all your armed men cross over the Jordan before YHWH until He has driven out His enemies from before Him,
22 "and the land is subdued before YHWH, then afterward you may return and be blameless before YHWH and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before YHWH.
23 "But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against YHWH; and be sure your sin will find you out.
Of course it is always the season to battle Amalek, the filthy spirit that seeks to destroy Israel:
Exod 17:16
16 for he said, "Because YHWH has sworn: YHWH will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."
Now we will refine our question of ‘when?â€ÂÂ. When should the individual go to battle?
Deut 20:1-9
1 "When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for YHWH your Elohim is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.
2 "So it shall be, when you are on the verge of battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people.
3 "And he shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel: Today you are on the verge of battle with your enemies. Do not let your heart faint, do not be afraid, and do not tremble or be terrified because of them;
4 'for YHWH your Elohim is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.'
5 "Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying: 'What man is there who has built a new house and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.
6 'And what man is there who has planted a vineyard and has not yet eaten of it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it.
7 'And what man is there who is betrothed to a woman and has not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man marry her.'
8 "The officers shall speak further to the people, and say, 'What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.'
9 "And so it shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.
The person of war is one who is not afraid and whose heart is not somewhere else. In short, it is someone who is fully committed. No one wants to depend on a half-hearted soldier to cover his back. Fear and lack of commitment are contagious. Only those with the resolve to fight and win should go into battle. If we go into battle at a time in which we are not fully committed, it will not be a pleasure unto Heaven.
The proper timing is everything in war. Consider this passage:
Deut 1:40-46
40 'But as for you, turn and take your journey into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.'
41 "Then you answered and said to me, 'We have sinned against YHWH; we will go up and fight, just as YHWH our Elohim commanded us.' And when everyone of you had girded on his weapons of war, you were ready to go up into the mountain.
42 "And YHWH said to me, 'Tell them, "Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; lest you be defeated before your enemies."'
43 "So I spoke to you; yet you would not listen, but rebelled against the command of YHWH, and presumptuously went up into the mountain.
44 "And the Amorites who dwelt in that mountain came out against you and chased you as bees do, and drove you back from Seir to Hormah.
45 "Then you returned and wept before YHWH, but YHWH would not listen to your voice nor give ear to you.
46 "So you remained in Kadesh many days, according to the days that you spent there.
The men of Israel had to wander in the wilderness until all that had not gone to war when commanded, and that went to war when told not to, had died. This took forty years. It is noteworthy that the word milchama appears forty times in the Torah. Forty is the number of transition, e.g., forty days of rain during the flood leading to a new earth, forty days of fasting before Yahshua began His public ministry, etc. This teaches us that war is a time of transition. We must fight to ascend to higher levels of separateness, to regain what was lost, and to take what was promised. We must experience times of war in order to experience times of peace. We must be one "who will fight" in order to become one "Å“who is The Bread".
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To your tents, O Israel!
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BIBLICAL FORGIVENESS
by Web Hulon
Col 3:12-14
12 Therefore, as the elect of YHWH, set apart and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Mashiach forgave you, so you also must do.
14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
Matt 6:12
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matt 6:14-15
14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
This passage shows us just how serious an issue our forgiving one another is to YHWH. The Scriptures have much to say concerning forgiveness. We enjoy the atonement of our many sins through the blood of Yahshua. But forgiveness is not a cut and dried issue. How do we forgive? What does “forgive†really mean?
We all know that there is more to dealing with sin than just "accepting forgiveness." The following passages will help us to understand "how" we are forgiven by YHWH and lay a foundation for our forgiveness of one another.
I Jn 1:6-10
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yahshua Mashiach His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
First we must not pretend that we do not sin, we do. Next, we must confess particular sins.
Acts 26:17-20
17 'I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,
18 'to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to Elohim, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'
19 "Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 "but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to YHWH, and do works befitting repentance.
Next we must repent. The above passage defines repenting as "turning to YHWH, and doing works befitting repentance." We know that "works", in a Hebraic context, are the Commandments, the Torah.
The proof of our repentance is that we now walk in Torah, or keep the Instruction of YHWH.
So we see that there is more to being forgiven by YHWH than just saying some words to Him; more even than believing on Yahshua. We must repent. It is by repentance that we receive forgiveness and an inheritance. If we could be forgiven without repenting, or turning to Torah, there would be no profit in our forgiveness. Likewise, there is more to forgiving one another than popular teaching, or misteaching, would have you believe.
Matt 18:21-22
21 Then Kefa came to Him and said, "Master, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
22 Yahshua said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
Yahshua said to forgive your brother 70 times 7, or 490 times. This sounds as if we are to quickly and automatically forgive, but we must remember that there are steps to forgiveness and that even if you want to, you cannot TRULY forgive someone without the process taking place. This passage gives us a bit more detail on Yahshua's instructions for forgiveness:
Luke 17:3-5
3 "Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents (metanoeo), forgive him.
4 "And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you (makes it right, epistrepho), saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive (apo = let go) him."
5 And the apostles said to YHWH, "Increase our faith."
Step one is to rebuke him. The word translated as “rebuke†is epitimao. It means, “ to rebuke, to forbid, to find guilty, to raise the price of, to value.†Isn’t it interesting that by bringing rebuke we raise the price of our brother and show that we value him. Most of us hate to have to rebuke, but let's consider what Scripture has to say about rebuke:
Ps 141:5
Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.
Prov 9:8
Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
Prov 17:10
Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool.
Prov 3:11-12
11 My son, do not despise the chastening of YHWH, nor detest His correction;
12 For whom YHWH loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.
James 5:19-20
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Prov 13:24
He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
And last but certainly not least:
Prov 27:5
Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed.
Lev 19:17
`You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.
In these passages rebuke is seen as loving your brother and the lack of rebuke is identified as sin. So, how do we rebuke?
First I will answer how we do not rebuke. We do not rebuke in self-righteousness or haughtiness, with an "I'm better than you" attitude.
To properly rebuke is to humbly TEACH with Scripture. This is how we raise the value of our brethren and how we show that we truly do value them. Not by back stabbing, name calling or temper tantrums. To rebuke is to teach.
The next step in forgiveness is up to the one who has sinned against us, "if he repents." The word translated as "repent" is the Greek word metanoeo (met-an-o-eh'-o). It means "to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider." It is now up to the brother to receive your teaching. If he now thinks differently, he has began to repent, but there is more that must be done.
We learned that repentance includes works. Notice that Luke 17:4 says "returns to you saying...". These are the next two steps the brother must "return to you". This is the Greek word epistrepho. It means, "to revert". The Hebrew equivalent is shuv, which means to turn away. The brother must physically turn from his sin, doing the right thing and repairing any harm he may have caused.
The accompanying step to turning is "saying".
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.
Remember that part of our dealing with sin is to admit that we have sinned. Confession and physically making it right are repentance.
Now comes forgiveness. The Greek word translated as "forgive" is apo. It means, "separation, departing, fleeing." To forgive is to separate yourself from someone, showing that when a brother sins against you, you somehow become connected to that person. The Hebrew word for forgiveness is nasa. It means, "to lift", so by forgiving you lift the sin from the sinner. The brother becomes dependent upon you because you now hold what he needs, your forgiveness.
John 20:22-23
22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
This shows that you have a hold over someone who sins against you. The question is "what will you do with it"?
The prison door locks behind the sinner, you have the key. If you love him, you must teach him that he must not walk through that door again before letting him out of the cell. You must rebuke him, receive his confession and repentance and then, and only then, release him. If any step is ignored, the process will not work and although you and the brother may believe that he is released, he really is not.
This forgiveness process is the only way that we may turn sin into profit. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that the profit of forgiveness may abound? Certainly not! But when there is sin, and there will be, we must turn the tables on it. We must use these situations as times to teach and be taught and establish our unity. Forgiveness is a serious responsibility to the Israelite, and it must be handled properly.
Finally, what if rebuke doesn't bear fruit and the person refuses to repent. First and foremost DO NOT ALLOW BITTERNESS TO SET IN! You still have a responsibility to that brother. PRAY! See things out, even as far as:
1 Cor 5:4-5
4 In the name of our Master Yahshua HaMashiach, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Master Yahshua HaMashiach,
5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Master Yahshua.
This is our responsibility. This is why we must pray to YHWH as the students of Messiah did after receiving this instruction, "increase our faith".
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