Sin In The Camp

In Joshua chapter 7, the Bible gives the narrative of Achan, who took items devoted for destruction and hid them in his tent.  These items were of great value and were only going to be destroyed, why shouldn't he keep some for himself?  Who would it hurt, who would know?

A husband, sitting before his computer screen late at night, downloads pornography thinking the same, "Who will it hurt, who will know?"  A wife, after the kids have gone down for a nap, flirts in a chat room reasoning, "What will it hurt, who will know?"  A teller kites some cash from his drawer intending to replace it before anyone knows, thinking "Who will it hurt, who will know?"

One day thatt husband forgets to log out and his wife, dusting off the computer pulls up an image that wounds her soul.  The husband of the flirtatious wife hears the sound of a message coming in on his wife''s computer and opens it to read the sexual banter of another man directed to his wife.  The teller gets sick and doesn't come in to work the day he planned to replace the money and the auditors show up a day earlier than he expected.  Who will know?  Who knows?  But someone will and in fact, Someone does from the start - God.  And, by the way, so do you.

Achan's sin was noticed by the Lord and the moral weakness brought into the camp of the People of God weakened them and brought defeat in their military campaign.  Innocent soldiers were killed, their families suffered great loss and God was dishonored.  Who would know, who would it hurt?  In Achan's case, everybody came to know and an entire people were injured as well as himself and his family.

Pornography is a victimless crime except for the women and children who are exploited in its production, the wives of husbands who divert time, money and attention to digital stimulation and the individual's character, which is hammered by the onslaught of crass and licentious imagery.  Cyber-sex is victimless except for the spouse who is denied the attention given to another an the emotional capital invested in a fantasy relationship, or worse, the digital recipient decides to appear in the flesh, calling or showing up at your house.  The teller, loses his job and the ability to provide for his family or possibly winds up in jail.  Who will it hurt?  That is an unknown until it does.  But, as Moses wrote in Numbers 32:23, "You can be sure your sin will find you out."

Sin is a serious thing.  The battle with the spiritual forces of evil is real (Eph 6:12) and you can be sure that there will be collateral damage.  People will be hurt that you had no intention on hurting.  Your family, your friends, your co-workers, people who look up to you - everybody has people around them that are injured when their sin comes to light.  And, your sin will come to light someday, somehow, somewhere.  Jus' Sayn.