A study in repentance from the Old Testament
1) Old Testament which express the concept of repentance.
2) Deut. 4:29 – The latter half of this verse says:
3) “seek Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt find him, when thou searchest after him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”
4) Repentance is an activity which requires us to “seek” after God.
a) 2 Chron. 7:14 – READ
5) Proud people often think their way is the best way or at least an okay way, but this is not right.
6) Humility is one of the first things people need to possess before they can repent.
7) 2 Chron. 7:14 reflects some of the same things found in Deut. 4:29.
8) There must be a turning from the “wicked ways” of this world.
9) Neh. 1:9 – “return unto me, and keep my commandments and do them.”
10) Job 11:13 (KJV): “If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him.”
11) Repentance is something we must “prepare” for.
12) After our heart is prepared, we need to act (verse 13).
13) Job 22 tells us about Eliphaz, another man who thought he could be helpful to Job.
14) Job 22:23 – READ
15) Elphaz told Job sin needed to be “put away” from his life (this is another way to describe repentance).
16) The little word “far” makes an important point about repentance.
17) Prov. 28:13 (KJV):
18) “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
19) Covering up sin is dishonest; repentance is how upright people live.
20) The end of this Proverb has additional information – two details – which further define repentance.
a) Repentance is the acknowledgement of wrongdoing (the writer used the word “confess”).
b) Repentance is also – and this is the key point – “forsaking” what is contrary to God’s will.
21) When a person repents he wants to “thoroughly amend” his ways (Jer. 7:5).
22) Ezek. 18:21 speaks about turning from ALL the sins a person is involved with.
23) Man often likes to pick and choose which sins he abandons and which sins he continues in; God says “no.”
24) Those who truly repent “sow in righteousness” (Hos. 10:12.
25) Jon. 3:8 says the people of this community were to “cry mightily.”
26) Repentance is not for sissies.
27) Zech. 1:3 says if we will turn to God, He will turn to us.
28) This statement is made in connection with a judgment.
a) Repentance is one of the things that will determine if we spend eternity in heaven or hell.
b) Have we repented and taken the other steps to become a Christian?
c) If we are a Christian, do we repent when we sin?
