I remember years ago when I was working at the sheriff’s office, I was speaking to someone about the scriptures, when another person approached us and said “What are you all talking about?” I replied, “We are talking about the scriptures!” and he said “Ohhh, no! I don’t want to hear any of that because if I do then I will be held accountable for it.” I told him, “That your ignorance of the scriptures is not going to help you on judgment day.” So, before I get into the scripture proof, I would like to use a practical example to make my point.
Let’s say you are driving a car full speed and run a stop sign and in the process of running that stop sign you smash into another car and injure or kill the family that was in it. Do you think telling the police officer or the judge “I didn’t see the stop sign” is going to excuse you for “breaking the law?” Absolutely not! You will receive a ticket and have to pay for the damages of the car and depending on if there are injuries you will have to compensate them for the hospital bills and time lost at work etc.; and if life is lost then you could be facing manslaughter charges.. The point is that in this situation the judge is not going to reward you by sending you on a vacation to the Bahamas because you would already know that punishment is awaiting in one form or another. And the same thing applies when the laws of our Father YAHWEH are broken, you will not be rewarded nor receive a free pass for the transgressions. Therefore repentance is necessary, this is why the blood of YESHUA is necessary, because have all fallen short and need YESHUA’s blood to wipe the slate clean for us. There is a difference between willful transgression and ignorant transgression. The penalty for willful transgression is worse, but by no means does it pardon the ignorant party, they are still guilty.
Numbers 15:30-31 (Samaritan Pentateuch)
“And the soul who does anything DEFIANTLY, whether he is a citizen or a proselyte, that one is BLASHPHEMING YAHWEH, and that person shall be cut off from among her peoples. Because he has despised the word of YAHWEH and has broken His commandments, that soul shall be completely cut off, her guilt will be on her.”
Willful transgression against YAHWEH is equivalent to blasphemy and why the punishment is more severe. (See Hebrews 10:26-31).
Leviticus 5:17-18
“And if any person transgresses and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of YAHWEH; though HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT HE HAS TRANGRESSED, YET HE IS GUILTY and shall suffer for his iniquity. And he shall bring to the priest a ram of value without blemish out of the flocks for a trespass offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his IGNORANCE IN ERRING, even though HE KNEW IT NOT, and it shall be forgiven him.”
The priest had to make atonement for their ignorant transgression because they were still guilty and YAHWEH forgave them, in like manner YESHUA is our High Priest who died for us all and forgave the transgressions we have committed. But as you can see them not knowing they transgressed did not pardon them, it was still a transgression.
Romans 2:12 (Complete Jewish Bible)
“All who have transgressed outside the framework of Torah will die outside the framework of Torah; and all who have transgressed within the framework of Torah will be judged by Torah.”
What is Paul saying here? He is saying that those who are unbelievers, those who lived as pagans and never kept the laws of YAHWEH are still going to be punished on judgement day, they do not get a pass for being rejecting His ways! And let’s be honest, YESHUA tells us that the Good News will be preached to the four corners of the earth as a witness to all people, so in other words no one will be without excuse.
Matthew 24:14
“And this Good News of the kingdom shall be preached throughout the world as a TESTIMONY to ALL THE NATIONS; then the end will come.”
In summary Paul is saying that those who were walking with YAHWEH and were keeping the commandments of the Torah will be judged on how they obeyed the Torah, whether they were hearers or doers of the word and those who transgressed while not keeping the Torah will perish without it.
Luke 12:47-48 (Aramaic Peshitta)
“And the servant who knows the wishes of his master, and does not make ready according to his wishes, will receive a SEVERE BEATING. But he who DOES NOT KNOW, and does what is worthy of punishment will receive a LESS BEATING.”
What is being conveyed is that those who know the truth but willfully disobey will face a harsher judgment because more expected out of them. Those who had access to the scriptures, attended assemblies, and had more resources available to them. These are supposed to know better and lived their lives accordingly. However; notice how the one who DID NOT KNOW is still punished even though less severe than the one who knows better? The point is that their ignorance or outright rejecting the truth will not excuse anyone. An example of an honest ignorant transgression is striving to obey the commandments of the Torah and then finding out that being drunk is a transgression. He or she is still guilty of being drunk but being that he or she did not know they will be forgiven. But if he goes out and gets drunk after knowing its wrong it becomes a willful transgression. On judgment day YESHUA will decide each case righteously as He knows the intention of the heart and everyone’s situation by His mercy, I’m not the judge, I just want to make it known that ignorance does not go unpunished.
2 Kings 17:24-28 (Aramaic Peshitta)
“And the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon and from Cuth and from Ava and from Hamath and from Sepharvim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. And at the beginning of their dwelling there, they did NOT REVERENCE YAHWEH; therefore YAHWEH sent lions amongst them, which slew some of them. Therefore they told the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which you have carried captive and placed in the cities of Samaria DO NOT KNOW THE RELIGION OF THE ELOHIM of the land; therefore He has sent lions against them, and, behold, they slay them because THEY DO NOT KNOW THE RELIGION OF THE ELOHIM of the land. Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, take there one of the priests whom you have carried away from there; and let him go and dwell there, and let him teach the RELIGION OF THE ELOHIM OF THE LAND. Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-El, and TAUGHT THEM HOW THEY SHOULD WORSHIP YAHWEH.”
Notice how YAHWEH showed no partiality towards those who DID NOT know His commandments and killed some of them? His mercy allowed for those who did not know to have a chance to learn His ways. The king of Assyria had a priest that was carried captive to come back to the land of Samaria to teach the people the commandments of YAHWEH. In like manner, YESHUA has sent His servants into the world today to teach those who do not know Him and His ways.
2 Corinthians 5:10-11
“For we must all appear before the Messiah’s court of judgment, where everyone will receive the good or bad consequences of what he did while he was in the body. So it is with the fear of YAHWEH before us that we TRY TO PERSUADE PEOPLE.”
Wisdom 13:6-8
“But yet for this they are to be blamed less; for they perhaps err, seeking ELOHIM and desirous to find him. For being conversant in his works they search him diligently and believe their sight: because the things are beautiful that are seen. Nevertheless neither ARE THEY TO BE PARDONED.”
The context here is those who worshipped idols were seeking for ELOHIM and thought they found Him in a carved idol. They will be blamed less for their ignorance but will still not be pardoned for their deeds because an idol was created by humans hands and has now power. There is only one way to the Father and that is through His Son YESHUA (John 14:6).
2 Peter 3:9
“YAHWEH is not negligent concerning His promises, as some men count negligence; but is longsuffering toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that ALL should COME TO REPENTANCE.”
It’s YAHWEH’s will that none should perish and this is the reason why He sent His Son YESHUA to die for us all because He loves us. In the end willful transgression against Him leads to death, just as staying ignorant of His ways or rejecting Him will also lead to death. The final destination will be fire, so don’t be like the person I mentioned earlier who “chose” to remain ignorant thinking he was saving himself from danger, as we can see that is not true.
We have been given a gift to help us along the way and we must do is die to self and be led by the Set-Apart Spirit and let Him lead us into ALL truth:
John 16:13
“But when the RUACH (SPIRIT) of truth will come, He will teach you ALL TRUTH. For He will not speak of His own heart, only the words which He hears He will speak, and make known to you those words.”
As always may our Father YAHWEH bless you in YESHUA’s Name!