Greeting in the wonderful name of our Lord! I hope you are doing well today. Going to Israel for the first time in 1972 was an experience of great discovery for me. Our spiritual journey begins with the people, the faith, and the land of Israel.  Before I went to Israel, I did not recognize how much Israel is immensely connected to the Jewish Jesus of history, to the Newer Testament, and to reconciliation.  We cannot fully comprehend the Gospel without studying the message of Torah in context.

It all begins with Genesis and is connected to Israel. Israel is a family—Jacob and his twelve sons. His boys lead their families and form the 12 tribes of Israel. They are children of Abraham who believed God. In fact, the first verse of the first book of the Newer Testament Matthew focuses on the connection between Yeshua and Israel. In Matthew 1:1 Jacob and his boys begin the family history for Jesus —the son of David, ben Avraham.

But Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him. They were jealous of their little brother. Their father Jacob showed favoritism to Joseph. His brothers wanted to kill him and cover up the crime. Instead, they sold him into slavery. Even so the LORD was with Joseph. Joseph owned his Hebrew identity in a foreign land. God blessed Joseph and he became a mighty ruler of Egypt next in power and authority to Pharaoh himself. Joseph wisely developed an economic plan to feed the world during a time of severe famine.

Years passed before Joseph was able to meet his brothers again. Now they came to Egypt because of the famine. They did not come to find their lost brother whom they had sold into slavery. They came because they were facing starvation and they could buy food in Egypt.  Joseph is now in a position of immense power. His brothers did not recognize him. But he knew who they were and what they had done to him.

The original audience following this story recognized that Joseph is now in a position to obtain revenge and settle accounts with his brothers. Joseph was expected to obtain retribution from his brothers who had sold him as a slave. The original listeners of this story were familiar with stories of justice and retribution. These were the only stories that they knew. The original audience would have been shocked at the behavior of Joseph.

Instead of revenge, Joseph forgives his brothers and brings reconciliation to the family. This is the beginning of Israel. This is where it all begins. Hebraic reconciliation is rooted in the Torah and discovered in the Gospel.

This is the essence of the Shema, “Hear O Israel the LORD our God is one!” Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks observed that Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers is the first time in recorded history that reconciliation was attained. The power of forgiveness overcame a desire for justice, equity, and retribution.

The life of Jesus connects with the story of Israel by teaching kingdom principles for healing and reconciliation. Jesus told the story of the Prodigal son, which is really a parable about a father with two lost sons. This family is experiencing severe brokenness. The younger son asks for the inheritance before his Dad dies. This was a death wish from a son to his father. The older son was expected to be a mediator of the family crisis. He should have worked to bring reconciliation between his younger brother and their father. Instead, he is quiet as his father divides the estate. He receives two thirds of the money and property while his younger brother receives his distribution of one third. The younger boy runs away with the money. A famine and wasteful spending destroy his dream of finding a new identity in a foreign land. Out of desperation, the younger boy returns home and is forgiven. The elder brother is angry about his father’s compassion for his brother. The parable teaches that forgiveness is more than having to pay the penalty for the wrong we have done. Forgiveness means that the relationship is restored. The father and the younger son experience restoration.

The elder brother has a decision to make. Will he forgive and restore relationship to the family? The darkness in his heart has blocked his relationship with his father. The relationship between them has been broken for many years. We must decide how the story ends. Will the elder brother seek forgiveness from his father for what he did not do? Although the elder brother must make a decision, the parable leaves it to us. We become a part of the story as listeners. How would you end it?

The Apostle Paul stressed that believers who have been reconciled to God are now called to be facilitators of reconciliation in a hurting world. Today brokenness is all around us. Hurting people hurt others. Reconciliation breaks the cycle of anger, hate, and unforgiveness.

The NKJV translates 2 Cor 5:18 by saying that God has given us a “ministry of reconciliation.” The TNT makes it clearer and more meaningful by saying that God has “given us a partnership with Him in the service of reconciliation.” This is so Hebraic! This is powerful for us each day. Forgiveness and reconciliation fills us with joy. We are partners with God in providing the service which leads to reconciliation, a restoration of relationship. Reconciliation is deep healing.

In a partnership, the partner must do his or her part. Reconciliation is at the core focus from the very beginning of Israel in the Bible. Healing broken relationships through reconciliation Interconnects with the Jewish Jesus and the Apostle Paul. The Torah gives meaning to the Gospel.

We need a Hebraic understanding of forgiveness. It is not merely that the penalty of our wrongdoing is taken away. We must experience our faith as a relationship restored with our heavenly Father and with our earthly brothers and sisters. We find ourselves and who we were meant to be when we come home to the compassionate Father in repentance. We become ambassadors for the Anointed One Yeshua in the service of reconciliation. Reconciliation means relationship restored.

I would love to hear from you about how forgiveness has impacted your life. How have you experienced reconciliation? How do we partner with God? How do you help in the process of forgiveness? I value your thoughts. Message me at bradyoung@bradyoung.org.

Keep fighting the good fight of our faith!

Blessings of Shalom, health, and joy,

Brad