329 Redemption of the first born | nazareneisrael2house

Redemption of the first-born.

Many of us whom HaShem has called to return to the covenant our forefathers made with Him, together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai often are worried about the Torah command that the father of a first-born son should redeem him. To be able to suitably answer this difficult question, we must consider what the Tanach, the Ketuvim of the Netzarim (the writings of the believers in the Nazarene Messiah ben Joseph) and our sages have to say about it.

However, firstly we need to consider what the word redeem means to the house of Israel in the Scriptures. We see what our father in the faith Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel testified about his redemption in Genesis 48: 16, saying: ‘The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and may my name (meaning Israel) live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.’ To see more details of what he is saying here, we turn the Hosea 12: 3 – 5, as follows: ‘In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his maturity he contended with G-d. (4) Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; he wept and sought His favor. He found Him at Bethel, and there He spoke with us, (5)even HaShem, the G-d of hosts; HaShem is His name.’Our heavenly Father has planned a wonderful future for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, if only we return to Him and start obeying Him after years of serving idols, since He already redeemed us as witnessed in Isaiah 44: 21 – 24 in this way: “Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are My servant; I have formed you, you are My servant, O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me. (22) I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud, and your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” (23) Shout for joy, O heavens, for HaShem has done it! Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth; break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it; for HaShem has redeemed Jacob and in Israel He shows forth His glory. (24) Thus says HaShem, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, HaShem, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens by Myself, and spreading out the earth all alone.”Those from the house of Israel who are slowly but surely returning to HaShem and the covenant we made with Him, need to be reminded that the Torah consists of three component parts, namely: Commandments, statutes and judgments.

The commandments tell us at a higher level what to do and what not to do, such as in Deuteronomy 5: 7, ‘You shall have no other gods before (or beside) Me (HaShem).’ The statutes give us more details as to what is given in the command, by breaking it down as may be read from Deuteronomy 6: 14 as follows: “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you.” The judgment in this case is given in verse 15, in this way: “For HaShem your G-d in the midst of you is a jealous G-d; otherwise the anger of Hashem your G-d will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.” Those who know the Torah and obey it are not affected by the judgments given against those who disobey Torah and are therefore not under the punishment of the Torah. Because most Jews know and obey Torah, they are above the punishment of Torah if they do not practice sin. In addition, those of the lost sheep from of the house of Israel who again became heirs of Abraham, through his one seed Messiah ben Joseph, are also no longer under the punishment of Torah, since Messiah ben Joseph redeemed them from the curse (or punishment) of the Law, having become a curse for them (as per Galatians 3: 13 & 14). When Messiah ben Joseph died for the sins of the house of Israel, He effectively abolished the sacrificial part of the Torah in respect of sin, which was introduced 430 years after the covenant of circumcision previously made with Abraham so as not to nullify the promise ratified (confirmed) by G-d that he and his descendants will live in the Promised Land eternally as spiritual sons and daughters of Elohim. So those who are led by the Spirit will do what is righteous (meaning Torah) from the heart because they came to love G-d and His Torah teachings and not because anybody forces them to do so. Those who therefore try to use Galatians 5 to justify the view that Torah is abolished or that they need not obey it to the letter, are missing the point totally, since heirs of Abraham need to be circumcised after which they are obliged to obey all of Torah.

In confirmation of this we read the letter Rav Shaul wrote to the returnees in the congregation in Romans 6: 1 – 7, saying: ‘What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace might increase? (2) May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? (3) Or do you not know that all of us who have been immersed into Messiah Ben Joseph have been immersed into His death? (4) Therefore we have been buried with Him through immersion into death, in order that as Messiah ben Joseph was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, (6) knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; (7) for he who has died is freed from sin.’ This clearly tells us that Messiah ben Joseph set us free from sin, not from obeying Torah.In addition,He said in John 8: 32, “And you will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The question is how did He identify truth? We read the answer from Messiah ben Joseph’s prayer in John 17, where He asks the Father in verse 17, saying: “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.” When Messiah ben Joseph walked the earth 2000 years ago, only the Tanach was available and was known as HaShem’s word. He was therefore only referring to the Tanach as truth, which excludes the Christian Bible as a whole. Continuing in Romans 6, Rav Shaul goes on to explain further in verses 16 – 18, saying: ‘Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? (17) But thanks be to G-d that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, (18) and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.’ This clearly shows that sin is the opposite of righteousness, as both Rav Yochanan and Rav Yaa’cov two of Messiah ben Joseph’s disciples agreed with; Rav Yochanan wrote accordingly in 1 John 3: 1 – 5, saying: ‘See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of G-d; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (2) Beloved, now we are children of G-d, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. (3) And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (4) Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. (5) And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.’It is believed that Messiah ben David will come to rule the world from Jerusalem on a Jubilee year, since He will at that time redeem the property the lost sheep of the house of Israel lost because of idolatry, allowing them to settle on the mountains of Israel or the Promised Land again in accordance with the law of return explained in Leviticus 25. Even if we die during the coming tribulation HaShem will resurrect us as we read from Psalm 71: 18 – 23, in this way: ‘And even when I am old and gray, O G-d, do not forsake me, until I declare Thy strength to this generation, Thy power to all who are to come. (19) For Thy righteousness, O G-d, reaches to the heavens, Thou who hast done great things; O G-d, who is like Thee? (20) Thou, who hast shown me many troubles and distresses, wilt revive me again, and wilt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. (21) Mayest Thou increase my greatness, and turn to comfort me. (22) I will also praise Thee with a harp, even Thy truth, O my G-d; to Thee I will sing praises with the lyre, O Thou Set-apart One of Israel. (23) My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to Thee; and my soul, which Thou hast redeemed.’

Elohim’s plan of salvation requires that sin be condemned, as Rav Shaul explains in Romans 8: 3 & 4, saying: ‘For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, G-d did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, (4) in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.’ Even so, there are different dimensions to this condemnation; firstly, the penalty of sin condemns us to eternal death – a death penalty which could only be erased through Messiah ben Joseph’s perfect sacrifice. Rav Shaul wrote to the Ephesians in Ephesians 2: 4 & 5, saying: ‘But G-d being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Messiah ben Joseph (by grace you have been saved).’ At one time we were sentenced to death, because of our sin – but those whom G-d has justified are as good as alive forever, since they will be resurrected at Messiah ben David’s coming when He redeems His people.Rav Shaul continues in verses 8 & 9 of Ephesians 2, saying: ‘For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of G-d; (9) not as a result of works, that no one should boast.’ Justification comes because we were reconciled to G-d. Whereas our past sins separated us from Him – Justification brings us back to have direct access with G-d through Messiah ben Joseph, who saved us from the consequences of our sins and rescued us from a world held captive by Satan. As a result, Rav Kepha tells us in the last part of 2 Peter 1: 4 that we have ‘become partakers of the divine nature (of G-d by means of His Set-apart Spirit), having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.’ Rav Shaul explained this further in Romans 5: 1 & 2, saying: ‘Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with G-d through our Master Messiah ben Joseph, (2) through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of G-d.’

Even though believers live under grace, they still fail at times and commit sin. However, the Set-apart Spirit of G-d indwelling us continue to lead us to repentance, as Rav Yochanan wrote in 1 John 1: 9, saying: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ As believers we will not habitually get involved in sinful behavior, since our lives should reflect the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5: 22 – 23, namely ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’ The reason being as Rav Shaul wrote in Ephesians 2: 10, saying: ‘For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah ben Joseph for good works, which G-d prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.’ Obviously, we are not justified by our good works, as Rav Shaul reminded us in Galatians 2: 15 & 16, saying to Kepha in the presence of all: “We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from among the Gentiles; (16) nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Messiah ben Joseph, even we have believed in Messiah, that we may be justified by faith in Messiah, and not by works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.” This is confirmed in Romans 3: 28, as follows: ‘For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.’ What is important to remember is: that if we belong to G-d, we will always seek to please Him. Yes, we are not saved by good works, but G-d has saved us in order that we may perform good works and not to continue sinning and do evil. Rav Shaul wrote in Titus 3: 4 - 6, saying: ‘But when the kindness of G-d our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, (5) He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Set-apart Spirit, (6) whom He poured out upon us richly through Messiah ben Joseph our Savior.’

Once Elohim calls us and we respond by obeying Him, He makes us His children. Rav Shaul compared the adoption of a child by a human parent, by describing this gracious act of G-d in Romans 8: 15, saying: ‘For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Avinu! Father!”’ He continues in verses 16 & 17, saying: ‘The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of G-d, (17) and if children, heirs also, heirs of G-d and fellow heirs with Messiah ben Joseph, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.’ In the last part of Galatians 4: 3 Rav Shaul reminds us that before we were given G-d’s grace we were “under the elemental things of the world.” But once we have been redeemed from our sins, ‘we (might) receive the adoption as sons’(the last part of verse 5), ‘therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son: and if a son, then an heir through G-d(verse 7). The Greek word for adoption used by Rav Shaul in both Galatians 4: 5 and Romans 8: 15 is ‘huiothesia’. Rav Shaul described the act of adoption as used in the upper classes of the Greek and Roman world, to these believers familiar with this practice. The adopted child was specifically and individually chosen by the adoption family and legal rights were conferred on the adopted child rendering the child a legal heir of the family. Consequently, when a child was adopted into a Greek or Roman family, the relationship became legally binding and the child was treated as if he/she had been a natural child of the family. By explaining this in a way for these Roman and Greek believers in Messiah ben Joseph to understand, they realized that their place in G-d’s household is for eternity, just as G-d is eternal. As children of Elohim we show our love towards the Father by obeying His teachings, but also love His other children, such as fellow Israelites and Jews who are all looking forward to the coming of Messiah ben David and aim to keep and protect our Father’s teachings, as Rav Yochanan wrote in 1 John 5: 2 & 3, saying: ‘By this we know that we love the children of G-d, when we love G-d and observe His commandments. (3) For this is the love of G-d, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.’

As believers in Messiah ben Joseph, we all know the model prayer that He taught His disciples, when He taught them how to pray. In addition to giving them the specific elements to include in their daily prayer requests to our heavenly Father, He also told them not to use meaningless words of repetition, as the Gentiles do, as they believe they will be heard for their many words. This means that we may use elements of the model prayer in Matthew 6: 9 – 13 in our prayers but should not like some in Churchianity recite the same prayer over and over at a time. YHVH wants us to talk to Him from the heart, but in so doing we need to be ever mindful that He is our Creator, and He demands that we come before Him respectfully. We should also remember that returnees from the house of Israel, weonly come to our heavenly Father in and through the blood of Messiah and therefore always conclude our prayers in and through Messiah ben Joseph’s name, then adding the word Amein (meaning, ‘so be it’) at the end. Because we are human, most of us have or are experiencing feelings of pain because a loved one said or did something to offend us; or sorrow that will not go away, or guilt that keep us captive; or even bitterness that promotes resentment of others because of the grief they caused us. When someone offends us, or sin against us; our first reaction is usually to hit back by saying or doing something equally nasty. But we should always try to avoid conflicting and dangerous situations and as believers who are returning to the covenant with HaShem we need to do whatever possible to preserve life; our own as well as that of our neighbor. If, for example we come under attack of someone who wants to rob and kill us or our neighbor, we should defend ourselves and our neighbor with all our might. It is accordingly necessary to understand when Messiah ben Joseph was on earth what He taught His disciples about this in Matthew 5: 38 & 39saying: “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ (39) But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Hedid not abolish a Torah command here, but merely informed His disciples that the section that He quoted from in Deuteronomy 19: 21, namely: “Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,” was reserved for capital punishment meted out by a court of lawand not for interaction between people. In reading from verses 43 – 48 of Matthew 5, we see thatHe was associating verbal abuse to physical violence against us, in this way: “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR, and hate your enemy.’ (44) But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you (45) in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (46) For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? (47) And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (48) Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” As a Jew Messiah ben Joseph’s statement about someone slapping us on the cheek, was merely informing us to determine the intention of our attacker before reacting. If for example, a lady or our wives smack us on the cheek, we should not overreact and become a woman/wife beater but try and determine what we have done wrong. If the smack was just the beginning of a vicious attack on our person by a burglar or terrorist, we should obviously defend ourselves.

Resuming His lesson about prayer He added in Mark 11: 25 & 26, saying: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. (26) But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.” If we truly desire to be in the kingdom of G-d one day, we will take these words of His seriously, since we cannot enter the Kingdom, without being forgiven our past sins. Yes, we are forgiven our sins, conditional that we also forgive those who sin against us! Forgiveness is vital for getting rid of bitterness, resentment and hatred. When Kepha asked Messiah ben Joseph in Matthew 18: 21, saying: “Master, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” In answering Kepha, Messiah ben Joseph related the parable in verses 22 – 35 to him, saying: “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. (23) For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a certain king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. (24) And when he had begun to settle them, there was brought to him one who owed him ten thousand talents. (25) But since he did not have the means to repay, his master commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. (26) The slave therefore falling down, prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything.’ (27) And the master of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. (28) But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ (29) So his fellow slave fell down and began to entreat him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ (30) He was unwilling however, but went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. (31) So, when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their master all that had happened. (32) Then summoning him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. (33) Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?’(34) And his master, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. (35) So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.”

As human beings we react in accordance with our emotions and the destructive influence that Satan continues to broadcast into our minds, as he is fully aware of the condition required by HaShem for forgiveness and wants us to be permanently antagonistic toward each other. In day 32 of counting the Omer we consider the attribute of ‘Netzach of Hod’ or Endurance in Humility. Endurance in humility stresses the fact that real humility does not make you into a spineless person for others to walk all over; but gives you enduring strength, so that others do not take advantage of you. We should learn to react to curses and negative comments about us by blessing and making positive comments/remarks about those who abuse us verbally. However, this is easier said than done and because of our pride we sometimes refuse to forgive, as at times we consider someone’s sin against us as purely too great to forgive. This is when we feel that the offender needs to be taught a lesson before we will even consider forgiving him or her. If we feel this way, we need to realize that our own foolish pride often prevents us from forgiving others. Such reasoning is loaded with emotion and overlooks the basic Scriptural principle that it is not within us to know what is right and wrong, as we cannot on our own determine what is important to G-d and what is not, as we read from Proverbs 14: 12, in this way: ‘There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.’ Reading Rav Shaul’s admonition in Romans 12: 17 – 21, we see that G-d’s words does not allow us to take revenge, as follows: ‘Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. (18) If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. (19) Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of G-d, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says HaShem. (20) “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS UPON HIS HEAD.” (21) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’

We read the example Rav Shaul left us regarding forgiveness and his admonition of the brethren in Corinth to forgive a sinner amongst them, who he expelled from the congregation earlier for his sins, in 2 Corinthians 2: 6 – 8, in this way: “Sufficient for such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the majority, (7) so that on the contrary you should rather forgive and comfort him, lest somehow such a one be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. (8) Wherefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.” It is essential for us to stay in a forgiving frame of mind, as the peace that is produced by a forgiving attitude is far better than incapacitating hate and resentment. We need to be ever mindful that Messiah ben Joseph gave His very life for the forgiveness of our sins, as He said when He gave His disciples the cup at His last Passover in Matthew 26: 27 & 28, as follows: “Drink from it, all of you; (28) for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”Even though it is exceedingly difficult to suddenly develop a forgiving attitude if we have been our worldly self for most of our lifetime, it is also possible for us to change as we are assured by Messiah ben Joseph in Mark 9: 23, where He said:‘Allthings are possible to him who believes.’ In addition, we read from Hebrews 9: 13 & 14: ‘For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, (14) how much more will the blood of Messiah ben Joseph, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to G-d, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living G-d?’ We simply need to deeply convince ourselves to forgive others and ask G-d to help us do so. We need to understand that just as insincere forgiveness will not remove feelings of resentment and bitterness,so faith without works is dead as witnessed by Rav Yaa’cov in James 2: 26. We need to comfort ourselves with the knowledge that G-d will never allow trials to come upon us that are more than we can bear. He always provides us with a way to escape and the wherewithal to handle our problems, as Rav Shaul assures us in 1 Corinthians 10: 13, saying: ‘No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and G-d is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.’

HaShem gave us the ability to forgive and to escape – provided we personally choose to do so. The alternative is to remain captive by our feelings of guilt and resentment. We need to ask ourselves, when we at times ask G-d to heal such feelings, do we reject the ways that He provides to accomplish the healing? Do we ignore the fact that spiritual as well as emotional healing requires our forgiveness, i.e., by putting our faith into works? One thing is certain, forgiveness does not ignore or condone crime. Butit requires an understanding for the transgression and a readiness to help the offender with his problem. As we practice forgiveness, we will learn that by doing so, we are released from our feelings of guilt and resentment and start the healing process. In addition to getting rid of our suffering and sorrow, we are also assured forgiveness of our own personal sins, when we repent. Rav Yochanan tells us in first John 1: 9, saying: ‘If we confess our sins, He (G-d) is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ HaShem tells us through David in Psalm 103: 12 & 13, saying:‘As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (13) Just as a father has compassion on his children, so HaShem has compassion on those who fear Him.’ The prophet Isaiah further assures us in Isaiah 1: 18 that G-d’s forgiveness is absolute, saying: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.” We may remind HaShem of His promise that Messiah ben Joseph gave us in and at the end of the model prayer that He gave His disciples in Matthew 6: 12 & 14, saying: ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (14) For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.’It is necessary to understand that it is easier to forgive someone if we do not obsessively turn their wrong actions over in our minds. We need to stop ourselves before we become hardhearted and eventually bitter and twisted. We also need to ask G-d to forgive those who sin against us and to lead them to repentance. By so-doing we become co-workers with G-d in pursuing the wrongdoer’s forgiveness.

We need to remember that Messiah ben Joseph suffered much more injustice and rejection than what most of us ever will as we witnessed in John 1: 10 & 11, as follows: ‘He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. (10) He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.’ We read the prophesy in Isaiah in chapter 53: 2 & 3 which pictures Messiah ben Joseph’s suffering, in this way: ‘For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. (3) He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.’ He was never concerned about His own feelings, but always considered that of others. The rebellious condition into which mankind progressed after Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden, required HaShem to pay the penalty for our sins, so that we may be reconciled back to Him in a sinless state. This is aptly described in Romans 8: 2 to the first part of verse 4, as follows: ‘For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah ben Joseph has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (3) For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, G-d did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, (4) in order that the requirements of the Law might be fulfilled in us.’’ Messiah ben Joseph endured by patiently accepting and waiting on G-d for the reconciliation of mankind. Then we who claim to be His followers, should do the same.

Nevertheless, it will take a lot of practice to overcome our normal antagonisticfight or flight nature. It can be likened to a body builder who must continue to push and pull against huge weights in resistance training until his body is sculptured into that of a champion. It takes months, even years for a body builder to develop from a skinny or overweight body to what is required to enter competitions. Because forgiveness is not something that we can do naturally; we must learn and practice to forgive. Similar to a body builder we have to practice to overcome our resistance to forgive those who sin against us, if we eventually want to be awarded the crown that Rav Shaul spoke about in 2 Timothy 4: 7 & 8, saying: ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; (8) in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which HaShem, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.’ If we practice forgiveness daily, it will become a habit with us and slowly but surely, we will conform to the image of G-d. Messiah ben Joseph forgave those who caused His death, saying in Luke 23: 34, “Father, forgive them: for they do not know what they are doing”, thus leaving us a perfect example of forgiveness. Returnees have been forgiven through redemption and will finally receive grace at Messiah ben David’s coming, in the same way the house of Judah will, as witnessed in 1 Peter 1: 13 and Zechariah 12: 10, as follows:

1 Peter 1: 13,
Zechariah 12: 10,

It is therefore important that those who are in or have returned to the covenant the commonwealth of Israel made with Hashem at Mount Sinai, to obey His Torah teachings because we love Him. Think about it!