He Who Is Often Reproved (And Forgiven Perhaps)

[newton3005]

In the movie “Ghost,” the character responsible for orchestrating the death of Patrick Swayze’s character is physically removed from a scene by black hooded beings, leading us to believe that the soul of the responsible character is being carried to the underground of Satan. This happens without any forewarning to the character.

This scene came to mind when reading Proverbs 29:1 which says, “He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.” We don’t know if the responsible character in the above movie has been reproofed repeatedly for his misdeeds, but the idea of suddenly receiving punishment is what triggers the similarity to Proverbs 29:1.
Proverbs 29:1 serves as a warning to those who ignore reproofs of their unrighteousness; they won’t even hear a voice that says, ‘Here comes your destruction.’ How often can a person get away with committing an act of unrighteousness that was cause for reproval time and time again? Is it true that only God knows?

In Matthew 18:21-22, Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus says, to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Does that mean the Bible allows someone to commit a particular sin 77 times before he is suddenly destroyed for his sinful behavior? Does that mean that such an allotment of sin only applies to someone who sins against their brother, and not to sins committed against others?

We know that in general terms there are Passages in the OT that seem to be harsher toward people that sin than anything overtly found in the NT. Is there any character in the NT who is punished? Seems that no one, not even the ones who are responsible for Jesus’ mortal death on the cross is punished in the NT.

May be safe to say that the OT is more about punishment, but the NT is more about forgiveness. Romans 12:19 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” So, the NT leaves it up to God to punish, and the Verse that is quoted in Romans 12:19 is actually derived from the OT-- Deuteronomy 32:35, which says “Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.”

Can a person rightfully believe that if he stops committing a sin after being forgiven 76 times, doom will not fall upon them? Well, seems you’d have to find someone who has the patience and saintliness to be on call to forgive you for committing that sin so many times. But even before the 76th sin is reached, if it is unlawful then the government could step in with punishments of their own.

 

[Anchorite]

you’d have to find someone who has the patience and saintliness to be on call to forgive you for committing that sin so many times

But we do not confess our sins to a someone, we confess them to God. Only God can forgive sins. ;’)

 

[bdavidc]

Can a person rightfully believe that if he stops committing a sin after being forgiven 76 times, doom will not fall upon them?

You’ve got to let Jesus define what He meant, not force His words into something He never said. When Peter asked about forgiveness, Jesus answered, “Until seventy times seven” ~Matthew 18:22. That wasn’t a calculator. That was a heart check. He was telling you to keep forgiving, not counting. That command is about how you treat people, not how God keeps score waiting to drop judgment on a certain number.

Right after that, Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant. The whole point is this: if you’ve been shown mercy, you show mercy. No tally sheet. No limit. That’s the spirit of it. Turning that into “God gives you 77 chances and then you’re done” flips the meaning on its head.

And don’t fall into this idea that God changed personalities between the Old and New. Scripture doesn’t teach that. God doesn’t evolve. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” ~Hebrews 13:8. The same God who showed mercy in the Old Testament also brought judgment, and the same is true in the New.

Look at it plainly. In the New Testament, Ananias and Sapphira lie and drop dead where they stand ~Acts 5:1-11. Herod takes glory that belongs to God and is struck down, eaten by worms ~Acts 12:23. And Jesus Himself didn’t soften the warning. He said, “except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” ~Luke 13:3. That’s not a suggestion. That’s a line drawn in truth.

So where do people get this idea of a fixed number? Not from Scripture. The Bible never says you get 76 or 77 sins and then judgment kicks in. What it does say is this: “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” ~Proverbs 29:1. That’s not a countdown. That’s a warning about a hardening heart.

Here’s the real issue. People want a number so they can manage sin. God calls you to repentance so He can deal with sin. Those are not the same thing.

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” ~Isaiah 55:6. That means now. Not later. Not after you think you’ve hit some invisible limit.

So don’t twist forgiveness into permission, and don’t turn patience into a deadline. God is merciful, but He is not mocked. The call has always been the same. Repent, believe, and walk in the light while you have it.

 

[Scott Downey]

God gave men 120 years more time before the flood would come to destroy them with the earth, and for just cause as the earth was full of violence through them.

It apparently was a very bad time for man living on the earth at the time, plus we see spiritual demonic wickedness was manifested in extreme ways, which is always against the will of God for the earth.

Nothing was going to stop the coming destruction. God had judged them already and determined their end, they were condemned already, yet still the judgement awaited them.
In a similar way is written in the New Testament this,

John 3
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He that believeth in Him is not condemned; but He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19 And this is the condemnation: that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

Bible Gateway passage: Genesis 6 - 21st Century King James Version

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took for themselves wives of all whom they chose. And the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with...

www.biblegateway.com

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them,

2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took for themselves wives of all whom they chose.

3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he also is flesh; yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.”

4 There were giants on the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagining of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And the Lord repented that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart.

7 And the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air, for I repent that I have made them.”

8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

10 And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

12 And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

13 And God said unto Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

 

[Jay Ross]

God gave men 120 years more time before the flood would come to destroy them with the earth, and for just cause as the earth was full of violence through them.

God stated that he would not contend with men for more than 120 years from the time of His declaration then until the time of the final judgement of mankind and over another 20 or so descendant generation the ages as to when men died decreased slowly so that they then consistently died before they reached 120 years of age. The chart below shows this progression.