Daily Bread and Forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer

 

Bread and Forgiveness 

New Testament Exploration of Divine Sustenance and Mercy

“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”   “And Forgive Us Our Debts”

The concepts of “bread” and “forgiveness” hold a central place in biblical theology, providing deep insights into God’s nature, His covenant with humanity, and the relationship He calls us into with Himself and each other. Through a Hebraic lens, the meaning of bread expands beyond mere sustenance to symbolize covenant, spiritual nourishment, and divine provision, while forgiveness represents God’s boundless mercy and a transformative call to live in harmony. In this article, we will examine the intertwined meanings of bread and forgiveness, Jesus’ identification as the “bread of life,” the gematria (numerical significance) of these concepts, and their implications for believers.

1. The Hebraic Significance of Bread

Bread, or lechem (לחם) in Hebrew, holds great significance in Hebrew culture and Scripture. In ancient Israel, bread was not merely a staple food but a symbol of God’s provision, fellowship, and covenant with His people.

• Bread as Covenant Provision: Bread was seen as a gift from God that sustained physical life, reminding Israel of God’s continuous care and the need to depend on Him. This relationship was seen throughout the Old Testament, especially in the wilderness when God provided manna, a miraculous bread from heaven, to sustain the Israelites during their journey (Exodus 16:4).
• Bread as Fellowship: Sharing bread symbolized unity and fellowship. When people broke bread together, they partook in a shared covenant, reflecting both their community and their connection to God.
• Bread in Worship: Bread was a central part of worship in the Tabernacle, represented by the showbread (also called the “bread of the Presence”), which was continually placed before God as a reminder of His sustenance and covenant (Leviticus 24:5-9).

The gematria of lechem (78) further emphasizes bread's role as a symbol of both completion and renewal:

• 78 as Completion and New Beginnings: In Hebrew thought, numbers often carry layered meanings. The sum of 78 can be split into 7 + 8, where seven represents completion (as in the seven days of creation) and eight represents new beginnings. Thus, bread embodies God's complete and renewed sustenance for His people.

2. Bread in the Lord’s Prayer: “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”

In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” connecting our physical needs with God’s provision and care.

• Physical and Spiritual Sustenance: While bread represents daily physical provision, it also symbolizes spiritual sustenance. By asking God for daily bread, we acknowledge our dependence on Him not only for physical needs but for the spiritual nourishment that sustains our souls.
• The Daily Renewal of Dependence: In this prayer, the word “daily” echoes the daily provision of manna in the wilderness, emphasizing a continual reliance on God. This ongoing dependence mirrors the call to live each day in faith, recognizing that each day brings fresh mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23).

3. Forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer: “And Forgive Us Our Debts”

The request for daily bread in the Lord’s Prayer is immediately followed by the petition for forgiveness: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” This connection reveals the necessity of forgiveness in spiritual life and community, as essential as bread is to physical life.

• Forgiveness as Sustenance for the Soul: Just as bread sustains the body, forgiveness sustains the spirit. Forgiveness allows us to maintain healthy relationships with God and with one another. Without forgiveness, bitterness and resentment corrode the soul.
• Forgiveness as a Call to Imitate God’s Mercy: God’s forgiveness is a model for our own, and as we are forgiven, we are called to forgive others. This call reflects God’s boundless mercy and invites us to extend that same mercy to others, reinforcing the communal bond.

4. Jesus as the Bread of Life

In John 6:35, Jesus declares, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Here, Jesus reveals Himself as the ultimate spiritual sustenance, fulfilling the prophetic significance of bread.

• The Bread from Heaven and Eternal Life: Jesus identifies Himself as the true “bread from heaven,” surpassing the manna provided to the Israelites. Manna sustained them temporarily, but Jesus, the “bread of life,” offers eternal nourishment. He embodies the completeness and newness symbolized by the gematria of 78.

• Colossians 2:9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form. 10And you have been made complete in Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. 

• Communion and Relationship with God: When Jesus invites people to “eat” of Him, He calls them into a profound, sustained relationship with Him. This relationship is nurtured by spiritual nourishment from Him, enabling believers to experience eternal life now and into eternity (John 6:51).

• Sacrificial Bread for Forgiveness: Jesus further symbolizes the breaking of bread in the Last Supper (Luke 22:19), where He says, “This is my body, which is given for you.” His body, broken on the cross, becomes the ultimate sacrifice for forgiveness. His role as the bread of life thus merges provision with forgiveness, offering Himself to restore humanity’s relationship with God.

5. Forgiving “Seventy Times Seven” and the Covenant of Mercy

When Peter asks how often he should forgive, Jesus replies, “I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22). This response is rich in Hebraic numerology and reveals the boundlessness of forgiveness.

• The Number 490 in Gematria: Seventy times seven equals 490, which holds deep covenantal significance. In Hebrew, 490 correlates to the word תַּם (tam), meaning “complete” or “perfect.” By instructing forgiveness to this extent, Jesus teaches that forgiveness should be complete and unlimited, as God’s mercy is complete and limitless.
• The Call to Perfect Forgiveness: Just as God’s forgiveness is boundless, so must ours be. Jesus’ teaching calls us to emulate God’s covenantal mercy by forgiving others fully, restoring relationships, and maintaining unity.

6. The Interconnection of Bread and Forgiveness: A Spiritual Ecosystem

The dual requests for “daily bread” and “forgiveness” in the Lord’s Prayer highlight a holistic view of spiritual sustenance and relational harmony. Jesus embodies this connection as the “bread of life,” offering Himself for both nourishment and forgiveness, calling believers to experience God’s provision and to extend forgiveness to others.

• Forgiveness and Daily Bread as Daily Needs: Just as physical bread must be consumed daily, so too must forgiveness be practiced continually. Forgiveness and grace sustain relationships within the body of believers, nurturing a community that reflects God’s love and mercy.
• Bread and Forgiveness as Foundations of the New Covenant: In Jesus, the “bread of life,” sustenance and forgiveness are unified in His sacrifice. This fulfillment of the Old Testament symbolism of bread represents the culmination of God’s covenant with humanity, extending mercy and life through Christ.

Conclusion: Living in the Fulness of Divine Sustenance and Forgiveness

Bread and forgiveness are two foundational themes in the Bible that, when explored together, reveal a profound truth about our relationship with God and one another. Bread, as daily sustenance, reflects God’s provision, covenant, and the life-sustaining power of Jesus, the “bread of life.” Forgiveness, as a continual practice, reflects God’s unending mercy and His call for us to live in harmony and grace with others. Together, they form a cycle of spiritual nourishment that sustains both the individual soul and the larger community of faith.

Through Jesus, the “bread of life,” we see that God provides all we need for life—both physically and spiritually. Just as we rely on bread to live, we are called to rely on Him as the sustainer of eternal life, while embodying forgiveness that reflects God’s perfect love and mercy. As we partake in this divine sustenance and practice forgiveness, we become vessels of God’s covenant love, nourishing a world in need of grace and truth.