Judah considered the use of an apparent prostitute an innocent thing (Genesis 38:12-26).
Korah criticized Moses for his office, but God heard and buried him alive (Numbers 16:1-35).
Achan hid his stolen goods of Jericho from the sight of everyone but the Lord (Joshua 7).
Adoni-Bezek mutilated prisoners, so Israel mutilated him before his death (Judges 1:4-8).
Eli’s sons abused God’s worship, but they died young together (I Samuel 2:12-17; 4:17).
Eli was too loving and weak to stop his sons from their profane wickedness (I Sam 2:22-36).
The men of Bethshemesh thought they could safely peek in God’s ark (I Samuel 6:19).
Saul thought he could get away with modifying God’s commandment (I Samuel 15:1-23).
Saul disguised himself and sought help from a witch and familiar spirits (I Sam 28:7-20).
David thought he had well covered both his adultery and murder (II Samuel 11:1 – 12:14).
David did not question Adonijah, so one brother killed another (I Kings 1:5-10; 2:12-25).
Amnon thought he could enjoy his virgin sister, but lost his fantasy and life (II Sam 13:1-39).
Absalom despised his father, and he was killed by darts in a tree (II Sam 16:21-23; 18:9-18).
Adonijah subtly used Bathsheba to influence Solomon in covert sedition (I Kings 2:12-25).
Ahab thought he could disguise himself and escape judgment for rebellion (I Kings 22:30-38).
Forty-two children saw no harm from teasing Elisha, the man of God (II Kings 2:23-24).
Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, disobeyed him and took a gift from Naaman (II Kings 5:15-27).
Jezebel thought she had escaped the judgment for killing righteous Naboth (II Kings 9:30-37).
King Uzziah presumed on the priests’ office and died a miserable leper (II Chron 26:16-21).
Haman hardly knew what hit him in rapid succession for his conspiracy (Esther 6:1 – 7:10).
Fathers and mothers who neglect child training will suffer pain (Pr 19:13; 22:6,15; 29:15,17).
Sennacherib ridiculed God, so his sons killed him while he worshipped his god (Is 37:1-38).
Judah’s elders came to Ezekiel with idols in their heart, which God judged (Ezekiel 14:1-11).
King Belshazzar blasphemed God and died that night in an impregnable city (Daniel 5:1-31).
Jonah was once quite secure in his decision to reject God’s call to Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-17).
The regathered Jews thought they could put their houses before the Lord’s (Haggai 1:1-11).
Judas conspired to betray the Lord Jesus Christ, but God destroyed him (Matthew 27:3-5).
Peter could only see those questioning him until it was much too late (Luke 22:54-62).
The Jews thought they could get rid of Jesus Christ by Roman crucifixion (John 19:15).
Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost and Peter about their giving (Acts 5:1-11).
King Herod killed James and loved adoration, but he died a miserable death (Acts 12:20-23).
John Mark went AWOL, so Paul rejected him for his second trip (Acts 13:13; 15:36-41).
The Corinthians abused the Lord’s Supper, but they were weak, sick, and dead (I Cor 11:30).
The APPLICATION OF THE LESSON Identifies Areas of Practical Concern In Our Own Lives.
Children hide sin from parents; men hide adulterous thoughts; families create public facades.
God is always on the side of those in authority, which children ought to weigh very heavily.
If you are hiding hatred in your heart with your lips, God will reveal it (Proverbs 26:24-26).
Hypocrisy, the greatest of all sins, allows only short joy to its foolish victims (Job 20:4-29).
Where are you cheating or compromising in your life? Because God will judge it for sure!
Remember that God will even judge your heart sins with torment (Prov 21:2; Matt 18:21-35).
Is your marriage all that it should be? Your finances? Your spiritual exercises? Your thought life? Your speech? Are you training your children? Loving the brethren? Maintaining prayer?
Each father and mother must do their job as parents, or pain is coming (Pr 22:6,15; 29:15,17).
Financial discipline means you must reject sleep and pleasure (Prov 6:6-11; 20:13; 21:17,20).
Some sins simply come back to haunt you in a hateful way (Ps 36:1-2; Prov 5:7-14; 7:18-23): fornication, alcohol, evil friends, pornography, slothfulness, presumption, whoredom, child abuse, evil television, smoking abuse, adulterous thoughts, evil music, wasteful spending, overeating, excessive ambition, hasty speech, quick anger, insubordination, etc., etc.
Consider fornication: it will lead to (1) pregnancy, (2) loss of respect and honor, (3) loss of virginity, (4) poor relationships, (5) parental anger, (6) church exclusion, (7) guilt, (8) jealousy, (9) disease, (10) sexual dysfunction, (10) a horrible example, and/or other troubles.
The INVERSE OF THE LESSON Reviews God’s Promises that Righteousness Is Also Rewarded.
There are blessed rewards for learning and obeying the words of God (Ps 19:10; James 1:25).
God rewards the righteous and wicked with the fruit of their doings (Is 3:10-11; Mal 3:16-18).
Some rewards are made openly in this world and some in the world to come (I Tim 5:24-25).
If you serve God faithfully in secret, He will reward you openly (Matthew 6:3-6,16-18).
Conclusion:
It is essential that you examine yourself with God’s help and turn from any wickedness in your life (Ps 139:23-24).
No matter how small, subtle, or secret your sin, the great God can tear you in pieces from the inside and/or outside.
If you have gotten away with a secret sin so far, remember God is playing with you for destruction (Ps 50:21-22).
His judgment may come in the area of your sin or in another area altogether, but His judgment is coming for sure.
