Forgive
Hebrew #5545 – salakh – םפר
Definition: (1) stop feeling angry or resentful towards someone for an offense, flaw or mistake
Other Words: forgiven, pardon
“‘And now, please forgive my sin only this once, and pray to [Yahuah] your Elohim, that He would only turn away this death from me.'”
-Shemoth (Exodus) 10:17
“And no longer shall they teach, each one his neighbor, and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know [Yahuah],’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares [Yahuah]. “For I shall forgive their crookedness, and remember their sin no more.”'
-Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 31:34
“For You, [Yahuah], are good, and ready to forgive, And great in loving-commitment to all those who call upon You.”
-Tehillim (Psalms) 86:5
“So also My heavenly Father shall do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”'
-Mattithyahu (Matthew) 18:35
“If we say that we have no sin, we are misleading ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is trustworthy and righteous to forgive us the sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.”
-Yoḥanan Aleph (1 John) 1:8-10
The word “forgive” is very deep. It has much meaning, it can take a lot of faith to forgive. When Yahusha died upon the cross He forgave mankind’s never-ending sin, so that we are able to live with Him for eternity. Without this sacrifice of our Elohim’s son, it was hopeless. Elohim made a way for His children, as He so often does.
Forgiving someone for their wrongdoing could, and has, saved friendships. There has been many times, I’m sure, that when someone does not forgive, it casts a cloud of gloom and sadness over someone’s life.
We must “forgive and forget” and give people second chances, but there does come a time when we also must say, “Enough”. Second or third chances are part of Yahuah’s plan for life, just as in the story of Jonah, though there has been times when Yahuah was just tired of dealing with sinners that He just gets rid of them, as in the story of Sedom and Amorah. Sometimes I wonder if people like the people of Sodom and Amorah have any chance to turn to Yahuah, but most of the time there is no talk of that.
It is very important to forgive (as before said), Yahusha said in Matthew 6:12, when He is telling His taught ones how to pray,
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
He also said in Matthew 18:35 (see above) that if we don’t forgive, Yahuah will not forgive us.
It is also important to ask for forgiveness when we have wronged someone. When you ask for forgiveness (from either Yahuah or man), you should really, really mean it. If there is sincerity in your heart and kindness in the other person, you will be forgiven.
I hope that this has encouraged you, thanks for reading.
ES