Numbers 32:23 (NASB)
But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.
“The Godfather” movies were among the most popular movies in movie history. The success of the “The Godfather” subsequently produced a number of gangster-related movies, most of them also very popular. One of the main messages from these kinds of movies substantiates what Numbers 32:23 declares: “be sure that your sin will find you out.” You will reap what you sow (Gal 6:7). What these movies showed is that most people who murdered were murdered themselves. Or, they lived lives filled with grief and horror and strife. Their sins found them out.
You see this principle revealed when people try to cover up their transgressions through lying or other deceptions. They get away with it for awhile, but sooner or later, they are exposed. Indeed, the later the exposure, the greater harm occurs to the deceiver’s reputation. Think of so many politicians, athletes, and other celebrities who try to cover up their infidelities yet sooner or later the truth is exposed and these deceivers suffer the consequences.
In Numbers 32 the Israelites were about ready to enter the Promised Land, also called Canaan, after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness because of the faithlessness of their forefathers. However, reading verses 1-5, two of the 12 Israeli tribes--Reuben and Gad—told Moses that they wanted to live on the east side of the Jordan River because it was a “suitable place for their livestock” (v 1). In verses 6-19 Moses appeals to these tribes, basically telling them that they were cowards (v 6), would discourage the other tribes (v 7), and would be like their faithless forefathers in their unwillingness to enter the Promised Land v 8-13). Indeed Moses called the tribes of Reuben and Gad a “brood of sinful men” who would add to the anger of the Lord against Israel (v 14) and cause destruction of their fellow Israelites (v 15). So, Reuben and Gad made a deal with Moses where they would settle on the east side of the Jordan River eventually, but would go to battle with the rest of the Israelites (v 16-19). Moses agreed, but warned them that if they did not fulfill their promises to him that they have sinned against the Lord and to be sure that their sins would find them out (v 20-23).
God is aware of everything you do. When you sin and do not confess your regret and ask for forgiveness, God will not forget that sin and neither will your conscience allow you to forget that sin. Sin always leads to misery and a guilty conscience although as you sin more and more, your conscience will be seared and you no longer will feel the same degree of guilt. Like the old story of the conscience being like a propeller in your brain. When you sin the propeller rotates and it hurts. But if you keeping on sinning the propeller blades dull from constant spinning and it doesn’t hurt anymore. That’s the horror of continuous, unconfessed sin…..it dulls the conscience to the point that you no longer have guilt or regret. Yet the Lord does not turn the other way. He has established moral and ethical laws in His universe where your sin will find you out. There will always be costly consequences of sinful living unless you repent and ask for God’s forgiveness (and, in many cases, ask for forgiveness from those hurt by your sins).
As you are reading and thinking about this, is there any unconfessed sin in your life? Confess it, admit your need for God’s forgiveness and He will forgive you (I John 1:9) and will not remember your sins (Isaiah 43:25-25, Romans 8:1, Hebrews 8:12 and 10:17). Otherwise, be certain that God will make sure that your sins will find you out and there will be tragic consequences. Likely you already have witnessed this truth in your own life and/or in others’ so don’t allow it to happen to you again. Confess your sins daily to the Lord.
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