Doing wrong leads to disgrace, and scandalous behavior brings contempt. ~Proverbs 18:3 NLT
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“David Sees Bathsheba Bathing”
by J. James Tissot
You probably don’t have to try too hard to remember the names and faces of people you know or have heard of whose behavior landed them in trouble. From a family member who was unfaithful to their spouse, to politicians caught in a lie or criminal act, to entertainers who exhibit outrageous irresponsibility, you can think of people whose behavior has led to disgrace and even contempt.
The Bible is full of examples of people who did wrong:
- Cain killed his brother, Abel and tried to deny it (Genesis 4)
- Abraham decided to have a child with Sarah’s maidservant instead of waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled (Genesis 16)
- Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery (Genesis 37)
- Moses fought and murdered an Egyptian who was abusing an Israelite (Exodus 2)
- King David had Uriah murdered because he wanted Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11)
- Judas Iscariot kept the money bag for Jesus and his disciples, and stole from it (John 12:6)
- Peter denied that he knew Jesus, three times (Matthew 26)
- Ananias and Sapphira lied about how much money they received for the sale of their property, intending to keep some of it for themselves while getting public recognition for donating it all to the church (Acts 5)
And in every case, the wrong-doers were discovered – some immediately, some after a time. Their reputations were hurt when people learned what they had done. More importantly, God knew about what had supposedly been done in secret.
- God banished Cain, forcing him to be a nomad
- The Lord told Abraham there would always be strife between Ishmael (the son of Abraham and Hagar) and Isaac (the son of Abraham and Sarah)
- The rest of Jacob’s sons eventually bowed down to Joseph; none of them achieved anything close to what Joseph accomplished
- Moses suffered a decades-long, self-imposed exile, running away to avoid the consequences of murder
- David was confronted by Nathan the prophet, who revealed everything about David’s selfish sin; the child David conceived with Bathsheba died soon after being born
- Judas Iscariot committed other sins in addition to stealing, and died an unpleasant, sudden death
- Peter suffered intense emotional agony after pretending not to know who Jesus was
- After lying to the apostles about the sale price of their property, both Ananias and Sapphira died suddenly
In some cases, these people repented when confronted - they changed their minds, agreed with God that their behavior was, in fact, disobedient, and sought forgiveness. David, for example, endured consequences of his sin. But he was eventually restored to a full relationship with the Lord. The next son born to David and Bathsheba was Solomon.
Doing something you know to be wrong is never a great choice. There may be a significant price to pay in terms of public humiliation, losing the respect of friends and loved ones, or having your reputation diminished.
But there is no sin you can commit (other than refusing to trust in Jesus for your salvation) that God will not forgive. The natural consequences may be unavoidable, but you can enjoy full restoration with the Lord when you seek him in repentance and humility.
Filed under: Character, Discipleship, Discipline, Obedience, Purity, Righteousness, Wisdom Tagged: disobedience, eternal life, forgive, forgiveness, repent, repentance, salvation, sin Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
