Why should we forgive 70 times 7 times?
It's almost 2000 Years ago. The greatest teacher ever known to man was walking in the dust of Galilee. But he was not walking alone. Often there where hundreds of people surrounding him. They tried to hear every word this great teacher has to offer. But even more, they hoped that this man, full of wisdom, should become their new kind and free them from the roman yoke.
One day, one of his students asked him a question: "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?"
It's interesting to hear a question like that from a full grown man. Did he had a problem with his brother? Or is he referring to one of the other students as his brother (since they where arguing almost all the time)?
It seems like he wanted to have an excuse for not forgiving his brother anymore. Or maybe he still wanted to forgive more then times but he felt exhausted from forgiving him all the time.
He was surely not asking if he should forgive his brother seven times for all wrongdoings together the whole life. It's more likely, that he wanted to know how long he needed to be patience with his brother for doing the same evil again and again. Sure Peter (for that was his name) did not want to get judged by God for not forgiving anymore.
The teacher answered: "I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven."
This teacher was known to never say a word without a deep meaning. Why did he gave exactly that number? seventy times seven is 490. Did he told him that after forgiving 490 times he was free to stop forgiving? How should he count it? Should he take a notebook with himself and make a mark for every time he forgave till it reaches 490 times after which he could freely being unforgiving without fear of godly judgement? If so, why exactly 490 times? Why not 489 - or 491?
When speaking this words, the teacher thought about a prophecy given over 500 Years ago. Back then there was a prophet in Babylon. His name was David. One day, in the first year of the reign of Darius, God spoke following words to him: "Seventy times seven are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins."
God himself gave his people 70 times 7 Years of grace. This should be the time until he would plot out the sins for everyone who is willing for repentance. This rebellious people should be destroyed already for their transgression. But God would give them yet an other time of grace for even 490 times longer.
After all Daniel and the other Jews of this time lived in Babylon. God hat rooted them out of their country, because they did not obeyed his commandments already for 70 times 7 when kings ruled over them and they gave no rest to the land.
And even before that he had a Period of 70 times 7 in the times of Judges and under Moses.
Therefore we know, that God gave his people at least 3 periods of seventy times seven to forgive them.
If God would not have forgiven his people 3 times 70 times 7 - and even much more - Peter would not even be able to ask that question, because his parents should not have been alive at all.
In the Garden of Eden God said to Adam and his wife that they should surely die on that Day when they disobey Gods holy commandment. They did disobey indeed and should have died for sure, if God did not spared them in his grace for the first 70 times 7 times - and another 70 times 7 times - and yet one more...
The great Teacher made his point. If your brother sins against you, you should bestow on him the same attitude of forgiveness that god bestowed upon you. And remember, if God would not had mercy with you and your parents back till Adam, you would not even alive at all.
Sources:
70 times 7 told to Daniel (Daniel 9,24)
70 times 7 before Babylon (3 Mose 25, 2-4; 3 Mose 26,34; Jeremia 25,11-12)
70 times 7 in the time of the judges (Acts 13, 17-20)
Story of Adam, the fall of mankind and Gods grace (1 Mose 2,16ff)
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