Your Sin Will Be Found Out

"So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, 'Here now, let me come in to you'; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, 'What will you give me, that you may come in to me?' He said, therefore, 'I will send you a young goat from the flock.' She said, moreover, 'Will you give a pledge until you send it?' He said, 'What pledge shall I give you?' And she said, 'Your seal and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.' So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him... Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, 'Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry.' Then Judah said, 'Bring her out and let her be burned!' It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, 'I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.' And she said, 'Please examine and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?'" -Genesis 38.16-18, 24-25

Judah's first son had a wife, Tamar, but he was evil and God took his life. Onan, the middle son, had the duty to have children for his brother, but knowing they wouldn't be his, he didn't perform his duty, and God killed him too. Now Judah had a third son, Shelah, and Tamar should have been given to him as a wife, but Judah is afraid for his youngest son's life. Instead of doing what he should do, he sends her home with the false promise of giving her to his son when he is old enough.

Judah's wife dies and he heads to the town to shear his sheep. Tamar hears about it, and knowing she hasn't been given to Shelah, disguises herself as a prostitute. Judah sleeps with her, and gives her his seal, cord and staff, to hold in trust until he sends payment. But she removes the disguise and later it is found out that she is pregnant. As they are about to hand out punishment she produces Judah's items, and he is caught. He sinned against her and God. He knew what was right and refused to do it. When the prostitute couldn't be found he figured he was in the clear, but his sin found him out.

Men, our sins will always find us out. Nothing we can do will erase them, and nothing we can do will fix them. We can move to another church, or neighborhood, hoping to leave our sins behind, but they will eventually catch us. And when they do, we will face judgment for them.

Let us live our lives free from sin. Let us flee from evil and avoid sin at all costs. Let us do what is right always, because sin will be found out. It might not be today, or next week, or even next year. But one day all things will come to light, and sin that has been hidden during life leads to the lake of fire. Your sin will be found out, flee from it, and seek God's strength to live above it.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor