What does Numbers 32:23 mean when it says, "be sure your sin will find you out"?

When Moses strongly reproved Reuben and Gad for wanting to settle on the east side of Jordan, these tribes expressed themselves before Moses as being willing to have their men go over Jordan to help their brethren to defeat the inhabitants of Canaan before coming back to settle in Gilead. They said they would first build sheep folds for their flocks and cities for their women and children to remain in while the men went over Jordan to battle (vs.16-17). Only when the other tribes had received their inheritance would they return to Gilead (v.19).

Moses responded favorably to this, telling them that if they would keep their promise in having all their armed men go over Jordan to fight with the rest of Israel till all were established in the land, then they would be blameless, and could return to settle in Gilead (vs.20-22). Yet he warned them that if they did not carry out their promise they had sinned against the Lord and they could be sure their sin would find them out. God would deal with them in righteous government. But Moses gave them permission to build in Gilead as they had requested (vs.21-24).

When these two tribes confirmed this promise, Moses commanded Eleazar and Joshua concerning this, that if the armed men of Gad and Reuben would fight in Canaan until the other tribes were established, then Gad and Reuben could settle in Gilead (vs.28-29). If they did not do so, then they would be required to have a possession in Canaan (v.30), which would require their fighting for that possession. Moses knew that he himself would not enter the land, so it was necessary for Eleazar and Joshua to be fully informed of this.

The languid believer is a sore check upon the devotion of others, and thereby are wrought, not only dishonour to God and wrong to ourselves, but robbery from others of their zeal. One false step usually begets another — evil leads to evil. These tribes, beginning with the spirit of expediency, added to expediency wilfulness, and to wilfulness schism — "We will not inherit with them." To carry out their purpose they were prepared to make a breach in Israel. "We," and "them," said they of Jehovah's one undivided family. Jehovah had given one inheritance to His people, but they would have their inheritance, and Israel should have theirs! — "We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance." Moses accepted the compromise that the armed men of these two and a half tribes should go in the van and help Israel "into their place"; but still the fact remains — they did not possess "over this Jordan."

God permitted them to carry out their wishes, as He so often permits His people to have their own way for a time; but, sooner or later, a man will reap that which he has sown, as Moses warned the two and a half tribes at the time of this their determination, "Be sure your sin will find you out."

Joseph is sold to Ishmaelites, and they drag him down to Egypt. His coat of many colours is taken off and dipped in the blood of a goat, and with it his brethren deceive their father. They say to him, "This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no" (ver. 32). They deceived their father. Ah, you say, bad men. Have you never deceived your father? You are going to get time to think about it one day. Oh, but this is a very glaring case. I do not deny it, but sin is sin, my friend, and depend upon it, the day is coming when you will have to face it up. You may try and forget your sins, but stop a bit, God has a great memory and a long look-out. Many many years roll by, in fact they let about forty years roll by before it all came out. But mark, it must come out. "Be sure your sin will find you out," is a God-given word. Now, my friend, I do not know what your sin has been, but it will find you out. Their sin found them out, though the old man, Jacob, was deceived.

No comment is needed on the story of Naboth's vineyard. Jezebel, the wicked, and Ahab's submission to her was his ruination. On her Satanic suggestion one of the most wicked deeds recorded in Bible history is done. Naboth is murdered to obtain his vineyard. The measure of Ahab's apostasy and wickedness is now filled to overflowing. For the wicked king the tidings of Naboth's death were welcome tidings. No inquiry follows, but in self-satisfaction he goes to take possession of the beautified vineyard of Naboth. But his enjoyment, as it is always with the enjoyment of sin, did not last very long. No sooner had the innocent blood been spilt, than Jehovah, who saw and knew the foul deed, sent Elijah with the final message of doom and judgment for the guilty pair. Ahab was still in the vineyard. His eyes still feasted on the beautiful scene before him. His thoughts were occupied with the pleasures of sin when suddenly Elijah appeared. "I have found thee," were the prophet's first utterances. "Be sure your sin will find you out." Then follows the sentence already indicated in the words of the disguised prophet in the previous chapter. "I will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Abijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked Me to anger, and made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat." How literally this sentence was carried out we shall find in the subsequent history. But Ahab having humbled himself hears a merciful message from Elijah's lips. "Because he humbled himself before Me, I will not bring evil in his days, but in his son's days will I bring evil upon his house." How merciful the Lord is to all who humble themselves!

Ah, this was coming to close quarters! The sinner might seek to persuade himself that discovery was impossible; he might cherish the fond hope of escaping amid the many thousands of Israel. Miserable delusion! He might be sure his sin would find him out. The self-same Presence that secured individual blessing, secured with equal fidelity the detection of the most secret individual sin. Escape was impossible. If Jehovah was in the midst of His people to lay Jericho in ruins at their feet, He was there also to lay bare, in its deepest roots, the sin of the congregation, and to bring forth the sinner from his hiding-place to bear the penalty of his wickedness.

The first witness I shall call is your own conscience. It accuses you and makes you a poor coward who can never come out of your hiding-place. You are not peculiar to other people in this; but I am not dealing with other people at present, but with you. Neither God nor man are you ready to meet. You would not care to go over, in the holy presence of God, the details of your life; and the bare idea of that life being manifested and exposed in all its naked reality before your fellow-men would fill you with horror. You are glad your neighbour does not know as much about your inner life as you do yourself, and you do not wish him to know any more than he does. Why is this? Because you are conscious it would not be to your credit. If you were sure that everything you have done, and every thought and every counsel of your heart was just what it ought to be, you would be glad to be manifested before the world, that all might see what an excellent man you are. But you know it is not so, and hence you would desire to hide yourself from the scrutiny both of God and man. This you will not always be able to do.

The sword of man "devours one as well as another"; but the sword of God falls on the head of the offender. Things must be made manifest; the stream may flow for a time under ground, but sooner or later it will break out. We may go on for years in a course of secret evil, in the cultivation of some unholy principle, in the indulgence of some unholy lust, in the gratification of some unholy temper or feeling, but the smouldering flame must ultimately break forth, and show us the real character of our actings. This is a truly solemnising reflection. We cannot hide things from God, nor cause Him to think that our wrong ways are all right. We may try to reason ourselves into such a thought; we may persuade our hearts by plausible arguments that such and such things are right, good, or lawful; but "God is not mocked: whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap."

It is not necessarily simply in the day of judgment that this takes place: the Lord may deal with it now. "Thou didst it secretly," says God by Nathan to David; "but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun."

How bad to try to cover up sin! God says, "Be sure your sin will find you out." But you must thank God if He makes your sin find you out now, or else it will find you out when you stand before God's judgment throne. God says, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Prov. 28:13) Now, God has made a way to cover all the sins of those who confess them. There is no other way. Only the Lord Jesus' precious blood can cover men's sins. They told Joseph's brothers to 'go to Joseph', now God tells you, "Go to the Lord Jesus." Trust in His precious blood to cover your sins, then you shall have God's forgiveness.

"And they said unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea grew more and more tempestuous." The matter is being pressed close home to Jonah now. "What shall we do unto thee?" Well Jonah knew that the awful storm about them, every moment getting worse and worse, was all his fault. Though Jonah had not "feared exceedingly" when he ought to have done so, now he began to find out that God is not mocked, and that it is no light thing to try and trifle with Him. I suppose that most of us are not in any position to say very many words of blame to Jonah. Have not most of us had to learn the same bitter lesson? How natural to the heart of man is the thought, and how eager the enemy is to tell us, that we may sin with impunity and "get away with it." No, beloved fellow-Christian, whether it was Jonah, or whether it is you or I, "God is not mocked." "Be sure your sin will find you out." (Num. 32:23) Sin will surely bring bitter, bitter fruit.