Genesis 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

I spoke of the iniquity of the New Testament yesterday. It was a far cry from what I was taught, so let us return to that understanding, and the source of the differences, the Old Testament. Here by virtue of first use is iniquity defined.

Remember this is God speaking to Abram, who is not yet Abraham. This is prior to the covenant, contract. This is significant for understanding the variance between yesterday’s devotional and today’s.

Iniquity, Strong’s H5772 `avon perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity; guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition); consequence of or punishment for iniquity

In many verses this is considered guilt of the fathers. Now consider this as first use dictates, judges do not exist, guilt cannot be prescribed without first a law, a finding, and then a just punishment.

Romans 5:13-14 For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Imputed is another one of those confusing words, so we are obliged to define it. In the OT it means to think, plan, esteem, calculate, invent, make a judgment, imagine, count. It is an understanding of our condition. Yet we see that death still reigned regardless of understanding, the sentence being carried out seemingly without an accusation or a trial. In this one point we discover the differences between the NT and OT iniquity.

The only just judge God, had not written the law so that man might understand his own guilt in his decisions and actions.

In the NT iniquity we sense the injustice done to us primarily because we know who we are in Christ, and we know that sin has been dealt with at the Cross.