God’s Forgiveness in the Old Testament

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:9-13). This line from the Lord’s Prayer expresses that God, as our Father, has the power to forgive our sins. In the biblical view, this forgiveness from God is crucial for a life that not only flourishes here but also extends into eternity. Without God’s forgiveness, we would be excluded from eternal life.

But what did the concept of forgiveness look like before Jesus Christ came into the world? In the Old Testament, we find indications of forgiveness, though they differ from the ideas found in the New Testament. An example of forgiveness rituals in the Old Testament is the priests’ intercessory request for the forgiveness of the people’s sins (Leviticus 1:9). This practice shows that forgiveness in the Old Testament came at a high cost—the blood of a sacrificial offering. This principle is reiterated in the New Testament in Hebrews 9:22, where it states that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

This notion of sacrifice as a prerequisite for forgiveness highlights the idea that sin brings death. The sacrifice symbolizes a “death” that occurs on behalf of the sinner to make forgiveness possible. But the Old Testament goes beyond rituals and sacrifices. Just as in the New Testament, God in the Old Testament speaks foremost to the heart of humanity (Genesis 35:15; Romans 2:25-29). This means that God is primarily concerned with the state of our hearts, not merely our actions.

We often think of the God of the Old Testament as a stern and unchanging God, who only becomes a forgiving God through Jesus in the New Testament. However, this impression is inaccurate. God does not change (cf. Isaiah 46:9-11); He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The God of the New Testament is the same loving Father as in the Old Testament. A powerful example of this forgiveness is the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11). David makes a grave mistake, yet when he sincerely seeks forgiveness (Psalm 51), God forgives him. This forgiveness is so complete that the son of this affair later becomes one of Israel’s wisest kings.

Next Step: Do you sometimes picture God as harsh or unforgiving? Let yourself be inspired by David’s story, where even serious mistakes were met with forgiveness. Talk with God and trust that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.