Jottings

by J. Miller | Category: Jottings | May 1964

There can be no doubt whatever that the entrance of sin amongst the angels and then into the human race brought into action the deep and profound counsels of Deity, and we know that nothing can take God at unawares, for He not only knows the end from the beginning, but He is Himself the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Whatever the devil, demons and men may think or do, the purposes of God, as plainly revealed in the Scriptures, will be fulfilled in detail and to the very letter. Though all the hosts of darkness and men combine to oppose God, He who sitteth in the heavens shall laugh and have them in derision (Psalm 2.4), for as Solomon said, "There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD" (Proverbs 2i. 80).

Though man was created in the image and likeness of God, sin so perverted man and all mankind that men became the enemies of God. Solomon never in all his profound wisdom said a truer word concerning mankind than those in his prayer at the dedication of the temple, "There is no man that sinneth not" (2 Chronicles 6. 86). This is in agreement with the whole tenor of Scripture and human experience. We are told that when Noah and his family came out of the ark and had offered burnt offerings to the LORD, that "the LORD said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, for that the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Genesis 8.21). Solomon again says, "Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not" (Ecclesiastes 7.20). All the world is brought under the judgement of God, for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3.9.28). There is no possibility of man being made righteous or perfect by his own deeds or the works of other men, whosoever they may be. Nothing short of man being born again and becoming a new creature in Christ, through an act of faith in Christ the Redeemer and His work upon the Cross, will avail so that man may be saved from sin's penalty and be blessed for ever.

Various words are used in Scripture for sin, besides forms of sin which are specifically mentioned, such as idolatry, fornication, to mention two of a long list, such as sin, transgression, trespass, iniquity. Upon these few terms of generalization we shall say a little.

Sin : Three Hebrew words of like derivation and meaning are used to describe sin in the act or action : chata, to miss chet, a crime or its penalty, and chattath, an offence, its penalty, and also a sin offering. The Greek equivalents of these Hebrew words are hamartano, to miss the mark, and the noun hamartia, sin, an offence.

In 1 John 3 verses 4, and 8 say, "Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness: and sin is lawlessness", and "He that doeth sin is of the devil ; for the devil sinneth from the beginning". We have in these words both the source and character of sin.

Transgression : Hebrew pesha, a revolt, rebellion. Pasha, to break away, rebel, revolt. The Greek equivalent is parabasis, a violation, a breaking, a stepping by the side. Parabaino, to violate a command, to go contrary to.

Paul in Romans 5.14 writes of "Adam's transgression". And in 1 Timothy 2.14 he says, "Adam was not beguiled, but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression". Though both violated God's command, Adam's transgression was the worse.

Trespass : Hebrew mal means treachery, falsehood, moral evil. The verb means to cover up, to act covertly or treacherously. The Greek paraptomo means a side slip or stumbling aside, and is derived from parapipto, to fall by the side of, to fall away (Hebrews 6. 6). Paraptoma is sometimes translated trespass, offence, fall (Romans 11.11, 12, of Israel's sin in their rejection of the Lord), fault.

Iniquity : Hebrew avown, perversity, moral evil, to make crooked. The Hebrew word is derived from avah, to make crooked, to pervert. The Greek word for iniquity may be either anomia, violation of law, or adikia, injustice, unrighteousness. Anomos (negative A and nomes, law) means without law, lawless.

Whilst all forms of sin arc bad, iniquity is the worst of the family. The Lord "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity" (anomia)

(Titus 2.14).

Moses in Numbers 15.27-31 draws an important distinction between such as sinned unwittingly and such as sinned with a high hand. Of the first class of sinners he says,

"And if one persons sin unwittingly, then he shall offer a she-goat of the first year for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for the soul that erreth, when he sinneth unwittinghly, before the LORD, to make atonement for him; and he shall be forgiven. Ye shall have one law for him that doeth aught unwittingly, for him that is home born among the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them" (verses 27-29)

The case of one of the common people referred to above is dealt with in Leviticus 4.27-35, as to how atonement was to be made and its consequence in the forgiveness of the person who had sinned unwittingly. The law of the sin offering is given in Leviticus 6. 24-30.

Paul's words in Roman 3.25 should ever be remembered when anyone is considering the atonement made at the copper altar in the days of the Law, that was "the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forebearance of God". This rendering of the R.V. is much better than the text of the A.V. which says, "For the remission of sins that are passed, through the forebearance of God". But the A.V. marginal reading gives "passing over" as in the R.V. There is no mention of justification in Leviticus 4 in connexion with the forgiveness of sin, and Paul, as we know, in the early verses of Romans 4 joins Abraham's experience of being justified by faith in Genesis 15 with David's experience of being forgiven:

"And he (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness" (genesis 15.6).

David wrote:

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity" (Psalm 32.1-2).

Now, through the work of Christ in propitiation, Christ is showing His righteousness that He can be just yet the Justified of Him that hath faith in Jesus (Romans 3.26).

Verses 30 and 31 of Numbers 15 referred to above present a very different picture from a person who sinned unwittingly. These verse say,

"But the soul that doeth aught with a high hand, whether he be home born or a stranger, the same blasphemeth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken His commandment; that soul shall utterly be cut off, his iniquity shall be upon him. "

The A.V. renders the words "doeth aught wirth a high hand", as "doeth aught presumptuously". The hand is the seat of strength, metaphor of power and strength and shows the possibility of those who were of God's people of old setting themselves wilfully against God's word. Such blasphemed the LORD, despised the word of the LORD, and broke His commandment. So seriously did God view this that there is no mention of any atonement being made, no goat for a sin offering, but instead he was to be utterly cut off with his iniquity upon him.

The question that arises in the mind as we think of this is, Is it possible for anyone in this dispensation of grace to sin in such a way as that there will be no sacrifice and no forgiveness? Hebrews 10.26-31 gives the answer.

"For if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation for judgement, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. "

Let the whole passage be read and note the comparison between the one who sinned with a high hand under the law and such as sin wilfully in this day, and not also that the one who sins wilfully now is one who has received the knowledge of the truth. Many of God's children have not received this, and many have no desire to know the truth. But those who have must be careful not to sin wilfully after they have received the knowledge of the truth.

"He that keepeth the commandment keppeth his soul; but he that despiseth his ways shall die" (Proverbs 19.16 RVM.)

"Despiseth" in this verse is the same Hebrew word as in Number 15.31, "he hath despised the word of the LORD".

J. Miller | May 1964
Jottings