INTRODUCTION

Sin brings consequences. Although the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin (1 John 1:7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
See All...), some things cannot merely be undone. The children of Israel were supposed to go into the land of promise, but they chose to believe the report of the ten faithless men, rejecting the faithful report of Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 13:26-33 [26] And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. [27] And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. [28] Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. [29] The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. [30] And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. [31] But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. [32] And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. [33] And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
See All...; Numbers 14:1-10 [1] And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. [2] And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! [3] And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? [4] And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. [5] Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. [6] And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: [7] And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. [8] If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. [9] Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. [10] But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
See All...). It was not until the people heard the looming judgment from God that they changed their minds and determined that they would go into the land of promise. They thought they could merely change their minds and remove all the consequences of sin but soon found out that that was not their prerogative. With or without forgiveness, sin has certain consequences.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): Esau despised his birthright and could not get it back (Genesis 25:29-34 [29] And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: [30] And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. [31] And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. [32] And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? [33] And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. [34] Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
  See All...; Hebrews 12:16-17 [16] Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. [17] For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
  See All...). Disrespectful children could not take their words back (2 Kings 2:23-24 [23] And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. [24] And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
  See All...). Saul was disobedient and lost his throne and then his life (1 Chronicles 10:13-14 [13] So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; [14] And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.
  See All...).
• (For everyone): What are some sins in the Bible that were forgiven but still brought lasting consequences (i.e., David and Bathsheba, Moses smiting the rock)? What can you learn from these examples?
• What are some sins in the Bible that were forgiven but still brought lasting consequences (i.e., David and Bathsheba, Moses smiting the rock)? What can you learn from these examples?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask God to give you wisdom concerning the danger of sin.
• Ask the Lord to help you as you deal with the sins of your past.

HYMN

NEARER, STILL NEARER

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