JESUS paid for our sin debts on the cross
"But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out" (Num. 32:23).
Shalom Brothers and Sisters,
Most people have a misunderstanding as to what this Scripture really means. Most people think it means, “Your sin will someday be found out” or “You won't get away with sin.” Of course, these statements are true; but, that is NOT what this particular Bible passage is referring to. We read in Luke 12:2, “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.”
Nothing is hid from the presence of God. Proverb 15:3 proclaims, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Las Vegas is guilty of false advertising! They guarantee you that the sins you commit in Vegas will STAY IN VEGAS. Well, I have news for you, GOD is video-taping everything you do in Vegas! What HAPPENS in Vegas IS RECORDED in Heaven!!! God is NOT a pacifist, teddy-bear God, that looks the other way when we sin. No sir, God has promised to hold each and every one of us accountable for ourselves (Romans 14:12 - So then each of us shall give account of himself to GOD; Ecclesiastes 12:14 - For GOD will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil; Colossians 3:25 - But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.).
Whether saved or unsaved, we will all have our day in GOD's court. The difference is it will be as a criminal court for the unsaved, verses civil court for the saved. In criminal court you go to prison (the Lake of Fire); but in civil court you suffer monetary (reward) losses, reproach and GOD's anger. The unsaved will stand trial at The Great White Throne of Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), and the saved will stand trial at The Judgment Seat of Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:9-11).
So what does “But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.” in Numbers 32:23 mean? The Israelites were about to enter into the Promised Land. However, the tribes of Reuben and Gad didn't want to live in Canaan, and they informed Moses of this (Numbers 32:2). They had large herds of cattle, and saw that there was plenty of land on the east side of the Jordan River (Canaan, the Promised Land, was on the West side of the Jordan River). Moses was upset, and said that the rest of the tribes would be discouraged by their unwillingness to enter into the Promised Land.
Moses also pointed out that they needed all the manpower in battle they could get, and couldn't afford not to have the tribes of Reuben and Gad fight in Canaan. So they asked Moses if they could remain on the East side of Jordan if they promised to help fight with the rest of the tribes for the Promised Land. Moses reluctantly agreed; but told them that if they didn't keep their promise . . . . (which is equivalent to sinning against GOD). Their sin would find them out!
Notice carefully that Moses said in Numbers 32:23, “YOUR sin will find YOU out.” It is the sin we commit that will one day haunt us. This is what the verse means. Sin always leads to misery and regret.
I have spoken with countless people throughout my life, who have shared with me their regrets over sins committed when they were younger.
One man confided to me that he was a drug-addict when he was younger, before he found the LORD. He said he remembered meeting a poor woman, who had little children, and needed money. He had never met the woman before. He propositioned her for prostitution. He told me that he was having sex with her shortly thereafter, on the couch, right in front of the woman's small children. He said that he had been so cold-hearted that he could have cared less. He told me how he used to get high on cocaine, and how each drug "high" was less spectacular than the previous. He began to weep as he told me how he regretted his life of sin, the people he had hurt, and the wasted years of his life he couldn't relive. He told me that he often wonders if he has any unknown children, because he had been a whoremonger for so long. He said that he often wonders if he has HIV, and is afraid to be tested. He said he felt guilty because he had taken advantage of the poor, when God had given him a good job. His life was so tragic! Years later, he became a Christian with a repentance heart and in faith knew that the blood of Jesus had cleansed all his sins away; but he still felt guilt over the people he had hurt. His sins found him out (Num. 32:23).
I could share many more such stories with you, and I'm sure you could likewise with me. The world is a sinful place. Certainly, all men and women are sinners. In fact, the most heinous and worst crimes being committed today are by children and young teens. Oh the consequences of sin! What price are you willing to pay for sin my friend? Sin will always take us further than we planned to go, cost us more than we intended to pay, and keep us longer than we wanted to stay! The Devil is a liar, thief and murderer—and he's the father of all liars, thieves and murderers the Bible says (John 8:44; 10:10). There are many liars, thieves and murderers in the world today whose father is Satan.
James 2:10 teaches that to break even one of God's Commandments is equivalent to breaking ALL of them in God's sight. In other words, even one sin is enough to send a person to Hell for all eternity. That's why we need a Saviour. His precious name is JESUS—WHO died on the cross, was buried and rose again on the third day—to pay for our many sin debts. This is the Gospel (i.e., the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). If, by faith and with a repentant heart you receive what Christ did on the cross, as payment for your sins then you'll be saved and spend eternity with the LORD in happiness and plenty.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13)
Amen! We are reconciled and brought near to God BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST!!!