Lesson
9: Forgive Us Our Debts as We Also Have Forgiven Our Debtors
Our
Father in heaven,
Hallowed
be your name;
Your
kingdom come;
Your
will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give
us this day our daily bread;
And
forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors;
And
do not lead us into temptation,
But
deliver us from the evil.
For
yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
Matthew 6:12
Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our
debtors.
Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but
whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
FORGIVE
FORGIVE, v.t. forgiv'. pret. forgave; pp. forgiven. [L. remitto. See
Give.]
1. To pardon; to remit, as an offense or debt; to overlook an
offense, and treat the offender as not guilty. The original and
proper phrase is to forgive the offense, to send it away, to reject
it, that is, not to impute it, [put it to] the offender. But by an
easy transition, we also use the phrase, to forgive the person
offending.
Forgive us our debts.
If we forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also
forgive you. Matt. 6.
The Main
Points for This Lesson:
As children, when we
disobey our parents, that disobedience creates an invisible wall
(Isaiah 59:2) between us and our parents. If we hope to remove that
wall, on our part we must apologize for our disobedience (having
repented of it), as much as possible make right what we have (through
our disobedience) made wrong, and ask our parents to forgive us our
disobedience. When our parents then forgive us, the invisible wall is
removed.
In this pray, Jesus
teaches us that we all have debts we owe to God. We have all
disobeyed our Father in heaven at some time (and perhaps more often
than we care to think about). Until the debts from our disobedience
are taken care of, an invisible wall is growing between God and us.
If that wall is not taken care of in this life, it becomes an eternal
wall, keeping us apart from God for eternity (Matthew 7:23). If we
want to remove that wall, on our part we must repent of our
disobedience (ie. Turn away from it, and turn toward obeying God),
confess it to God, and ask God to forgive us our debt of disobedience
(our debt of sin). When God then forgives us our debt (and God has
offered forgiveness to those who in humility repent, confess and ask
for forgiveness or ask for mercy) the invisible wall between us and
God is removed.
The Lord's Prayer
teaches us both how to pray and how to live.
When we pray,
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,”
what are we asking?
In praying this, we are asking our Father in heaven to forgive us the
debts of our disobedience. We are humbly asking him to do what he
does not have to do for us. We are asking him to show us mercy, and
not hold the debt of our sins against us. We are asking him to remove
the wall between us. It is important to note that a child of God
prays this both for himself and for all of God's children. For Jesus
did not teach us to pray, “Forgive ME MY debts,” but “Forgive
US OUR debts.”
In this prayer, Jesus teaches us to offer acceptable sacrifices to
God. In praying this, we learn to offer the sacrifice of a broken and
contrite heart, a heart that sees and mourns over sin. Jesus also
instructed us to add to our petition for forgiveness the following,
“as we also have forgiven our debtors.” In this we are taught to
present with this prayer the pleasant offering of brothers dwelling
together in unity (and warned against doing otherwise).
How does this
petition in the Lord's Prayer teach us to live?
Jesus teaches us in this petition to walk in humility and lowliness
before our God and Father, from whom we daily need mercy and
forgiveness. We learn to examine ourselves daily, confessing our own
sins and the sins of God's people, earnestly and sincerely seeking
forgiveness for the debts of our sins.
Jesus commanded us to love one another. In this prayer, we learn at
least one way we should love one another. In praying for not just
himself, but for all the children of God, the one praying this must
have a humble love in his heart for all. Our sinful nature teaches us
to respond to the sins of others with bitterness, wrath, anger,
clamor and slander. Jesus teaches us to mourn and pray with love in
our hearts for others in response to their sins. Daniel did this
(Daniel 9:1-20) when he prayed for God’s people concerning their
sins (he did not separate himself from the sinful people of Israel).
Stephen did this at his death when he prayed for his murderers,
“Lord, don’t hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60). Jesus,
dying on the cross, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t
know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Further, in seeing the great value our Father in heaven puts on love
and forgiveness, on relationship, we are taught to forgive all those
who sin against us. While all the petitions of the Lord's Prayer may
have implicit conditions associated with them, this petition alone
was given with an explicit condition. Forgive us our debts, AS we
also have forgiven our debtors. In case we were in doubt, immediately
following the prayer in Matthew's Gospel, the words of Jesus make
plain to us that forgiving our debtors is not a suggestion, or even a
good idea. It is a command, and a necessary condition of our being
forgiven by our Father in heaven.
Suggestions:
Open each lesson
with prayer for the teacher and the students and this class time.
Begin by reminding
the children that we are learning about the Lord's Prayer, and that
this lesson is about the fifth petition (or request) in the Lord's
Prayer - “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our
debtors.”
Give a simple
explanation about debts and forgiveness. You can use the illustration
of children disobeying their parents. Explain that when we disobey,
we have a debt of disobedience, and that debt creates a wall between
us and our parents. You can ask them if they have ideas about how to
take care of that debt so that the wall can be removed. They may
offer ideas such as “being sorry,” or “saying your sorry.”
Use their ideas to steer them toward the ideas of repentance,
confession and asking forgiveness (which is somewhat like being sorry
and saying your sorry).
The stories below (2
Samuel 12:1-14; Matthew 18:21-35) can be used to teach the children
about the debt of sin and forgiveness. As you read, you can ask the
children questions about the stories. 2 Samuel 12:1-14 – Was God
angry with David? What was David's response to the prophet Nathan?
Was this a good response? Matthew 18:21-35 – Has someone hurt you
more than once? What did you do? Have you ever hurt someone more than
one time? Did the king have to forgive the first servant his debt?
What should the first servant have done with the second servant?
Close the lesson
with prayer related to the subject and the students. Pray the Lord's
Prayer together.
Stories:
2 Samuel 12:1-14
[13] David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh.” Nathan
said to David, “Yahweh also has put away your sin. You will not
die.
Before
reading this story (not just verse 13), it may be good to summarize
David's sin regarding Bathsheba and Uriah. In this story, we see
Nathan the prophet helping bring David to repent of and confess his
sin, and so seek forgiveness. Psalm 51 was written by David in
connection with this. This story shows us God's forgiveness. It also
shows us that even when God forgives us, we may still experience some
consequences for our sin, and even very costly consequences.
Matthew 18:21-35
[21] Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my
brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?” [22]
Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but,
until seventy times seven. [23] Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is
like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his
servants. [24] When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him
who owed him ten thousand talents. [25] But because he couldn’t
pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children,
and all that he had, and payment to be made. [26] The servant
therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, ‘Lord, have
patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ [27] The lord of that
servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him
the debt. [28] “But that servant went out, and found one of his
fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed
him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’
[29] “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him,
saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’ [30] He
would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay
back that which was due. [31] So when his fellow servants saw what
was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their
lord all that was done. [32] Then his lord called him in, and said to
him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you
begged me. [33] Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow
servant, even as I had mercy on you?’ [34] His lord was angry, and
delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due
to him. [35] So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t
each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”
More Stories
and Examples:
Luke 18:9-14
[9] He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced
of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. [10] “Two
men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the
other was a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed to
himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest
of men, extortionists, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax
collector. [12] I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I
get.’ [13] But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t
even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God,
be merciful to me, a sinner!’ [14] I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts
himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Matthew 9:2-7
– This is the story of the paralytic lowered from the roof. Before
healing his physical condition, Jesus first forgives his sins.
Other Verses:
OUR DEBTS – What
Is Sin, Our Debts; Who Sins?
James 4:17 To
him therefore who knows to do good, and doesn’t do it, to him it is
sin.
Romans 14:23
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t of
faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.
Proverbs 20:9
Who can say, “I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without
sin?”
Ecclesiastes 7:20
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and
doesn’t sin.
1 Kings 8:46-53
[46] If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn’t
sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy,
so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, far
off or near; [47] yet if they shall repent in the land where they are
carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the
land of those who carried them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned,
and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly;’ [48] if they
return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the
land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you
toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which
you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name: [49]
then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, your
dwelling place, and maintain their cause; [50] and forgive your
people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in
which they have transgressed against you; and give them compassion
before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion
on them [51] (for they are your people, and your inheritance, which
you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron);
[52] that your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant,
and to the supplication of your people Israel, to listen to them
whenever they cry to you. [53] For you separated them from among all
the peoples of the earth, to be your inheritance, as you spoke by
Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord
Yahweh.”
OUR DEBTS –
Results or Consequences of Sin
Proverbs 15:29
Yahweh is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the
righteous.
Isaiah 59:1-2
[1] Behold, Yahweh’s hand is not shortened, that it can’t save;
neither his ear heavy, that it can’t hear: [2] but your
iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Jeremiah 5:25
“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have
withheld good from you.
James 1:14-15
[14] But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust,
and enticed. [15] Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin;
and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death.
OUR DEBTS – A
Guilty Conscience
Psalm
38:3-10,17-18 [3] There is no soundness in my flesh because of
your indignation, neither is there any health in my bones because of
my sin. [4] For my iniquities have gone over my head. As a heavy
burden, they are too heavy for me. [5] My wounds are loathsome and
corrupt, because of my foolishness. [6] I am pained and bowed down
greatly. I go mourning all day long. [7] For my waist is filled with
burning. There is no soundness in my flesh. [8] I am faint and
severely bruised. I have groaned by reason of the anguish of my
heart. [3] There is no soundness in my flesh because of your
indignation, neither is there any health in my bones because of my
sin. [4] For my iniquities have gone over my head. As a heavy burden,
they are too heavy for me. [5] My wounds are loathsome and corrupt,
because of my foolishness. [6] I am pained and bowed down greatly. I
go mourning all day long. [7] For my waist is filled with burning.
There is no soundness in my flesh. [8] I am faint and severely
bruised. I have groaned by reason of the anguish of my heart. [9]
Lord, all my desire is before you. My groaning is not hidden from
you. [10] My heart throbs. My strength fails me. As for the light of
my eyes, it has also left me. [17] For I am ready to fall. My pain is
continually before me. [18] For I will declare my iniquity. I will be
sorry for my sin.
CONDITIONS OF
FORGIVENESS – Repentance
2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble
themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked
ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land.
Psalm 7:12
[ACV] If a man does not repent, he will whet his sword. He has
bent his bow, and made it ready.
Psalm 51:16-17
[16] For you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it.
You have no pleasure in burnt offering. [17] The sacrifices of God
are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not
despise.
Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses
and renounces them finds mercy.
Isaiah 1:15-20
[15] When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you.
Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full
of blood. [16] Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the
evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. [17] Learn
to do well. Seek justice. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the
fatherless. Plead for the widow.” [18] “Come now, and let us
reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like
crimson, they shall be as wool. [19] If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land; [20] but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Yahweh has
spoken it.”
Isaiah 55:6-7
[6] Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call you on him while he is
near: [7] let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man
his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have
mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Mark 1:4-5
[4] John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism
of repentance for forgiveness of sins. [5] All the country of
Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized
by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins.
Acts 26:15-20
[15] “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus,
whom you are persecuting. [16] But arise, and stand on your feet, for
I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and
a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things
which I will reveal to you; [17] delivering you from the people, and
from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, [18] to open their eyes, that
they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to
God, that they may receive remission 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 them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and
throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that
they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
CONDITIONS OF
FORGIVENESS – Confession
Psalm 32:3-5
[3] When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all
day long. [4] For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My
strength was sapped in the heat of summer. Selah. [5] I
acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I
will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the
iniquity of my sin. Selah.
James 5:14-16
[14] Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the
assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the
name of the Lord, [15] and the prayer of faith will heal him who is
sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he
will be forgiven. [16] Confess your offenses to one another, and
pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent
prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
1 John 1:8-10
[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 righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. [10] If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him
a liar, and his word is not in us.
CONDITIONS OF
FORGIVENESS – Forgiving Our Debtors
Psalm 18:25-26
[25] With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With
the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect. [26] With the pure,
you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself
shrewd.
Psalm 130:3-4
[3] If you, Yah, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? [4]
But there is forgiveness with you, therefore you are feared.
Matthew 6:14-15
[14] “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you. [15] But if you don’t forgive men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Mark 11:25-26
[25] Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything
against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also
forgive you your transgressions. [26] But if you do not forgive,
neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
Luke 6:31-38
[31] “As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.
[32] If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For
even sinners love those who love them. [33] If you do good to those
who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do
the same. [34] If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive,
what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive
back as much. [35] But love your enemies, and do good, and lend,
expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will
be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful
and evil. [36] “Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is
also merciful. [37] Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged.
Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free,
and you will be set free. [38] “Give, and it will be given to
you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over,
will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it
will be measured back to you.”
Luke 11:4
Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is
indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from
the evil one.’”
Luke 17:1-4
[1] He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no occasions
of stumbling should come, but woe to him through whom they come! [2]
It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck,
and he were thrown into the sea, rather than that he should cause one
of these little ones to stumble. [3] Be careful. If your brother
sins against you, rebuke him. If he repents, forgive him. [4] If he
sins against you seven times in the day, and seven times returns,
saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
Luke 23:32-34
[32] There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to
death. [33] When they came to the place that is called The Skull,
they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the
other on the left. [34] Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for
they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments
among them, they cast lots.
Ephesians
4:31-32;5:1-2 [4:31] Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry,
and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. [32] And be kind
to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God
also in Christ forgave you. [5:1] Be therefore imitators of God,
as beloved children. [2] Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you,
and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweet-smelling fragrance.
Colossians
3:12-14 [12] Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and
beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and
perseverance; [13] bearing with one another, and forgiving each
other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave
you, so you also do. [14] Above all these things, walk in love,
which is the bond of perfection.
CONDITIONS OF
FORGIVENESS – Walking in the light
Psalm 24:3-5
[3] Who may ascend to Yahweh’s hill? Who may stand in his holy
place? [4] He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not
lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. [5]
He shall receive a blessing from Yahweh, righteousness from the God
of his salvation.
Hebrews 11:7
By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved
with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house,
through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is according to faith.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son,
cleanses us from all sin.
CONDITIONS OF
FORGIVENESS – Forgiveness Not Granted
Matthew 12:31-32
[31] Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven
men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
[32] Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be
forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will
not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to
come.
Hebrews 10:26-31
[26] For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge
of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins,
[27] but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness
of fire which will devour the adversaries. [28] A man who disregards
Moses’ law dies without compassion on the word of two or three
witnesses. [29] How much worse punishment, do you think, will he be
judged worthy of, who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and has
counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an
unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? [30] For we know
him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me,” says the Lord, “I will
repay.” Again, “The Lord will judge his people.” [31] It is a
fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 12:14-17
[ACV] [14] Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without
which no man will see the Lord. [15] Looking carefully lest any man
fall short, away from the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness
sprouting up would cause trouble, and by this many may be defiled,
[16] lest a fornicator or profane man like Esau, who, in place of one
meal sold his birthright. [17] For ye also know that wanting
afterward to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found
no place of repentance, though having sought it with tears.
ASKING GOD TO
FORGIVE US (MORE THAN JUST ME)
Job 1:4-5 [4]
His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his
birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and
to drink with them. [5] It was so, when the days of their feasting
had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose
up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the
number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have
sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so
continually.
Daniel 9:3-19
[3] I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions,
with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. [4] I prayed to Yahweh my God,
and made confession, and said, Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God,
who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and
keep his commandments, [5] we have sinned, and have dealt
perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning
aside from your precepts and from your ordinances; [6] neither have
we listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to
our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the
land. [15] Now, Lord our God, who has brought your people out of the
land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have gotten yourself renown, as
at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. [16] Lord,
according to all your righteousness, let your anger and please let
your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy
mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our
fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all who
are around us. [17] Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer
of your servant, and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine
on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. [18] My
God, turn your ear, and hear; open your eyes, and see our
desolations, and the city which is called by your name: for we do not
present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your
great mercies’ sake. [19] Lord, hear; Lord, forgive; Lord,
listen and do; don’t defer, for your own sake, my God, because your
city and your people are called by your name.
Ezra 9:5-15
[5] At the evening offering I arose up from my humiliation, even with
my garment and my robe torn; and I fell on my knees, and spread out
my hands to Yahweh my God; [6] and I said, “My God, I am ashamed
and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities have
increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to the
heavens. [7] Since the days of our fathers we have been exceeding
guilty to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our
priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands,
to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to confusion of face, as
it is this day. [8] Now for a little moment grace has been shown from
Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a
nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give
us a little reviving in our bondage. [9] For we are bondservants; yet
our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving
kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a
reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins,
and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. [10] “Now, our
God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your
commandments, [11] which you have commanded by your servants the
prophets, saying, ‘The land, to which you go to possess it, is an
unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands,
through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to
another with their filthiness. [12] Now therefore don’t give your
daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons,
nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be
strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance
to your children forever.’ [13] “After all that has come on us
for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, since you, our God, have
punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such
a remnant, [14] shall we again break your commandments, and join in
affinity with the peoples that do these abominations? Wouldn’t you
be angry with us until you had consumed us, so that there should be
no remnant, nor any to escape? [15] Yahweh, the God of Israel, you
are righteous; for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is
this day. Behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for no one can
stand before you because of this.”
Both
Ezra and Nehemiah confess the sins of God's people, including
themselves as part of God's people. While we don't read the word
“forgive” in either portion, they are asking for mercy in their
confession. They are not confessing “their” sins, meaning someone
else's sins. Rather, they confess “our” sins against God. May we
learn to walk as part of God's family with such a heart as this.
Nehemiah 1:4-11
[4] When I heard these words, I sat down and wept, and mourned
certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven, [5]
and said, “I beg you, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and
awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who
love him and keep his commandments: [6] Let your ear now be
attentive, and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of
your servant, which I pray before you at this time, day and night,
for the children of Israel your servants while I confess the sins
of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Yes, I
and my father’s house have sinned. [7] We have dealt very
corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the
statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.
[8] “Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant
Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you abroad among
the peoples; [9] but if you return to me, and keep my commandments
and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the
heavens, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them to
the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’
[10] “Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have
redeemed by your great power, and by your strong hand. [11] Lord, I
beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant,
and to the prayer of your servants, who delight to fear your name;
and please prosper your servant this day, and grant him mercy in the
sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.
PRAYERS FOR
FORGIVENESS
While
there are other “penitential” Psalms, the four Psalms above
relate specifically to sin and forgiveness.
2 Chronicles
33:9-19 [9] Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, so that they did more evil than the nations whom Yahweh
destroyed before the children of Israel did. [10] Yahweh spoke to
Manasseh, and to his people; but they gave no heed. [11] Therefore
Yahweh brought on them the captains of the army of the king of
Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and
carried him to Babylon. [12] When he was in distress, he begged
Yahweh his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of
his fathers. [13] He prayed to him; and he was
entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him
again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh
was God. [14] Now after this he built an outer wall to the city of
David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance
at the fish gate; and he encircled Ophel with it, and raised it up to
a very great height: and he put valiant captains in all the fortified
cities of Judah. [15] He took away the foreign gods, and the idol out
of Yahweh’s house, and all the altars that he had built in the
mountain of Yahweh’s house, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of
the city. [16] He built up the altar of Yahweh, and offered
sacrifices of peace offerings and of thanksgiving on it, and
commanded Judah to serve Yahweh, the God of Israel. [17] Nevertheless
the people sacrificed still in the high places, but only to Yahweh
their God. [18] Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his
prayer to his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in
the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, behold, they are written among
the acts of the kings of Israel. [19] His prayer also, and how God
was entreated of him, and all his sin and his trespass, and the
places in which he built high places, and set up the Asherah poles
and the engraved images, before he humbled himself: behold, they are
written in the history of Hozai.
Prayer
of Manasseh – This short book is listed among the Apocrypha
(or Deuterocanonical) books of the Bible. It is only 15 verses long.
In those verses it shows us the confession and plea of a sinner who
has humbled himself before the almighty God. You can find the text of
this prayer in other translations at the links below.
*****
James 5:19-20
[19] Brothers, if any 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 will cover a
multitude of sins.
