Genesis 1:1-6:8
B'reisheet means “in the beginning”. It is the name of the first book of the Bible in Hebrew (Genesis).
In the final scripture in this Torah portion we find, “and Noah found grace in the eyes of YHVH”. How awful that out of all the men living at that time, only one man, Noah, found favor (grace) with Elohim.
Wait a minute, I thought grace only came with Yeshua? I didn't think that grace was around back then? That's what I was always taught!
Wrong! Actually, grace and mercy are not just New Testament concepts. They are Hebrew concepts. The word grace appears at least 39 times in the Old Testament. The above scripture is the first
occurrence of the word but not by any means the last.
In Exodus 33:12-19 the word grace is found no less than 5 times. It is said that Moses and the people found grace in YHVH’s eyes. In fact, it is Moses who asked YHVH to forgive the people and give them grace.
Let's examine this word “grace”. In both the Older and Re-Newed Covenants, the word has the same meaning. It means to show kindness and favor. In Hebrew it comes from the root word meaning “to
bend or stoop in kindness/favor to an inferior” (Strong's). From this we see the connotation that a person of superiority shows favor to someone who is under them.
Between God and man, God shows favor and kindness to mankind, who is definitely undeserving. He grants to us favor that we usually do not deserve or that we have not earned.
Mercy is not the same as grace. Mercy is to have compassion or pity upon another. Mercy is not being given something bad that is deserved.
In Hebraic understanding, sins have always been forgiven by grace and mercy. When man approaches unto God with a repentant heart, God responds with grace and mercy in forgiving those sins.
King David was called a man after God's own heart yet he committed adultery and murder; on purpose. These sins were not committed in ignorance, he knew full well what he was doing and sinned anyway.
How did David find forgiveness of his sins to become a man after the heart of YHVH? He repented before God just like you and I. I realize that some people would say that he took an animal to be sacrificed on
his behalf. Impossible! There was no sacrifice for willful sins. The sin offering was for unintentional sins. David found grace in the eyes of the LORD, because he repented. (Now, his sin was covered,
along with the rest of the nation's, when Yom Kippur came around).
Some would argue that grace came only with Yeshua and use John 1:17 as proof:
“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ”.
This within itself sounds like there
are two laws, the one of Moses and the one of Christ. It makes it sound as though the two are at odds with one another. One is harsh and cruel without grace and truth, while the other one brought grace and truth that had not been known before.
I love the way that the older KJV will put words that were added by the translators in italics. Not many English translations do this. These words were added for supposedly clarity and conformity to the English language. The conjunction “but” was a wrong choice of words. It is what has caused this scripture to be
confusing. The choice of “and” would have brought much more clarity. This scripture literally says that “through Moses the Torah came, and grace and truth came through Yeshua”. It doesn't mean that there was no grace or truth before Yeshua, it simply means that the perfection of grace and truth (which are both Torah concepts) came with Yeshua. There are “no odds” between the Torah which came through Moses and grace and truth which came through Yeshua when the word “and” is used. The Torah, which is grace and truth, was perfected in the Re-newed Covenant (New Testament) by Yeshua.
Yeshua is the MOST PERFECT! He is the Word (Torah) made flesh. His Re-newed Covenant perfects in every area the Word of YHVH. He brings grace to a whole new level of understanding with His more perfect sacrifice, forgiveness of sins and salvation. He brought truth to a higher level of understanding in that He
“fulfilled” the Torah. In Hebrew “fulfill” means that He taught Torah in the correct way so that mankind could live it appropriately. The Word of YHVH, the Torah, had been corrupted by man's
doctrines and traditions, and Yeshua taught the unadulterated Word.
I would like to end with the last scripture in the TaNaKh (Old Testament) which uses the word grace. I am looking forward to this day of GRACE, how about You ?
Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn”.
Come Yeshua!
Shalom,
Leisa
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