Israel is presently in the midst of the Ten Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah and end at the conclusion of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
This time of national repentance goes all the way back to Moses and Mount Sinai, and has not waned in importance in our modern day. Even “secular” Israelis can be found asking forgiveness of family, friends and acquaintances during these 10 days, as it is forbidden for the petitioned person to deny it.
But it is religious Jews, who flock to the synagogues and the Western Wall in Jerusalem, who lift up the entire nation before the Almighty and seek His mercy for the sins of the past year.
This repetitious repentance, before both man and God, is something that has been lost in much of the Church. Many Christians ask forgiveness for their sins upon accepting Yeshua into their hearts, but will only rarely do so afterwards. Some believe that the single recitation of the “Sinner’s Prayer” is sufficient to cover them for a lifetime. And in regards to salvation and eternal life, perhaps it is.
But we can all agree that Moses, Aaron, King David and John the Baptist were “saved,” and yet they undoubtedly participated in this annual act of repentance.
More often than not, God’s laws and statutes are more for us than they are for Him. Just as a parent will insist his child apologize, even when said child is clearly already contrite. God sees our hearts, and doesn’t necessarily need to hear us say the words. We do.
Israeli Kids Go Back to School With New ‘Jewish Values’ Curriculum
Tikkun Olam: Judaism for Christians
Religious Diversity
5 Fun and Interesting Facts About the Mezuzah!
The Ten Commandments… Or Else!
Enslaved by Fear?
Hanukkah and the Jelly Donut
Peek into a Closed Ultra-Orthodox Society
What I learned from scrubbing the toilets of super-rich American Orthodox Jews
We shouldn’t overdo it with the apologies
Tachles With Aviel – LY386 and the Shabbat
When Ritual Fringe Becomes Arterial Tourniquet
When a Rabbi Quoted a ‘Christian’ Philosopher to Beat Back Reform Judaism
When Anger Undermines Atonement
Sealed in the Book of Life
Rabbis Invoke “Law of the Pursuer” Against Israel’s Minister of Religion
Is Hell Just Down the Hill From the Jerusalem Cinematheque?
“After the Holidays”
Judaism Is Giving Thanks
Israel’s Chief Rabbis Vs. the Pope
Kosher Revolution! Rabbis Say Jews Can Now Eat ‘Meat’ With Dairy
Who is a Jew in Israel Today?
Silly Rabbinical Rules and the True Meaning of Torah
Yom Kippur: Does It Bring Forgiveness?
Failure or success? The prophet Jonah
The Truth About the Oral Law – A Response to Josh Feinberg
The Games Our Children Play
A Blessing for Alienation
Why This Non-Orthodox Jew Is Sticking With His Orthodox Prayer Book
Last of a Great Generation: The ‘Holocaust Rebbe’
Coming Back to Life in a Jewish Cemetery
Profile: Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, Israel’s Leading Torah Scholar
Secular Israelis Target Jewish “Missionaries”
Athens or Jerusalem? Establishing the Spiritual Heritage of Jesus’ Followers
Nonbinary Genders in Ancient Jewish Religious Texts
Israel’s Poor Corruption Rating and the Prophets
Israel’s Most Prominent Rabbi Passes Away
Israelis Gather in Ancient Ruins to Call Upon the Lord
The Yom Kippur divide
Tachles with Aviel – First we take Jerusalem, then Tel Aviv
Jewish Immortality
“They Won’t Let My Son Marry Here!”
Who Owns God?
That Particular Yom Kippur
Is ‘the Letter Kills, but the Spirit Gives Life’ a Jewish Idea?
Judaism and State: The Quagmire Israel Can’t Escape
Security for Israel through biblical commandments
Who’s Afraid of New Ideas?
Emergence of the New Judaism, Part I
The Double Life of an Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi
Baba Sali and Judaism
Star of David: Demonic or Divine?
Should Being Anti-Israel be Equated With Antisemitism?
Jewish “Missionaries” Face Jail Under Proposed Law
A little more mercy is good for us all
Israel, the Land and the Future of Humanity
Forgiveness
Tachles With Aviel – One Chief Rabbi Is Too Many
Why We’re All Infatuated With Shtisel
El Al’s spiritual message
Commemorating Yom Kippur in Israel and America
The Unfathomable Jew
A Jewish State Based on Jewish Traditions? Who Needs It?
Blurring the Lines Between Religious and Secular in Israeli Music
The Significance of Yom Kippur During a Pandemic
Does a Jew become Christian when he believes in Jesus?
Tachles with Aviel – For Jews, the cross is not a sign of salvation
The Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur – The Great and Little Angels
Is Israel’s Jewish Character in Peril?
The Monday Club – A Quest for True Dialogue
‘Turning the other cheek is not our way’
Arguments for the Sake of Heaven?
Forgiveness – At the edge of eternity
Sign of Messiah’s Coming? A Jerusalem Rabbi Answers
A wall of separation
Abraham Isaac Kook: Israel’s First Chief Rabbi and Messianic Zionist
When Did “Goy” Become a Dirty Word?
10 Things You Need to Know About Yom Kippur
Signs Yom Kippur Is Almost Here in Israel
Who Can Be Jewish in the State of Israel?
The TV Program That Changed My View of the World
The Prayer of a Woman
Rabbi Calls on Israel to Fast and Pray to Avoid Civil War
Jesus in the Context of Jewish Messianism – Introduction
In the Middle East, God Dictates Politics
Israel President Offers Pardons During Ten Days of Awe
Israel Today Membership
Monthly Membership
Yearly Membership
Save 18% Per Month.
Six Months Membership
Save 9% Per Month.
One response to “Forgive us, O Lord! Israel in the midst of repentance”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
As you say, some Christians seem to believe the single recitation of the “Sinner’s Prayer” as a ticket to heaven, and some Christians quote what some apostles wrote to justify such a view.
Nonetheless, Yeshua Himself repeatedly said, ‘but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.’ (Mt 10:22; 24:13; Mk 13:13). I do believe in every word my Saviour taught, and I try to live in obedience to Him.