Topical Bible: Pardon: Israelites

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The concept of pardon in the context of the Israelites is deeply rooted in the covenantal relationship between God and His chosen people. Throughout the Old Testament, the theme of divine pardon is intricately linked with God's mercy, justice, and the Israelites' repentance and obedience.

Divine Pardon and the Covenant

The Israelites' relationship with God was established through covenants, beginning with Abraham and continuing through Moses. The Mosaic Covenant, in particular, laid out the laws and commandments that the Israelites were to follow. When they transgressed these laws, they were subject to divine judgment. However, God, in His mercy, provided a means for pardon through repentance and sacrificial offerings.

In Exodus 34:6-7 , God reveals His nature to Moses: "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and truth, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." This passage highlights God's willingness to forgive, balanced with His justice.

The Role of Sacrifices

The Levitical laws provided a system of sacrifices that allowed the Israelites to seek pardon for their sins. Leviticus 4 outlines the sin offering, which was a means for the Israelites to atone for unintentional sins. The Day of Atonement, described in Leviticus 16, was an annual event where the high priest would make atonement for the sins of the entire nation, symbolizing God's provision for corporate pardon.

Repentance and Forgiveness

The prophets consistently called the Israelites to repentance, emphasizing that true pardon required a change of heart and a return to God. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 , God promises, "And My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land." This verse underscores the conditional nature of divine pardon, contingent upon the Israelites' repentance.

Examples of Pardon in Israel's History

Throughout their history, the Israelites experienced God's pardon in response to their repentance. One notable example is found in the account of King David. After his sin with Bathsheba, David repented, and God forgave him, though there were still consequences for his actions (2 Samuel 12:13-14).

Another significant instance is the return of the Israelites from Babylonian exile. Despite their repeated disobedience, God, in His mercy, allowed them to return to their land, as prophesied by Jeremiah and fulfilled in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

The Promise of a New Covenant

The Old Testament also points to a future, more complete form of pardon through the promise of a new covenant. Jeremiah 31:34 prophesies, "No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more." This new covenant, fulfilled in Jesus Christ, offers ultimate pardon and reconciliation with God.

In summary, the concept of pardon for the Israelites is a testament to God's enduring mercy and faithfulness, inviting His people to repentance and offering forgiveness through both the sacrificial system and the promise of a new covenant.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Numbers 14:20
And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to your word:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Disciple, -- Master, in These Days Some Learned Men and their ...
... do the same for believers as the serpent of brass did for the Israelites, for whoever ...
die from the disease of his sin, though he has received full pardon for it ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/singh/at the masters feet/section ii the disciple 2.htm

The Wilderness.
... Mountain, where Moses was known to be talking with God, the Israelites lost faith ...
fuller expiation yet to come; some means of not only obtaining pardon, but of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson iv the wilderness.htm

'The Scapegoat'
... Remember how the Israelites had impressed on their minds the awful sanctity of
'within the ... that can ensure the cure, only He can assure us of pardon, and of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the scapegoat.htm

The Exercise of Mercy Optional with God.
... at the end of this Dispensation of grace, is not a day of pardon but of doom ... to the
Hebrews, informs the world, that as God sware that those Israelites who did ...
/.../shedd/sermons to the natural man/the exercise of mercy optional.htm

The Measure of Sin.
... that measure, after that there is no place for repentance, and no more pardon. ... and
yet they existed on till Joshua crossed Jordan with the Israelites, and then ...
/.../the village pulpit volume ii trinity to advent/xliv the measure of sin.htm

Salvation to the Jews
... has guided thousands of sin-burdened souls to the true Source of pardon and peace ...
Constantly he was petitioning God to work in behalf of the Israelites who had ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 35 salvation to the.htm

The Meeting Hereafter.
... We, like the Israelites, are on our journey, and we have to pass through the dark ...
year, the atoning Blood will be pleaded with the Father for the pardon of the ...
/.../the village pulpit volume ii trinity to advent/lxvi the meeting hereafter.htm

The Lord's Supper
... But in the blood-sprinkled dwellings of the Israelites, there was no one dead. ... would
be at liberty to come to Christ, and to receive from him pardon, and grace ...
/.../newton/the life of jesus christ for the young/the lords supper.htm

Moses the Type of Christ.
... Moses was the great intercessor when the Israelites sinned: while he was in the ...
righteously." And His death is meritorious; it has really gained our pardon. ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol vii/sermon ix moses the type.htm

The Poison and the Antidote
... of him, and thus it witnesses to his 'meekness.' His pardon was a ... to anticipate that,
after the prayer had been offered and answered, Israelites would still be ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the poison and the antidote.htm