The Misery of Concealing Sin
The Misery of Concealing Sin November 21, 2021
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit! When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me.” (Psalm 32:1-4)
There’s nothing better or more enjoyable in life than to know that you’re okay with God; that He accepts you. Yet, we know that sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). So what happens when I get caught up in some sin and reap its unexpected consequences?
Such was the case with King David when he committed adultery with a very beautiful woman named Bathsheba. The details of this sin and others that followed are found in II Samuel 11 & 12.
When Bathsheba became pregnant David knew his sin would be exposed. Instead of confessing his sin before God he tried to conceal the matter from Him, from Bathsheba’s husband and from anyone. No matter what he did to hide his sin it didn’t convince his consequence that it never happened. Over time he became restless and couldn’t relax and be himself. He couldn’t sleep well and became agitated and, as he says, his body wasted away. Concealed sin has a way of eating away at a person as their conscience keeps reminding them of what they have done and how wrong it was.
In the midst of this misery David said that God’s hand was heavy upon him. There is never any rest for the sinner unless that sin is dealt with. David should have been killed for his sins but God sent His prophet Nathan to help David with the misery of his concealed sin. Yes, God forgave David of adultery, lies and murder but, nevertheless, he reaped the terrible consequences of his actions.
It is better to deal with our sins than try to run from them. Why? Because no one can ever get away from their sins that are stuck in their conscience. Wherever you go, they follow. If you’re dealing with hidden sin – God can help. They must be addressed and they can be forgiven but, like David, you may have to suffer the consequences.
Brian Thompson