The Torah outlines, quite clearly, what is sin and what is not. And we all know that God provided a system for being forgiven from sins we commit, and through the Messiah Yeshua, we don’t even need to bring a sacrifice to the temple in Jerusalem anymore, which is what the Torah required.
But the Torah also tells us that there is sin for which we cannot be forgiven, so what is it? Can we be forgiven or not?
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Lets’ see what God says about this, in Numbers 15:30-31 (CJB):
But an individual who does something wrong intentionally, whether a citizen or a foreigner, is blaspheming Adonai. That person will be cut off from his people. Because he has had contempt for the word of Adonai and has disobeyed his command, that person will be cut off completely; his offense will remain with him.’”
We read about someone who sins being “cut off from his people”, and according to the interpretations in my Chumash, that is meant to be a spiritual event, and not necessarily a human condition.
Researching Karet (pronounced Kar-rate), the Hebrew word for being cut off from the people, the general understanding is that it results in early death, lack or death of the children, or possibly exile from the community. The Talmud specifies a number of sins that result in Karet, most of which are sins dealing with sexual relationships or failing to observe ritual requirements. Examples would be having intercourse with a woman during her time of Niddah (Menstruation) or eating leavened products during Hag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread, starting with the Passover Seder).
But what really scares me is the idea that God says these sins are always going to be on us- in other words, there is no forgiveness. And Yeshua states that any blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is also unforgivable (Matthew 12:31).
Although these seem to be separate issues, I believe they are one and the same because the common problem is that someone is willfully disobeying God’s commandments.
When someone who knows the word of God yet willfully rejects it, or even worse, says it is the work of HaSatan (Satan), that is a blasphemy that is unforgivable.
Purposefully opposing God’s commandments is, if you ask me, like saying that what God wants is not as important as what I want.
What is remarkable is that the passages leading up to Numbers 15:30 cover how someone can be forgiven for accidentally breaking a commandment; that seems to imply that God assumes we sin by accident.
I believe that is why God is so strict with someone who sins on purpose, the assumption then being that the person knew the law, and still decided to ignore it. And that is why Yeshua called blaspheming the Holy Spirit is unforgivable; again, there is an assumption that the person knows God’s word and still ignores it.
After one has been saved and had the Ruach HaKadosh (Holy Spirit) indwell, to reject that spirit’s leading is a blasphemy.
Now this also scares the heck outta me because I know I have the Holy Spirit in me- I felt it come in! And there are many times I know I did something that was against the Torah; for instance, this past Shabbat I went to Home Depot to buy something we needed for the garden. So, am I doomed?
Every morning I ask God, by means of the blood Yeshua shed on my behalf and through his (Yeshua’s) righteousness to forgive the sins I have committed. Even when I don’t know any specific thing I did that was sinful, I still ask because I’m pretty sure I should assume that I did something wrong. Yet, because I spent money on Shabbat- willfully- knowing that we aren’t supposed to buy or sell, again I ask this question: despite my relationship with Yeshua, reading God’s word every day, support I send to believers in Uganda to help them and others through this ministry… am I doomed, anyway?
The Talmud states that this passage applies only to those who fail to repent, which gives us all hope; however, the Talmud is rabbinic interpretation of the Torah but it is not the Torah.
So am I still in trouble, even though I felt bad that I did wrong and do repent? I have been trying to do nothing that is against the Shabbat regulations (from the Torah, not from Halacha), but I fail at times. If it is really nice weather, sometimes on Shabbat I like to ride my bicycle because it relaxes me and makes me feel good that I am doing something healthy, but is that “work”?
So many questions with just one definitive answer- what the Torah says.
In Yeshua’s teaching on prayer (Matthew 6), he say if we forgive others their sins against us, God will forgive us the sins we have committed against him. But if we fail to forgive, we will not be forgiven.
Oy! There is it is, again- we will not be forgiven.
What is the truth? Can we find forgiveness through Yeshua or not?
Are there sins for which we will never be forgiven?
Even if we are forgiven, will we remain cut off from the people?
I wish I could give you a biblically sound and absolute answer, but I do not have one, and I apologize for that. I am sorry that I am bringing this up without being able to give you an answer you can depend on.
What I will share is what I hope is the truth, because hope is all I can offer.
I trust in the mercy of God to forgive my sins (of which I repent) that are, according to the Torah, unforgivable and result in cutting me off from my people (and being Jewish, they are MY people).
I trust in the compassion of God who knows human beings are weak and selfish, stiff-necked and rebellious by nature, to forgive those who come before him humbly with a broken spirit and an honestly heartfelt prayer for forgiveness (by means of Yeshua’s sacrifice).
I trust in God’s desire to forgive that even though there are sins which we are told are unforgiveable, God will forgive us because he says in Ezekiel 18:23 that he doesn’t want anyone to die.
There have been times in the Torah where God was determined (at least, it seems so) to destroy the people but Moses was able to get him to relent. I keep that in mind when I read that some sins are unforgiveable because there have been times when God did relent and forgive that which he had no intention to forgive.
And so, in the end, given his compassion, mercy, and desire to forgive I have to hope that when I come before him, being truly repentant, humble, and especially having Yeshua as my Intercessor, that he will relent from doing what he has said and not judge me as I deserve.
Thank you for being here and please remember to comment and like these messages, and share them with everyone you know, even non-believers. Hey, after all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.
That’s it for this week, so L’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!