Adonai Tov v’Salach -YHVH is good and forgiving
For thou, YHVH, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. – Psalm 86:5


With all of the evil in the world, how can we be sure that Elohim is good? The skeptical mind reasons that if Elohim were entirely good and all-powerful, then He would surely make all of His creatures happy. However, since we all experience pain and suffering, His goodness may be rightly questioned. Of course this way of thinking is too simplistic, since it assumes that human happiness (usually understood as pleasure) is the goal of life, whereas the Scriptures make clear that a
relationship with a Set-Apart Elohim is its true end. YHVH's role is not therefore to make us all "happy," but rather to make us fit for relationship with Him, and He often allows suffering in our lives to
teach us the truth about our condition. The goodness of YHVH does not in any way imply that He must create well-pleased creatures who are oblivious of their relationship with the truth.
Ironically, many who impugn the goodness of YHVH often don’t want anything to do with the responsibility to be morally good themselves. For the skeptic, goodness is fobbed off as Elohim’s responsibility to please man, rather than man’s responsibility to please Elohim. The voice of conscience that reveals the “categorical imperative” to always do what we (intuitively) know is right must therefore be suppressed, and the self becomes divided, at war within, and fragmented. If we do not realize this, it is because we are asleep or morally deadened;
however, the moment we awaken and become alive, life itself becomes tragic. As the Apostle Paul said, "I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died" (Rom. 7:9).
The goodness of YHVH, then, poses a problem for sinful people, since it reveals their alienation from the truth and implies that YHVH is inaccessible to them on account of His perfect righteousness and holiness. The morally perfect Master cannot tolerate the presence of injustice or evil of any kind, and therefore those who violate His perfect moral standards must be subject to the verdict of truth from Him. But can YHVH forgive sin and restore the sinner from this state of exile?
The Hebrew word translated "forgive" is salach, which (like the verb bara, to create) is used exclusively of YHVH. Since YHVH is the giver of life, sins committed against others are regarded as offenses against Elohim Himself. As we do unto others, we do unto YHVH. Therefore it is YHVH's prerogative to forgive, since ultimately He is the offended party. In the Torah, YHVH instituted the sacrificial system as a means of reconciliation with Him for human sinfulness. The law of Moses taught that when a person sinned against YHVH, he or she was under sentence of death. Hasatan, the accuser, would make a case for the person’s neshamah (soul). To appease the required judgment, however, YHVH mercifully accepted the death of a sacrificial victim in place of the sinner.
The guilty person would come before YHVH (at the mishkan or
Tabernacle), lean his hands upon the head of the sacrificial animal
(semichah), and then say viduy (confession): “I deserve to die instead
of this blameless animal, but You mercifully accept the death of this
innocent one in my stead.” When YHVH saw the shed blood or ascending
smoke of the sacrifice, he would forgive the sinner based on his faith
and teshuvah (repentance).
The obedience of Yahushua is the example we are to follow and the means of securing our eternal reconciliation with YHVH by providing an infinitely worthy restitution to an infinitely just and Set-Apart Elohim. The good news is that justice and mercy have kissed, and because of
Yahushua example we can now call upon YHVH who is rav chesed (abounding in steadfast love) toward us.

Chesed-ve’emet nifgashu, tzedek veshalom nashaku.
Steadfast love and truth meet; righteousness and peace
kiss each other. Psalm 85:10
by: John Parsons

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Please be aware that we have had to add this short section of guidelines for this site because of the behavior of some of the members and or ex-members. I would like to ask that all abide by the set forth guideslines on an on-going basis.

1. All post and responses must be in the spirit of dialog and not confrontation or disrespect.

2. Please respect the fact that there are varied levels of understanding and knowledge on this site; because of which, we may agree to disagree. NO ONE knows everything about serving the Most High; therefore, we should all take on a teachable spirit.

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* Yahushua is YHVH
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