“. . . be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23
Every person makes the decision to turn to sin at some point in their lives. Just know that when you do, it will be discovered and become known. You can choose to walk on the dark side, but you cannot run from its effects. There is an ancient adage among seasoned gamblers that “there is no such thing as a sure thing,” but the Bible speaks otherwise. Numbers 32:23 states that there is one thing that is so sure, you can literally bet your life on it: your sin will find you out.
No one ever has and never will get away with sin. There is no statement in the Bible that says, “Be sure that others will find out about your sin.” Maybe no one else will ever learn. The message is clear: “Your sin will find you out.” Why was this claim made in the first place? It was originally a warning for the Israelites, and it remains so for us now. Two of the twelve tribes that made up Israel wanted to stop short of crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land when the nation stood on the verge of doing so. They felt at ease remaining in the region east of the Jordan River. However, God had commanded the whole nation to go into the Promised Land united and engage in whatever combat was necessary to take possession of it. These two tribes were ordered to engage in combat by Moses. They consented to keep their word to the Lord and the country. If I may paraphrase, Moses gave the following advice as a warning: “See to it that you do, but if you don't, be sure that your sin will find you out.”
In that sentence, we discover some information about the dark side that should cause us to exercise caution before deciding to enter it. First, you will be under the control of sin if you choose the dark side. The darkness of sin is something we can choose to live in or not. But once we do, sin takes control of us. Second, you will be corrupted by sin's dark side. Sin inevitably corrupts people; it is difficult to avoid this. Last but not least, you will be condemned by sin. You can never get away with sin. It will eventually come to light, whether in this life or the next.
Prayer: Lord, I no longer desire to hide my sin and remain in the shadows. Please forgive me for any sins that I have been trying to cover up. Give me the willpower to turn from my sin and the strength I need to withstand any temptation I may encounter in the future. Thank you for the Holy Spirit's conviction and direction in my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.
