Covered by Sand
Monday, November 16, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known."
Exodus 2:11-14
The consequences of confessing sin immediately are far less than the consequences of hiding sin.
Daniel and the Hebrew children had remained faithful, even in the midst of temptation. But what if they hadn't made the right choice? What if they had given into their flesh and followed the world's path? Notice another well-known Bible character today who did give in to his flesh, and made a wrong choice.
We have all heard the stories of Moses and the plagues, the miracle at the Red Sea, and the Ten Commandments. But our verses show a story that is often overlooked in Moses' life, a story that shows us the humanity of Moses.
Through God's providence, Moses was saved from a slaughter of all the male Jewish children by the pharaoh of Egypt. He was taken to the palace and grew up as the son of the pharaoh's daughter. Living a lavish lifestyle while his fellow Hebrews suffered enslavement must have convicted Moses. He knew he wasn't like the Egyptian royalty, yet he also wasn't like the Hebrews who worked tirelessly for their cruel taskmasters. No doubt Moses spent time thinking of this.
One day as he was out walking around the city, he happened upon an Egyptian beating one of his Hebrew countrymen. After looking to see if anyone was watching, the Hebrew prince of Egypt killed the taskmaster and buried him. Thinking his sin was hid, he went on with his life until the next day when two Hebrew men confronted him with his actions. Fearing the consequences of the news reaching the palace, Moses fled into the desert to hide.
Moses thought what he was doing was a just thing at the time; I'm sure he thought he was helping the Hebrew slave, yet he found that the sin he thought he had hid by burying the man had come back to haunt him. The Hebrews feared him and the Egyptians hated him. His sin had been found out.
Many times we can run into the same situation. Have you ever made a bad decision in private, only to have it be found out? Moses found that no amount of sand could hide his sin. Covering sin or lying about it never makes it go away. Sin has a way of coming back to hurt the sinner when it is hidden. Think of this warning. "But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23).
It's a tough lesson to learn the hard way, but sin will always be found out. Perhaps you can cover it for a week, a month, or even a year; but sin will come back to hurt you. One of the worst things you can do when you sin is seek to hide it. God knows of your actions, even if no one else knows.
The consequences of confessing sin immediately are far less than the consequences of hiding sin. Moses spent the next forty years running from his sin. Don't allow the devil to trick you into thinking sin is less harmful hidden. Only confession and repentance can help put the sin behind you.
Do you have any hidden sin in your life? Have you tried covering it? Don't let the fear of immediate consequences keep you from confessing your sin. God wants to forgive you and help you overcome the sin, but you must first admit your sin and confess it before Him.
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