Introduction: “Your sins will find you out.” I heard that for years as a boy before I learned where the phrase came from. It comes from Scripture: “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23, ESV). It is a terror to the wicked but a comfort to the righteous.

Illustration: Today as I was studying Genesis 38, I saw that truth played out in history. Genesis 38 is the tragic story of Judah and Tamar. Not knowing that Tamar was his daughter-in-law (she had her face covered because she was pledged to Shelah in marriage; she was slated to marry him when he came of age), Judah slept with her. Tamar made Judah pledge to her by way of his signet, his cord, and his staff:

And she said, “If you give me a pledge, until you send it—” ¹⁸ He said, “What pledge shall I give you?” She replied, “Your signet and your cord and your staff that is in your hand.” So he gave them to her and went in to her, and she conceived by him. ¹⁹ Then she arose and went away, and taking off her veil she put on the garments of her widowhood. (Gen 38:17-19, ESV)

Tamar became pregnant. This of course would not be kept secret. When it could no longer be kept under wraps, it was told Judah, Your daughter-in-law has become pregnant by someone other than the man betrothed to her. But the reality was that Judah himself was the father, because he slept with her, thinking she was a prostitute, not his future daughter-in-law:

²⁴ About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.” And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” ²⁵ As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.” ²⁶ Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again. (Gen 38:24-26, ESV)

But the Truth Came Out: Judah’s ways were disclosed. He had folks fooled for a while, but the truth came out. He was not righteous. He was wicked. It took some time, but eventually people discovered what he was like. The signet, the cord, and the staff revealed him to be the scheming one, the one hiding behind a mask, not his future daughter-in-law. May we be encouraged to keep short accounts with the Lord.