Forgiveness - Part 2

Let’s take a closer look at the word forgiveness.  The Hebrew isהחָילִסְ  celiychah, which means forgiveness, or pardon. Strong's 5547.  The Greek is αφεσις aphesis (not Ephesus - Εφεσος), which means freedom; (figuratively) pardon:—deliverance, forgiveness, liberty, remission. Strong’s 859.  Consider, for a moment, if the city of Ephesus is in fact the city of forgiveness.

Chizayon (Revelation) 2:1-7

UNTO the angel of the called out assembly of Ephesus write; These things says he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden menorahs; 2 I know your works, and your labour, and your patience, and how you cannot bear them which are evil: and you have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars: 3 And have borne, and have patience, and for my name's sake have laboured, and have not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your menorah out of his place, except you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Niyqolaciym, which I also hate. 7 He that has an ear, let him hear את what the RUACH says unto the called out assemblies; To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of ELOHIYM.

The concept of removing the menorah is directly tied to willingness to repent (and thence to be forgiven) and to do the first works.  Now what could be meant by this statement, the first works?  Ya’akov gives us a clue:

Ya’akov (James) 2:24-26

24 Ye see then how that by a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

So what are these works?  Consider the Hebrew word here, which some of you might recognize as the word מַעֲשֶׂה ma`aseh – which means in the first instance “acts”; a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property:— act, art, + bakemeat, business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession.

We refer to what is traditionally called the book of the Acts of the Apostles as Ma’aseh.  So, the word works means action – to act.  What then are the first acts required of the Ephesians? Could it be to undertake the works of the Torah?  If so, then the Ephesians are called back to the Decalogue and Moediym by this edict in the last book of Sacred Scripture.

This brings us to another key word in the passage directed to the Ephesians in the Chizayon of HaMashiach, which is the word repent. 

הבושט tshuvah, which means,to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again:—((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer (+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, + continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back, fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, + say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, X surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.

The instruction then to the Ephesians is to turn back again to your first acts.  Consider the promise made under Mosheh:

Shemot (Exodus) 19:3-8

And Mosheh went up unto ELOHIYM, and YAHUAH called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shall you say to the house of Ya`aqov, and tell the children of Yisra’el; 4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Mitsriym, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself. 5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests (memlacha coheniym), and an holy nation (qadosh goy). These are the words which you shall speak unto the children of Yisra’el.

7 And Mosheh came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their facesאת  all these words which YAHUAH commanded him. 8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that YAHUAH has spoken we will do. And Mosheh returned the words of the people unto YAHUAH.

The return to the first things is the call to return to being a kingdom of priests and a holy (set-apart) nation.  This is done by keeping the covenant.  Consider the Decalogue as set forth in Devariym (the restatement): 

Devariym (Deuteronomy) 5:1-22

AND Mosheh called all Yisra’el, and said unto them, Hear, O Yisra’el (shema Yisra’el), the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. 2 YAHUAH our ELOHIYM made a covenant with us in Chorev. 3 YAHUAH made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day. 4 YAHUAH talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, 5 (I stood between YAHUAH and you at that time, to show you the word of YAHUAH: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,

6 I am YAHUAH your ELOHIYM, which brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, from the house of bondage.

7 You shall have none other elohiym before me. 8 You shall not make you any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: 9 You shall not bow down yourself unto them, nor serve them: for I YAHUAH your ELOHIYM am a jealous EL, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, 10 And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

11 You shall not take the name of YAHUAH your ELOHIYM in vain: for YAHUAH will not hold him guiltless את that takes his name in vain.

12 Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as YAHUAH your ELOHIYM has commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labour, and do all your work: 14 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of YAHUAH your ELOHIYM: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your ox, nor your ass, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates; that your manservant and your maidservant may rest as well as you. 15 And remember that you were a servant in the land of Mitsrayim, and that YAHUAH your ELOHIYM brought you out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore YAHUAH your ELOHIYM commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

16 Honour your father and your mother, as YAHUAH your ELOHIYM has commanded you; that your days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with you, in the land which YAHUAH your ELOHIYM gives you.

17 You shall not kill.

18 Neither shall you break wedlock.

19 Neither shall you steal.

20 Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbour.

21 Neither shall you desire your neighbour's woman, neither shall you covet your neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbour's.

22 These words YAHUAH spoke unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

What are the first acts? These are the first acts.