The Cover-Up

Is very clear regarding how God expects us to deal with our sin. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered by the wonderful Old Testament truth. Don't ever expect God to cover over for you when you will not uncover for him.

When you uncover your sin.

He covers when you cover it up send you refuse confess sin you think of a political scandal that people tried to keep from becoming public. You certainly think of someone trying to hide something, but let's be honest with ourselves because isn't that what were all tempted to do with arson. We want to keep it hidden, private, and under wraps today on wisdom from the heart. Stephen Davey is taking us to Romans four were going to hear of some men who tried to cover up their sin and the results of those efforts. More importantly will learn what we should do when we sent our attention as a nation has been riveted to one exposure after another of prominent people and prominent corporations gone bad.

Above all incredible stories are emerging of complex and rather detailed coverups.

One. Recent story revolves around a fairly well-known woman who apparently sold her shares of stock in the company just before the company's financial woes at the press and the stock plummeted a few days ago.

She finally relented under legal pressure to comply by turning over her phone records and email which would have revealed the she had or had not received phone calls or place phone calls to high-ranking officials in this company and gotten what we call insider information which you turn it over the official discovered that certain phone numbers and emails have been blacked out. Frankly, if you pick up the newspaper and you just read it seems that perhaps our national pastime is cover-up so rampant is the infidelity and deception of married men and women toward their spouses and children.

The company called the alibi agency that I learned of a few days ago makes a profit from helping create an alibi for their clients. The Atlantic monthly reported that this company will furnish you with the ticket stubs for the theater performance.

You said you were going to they will print up fake invitations and programs to the social and business events that supposedly kept away from home and are advertising proudly promises we can tailor make an alibi to your specifications. Our aim is your peace of mind. It really does exist part of the cover-up strategy is to deny, deny, deny, deny. Then when you're finally caught admit to some lesser or admit to simply having made some sort of mistake. But if caught, the average manner. The average woman on the street would say well I guess you're right. I guess I made up poor choice. I guess I made a mistake. Nothing to say of sin or deception relying another aspect of the cover-up strategy is to deny deny deny until proven wrong and then blame somebody else is being the bad person. The strategy of course goes all the way back to the first man of the first woman ever walked the face of the earth when God came, of course, after Adam and Eve sinned and began the cover-up by these fig leaves trying to hide their nakedness. You remember, God came to hold them accountable and uncover their true sin and we have the first record of an excuse or blame.

Given Adam said the woman that you gave me was hurtful. The tragedy, though, wasn't so much that I don't blame his wife that was tragic. The deeper tragedy was that Adam implied that God was ultimately doubling the woman that you to be with me, gave me Lord look that even affect the circadian admit your center and see blame it on the serpent, which ultimately then blames it on God because God created the serpent and God. Satan went out of this or we would never blame God for sin when we have never said okay Lord, you know that's the way you made me if you and maybe that way would respond that way is that blame Lord if you taking care of those issues in a timely fashion. I would've had to take those matters into my own hands and see what I've got myself into but ultimately for the truly another way of saying, Lord, it's your fault, deny deny deny the blame someone else.

Cal Thomas Road in world magazine. These provocative words, he says, isn't anyone responsible for anything anymore apparently not were all victims now anything bad is somebody else's fault and then he goes on to cite several pending cases including the man who was ordered to cut down a diseased tree in his yard since it poses a hazard to powerlines and traffic so the man back to the man I put a ladder on the roof of his van and began to chop the tree down and when the latter course slipped off the van. He then in turn sued the city. It was therefore case reminded me of what I read several years ago when a high school girl a credit for the varsity football she was allowed to try out school officials were afraid that if they didn't letter. They could be sued for discrimination, so she was a lot of playing in the first scrimmage. She was hurt, so she sued the city for more than $1 million in along with her parents claimed in the lawsuit.

The quote nobody and wonder of the physical dangers inherent in the sport. She did need to get hurt playing football. Perhaps the most incredible story I've read in a while was the story the 56-year-old man in New York is in the process of suing several fast food chains for contributing to his weight gain and which led to his heart attack. He claims that the fast food restaurants created an addiction, a craving that overpowered him. I can identify to some degree, but he took it a lot further so he is suing McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and Kentucky fried chicken for causing his heart attack by all that bad food. By the way, nevermind all for this passage is over salad. He was addicted to the bacon and Swiss double whopper and the baby fries magnificent one is fall so deny, deny, deny, and then when something happens it somebody else's fault. Another way of covering up sin is something we hear more than ever it's the person who was caught in a crime says yes I did something bad. But I'm not a bad person Chicago Tribune a few months ago reported how disgruntled former employee walked into a restaurant in Elgin, Illinois with four guns and open fire. He killed two and wounded 16 others at his trial, he remained unrepentant and defensive when his attorney on this day and asked him if he felt any remorse helping to mitigate perhaps a harsher sentence the man said as ironic as this sounds, passionate, giving person.

I like to think I'm a pretty good person. I'm not one to hurt anyone that doesn't provoke me. In other words, I was provoked somebody else's full and I'm really not evil because I'm really a good passionate giving person forget that he wounded and maimed people.

He didn't even know people who didn't provoke I did something evil but I'm really not an evil person as 1/4 way to cover-up sinful behaviors becoming I believe the most popular of all, whenever you're caught in the sin simply say it is sinful, deny, deny, deny. Then when you're caught say well really isn't bad at all. In fact, you don't even deny you will plot it you endorse it you approve of it. You say it's the way to live as though our live anywhere as a badge of honor. The classic example is the homosexual community who holds their annual Gay pride parades and their gay pride month pride, sexual perversion of men with men and women with women is not sinful. It is a reason to be proud. This method of covering sin redefines more right and wrong. Basically it's attempting to overcome the guilt of sin. The pain of guilty conscience. Judith Brandt recently wrote a book subtitle. Believe it, your guide to infidelity and extramarital etiquette.

And of course she got rave reviews I read some of she said in one interview.

If you're going about your business in a discrete way. In other words, nobody catches you in your infidelity and you are continuing to take care of your wife and children.

In other words be put food on the table and clothing on her back then, there is no reason to feel guilty and know you haven't done anything wrong you can be a discrete fornicator now you can use proper etiquette while you destroy somebody else's life, along with yours, along with the families involved. She went on to actually stated in an interview that adultery can actually provide short-term benefits summits in the long term issue. Paul has already described that sort of thinking. In Romans chapter 1 the atrocity of this kind of cover-up that he says is really the worst kind of all he says, in effect, that the gutter of depravity. The bottom of the sewer of sin is when a person or a society at large. Not only commit sinful acts but approves of that sin endorses that sin applauds that evil behavior another. He writes in chapter 1, verse 32. They not only do the same as the listed numbers but they also give hearty approval to those who practice them. Redefining it so that it is no longer evil, but it is good to listen to what Herbert Hoover said in the 1930s or 31st president. He warned future generations in these words.

He says the strength of our nation lies in public sensitivity to evil.

Our greatest danger is not some invading army. Our greatest danger is a public tolerance of scandalous behavior. He spoke prophetically.

In other words, the greatest danger facing anybody in any culture of the cover-up of sin, covering up sin by saying well is just a bad choice.

Covering up sin by blaming it on someone else covering up evil by saying well you're really not evil person. And worst of all covering up sin by saying it really is in sin. Now, in an attempt to show the depravity of the human heart and the depravity of the human mind to reveal that without a doubt, salvation has to be. It just has to be the free gift of God independently of who we are because we are ultimately depraved. What Paul has been doing in chapter 4 of Romans is bringing to the mind of especially the Jewish reader.

The illustration of Abraham. He was the great patriarch of all time. He was a former pagan God revealed himself to without any invitation God taking all of the initiative and he took him out of his idolatrous country and he called them to leave and gave them promises of a new race in a new people and all along the way.

Abraham in a terrible timeline so course that the issue was that Abraham was saved or justified, not by his life. Just look at his life was the Scripture say that Abraham was the beloved patriarch.

David was the beloved monarch. And that's the next illustration.

Romans chapter 4, King David was a master ladies and gentlemen in the game of cover-up. He was a great king, and he was a great sinner for that reason Paul will use. I believe David is an illustration along with Abraham and God justifies a man or a woman apart from works because if you look carefully enough at any human being. You see depravity and sinfulness and evil.

Notice what he writes in chapter 4 verse six just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works.

In other words, the life of David was sinful at times so that it ought to be obvious that God justified David independently of his life works. The Bible is rather unrelenting times in his exposure of sin in order for us to appreciate the words of David quoted. Centuries later, here in Romans chapter 4 we need to go back to that time when perhaps you find the most famous cover-up in biblical history. So would you take your Bibles and let's go to second Samuel chapter 11 in verse one.

Then it happened in the spring at the time when kings go out to battle the David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, besieged or literally surrounded the city of about but David stayed in Jerusalem verse two now when evening came, David arose from his bed and walked around the roof. The king's house and from the roof he saw a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful in appearance so David sent, and inquired about the woman and one said is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Liam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite God is making sure that the sermon informs David that this woman is a married woman that should've stopped David in his tracks. Verse four.

Almost without pause. David sent messengers and took her and when she came to him. He lay with her when she had purified herself from her and clean the she returned her house one night here over the Bible doesn't inform us about this meeting between David and Bathsheba were not told whether or not this was this was a meeting that that digressed quickly into some sort of kingly coercion or or maybe some form of intimidation or maybe bribery or maybe even cruel rape simply says she came in summer home. Applying the David now wants life to sort of resume is normal but not so fast. Verse five in the woman conceived and she sent and told David and said I am pregnant now, at this point David has a choice. He can confess his sin and do whatever necessary to accept the consequences of his sin. Or you can try to cover it up, and he chooses. Of course, the cover-up. There are several steps in his cover-up. Step number one if you're familiar with the story was to bring Bathsheba's husband home from the battlefield.

Make sure that he's there to spend at least a weekend with his wife so that her pregnancy could be attributed to him and set it to somebody else so verse six David said to Joab, who is the general saying send me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent Uriah to David when Uriah came to him. David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the people in the state of the war. In other words, it's all little small talk that David said Uriah go down to your house and wash her feet Old Testament website.com and take the weekend off and relax.

Uriah went out of the king's house and the present from the king was sent out after him, but Uriah slept at the door. The king's house and with all the servants of the Lord and did not go down to his house first to know when they told David saying Uriah did not go down to his house. David said Uriah, have you not come from a journey. Why did you not go down your house. Verse 11 Uriah said the David, the art and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters in my Lord Joab, and the servants of my Lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and to live with my wife by your life and the life of your servant. I will not do this thing.

So David moved to step two. Verse 13 that David called many a drink before and he made him drunk and in the evening went out to lie on his bed with the Lord service, but he still did not go down was house you can just almost begin to feel the panic rising in David's heart. The mangers will go home loyal soldier hardened by battle unwilling to take time off of his comrades are facing life-threatening conditions in difficult conditions, and he just won't go home and that's a problem.

He has been home for months been out of the field. According to the chronology of Scripture and it will be months before the soldiers come back so if if David can get them home to be obvious that it was somebody else to find out can be pretty obvious that it was David because David was the one that kept wanting to go home.

By the way, this point is clear.

The David and Bathsheba are not together. This they are now together. This cover-up instead of telling her husband with David did what she did so telling the truth should now in the process of deceiving her husband so the third step is to make sure Uriah never comes home. Verse 14 that came about in the morning the David wrote a letter job and sent by the hand of Uriah and he had written the Letter Saying Pl., Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battlement draw from him so that he may be struck down and dies. Verse seven and the men of the city without informing us Joab and some of the people among David servants fell and Uriah the Hittite also died, alternately killed as a result of David's attempt to cover up sin give you a principal here covering up sin instead of confessing sin multiplies the devastation once it is the devastation that occurs in life husband. He didn't know the heart of the wife is ripped to pieces. Upon discovering her husband's secret life. Children who place their trust in a father or mother that trust is smashed to pieces magazine is uncovered or found a phone number is found in lives are literally ripped apart: what it is.

It is sin. It is in a bad choice, although it is but it's more than that it sin. It isn't a mistake sin. Anything that is an affront to the holiness of God and all the commands that we've been given one author wrote a story to story a couple of been married for 25 years they had three older children who love them dearly.

They were blessed with financial resources, they began dreaming about a Lakeside retirement home began putting into place, purchasing one narrow their search and went to look at one the widow were was selling his lakefront home. They liked it returned home to plan to think.

Months later, out of the blue this mother and his wife announced to her husband. He went numb and then angry said how could you be conceiving this plan here for 25 years were in this stage of her life and looking for retirement home. How can he be nursing. This plan, she said that she had really been nursing for that long. She said it was a recent decision and he asked who she said it was the owner of the lakefront home. She said her husband that she was now in love with this man and she was not going to turn back that even her grown children who hated the idea to dissuade her. This man writes the day came for her to leave and the husband was walking to the kitchen.

On the way to the garage and he stopped and looked at her he said I guess this is the last time she raced from her mind. The feelings of guilt and the awkwardness of that.

She hurriedly gathered her things and she drove north to meet this man. Two weeks after moving in with him. He was seized with a heart attack.

He lingered for a few hours and then he died that she was in two weeks. So much of their lives was irretrievably destroyed. Trust destroyed future leak. That's one of the stories we hear the end of it, why you're still alive. David, by the way is through with his cover-up.

He takes it another step in deception and hypocrisy is fourth step is in verse 27, when the time of morning was over. That is when they finally finished the funeral for these faithful soldiers including Uriah David sent, and brought Bathsheba to his house and she became his wife. She was still going to cover up the fact that she is with child, so you can imagine, David, perhaps at the memorial service. Maybe he's the one delivering the eulogy.

What hypocrisy but it seems like David is going to get away with murder that God is somehow now overlooked.

It is some cynic perhaps in the palace who knows the real story says well David is God's favorite and he'll get away with it. See, he won't fact if you look at the latter part of verse 27, with a little insertion but the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.

I'm not sure how secret. The secret was there's a year between Chapter 11 chapter 12.

During that year. To summarize, there's a prophet named Nathan is been thinking of a way to approach David so he finally comes in. He tells David to remember the stories as they were.

There was little poor man and his family. That one little lamb. They treated the llama competitive eight scraps from the table and it was a playmate of the children nearby was a wealthy landowner. The implication was this poor man worked as a tenant farmer for him and he had many lambs one day some company came to the rich man's home and he wanted to roast a laminated want to take one of his many so he went and sees the Lamb of this poor man killed it served to the guests and at that point in the story David virtually comes off his throne and he says that man must die when the second according to the law. You'll have to make restoration in a case like that.

See how the hypocrisy of David has exceeded rational limits. He says that man's got a die. Nathan probably let that echo around the holes of palace, before he then looked at him and said David you are that man as I try to picture and I can imagine David slumping back on his throne. Now exposed. The cover-up is uncovered, see my friends Paul will use David as an illustration because David's case is hopeless to understand its hopeless. He is guilty of murder.

He is guilty of lying. He is guilty of coveting he has broken so many Commandments. There is no way that God would ever allow him in the paradise.

That's the reason Paul will he will become one of God's greatest evidences that salvation is a free gift. It is given to perfect people to give terrible centers.

Listen to what David says life was like during those days of covering up the sin. Listen to what David says about what life was like when he was deceiving others. He writes when I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through all my groaning all day long and over these absolutely miserable for day and night. He writes your hand was heavy upon me. My vitality was drained away. As with the fever heat of summer had no energy reason to live. But then course inserted in that then is the coming of Nathan, the blessing of accountability. Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and my iniquity. I did not hide. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, you forgave the guilt of my sin. And in Romans chapter 4 verse seven. Paul will pull from this Psalm David's opening stanza Paul quoting David writes in Romans chapter 4 verse seven that opening phrase of the song. Once David stopped the cover-up and is confess to sin. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered by the way, that's a wonderful Old Testament truth.

Don't ever expect God to cover over for you. What you will not uncover for him. When you uncover your sin. He covers when you cover it up.

Sin, you refuse to confess his sin. He will cover fact those who cherish sin embrace and refuse to repent proof that they do not belong to the one was sin and he says Blessed is the man.

Verse eight sin. The Lord will not take into instead just the joy of a full confession liberation comes. Yes, the pain of exposure all the great joy the clear country I would be David's test that was God's wisdom for your heart today. Is there something you're trying to keep hidden even from God run to him in honesty and in full confession and find the forgiveness, your soul craves you been listening to Stephen Davey Stephen is the pastor teacher of the shepherd's church in Cary, North Carolina, and our daily Bible teacher here on wisdom for the heart. Between now and our next Bible lesson. There are many ways you can interact with us and access the resources we have available wisdom international is on social media. Be sure and like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter or Instagram.

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