Repentance Revisited
“A Redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 59:20 NASB
Turn from– David A. Lambert’s book, How Repentance Became Biblical: Judaism, Christianity, & the Interpretation of Scripture, opens the door for a reconsideration of the role of repentance in the socio-religious communities that arose from ancient Israel.
We commonly believe that repentance involves turning from evil ways toward God and living according to His commands. Accordingly, confession seems to be a prerequisite of repentance. For example, we read explanations such as this: “Confession of sins is both commanded and frequently illustrated. When one is guilty of various sins, ‘he must confess in what way he has sinned’ in order to receive atonement and forgiveness. Thus, confession belongs to repentance, and is needed for divine forgiveness.”[1] A participant in the religious community is expected to adhere to a particular pattern of repentance, outlined like this:
True repentance leads a person to say, “I have sinned” and prove it with a 180-degree change of their direction.
Repentance requires true brokenness.
Repentance is NOT asking the Lord for forgiveness with the intent to sin again.
Repentance is an honest, regretful acknowledgement of sin with commitment to change.
Repentance leads us to cultivate godliness while eradicating habits that lead into sin.[2]
Lambert’s book challenges the origins of this pattern, not the necessity. His analysis of the crucial Hebrew terms suggests that our idea of repentance, especially its implications as above, did not arise from ancient Israel’s view of a relationship with YHVH. Instead, the first indications of repentance as we understand it today began in the Essene community, not essentially as a personal change of heart but rather as a means of communal identity and control. Lambert notes:
Finally, and most importantly, we need to consider what a discourse around repentance brings into effect. By attributing to the human being an interior space, “repentance” grants autonomy that, ultimately, can be used to bind the now readily transformable individual to a broader project of adherence to communal discipline. It corresponds to a period of governmentality in which the sect no longer rules the lives of its members through the prospect of including and exclusion or the cultic site through that of access and royal power. Now a “religion,” with its stated series of beliefs and practices, must seek to compete in a crowded marketplace by offering a relatively low barrier of entry and, at the same time, by ensuring compliance, a solidity of identity, through means that no longer readily include forms of external compulsion. “Repentance” offers such an opportunity. Powered by a focused repudiation of past identities and deeds, the penitential self transforms and then monitors itself in accord with religious or communal affiliations.[3]
In other words, repentance acts as a social control mechanism. It identifies who is “in” and who is “out.” As a result, repentance becomes a badge of belonging, and this leads to the idea that once I have repented, I am part of the community and there is no need to re-establish that identity in the future. Perhaps you can see the initial implications of “once saved, always saved” in this pattern. Lambert’s point is that the source of our idea of repentance is communal control. As a result, internal adherence replaces external demand.
Lambert’s investigation raises serious questions about the contemporary expectation of repentance. Perhaps something else was happening in ancient Israel. Even though confession and restitution were practiced, perhaps the bond between God and His people was so strong that sins could not break it. Perhaps šûb, the word for “turn” and “return,” must be understood within the context of covenant and not as an entry requirement.
Topical Index: repentance, David Lambert, Essene, Isaiah 59:20
[1]https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/repentance-bible-verses/
[3]David A. Lambert, How Repentance Became Biblical: Judaism, Christianity, & the Interpretation of Scripture(Oxford University Press, 2016), p. 152.
This is helpful. Perhaps this idea of demonstrating humiliation before others as a PREREQUISITE for group inclusivity came from paganism, where civilizations were built on religious compliance to a commonly shared fear; i.e. god.
I have long suspected that both Judaism and Christianity split because of a shared system of flawed beliefs and practices that taught them the pagan dialectic – the polarity of division – the entire world runs on. In the seeds of ritualized submission to an earthly master by means of what was only supposed to be between us and God, we can see the seat of assumed authority upon which the religion of the entire Holy Roman Empire was also based. (Confession, anybody?) This was very helpful for me!
Repentance has 3 components IMHO.
1. It begins with the deeply personal REALIZATION of living
outside of God’s kingdom and will.
2. It becomes active when one truly WANTS to change
behavior and identity.
3. It requires constant adherence to one’s high calling in
diligent OBEDIENCE, and reliance on His presence
within our renewed hearts.
This is the covenant God reveals to man directly. In turn,
we listen and obey. We turn not to the right or to the left.
We walk in all the way He has commanded us. As a result,
He promises: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever
curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed
through you.” Gen 12:3
Get’s me thinking of Hosea 6:1-3 and Ezek 18:31-32.
And then there is the taking up of our cross to follow in the footsteps of Yeshua. On the path of the cross which he has guided us towards.
And then there’s the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes pierce my heart, open my wounds and let Yahusha speak life into me. As Oswald Chambers says in today’s devotional… the Beatitudes are the ‘dynamite’ from the Holy Spirit. So true.
David Lambert’s book does give you pause to what it’s not,but gives no explanation to what it is. The ancient Israelites seemed to put more emphasis on offending God than offending ones neighbor. In our culture it is more about offending ones neighbor than it is about offending God.No long psalms about any apology to Uriah and his family or long apologies of any kind from most of the OT people to neighbors they offended. In our culture we are quick to apologize to a neighbor but less inclined to apologize to God.Yeshua seemed to but great emphasis on both when he stated the two greatest commandments .They seem inseparable from one another. Maybe that’s the key to what true repentance should be and that involves a circumcised heart. I think Lambert under values the feelings of remorse, regret,and repentance. I realize that is so subjective as to it’s genuineness in any given culture ,or person to person but I am convinced the more we walk and accept Yeshua and the guidance of the Ruach it becomes more understandable day by day until we know it in the fullness of time.
Of course, you will need to read his book before you critique it, but I don’t think Lambert undervalues repentance or any of its associated acts. That isn’t his purpose for writing. He is asking, “Where did this idea (our view of repentance) originate?” NOT “Is it important?” And I think his analysis of the historical socio-political origins in the time of the Essenes is quite revealing.
I will admit I did not completely get through the book as thoroughly as I should, a lot of skipping around but I did read it.maybe a re-read is in order . I still don’t feel I have to like everyone that you do or have to agree with it just bcause you do.
Of course you don’t have to like anyone that I read. I have issues with Lambert too. But his point is not that repentance isn’t needed. It is that “repentance” as we understand it in Christian theology today did not arise in early Hebrew thinking. It came into being at the tie of the Essenes for very different reasons. That is the argument worth critiquing.
When writing the 2nd chapter of my book, which is about repentance, I thought that I should use the 10 letters of R-E-P-E-N-T-A-N-C-E in order the give an explanation of the word itself. I soon realized that with 10 letters I would most likely lose my audience. That’s when the Lord spoke to me and said to use the syllables. RE-PEN-TAN-CE
RE — REcognize that you are a sinner
PEN — Approach God with a PENitent heart.
TAN — There must be a TANgible of attitudes and heart
CE — CEase all sin and unrighteousness.
Thoughts?
Hi Robert
What did you have in mind with using every letter…
Then use every letters word as a topic in its own chapter.
12 steps to revovery. 10 steps to an improved life etc are often used as reminders to the topic under discussion
I personnaly like acronym in short words and sentences in longer words…
I am no author but a lazy reader so the less said the more powerful the message as the topic needs to leave room for my own interpretation as well…
Skip,
Do you have any additional info in regards to “turn and return within the context of the covenant”?