Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1916
“But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.” Numbers 32:23.
THERE are many dear friends engaged in business who can only reach the Tabernacle in time for the middle of the service and, therefore, they lose the reading of the Scriptures and the exposition which make up a whole with the sermon. This is a great loss to them, but as it is not their fault, we must not let them suffer for it, so far as we can remedy the evil. With this design let me explain to them that, according to the chapter which we have read and expounded, the Israelites had conquered the country possessed by Og, king of Bashan, and Sihon, king of the Amorites. And the tribes of Reuben and Gad, having great quantities of cattle, thought that a country so rich in pasture would be eminently suitable for them and for their flocks. They were no bad judges, for the country was specially fitted for sheep farming.
They, therefore, asked Moses that they might have that country to be theirs. But Moses objected. Did they mean to sit still and enjoy that country—and then leave the rest of the tribes to cross the Jordan and to fight for their possessions? If so, he declared that it was a very evil course to take—that they were selfish in seeking their own ease and that they would be discouraging God’s people and doing all sorts of mischief. He, therefore, proposed to them that if they were to have that conquered country for their own, they should at least cross the river with their brethren and fight and continue fighting until the land on the other side of the Jordan had been cleared of its old inhabitants and the whole of Israel could take the whole of the country—and each tribe could possess its portion.
He put it to them as a matter of honor and as a matter of right, that they ought to help in conquering the rest of the land. Why should they receive their lot without fighting and leave the other tribes to bear the toil and danger of war? Had not God bid them all to go up and drive out the condemned Canaanites? How could they evade their duty without great sin? He would have them take their full share in the war and on that condition they might have the rich meadows of Bashan, but not otherwise. This was clearly just and equitable and commended itself to those concerned. They at once agreed to the proposal and Moses, to enforce the agreement, told them in the words of the text, that if they did not keep their covenant and give all due aid to their brethren, then they would sin against God and they might be sure that their sin would find them out.
I remarked, in reading the chapter, that Moses spoke very wisely, very forcibly, very honestly—and the people were very pliant. They yielded to his persuasions and the difficulty which threatened to divide the nation was readily remedied. It is well to have a wise leader. It is well for him when he leads a reasonable people! Oh, that I may be able, tonight, to speak a word in season and may your ears be ready to hear it! May the Lord bring as gracious an issue out of this service as He did out of the discourse of His servant Moses! To His Holy Spirit shall be all the praise.
We shall speak at this time, first, of what was this sin? Secondly, what would be the chief sin of that sin? “If you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord.” This would be the peculiar atrocity of their sin, that it would be leveled at God, Himself. And then there is a third point—What would the consequence of such sin be? “Be sure your sin will find you out.” They would be guilty and would not long go unpunished.
I. First, then, WHAT WAS THIS SIN? What is this sin about which the Spirit of God says by Moses, “Be sure your sin will find you out?” A learned divine has delivered a sermon upon the sin of murder from this text; another upon theft; another upon falsehood. Now they are very good sermons, but they have nothing to do with this text if it is read as Moses uttered it. If you take the text as it stands, there is nothing in it about murder, or theft, or anything of the kind. In fact, it is not about what men do, but it is about what men do not do. The iniquity of doing nothing is a sin which is not so often
spoken of as it should be. A sin of omission is clearly aimed at in this warning—“If you will not do so, be sure your sin will find you out.”
What, then, was this sin? Remember that it is the sin of God’s own people. It is not the sin of Egyptians and Philistines, but the sin of God’s chosen nation and, therefore, this text is for you that belong to any of the tribes of Israel—you to whom God has given a portion among His beloved ones. It is to you, professed Christians and Church members, that the text comes, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” And what is that sin? It is, very sadly, common among professed Christians and needs to be dealt with—it is the sin which leads anyone to forget his share in the holy war which is to be carried out for God and for His Church. A great many wrongs are tangled together in this crime and we must try to separate them and set them in order before your eyes.