The first time we see
the word forgive in the Scriptures is at the end of the days of the Patriarchs.
Joseph is reminded that the father (Jacob) had commanded before he died that
Joseph is to forgive his brethren. The brethren (Israel) had rejected the
favored son and delivered him over to the Gentiles.
The next occasion is
when Pharaoh, after the horror of the locust plague, calls for Moses and Aaron
and confesses to them, "I have sinned against the
LORD your God, and against you." He then begs them to
entreat the “LORD your God” to stop the plague. The LORD is Israel's God, not
the God of Pharaoh.
We read about Solomon
praying for the nation to be forgiven in the future. We hear both Moses and
Daniel plead for forgiveness for the nation. And Jesus cries out for their
forgiveness as well.
We are commanded to
forgive and we are instructed to pray for forgiveness. God promises to forgive
the nation. Upon confession, He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all our unrighteousness.
Only once in all the
Scriptures do we discover a man in prayer saying the words "forgive me.”
Those words were written by David in the 25th Psalm
It’s easy to ask the
Lord to forgive others. I don’t even find it that difficult to forgive those
who have trespassed against me. But for me to ask for forgiveness!--that would be to acknowledge
my guilt and to admit that I’m the
one who is in the wrong.
Mitch Triestman
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