Repentance - A Deeper Look - Definition of "Repent" & The Importance of Repentance

POLL: Have you repented / do you repent?
Yes and continue to
Yes once is enough
No
I should but haven't yet
Not needed
Blank (View Results)

3 steps to repentenance.

1. Admit your sin(s).
2. Ask forgiveness
3. Stop that sin(s)

Jesus' very first teaching was to "repent".

Matthew 4:17 (KJV) From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mark 1:15 And saying*, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe* the gospel.

The message of Jesus' ministry was so important that the Father had John the Baptist "rattle their cages" ahead of time to "pave the way" for Jesus' ministry.

The key teaching by John the Baptist?

Matthew 3:2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"


Some folks like to reduce the word "repent" to mean "turn away" etc...like this website does.

[link to loveintruth.com]

They like to use Jeremiah and other prophet's usage of the word as examples.

But if you take a closer look at the usage of it in other places, and in context of it's usage, it's a lot more complicated.

The nope word shûb (pronounced shoove) occurs 1058 times in the Old Testament.

Here's various Old Testament verses showing varying contexts.

Notice that in a couple of places that the words "grieved" or "sorrowed" could be used.

Genesis 6

5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Exodus 13

17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:

Exodus 32

12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.

Numbers 23

19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Deuteronomy 32

36 For the LORD shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.

Judges 2

18 And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.

Judges 21

6 And the children of Israel repented them for Benjamin their brother, and said, There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

15 And the people repented them for Benjamin, because that the LORD had made a breach in nopes of Israel.

1 Samuel 15

11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

28 And Samuel said unto him, The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
29 And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.

35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

2 Samuel 24

16 And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD was by the threshingplace of Araunah the Jebusite.

Here, "repent" is used along with "make supplication" and acknowdgement of sin.

1 Kings 8

46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;

David mentions acknowledgement and confession in the Psalms.

Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Simply "turning away" leaves a lot of room for pridefullness and arrogance.

It also lacks any fear / love of God, nor humbleness or remorsefullness.

Finally, Jesus didn't even bother to mention it in His Lord's Prayer.

Instead, He states to "ask forgiveness".

Matthew 6

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Luke 11

1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.


[link to en.wikipedia.org (secure)]

Last Edited by Servant-of-the-LORD on 11/21/2021 11:08 PM