In the Lord’s Prayer, or the Disciple’s Prayer, there is a difficult verse that many struggle with: “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.” This is the familiar rendering, but more correctly: “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

The heart of what Messiah is teaching us, obviously, is forgiveness. Needless to say, forgiveness is something we all wrestle with from time to time. Still, forgiveness is commanded (cf. Matt. 6:14-15). Why?

In Torah portion וַיֵּלֶךְ/Vayelech, “and he went,” at the feast of Sukkot, Tabernacles, during the public reading of the Torah, debts accumulated during the previous six years were canceled: forgiven. Those who had incurred a debt, due to whatever circumstance, would be released from the debt. This debt was often repaid by indentured servanthood. As the Lord commands:

“At the end of every seven years you are to cancel debts. This is how you are to cancel debts: every creditor is to release what he has loaned to his neighbor. He must not force his neighbor or his brother to repay, the the Lord’s debt cancellation has been proclaimed” (Deut. 15:1-2).

There is a subtle, but profound clue as to the heart of forgiveness, taught my Messiah, and revealed by the release of Shmita. As we know from Scripture, the destruction the first Temple, Solomon’s Temple, was connected to Israel’s failure to observe the Jubilee and, therefore, the Shmita (1 Chron. 36:20-21) since they entered the Promised Land. Why? This raises the question: Who are we to example?

In Deuteronomy 15:2, the Hebrew word for creditor is בַּעַל/ba’al, meaning master, husband, ruler, creditor, and when referring to a foreign god, “lord.” Forgiveness of debt, and the release of the servants/slaves allows for the individual covenant member to reenact the exodus, the release of Israel from Egypt. The Lord is revealing that we cannot remain a בַּעַל/ba’al, or lord of the debt, forever. Why? Israel was to be light to the nations by shining the goodness of God. The commands of release, from Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy and Matthew 6:12, 14-15 train us to imitate, or follow after, Messiah Yeshua/Jesus.

Just who are we to model to the community and broader society around us? Messiah or pharaoh? The One Who is Lord forever commanded, and exampled release for us. Pharaoh wants to hold in bondage forever.

As Paul teaches us, “For freedom, Messiah set us free – so stand firm, and do not be burdened by a yoke of slavery again” (Gal. 5:1). This is not a freedom to do anything you but, but it is freedom in Messiah to do what you ought. And in keeping with His Word, He equips us to do just that with the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12).

In Deuteronomy 15:13-15 the Torah records, “When you set him free, you are not to send him away empty-handed. You are to surely provide for him from your flocks and threshing floor and winepress. As the Lord your God has blessed you, you are to give to him. You will remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore, I am commanding you this thing today.”

These gifts allowed the released servant to reenter society, not impoverished, but with dignity. Most importantly, it permitted the newly released servant to appear before the Lord as part of Israel’s ceremonial worship. To appear before the covenant Lord, you had to appear with offering. The one releasing, the former “lord of the debt,” releases them back into the social community and back into the covenant faith community. Restoration.

As difficult as it is to write, when, as the redeemed of the Lord, we hold onto the debt owed us, rather than following Messiah, we are acting as pharaoh, the “lord of the debt.” Then, we set ourselves in bondage to a debt held by the enemy himself.

When we walk out the prayer taught to us by Messiah, we release our debtors, as offense was reckoned as a debt, to reenter the faith community with a clear heart with the Lord.

Friends, we cannot remain a “lord of the debt” forever, but in Him, we will rest in the Lord of exodus forever. Easy? No. Does the debtor always want or ask for the release? No. But we can provide for the cure before the diagnosis of their illness, and walk in the liberty secured by Christ.

Be well. Shalom.