Suffering the Consequences of Sins

One of the most important laws of the Bible is that all children of God, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, suffer consequences of their sins.

Paul admonished the Churches in Galatia: "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Gal 6:7, NKJV).

We shall see, as we go along, what Paul stated above also applied to many great men of God in the Old Testament.

God's main purposes for mankind

Throughout the Scripture God has two main purposes He is trying to emphasize for mankind - One, He is constantly trying to reveal His plan for salvation and to get people to know Him. Secondly, He is trying to show His people how to live.

But we also see, throughout the Scripture, that there is a pattern of people wandering away and falling away. His people in both Old Testament and New Testament constantly fell away and God constantly trying to draw them back to Him. God wants a people who will serve Him with all their hearts all the time.

Four types of commitment

Let us take our examples from Israel's kings. The Bible says, in the New Testament, that we must learn from those in the Old Testament less we make the same mistake:

Paul said, "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Cor. 10:11).

In fact Christians have a higher accountability because you and I have greater revelation and insight by His Word and by His Spirit. Therefore if the Old Testament kings reaped what they sow, all the more Christians are going to reap what they are sowing!

King Solomon's commitment

Solomon was a king who went from commitment to compromise. He was a man went from great wisdom to foolishness. As we go along we shall see the consequences of Soloman's sins.


King Ahab's commitment

King Ahab and his idolatrous wife Jezebel constantly led God's people into idolatry. They were committed to do that and they had committed outright rebellion against God. Ahab died in battle with a tragic death and with dogs licking up his blood (1 Kings 22:38) as prophesied by Elijah (1 Kings 21:19). Jezebel also met with a violent death. Part of her corpse was eaten by dogs (2 Kings 9:30 - 37).


King Amaziah's commitment

Amaziah was a king who served God half-heartedly.

"And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he did everything as his father Joash had done. However the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places" (2 Kings 14:3, 4).

He was assassinated by his enemies (2 Chron. 25:27).

King Uzziah's commitment

Unzziah, the son of Amaziah, was a king who served God whole heartedly but not throughout his life.

"Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper" (2 Chron. 26:3 - 5).


When God began to bless him and he became powerful, the Scripture says, pride led to his downfall. Uzziah was so proud and presumptuous that he acted like a priest, entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense (2 Chron. 26:16 - 18).


The moment he rebelled against God leprosy broke out on his forehead. He was a leper until the day of his death (2 Chron. 26:19 - 21).


So, Uzziah only committed part of his life whole heartedly to the Lord.


In all the above four types of commitment, these Old Testament kings reaped what they sow!


God desires lifetime whole hearted commitment


God sesires our whole hearted commitment to Him all of our life. If you and I walk away from Jesus Christ where is there for us to go? Is it possible to go back to the pleasure oriented life style? You will find that every alternative you can think of, is a dead end.

Far too many Christians who start off very zealous for the Lord but get seduced along the way - It might be a relationship sexually; it might be some form of New Age religion or might be materialism or the love of money. We need to discover and learn from Solomon how to safe guard against this kind of luring away. Before God is going to use anybody God will create a situation so that, that person chosen by Him will be equipped to fulfill His purpose. God had to create a situation for David to tend sheep, doing something very monotonous and boring, so as to prepare him to take on Goliath. God had to prepare Moses, wandering in the wilderness for many years, before He could use him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.


Before we get unvolved in some kind of Christian ministry we need to humble ourselves and let God prepares us for a period of time. We need to walk with God, walk with fellow believers; listen to anointed preaching; spend a lot of time in studying the Scripture and praying. It might seems at times meaningless in putting too much of our effort to all this. But there will come a time, that training, that disciplining and that commitment is being put to test when we come face to face with the enemy. The enemy might comes in many forms - It might be spiritual warfare within your own household; it might be a spiritual encounter in your work-place or in a world scene; it might be an encounter with somebody, even in your Local Church fellowship, who is involved in occult and New Age religion. Whatever it might be, you will soon realize that you must be spiritually equipped to stand. If you are not spiritually trained and equipped to stand against the enemy you will get panicky when such situation arises.


King Saul panicked when a situation arose when his men were outnumbered by the Philistines. His pride and impatience caused him to offer sacifice of burnt offering to the Lord when Samuel delayed in coming (1 Samuel 13:8 - 13). He sinned against God by assuming the role of a priest.


On the other hand, Daniel would never panic even in the most fearful situation. He was thrown into the lion's den when he was found worshipping his God three times a day (Daniel 6). The Bible said Daniel was numbered as one of three most righteous men ever found (Ezekiel 14:14). Furthermore from his youth Daniel had decided to serve God whole heartedly and to live by God's Law (Daniel 1).


Consequences of sins in the life of great men of God


With the foregoing background in mind let me share some thoughts regarding the consequences of sins in the life of David and in the life of Solomon.


Consequences of sin in David's life


David was a man after God's heart (Acts 13:22). He, being the chief psalmist, constantly praised and worshipped the Lord. He also sought to obey the Lord's commandments.


Although David was a righteous king, he was subject to sin, just like any other human beings. He committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11) and then in an effort to cover his sin, he had her husband, Uriah, killed in battle. Then Nathan, a prophet, confronted David's double sin with a parable of "one little ewe lamb" (2 Sam. 12:1 - 9).


David wrote the beautiful Psalm 51 - A prayer of repentance and God restored him and He still considered him as a man after God's heart. But the consequences of David's sin manifested immediately. God raised up adversity against David from his own house (2 Sam. 12:11). The child born to David and Bathsheba died (V. 18). David's oldest son Ammon, raped and humiliated his half-sister, Tamar (Absalom's sister) and then Absalom killed Ammon (2 Sam. 13:28, 29). That was not all, and later on, Absalom, rebelled against his own father David. He secretly plotted a revolt against his father's throne. Absalom met his death under the hands of Joab (2 Samuel 18).


Even though David had to suffer the consequences of his sin, he continued to walk whole heartedly with the Lord. Near the end of his life, while giving instruction to his son Solomon to build the Lord a house, he said these words to him:


"As for you, my son solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever" (1 Chron. 28:9, NKJV).


David's words were similarly recorded in 1 Kings 2:1 - 3). This is also similar to what Jesus said to the Pharisees:


"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt. 22:37).


Consequences of sin in Solomon's life


Solomon started out by taking heed what his father said and he obeyed the commands of the Lord. The Lord was pleased with him when he asked for wisdom and an understanding heart to judge the people of Israel. God not only granted solomon's requests, but He also promised him riches and honor if he would walk in the steps of his father David (1 Kings 3:4 - 15). Solomon's wisdom could be seen in his writing of much Scripture - Proverbs and Song of Songs. His wisdom could also be seen in the enormous task of construction of the Temple.


But solomon had many personal weaknesses and two of them are:


1. Solomon had a lust for woman. The Scripture said, "King Solomon loved many foreign women" (1 Kings 11:1). Some of these women were forbidden to Israelites (Deu. 7:3). He had 700 wives and 300 concubines and they turned his heart after other foreign gods (1 Kings 11:3, 4). The large number of foreign women in Solomon's life made many demands upon the king. He allowed them to practice their pagan religions. He began to worship the high places built by his foreign wives.


I believe there are two things, more than anything else, in Scripture that cause God's people to fall - Idolatry and sexual immorality. This fact is being reflected in the New Testament - Acts 15.


The apostles and elders came together in Jerusalem for a council concerning what Gentile Christians need to abstain from:


"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burdern than these necessary things; that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well" (Acts 15:28, 29, NIV, emphasis added).


God hates four things listed above, but the two things He hates the most are idolatry and sexual immorality.


2. Solomon had a problem with power. He wanted power and he wanted fame. As a result he began to make alliances with foreign powers - With Tyre (1 Kings 7:13; 1 Kings 9:11, 26; 2 Chron. 2:10; 2 Chron. 8:2) and with Egypt (1 King 9:16; 1 Kings 10:28).


God already told Solomon not to look to Egypt and not to look to their horses and their chariots (Ps. 20:7), but look to the Lord for if he looks to men Solomon would be defeated.


The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart had turned from the Lord God of Israel (1 Kings 11:9 - 11). Solomon had probably learned his lesson and repented in the end, for the Bible makes no mention of his fall. The last few verse of Ecclesiastes are probably the result of his melancholy.


"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden things, whether it is good or evil (Eccles. 12:13, 14).


Conclusion


I believe what God wants from each of us in a relationship, be it in a marriage relationship or a relationship between brothers and sisters in Christ can be summed up in one word - faithfulness. You can go ahead and justify, compromise or making excuses, but when all is said and done, it is your faithfulness to the Lord that really counts. When you are faithful to the Lord you will be faithful to others. Do not allow the enticement of life to lure you away, but be prepared to serve God wholeheartedly and to walk wholehearted with the Lord for He demands your fulltime commitment.