“It’s my life; I’m not hurting anyone else.” We have all heard that statement, and maybe used it ourselves, as a justification for doing something that shouldn’t be done.
During the conquest of Jericho, Israel was to take no spoils. There were a few things they were to collect and place in the treasury of the Lord’s house, but they were to take no spoils for themselves personally. Nevertheless, a man named Achan couldn’t resist the temptation to take a few treasures.
Achan’s sin didn’t end well for him. He was stoned to death for his transgression. Before he was stoned to death, Joshua asked Achan, “Why hast thou troubled us?” (Joshua 7:25) Achan had not only caused trouble for himself; he had caused trouble for all of Israel. Because of Achan’s sin, Israel lost their first battle with Ai, and they would be at the mercy of their enemies until the situation was corrected. In this first battle, 36 Hebrew soldiers lost their lives. And the effect on others didn’t stop there. Achan’s family lost their lives; yes, his wife, sons, and daughters were stoned with him. Furthermore, everything Achan owned, including his livestock, was stoned and burned with him. Achan had troubled all of Israel, not just himself.
Achan’s story is not an isolated one. Nor are these regrettable consequences limited to evil persons. King David is described by God as a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22; I Samuel 13:14). David made the decision not to be where he was supposed to be (II Samuel 11:1). As a result he exposed himself to temptation. He gave in to the temptation and committed adultery. The woman he forced himself on became pregnant. In order to cover up his sin, David had the husband killed so he could marry the woman.
When Bill Clinton was president, he was accused of committing adultery and then lying about it under oath. I was sadly amused when Mr. Clinton’s supporters would stand before the television cameras and reference this story of David as a reason not to impeach him. People should not reference the Bible if they don’t know what it says. If Mr. Clinton’s supporters had truly been familiar with this story, they wouldn’t have wished that he experience what David experienced. Let’s look at what happened as a result of David’s sin.
Besides the poor husband of this woman losing his life, the son that was born to her and David died as a direct judgment from God. David’s son Amnon raped David’s daughter Tamar. Then David’s son Absalom, Tamar’s full brother, killed Amnon. Later Absalom lead a rebellion against David and usurped the throne. David was forced to vacate the throne and flee Jerusalem. A large number of other people were also forced to flee Jerusalem. Israel became divided. After this, David’s concubines were publically raped by Absalom. Finally, Absalom, whom David dearly loved, was killed in battle with soldiers loyal to David.
Remember, David was a godly man, he loved the Lord and the Lord loved him. David repented of his sin and was forgiven by God. Eventually, David was restored as king of Israel. Even with this being the case, look at how many people were harmed by David’s poor decision.
And there are other such examples in the Bible. The heroic judge Jephthah made a rash promise to God. As a result of this promise Jephthah’s daughter died. Lot was a righteous man, but he acted in greed when he moved his cattle toward Sodom. As a result his wife and his older daughters and their families died at Sodom. Then he had two sons by his two youngest daughters. The descendants of these boys became great enemies of Israel. All of this happened because Lot made unwise decisions and insisted on being in a place he should not have been.
What is the moral to all of this? It may be your life, but your actions impact others. Think twice before acting selfishly. And one other thing, it really isn’t your life. It belongs to God, who gave it.
•Philip Green is pastor of Greenwood Primitive Baptist Church.
