Sinning Removes Us from God’s Grace

“The priest shall bring her and have her stand before the Lord. Then he shall take some holy water in a clay jar and put some dust from the tabernacle floor into the water. After the priest has had the woman stand before the Lord, he shall loosen her hair and place in her hands the reminder-offering, the grain offering for jealousy, while he himself holds the bitter water that brings a curse. Then the priest shall put the woman under oath and say to her, “If no other man has had sexual relations with you and you have not gone astray and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that brings a curse not harm you.  But if you have gone astray while married to your husband and you have made yourself impure by having sexual relations with a man other than your husband”—  here the priest is to put the woman under this curse—“may the Lord cause you to become a curse[d] among your people when he makes your womb miscarry and your abdomen swell. May this water that brings a curse enter your body so that your abdomen swells or your womb miscarries.” Then the woman is to say, “Amen. So be it.” (Numbers 5:16-21)

If a man (or woman) is dishonest and guilty, however, his sins are only known to him and to God. Therefore, even if others have no way of finding out, thus, no way of condemning him, he will still have to face God, ultimately.  

If one sins before God, they will be removing themselves from His grace. Doing so will make them vulnerable to danger and evil. Thus, wrongdoers who try to hide their sins will still be unable to escape their consequences.

In this passage, we are reminded that we all get what we deserve. No matter how well you try to hide your faults, you will still have to suffer their negative effects. In the same way, if you are innocent and live a life of integrity and honesty, you should have nothing to fear. You should be able to say “Amen, so be it”, to any of the effects of your actions.