Teshuvah is Back in Style

In the time of Yeshua, John the Baptism yelled out to the crowd, "Repent! Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand." Did you know in fact that he was yelling "Teshuvah! Teshuvah! For the Kingdom of God is at hand"? That's right, because in Hebrew, repent is Teshuvah. Because John and his audience were Hebrew Israelites, I have to assume he was speaking Hebrew or Aramaic.

What most people don't know is this... Repent is a poor translation for the word Teshuvah. Well, at least it is today and that is because even the word repent has changed in meaning. Just 30 years ago, when I was a new born believer, the word meant "change your mind and your ways" or simply "do a 180 and turn around". Which makes logical sense. If you are walking away from God, a 180 will lead you towards Him. And that is what repent meant for me. Today, because of people who are either intentionally or unintentionally condemning others and because our society is filled with victimhood, the word has become attached to negative feelings and connotations.

That is why today the word is highly rejected by the masses. To utter these words today will likely cause an avalanche of unwanted attitudes and potential consequences.

At Teshuvah Bible Studies we are fighting against this very notion. Not by adding division or confusion, but by increasing understanding. When words lose their definition, communication breaks down. By looking at the original words of the Scriptures, we can bring back God's intent and message in a clear way. Hebrew is perfect for this. All Hebrew words are objective. They are tied to concepts and concrete things and leave no room for philosophical misunderstandings or interpretations.

Let's look at the work Teshuvah as an example. The word in Hebrew is תשובה which is a derivative of its root form שוב. The root tells us a great many things about all their derivatives and helps us clear up any misconceptions. Shuv שוב means a recurrence or "to return" as an action or verb. So Teshuvah, is a Hebrew form of that word telling the listener to return. It compels the listener to take an action.

What action? Return to YHVH, the God of Israel who created the universe. It does imply leaving the path that leads to destruction and death: sin, but the focus is not on the sin. The focus is on the ultimate goal. To return to the one who loves you and wants your well being.

Let's bring Teshuvah back in style and yell out, as John did, "Teshuvah! Teshuvah! To the God who loves you and will bless and keep you!"

וְיִכָּנְעוּ עַמִּי אֲשֶׁר נִקְרָא־שְׁמִי עֲלֵיהֶם וְיִתְפַּלְלוּ וִיבַקְשׁוּ פָנַי וְיָשֻׁבוּ מִדַּרְכֵיהֶם הָרָעִים וַאֲנִי אֶשְׁמַע מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶסְלַח לְחַטָּאתָם וְאֶרְפָּא אֶת־אַרְצָם׃

YHVH says, "if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14